1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,000
Thank you, Dan. Would you take your Bible and turn with me please to 2 Timothy 3, verse 16.

2
00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:25,000
Before we come to the next book study, which will be Romans, Lord willing,

3
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:35,000
we are looking for a few weeks at some topics that I think are important for us in our understanding of God's Word.

4
00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:45,000
Last week we talked about the uniqueness of the Bible, and we studied two terms that are important for us to get a handle on.

5
00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:51,000
The one is the term Revelation, which refers to the content of the Bible.

6
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:58,000
The Bible is, in a very special sense, the self-disclosure of God.

7
00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:03,000
It is the record of God's revelation of Himself.

8
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:08,000
So we refer to what God has said as Revelation.

9
00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:14,000
Then there is the second word that we studied last week, Inspiration.

10
00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:23,000
That is a word which describes how God miraculously brought to us the revelation of Himself.

11
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,000
It is the method that God chose to use.

12
00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:36,000
We turn to 2 Peter, chapter 1, verses 20 and 21, and we look briefly at this verse in 2 Timothy.

13
00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:44,000
It says, All scripture is God-breathed, is inspired.

14
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,000
A very special word.

15
00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:54,000
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful or profitable for four things.

16
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,000
Notice what they are.

17
00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:04,000
For teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.

18
00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,000
The purpose of the Word of God for us is fourfold.

19
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,000
To teach us the doctrine of God.

20
00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:17,000
That we may understand who He is and who we are and how we may be related to Him.

21
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:25,000
It is also purposed to rebuke us when we as believers are out of step with the Lord.

22
00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:31,000
It is purposed thirdly to correct us, that is to get us back in line and into step.

23
00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:36,000
And finally, it is purposed to train us in righteousness.

24
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,000
And that word train there has to do with the training up of a child.

25
00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,000
The disciplining of a child.

26
00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:51,000
So the Word of God is given that we might be disciplined and trained or matured, if you please, in righteousness.

27
00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:56,000
Now the Bible is a wonderful book.

28
00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:01,000
And because of its uniqueness, it has great authority.

29
00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:06,000
In fact, our confession is that it is our final authority.

30
00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:13,000
Our ultimate authority in what we believe and how we are to behave ourselves.

31
00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:21,000
But the Bible's authority is sometimes diminished by the idea commonly expressed

32
00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:26,000
that there are many different interpretations to the Bible.

33
00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:32,000
Has anyone ever said to you, well that's your interpretation, I have my interpretation?

34
00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:37,000
As though it is very acceptable to have many different interpretations.

35
00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:44,000
Now if that is the case, it means that the Bible loses its authority in our lives.

36
00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,000
If it can mean one thing to one person and something else to another person,

37
00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:53,000
then who is to say which is right, which God intends to say, etc.

38
00:03:53,000 --> 00:04:00,000
Its authority is tremendously weakened by the idea there are many interpretations.

39
00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000
Now of course the fact is that there are different interpretations.

40
00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,000
Whenever you have two people who interpret a passage differently,

41
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:14,000
one of them, or perhaps both of them, is wrong.

42
00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:19,000
Because one of the basic rules regarding the interpretation of the Bible is

43
00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:24,000
that every passage has only one true interpretation.

44
00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,000
Only one true interpretation.

45
00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,000
There may be many applications.

46
00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,000
Let's talk about the difference of those two terms.

47
00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:38,000
Interpretation has to do with what God is saying.

48
00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:46,000
It answers the question, what does God mean in this verse, or in this phrase, or in this passage?

49
00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:51,000
What does God mean here? That's interpretation.

50
00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:59,000
Application answers the question, now how does this apply to my life?

51
00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:07,000
Interpretation is what does God mean, application is how does all of this now apply to me personally?

52
00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:22,000
Now the Bible is not profitable for teaching and rebuking, correcting, and training if we don't interpret it correctly.

53
00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:27,000
It loses its authority if it's not properly interpreted.

54
00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,000
And so one's method of interpretation is very critical.

55
00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:40,000
In fact, here in 2 Timothy, the apostle says such a thing to this young man in chapter 2, verse 15.

56
00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:48,000
This was the key verse, part of the logo, I guess you would say, of the Bible school which I attended.

57
00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:51,000
2 Timothy 2, 15.

58
00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:58,000
It says, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,

59
00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:05,000
a workman who does not need to be ashamed, and who correctly handles the word of truth.

60
00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:16,000
That verb there, who correctly handles, or who rightly divides, in the original language means to cut straight.

61
00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:27,000
Those of you who grew up on the farm as I did know what it is to get out on the tractor with a plow behind you and make a mess.

62
00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,000
I can well remember the time when I wasn't plowing.

63
00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:35,000
I was cultivating some very straight rows of corn.

64
00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:42,000
I was heading down the row as I was supposed to be, and I looked behind me to make sure it was doing a good job.

65
00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:49,000
And before I knew it, I was not only cultivating the weeds, I was cultivating the corn right out.

66
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:53,000
And I took a whole row before I could get back in line.

67
00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,000
Why? Because I wasn't cutting it straight as I should have been.

68
00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:04,000
The same is true in plowing. You have to keep your eye on something ahead and not look behind, or your plowing will be just like this.

69
00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:10,000
You ladies understand the importance of cutting something straight.

70
00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:14,000
You get out a piece of material and you lay a pattern down over that material.

71
00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:18,000
Then you get your scissors out and you begin to cut.

72
00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:23,000
And if you don't cut straight along the lines of that pattern, what happens?

73
00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,000
You get done, you try to put it together, and you've got problems, don't you?

74
00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:32,000
The pieces don't fit together like they're supposed to unless you cut straight.

75
00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:36,000
You see, the same thing is true with regards to the Bible.

76
00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:45,000
If we don't cut it straight, that is, if we don't interpret it properly, when we get the pieces all together, they don't fit.

77
00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:53,000
So it's important to cut the Word of God straight, that way we don't become workmen who are ashamed.

78
00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:58,000
Rather, our goal should be to study and to be diligent in the Word of God,

79
00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:08,000
to show ourselves as approved workmen who can cut it straight in understanding or interpreting what the Bible has to say to us.

80
00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:18,000
Now, no one, in my opinion, approaches the Bible without some method or basis for determining the meaning of the Bible.

81
00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:28,000
How can we evangelicals know with confidence what God means to say in a given passage?

82
00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:38,000
We can know with confidence what God means to say if we will prayerfully apply certain principles as we interpret the Word of God.

83
00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,000
And that's what I want to talk about this morning.

84
00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,000
This is not an expository message like we're used to getting here,

85
00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:53,000
but I think it's a relevant and I hope a practical message that will help you in your personal Bible study.

86
00:08:53,000 --> 00:09:00,000
What are the principles that should guide us in determining what a passage of Scripture means?

87
00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:10,000
Well, in your worship folder, you should have an outline that lists for you five principles of Bible interpretation.

88
00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:19,000
I want to talk about those principles today, define them, and illustrate them, so you'll understand, I hope, what I'm saying.

89
00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:25,000
Principle number one is the principle of self-interpretation.

90
00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:31,000
In other words, there are times when the Bible will interpret itself.

91
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,000
We don't have to sit and scratch our heads and say, now, what is God trying to say?

92
00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:42,000
Because God himself tells us in the Word what another portion means.

93
00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:48,000
Let me try to illustrate that to you by turning with you to Matthew chapter 13.

94
00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,000
In this chapter, we have several parables.

95
00:09:52,000 --> 00:10:00,000
These parables describe the course of Christendom during this age in which we live.

96
00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:07,000
Someday, we'll have to do a study of Matthew 13 because this is a terrifically interesting chapter.

97
00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:14,000
In Matthew chapter 13, let me simply point out to you the first parable that Jesus tells.

98
00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:20,000
It is commonly called the parable of the soils or the parable of the sower.

99
00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:25,000
You remember it, a farmer went out to sow his seed.

100
00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,000
Now, what does that mean?

101
00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:35,000
What was Jesus trying to communicate as he told this story that has a deeper meaning to it or this parable?

102
00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,000
Well, we have the answer to that.

103
00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:42,000
In verse 18, he himself tells us what the parable means.

104
00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:46,000
He says, listen then to what the parable of the sower means.

105
00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:54,000
And then in those following verses, he explains exactly what he was trying to communicate through that teaching.

106
00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:59,000
Once again in this chapter, we have an illustration of this principle.

107
00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:03,000
Jesus, in verse 24, gives a second parable.

108
00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:08,000
This one is called the parable of the tares and the wheat.

109
00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,000
What does this parable mean?

110
00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,000
Well, again, we have Jesus' own explanation of it.

111
00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:20,000
In verse 36, it says, then he left the crowd and went into the house.

112
00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:28,000
His disciples came to him and said, explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.

113
00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,000
He answered, and then he begins to explain exactly what that parable means.

114
00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,000
Do you see the point?

115
00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:38,000
There are times when the Bible interprets itself.

116
00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:39,000
Those are easy times.

117
00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:44,000
We don't have to scratch our heads then and try to work to figure out what the Bible means.

118
00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,000
The Bible explains itself and what it means.

119
00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:54,000
Another example, a more difficult one, is found in Revelation, chapter 17.

120
00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,000
We're not going to turn there.

121
00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:04,000
But those of you who are familiar with the book, remember that we are introduced to a personage there who is described as the harlot.

122
00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:12,000
In fact, the mother of all harlotry is this female figure who is introduced.

123
00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,000
What is that all about?

124
00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:22,000
As you read through chapter 17, there are verses that explain who this personage is.

125
00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:28,000
In that passage, this is not a literal woman, but it is a figure of something else.

126
00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:34,000
The Bible explains there what she figures, what she typifies.

127
00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:40,000
That, too, is an example of what I mean by the principle of self-interpretation.

128
00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:44,000
Look for that in the Bible.

129
00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,000
The apostle talks about the mystery.

130
00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,000
Do you remember that in 1 Corinthians, chapter 15?

131
00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:53,000
He says, Behold, I show you a mystery.

132
00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,000
What does he mean, a mystery?

133
00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:59,000
Paul explains it himself in Ephesians, chapter 3.

134
00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:09,000
He tells us the definition of what a mystery is, another example of self-explanation or interpretation.

135
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:17,000
Now let's talk about the second principle of Bible interpretation, which we call the principle of normal interpretation.

136
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:25,000
In other words, we should accept what is written as the author intended for it to be accepted.

137
00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:32,000
That is, there are times when what is said is clearly figurative.

138
00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:39,000
There are other times when we have no reason to think that it is other than literal.

139
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:43,000
This is the way we read our newspaper, for example.

140
00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:51,000
You pick up the newspaper and you may read the editorial page.

141
00:13:51,000 --> 00:14:03,000
And you know what is on that page is not hard factual news, but it is personal opinion and commentary.

142
00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:13,000
You turn on the sports page and you see figures of speech used to describe the accomplishments of an athletic team.

143
00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:23,000
Then you go back to the front page, perhaps, and there you see hard, fast news that you take as literal truth, as sometimes a mistake.

144
00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:26,000
But we accept it that way, nonetheless.

145
00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,000
So you see, that's the way we read our newspaper.

146
00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:33,000
We interpret different sections of it as it is intended to be interpreted.

147
00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:36,000
And that's the way the Bible should be read, too.

148
00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:42,000
There are passages that are clearly allegorical or figurative.

149
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:52,000
And there are other passages that are literal, and there is no reason to try to explain them away or to read something else into them as though they were an allegory.

150
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,000
Let me explain to you or illustrate to you what I am saying.

151
00:14:56,000 --> 00:15:03,000
Jesus made the statement in John, I am the door.

152
00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:07,000
Are we to picture our Savior as a door?

153
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,000
He said, I am the vine.

154
00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,000
When we think of Jesus, are we to see a vine growing?

155
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:14,000
Of course not.

156
00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,000
Obviously, he is saying, I am like a door.

157
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,000
I am the entrance to eternal life.

158
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,000
I am the vine.

159
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:27,000
I am the source of life, and you are like the branches to the vine.

160
00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:33,000
I flow into you with my life and produce fruit through you.

161
00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,000
We take those as allegorical, don't we?

162
00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:45,000
Jesus is figuratively speaking so that we can get a deeper idea about his ministry to us.

163
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:53,000
But then on the other hand, there are passages that are spoken by our Savior that are very, very literal.

164
00:15:53,000 --> 00:16:00,000
Now let me turn you to one that is often taken as being figurative, but is in fact literal as we look at it.

165
00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:06,000
And that is in Luke, chapter 16.

166
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:11,000
In Luke 15, we have three parables.

167
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:15,000
The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.

168
00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:18,000
Chapter 16 begins with a parable.

169
00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:24,000
It is the parable of the shrewd steward.

170
00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:29,000
In verse 19, Jesus says something else.

171
00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:36,000
He says, There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen, and lived in luxury every day.

172
00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:44,000
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table.

173
00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:47,000
Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

174
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:53,000
The time came when the beggar died, and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.

175
00:16:53,000 --> 00:17:00,000
The rich man also died and was buried in hell where he was in torment.

176
00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:05,000
He looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.

177
00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:18,000
So he called him, Father Abraham, have pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.

178
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:23,000
There are those who say that this is simply a figure of speech here.

179
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:32,000
They say, well, Jesus is simply trying to say that all of us make our own hell in this life by the way that we live.

180
00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:37,000
But I would point out to you that Jesus does not call this a parable.

181
00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:42,000
Normally when Jesus told a parable, he made it clear that that's what it was.

182
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:49,000
Furthermore, I don't know of any parable that Jesus told in which he named an individual.

183
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:54,000
What is recorded here should be understood just as it's written.

184
00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:57,000
Jesus said, There was a rich man.

185
00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,000
He tells how he was dressed. He tells how he lived.

186
00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:08,000
He says, There was a beggar who laid beside the gate. His name was Lazarus. They both died.

187
00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:16,000
The beggar went to paradise. The rich man went to hell. There he was in flames. He was tormented.

188
00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:22,000
We have no reason to accept this other than as it is literally written down for us.

189
00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:27,000
So that's what I mean by interpreting the scripture in its normal sense.

190
00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:33,000
If Jesus had meant for this simply to be a figure of speech, it would clearly say that here.

191
00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:38,000
He would not use a person's name in it, etc. We accept this as being literal.

192
00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:53,000
Another example. In Psalm 60 verse 2, God says, Moab is my wash pot, and overeat him I will cast out my shoe.

193
00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:57,000
Does that mean that God has a face and hands that he washes over Moab,

194
00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:03,000
and he takes off his shoes at night and empties them, overeat them? Of course not.

195
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:09,000
Obviously that is figurative. God doesn't have a face. He doesn't wear shoes. God is spirit.

196
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:18,000
But God is communicating there that these foreign, gentile countries are in subjection to him.

197
00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:24,000
So obviously that is figurative. These are illustrations of principle number 2.

198
00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:30,000
We should interpret the Bible in its normal sense.

199
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:36,000
The third principle I would point out is that of contextual interpretation.

200
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:45,000
In other words, we need to look at the context of a verse before we decide what it means.

201
00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:54,000
A person can prove any point of view he wants to from the Bible just by selecting a verse here or a phrase there,

202
00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:58,000
pulling them out of context and saying, see, here's what I told you.

203
00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:04,000
Do you know an atheist can prove atheism from the Bible?

204
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:10,000
He could go, for instance, to Psalm 14.1 where it says, There is no God,

205
00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:15,000
and say, here's biblical proof that God doesn't exist.

206
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:21,000
But what that verse says in its context is, The fool has said in his heart, There is no God.

207
00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:24,000
It's a little different, isn't it?

208
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:35,000
Let me read to you the statement made by Dr. Bernard Ramm in his book called Protestant Biblical Interpretation.

209
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,000
He quotes a couple of other men.

210
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:47,000
Todd has correctly observed, says Dr. Ramm, that the Bible is no mere collection of good texts or verses put together

211
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,000
without any relation to one another.

212
00:20:50,000 --> 00:21:03,000
But careful study very soon shows that each verse or passage has a very real relation to that which immediately precedes as well as what follows.

213
00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:13,000
And Barrows aptly states that, To interpret without regard to the context is to interpret at random.

214
00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:19,000
To interpret contrary to the context is to teach falsehood for truth.

215
00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:31,000
Both of these writers, says Dr. Ramm, speak to the point that an understanding of the context of sentences is important for their proper interpretation.

216
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:40,000
You have to see how the piece fits into the whole before you decide what that piece means.

217
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:47,000
One of the things, for example, that we have to discern as we read the Bible is, To whom is this written?

218
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:53,000
For you see, all the Bible is not to us, though it's all for us.

219
00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:56,000
Let me illustrate that.

220
00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:01,000
There's a verse in the Old Testament that says, Arise and go over this Jordan.

221
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,000
Have you ever obeyed that command?

222
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:06,000
Have you?

223
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,000
It's a command of the Bible.

224
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,000
Get up and go over the Jordan River.

225
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,000
I've been in Israel, but I've never gone over the Jordan River and obeyed that command.

226
00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:15,000
Why?

227
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:21,000
Because that command was written to Joshua and to the children of Israel.

228
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:25,000
That may be a silly illustration of what I'm saying, but I think you get the point.

229
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:26,000
We have to look at the context.

230
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,000
To whom is this written?

231
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:35,000
Another example of that would be the verses often quoted from Malachi chapter 3 regarding tithing.

232
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:44,000
People say, Well, God promises that if I tithe, he will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessing and make me rich.

233
00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,000
God doesn't say that in Malachi chapter 3 in the first place.

234
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:57,000
In the second place, Malachi chapter 3 is written to the Jews, to ancient Israel.

235
00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:03,000
I got some papers one time from a man in Oklahoma before I got off his mailing list,

236
00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:11,000
in which he told me that if I would send him my tithe, he promised me that within 30 days,

237
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:16,000
God would return that tithe multi-fold and make me rich.

238
00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:17,000
That was his promise.

239
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:22,000
He quoted verses out of context from the Bible to prove his point.

240
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,000
You see, we've got to be careful of doing that.

241
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:30,000
I heard John MacArthur tell one time, and I think I've shared this with some of you,

242
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:35,000
about a preacher who was just wailing away against women who wore their hair up.

243
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:42,000
His verse for it was, in Matthew, he said, It says, Topknot come down.

244
00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:47,000
Topknot come down.

245
00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,000
You know what verse he was using?

246
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:56,000
The one that says, Let him that is on the housetop not come down.

247
00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,000
I think that's a little out of context, don't you?

248
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:06,000
You see, when we interpret the Bible, it has to be with a sense of the context here.

249
00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:12,000
Another example that we won't point out specifics is in Matthew, chapters 24 and 25.

250
00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:18,000
There are people who see the rapture in there and all kinds of other things relating to the church.

251
00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:22,000
Matthew, chapters 24 and 25 has nothing to do with the church.

252
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:29,000
It is an explanation to the disciples of when the Lord would come back and establish his kingdom for Israel.

253
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:35,000
And when you interpret those two chapters, you have to see it in that regard, in that context.

254
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,000
And so the context is very, very important.

255
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:42,000
Whenever you look at a verse, back up a few verses and get the flow of it.

256
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:45,000
And read a few verses further.

257
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:50,000
And if you can, discern how that fits into the flavor of the whole book.

258
00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,000
Who wrote that?

259
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:56,000
What is the context of that verse?

260
00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:03,000
Don't ever let someone come into your house and open a religious book and try to prove to you a certain point of view

261
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:08,000
without forcing them to look at the whole context of that verse.

262
00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:10,000
You will destroy them.

263
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,000
They don't know how to handle that.

264
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:17,000
They're very clever at taking a verse here or a verse there and putting them together.

265
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,000
And as long as you keep them on their little spiel, they're in good shape.

266
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,000
But you try to force them to show you the context.

267
00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:28,000
And you'll have one flustered evangelist on your hands.

268
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:35,000
The fourth principle of biblical interpretation is the principle of consistent interpretation.

269
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:41,000
In other words, the Bible cannot contradict itself.

270
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:45,000
There are people who say, well, I don't believe the Bible.

271
00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,000
It's so filled with contradictions.

272
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,000
Have you ever heard anybody say that?

273
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:55,000
If you want to shut him up, just carry a Bible with you and hand it to him the next time he says that and say,

274
00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:58,000
please point out one to me.

275
00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,000
And he'll zip his mouth and won't open around you again.

276
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,000
Because most people who say that have no idea what they're talking about.

277
00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:08,000
It's just something they're parroting because they've heard it from somebody,

278
00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:12,000
probably a liberal preacher or in a liberal book somewhere.

279
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,000
The Bible does not contradict itself.

280
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:20,000
When we find an apparent contradiction, what we have to do is just keep studying that

281
00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:27,000
and allow the light of Scripture where there are clear passages to help us understand what that dark verse,

282
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:31,000
that verse darken our understanding, may mean.

283
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,000
Let me show you an example of this.

284
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,000
Let's go back to Hebrews for a minute.

285
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:42,000
This is the source of a lot of trouble to some people.

286
00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:49,000
Hebrews chapter 6, verse 4.

287
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:50,000
The writer says,

288
00:26:50,000 --> 00:27:18,000
There are those who come to this verse or these verses and they say,

289
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:23,000
see, here's proof that if a Christian sins, he loses his salvation.

290
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:28,000
And usually they go on to say, and what he needs to do is to get saved again.

291
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:32,000
The point is that if that's the way you interpret this verse, it says here,

292
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,000
there's no chance to be saved again.

293
00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,000
You can't renounce repentance if that's what this verse means.

294
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,000
But it doesn't mean that, you see.

295
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,000
What do you have to do with a passage like this?

296
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:48,000
Well, in the first place, you understand that there are clear verses in Scripture

297
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,000
that teach the security of the believer.

298
00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:56,000
That when a person trusts Jesus Christ as his Savior and is born into God's family,

299
00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:04,000
there isn't the slightest possibility in the universe for him to lose out on his salvation.

300
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:09,000
There are clear verses of Scripture that teach that, and so we allow those to shed some light on this.

301
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,000
And then we understand to whom the book of Hebrews is written,

302
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,000
and a little bit about that time.

303
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,000
And as we keep adding all of this together,

304
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:21,000
it helps us to understand what the interpretation of these verses is.

305
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,000
Do you want to know what it is?

306
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,000
Well, study it and find out.

307
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:30,000
Apply the principles we're talking about and see if God doesn't give you some insight

308
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,000
into what these verses really mean.

309
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,000
I want to go on now to the fifth principle of interpretation,

310
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,000
and that is the background principle.

311
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:47,000
In other words, we need to look at any passage with the light of its background turned on.

312
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:53,000
Try to understand who the author is and a little bit about the history of that time.

313
00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:58,000
Try to understand something about the language, if you can.

314
00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:04,000
Be sure you understand the terms and the places and the people involved.

315
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,000
There's a story about the one woman who said,

316
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:11,000
I refuse to believe the Bible because I can't imagine the Israelites

317
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:16,000
carrying Noah's ark all the way through the wilderness for 40 years.

318
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,000
We know what she needs to do.

319
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:24,000
She needs to understand what the ark is, which the Israelites had.

320
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:29,000
She doesn't understand the background of that particular word and that thought.

321
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,000
So the background principle is so very important.

322
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:37,000
We have to understand the origin of some words and what they really mean.

323
00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:41,000
For example, twice in the New Testament we are called peculiar people.

324
00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,000
Did you know that?

325
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,000
Some of us fit that term very well, I know,

326
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:49,000
but that's not what the Bible means when it says we're peculiar.

327
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:56,000
If you look up that word, you find that what it really means is that we are God's special possession.

328
00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:59,000
We are His in a very special sense.

329
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:03,000
That's the meaning of that word in the original language.

330
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:09,000
We have to be alerted to idioms that were used in that day,

331
00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:13,000
which of course are not used in our day and in our language.

332
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:18,000
Let me just show you an example of this back in Matthew chapter 16.

333
00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:23,000
Here's a couple of verses that are really difficult for some people.

334
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:29,000
Matthew chapter 16, verse 18.

335
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,000
Well, let's look at verse 19 first.

336
00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:39,000
Jesus says, I will give you, Peter, the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

337
00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:43,000
Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,

338
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:47,000
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

339
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:52,000
Now is that verse teaching that Peter is the one who stands at the pearly gates and he's got the key?

340
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,000
If he wants to let you into heaven, he'll open the gate, and if he doesn't, he won't.

341
00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,000
That's what all of our jokes tell about, isn't it?

342
00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,000
Going up to the pearly gates near St. Peter.

343
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:08,000
Does it mean here that Peter can forgive sins, and then God will forgive them,

344
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:14,000
and he can fail to forgive sins or bind sins to people, and then God won't forgive them of their sins?

345
00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:18,000
Of course not. That is not what this verse is saying.

346
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:24,000
If you begin to study this verse, you'll find that there was an idiom used that day by the rabbis

347
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,000
that was very similar to this.

348
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,000
Jesus was using that when he says,

349
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:32,000
whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,

350
00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:37,000
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

351
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,000
Thank you.

352
00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:43,000
He was building on an idiom that was common in that day.

353
00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:46,000
To understand what he says here, you have to understand that idiom.

354
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:49,000
Look at the verse before, and let me give you another example.

355
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:57,000
He says, and I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.

356
00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:03,000
Now there are those who say, well, it says here that God built his church on Peter.

357
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,000
But it doesn't say that.

358
00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:11,000
They say, oh yes, but Peter's name means rock, and Jesus says, and on this rock I'll build my church.

359
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,000
Oh, does it?

360
00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:19,000
But did you know that the word rock, which is translated as Peter's name, means a little stone?

361
00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:23,000
The kind of a rock you might pick up and throw.

362
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:28,000
But when Jesus says, and on this rock, he uses a different word.

363
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,000
It's a play on words.

364
00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:35,000
He calls Peter Petros, and he says, upon this Petra, different word,

365
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:42,000
this strata of rock, this Gibraltar, if you please, I will build my church.

366
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,000
Now what is he referring to?

367
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,000
Well, I think if you back up a couple of verses, you'll find that he says,

368
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,000
Peter says, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

369
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:54,000
And Jesus is simply referring back to that confession of who he is.

370
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,000
He says, I'm going to build my church on that truth.

371
00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:59,000
How do we know that that's what this means?

372
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,000
Well, I think we understand that if we get another passage of Scripture to shed some light on it.

373
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:04,000
1 Corinthians 3, 11.

374
00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:09,000
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Peter.

375
00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:10,000
Right?

376
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:11,000
No.

377
00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,000
Which is whom?

378
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,000
Jesus Christ.

379
00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:21,000
And so when we interpret the Bible, we need to understand something about the grammar,

380
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:22,000
the original language.

381
00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:29,000
It doesn't mean, though, that you have to speak Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic to interpret the Bible.

382
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:33,000
There's one false teacher down in Houston, Texas.

383
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:34,000
He has a lot of tapes.

384
00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:35,000
He used to be kind of popular.

385
00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:39,000
His name is Bob Thieme.

386
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:46,000
He has the idea and promotes the idea that unless you are fluent in Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic,

387
00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,000
you cannot interpret the Bible, so don't try.

388
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,000
Now, that's absolutely false.

389
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:53,000
It is not true.

390
00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:56,000
What about those of us who don't know any Greek?

391
00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:59,000
We have one who comes to church here, but I mean the language.

392
00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:00,000
You don't know any Greek.

393
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,000
You don't know any Hebrew.

394
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:03,000
See?

395
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,000
You don't know any Aramaic.

396
00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:06,000
What do you do?

397
00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,000
Let me suggest some things to you.

398
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:13,000
There are some very helpful tools that we make available to you in our bookstore.

399
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:16,000
You can get them in other Christian bookstores.

400
00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:20,000
And I want to encourage you to purchase some of these to help you in your Bible study.

401
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,000
I want to list a few specific tools.

402
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:32,000
I encourage you to copy them down because you may want to give these as a gift to someone or buy it for yourself.

403
00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:37,000
To understand something more about the words of the New Testament and what they mean,

404
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:44,000
a book that is invaluable is entitled, The Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.

405
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,000
You don't have to know Greek to understand this.

406
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,000
If you can read English, you can read this book,

407
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:55,000
The Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by W.E. Vine.

408
00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:59,000
It will help you.

409
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:06,000
You may also want to purchase a book called, Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament.

410
00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:11,000
It's a one-volume study of the words of the New Testament.

411
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:15,000
It takes you through the books, phrase by phrase,

412
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:19,000
and helps you understand some of the background on the words.

413
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:23,000
If you have a little more money to invest and want to dig a little deeper,

414
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:27,000
you might try Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament.

415
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:28,000
Six volumes.

416
00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:32,000
Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament.

417
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:39,000
I'm assuming when I mention these that you already have some of the basic tools,

418
00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:43,000
the rake and the hoe of Bible study.

419
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:46,000
For example, a concordance.

420
00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:53,000
A concordance is a book that compiles all of the words in the English Bible

421
00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:56,000
and helps you understand where all those words are used.

422
00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:00,000
If you get Strong's Concordance or Young's Concordance,

423
00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:04,000
there are references in there to help you understand what those words mean.

424
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,000
An excellent tool.

425
00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:10,000
You should have a Bible handbook.

426
00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:12,000
Unger has written one.

427
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,000
The old standby is Haley's Bible handbook.

428
00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:22,000
A Bible handbook will give you archaeological information to help you understand the passage,

429
00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,000
or historical background to a book.

430
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:27,000
Excellent tool.

431
00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:34,000
You should have a Bible dictionary, which explains terms used in the Bible.

432
00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:42,000
And then I think it's wise to have a one-volume commentary on the Bible.

433
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:49,000
A one-volume commentary is limited because it obviously can't cover every phrase and every verse,

434
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:54,000
but it gives you invaluable help in your general Bible study.

435
00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:58,000
And there are numbers of them. Wycliffe Bible Commentary is good.

436
00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,000
The New Bible Commentary.

437
00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:09,000
One that I especially enjoy is Jameson, Fossett, and Brown, three men who worked on it.

438
00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:10,000
Some of these are available.

439
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,000
And by the way, this is not a commercial, understand.

440
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:17,000
We're going to have these books available from time to time at special rates

441
00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:23,000
to make them reasonable for you to purchase so that you can get involved in deeper Bible study.

442
00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:29,000
Another book I mentioned in passing, which I like, is The Treasure of Scripture Knowledge.

443
00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:36,000
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is a fantastic tool for learning what a verse is saying.

444
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:42,000
We have some copies of that, in fact, I know, because I looked at one yesterday in our bookstore.

445
00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:48,000
We encourage you to purchase these Bible study aids, not to supplant the Bible,

446
00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:52,000
but to help you get into it and understand what it says.

447
00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:55,000
There was a young lady who came to me one time.

448
00:37:55,000 --> 00:38:01,000
She had been to a Bible school which shall remain nameless for two and one half years.

449
00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:08,000
And she said to me, Pastor Cole, what do you mean when you talk about a Bible commentary?

450
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:14,000
And I thought, oh, brother, that tells me something about that Bible school.

451
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:18,000
They teach that all you need is the Bible and the Holy Spirit.

452
00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:21,000
You go to your closet and God will show you what it all means.

453
00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,000
Now, there's some truth to that.

454
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:28,000
But let's not flush the comments and the helpful aids from other men

455
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,000
that can help us to understand what the Bible is saying, too.

456
00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:34,000
I hope you understand my heart on that.

457
00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,000
The background of the Bible is so very important.

458
00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:41,000
Use that to help you get into what the Bible means.

459
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:53,000
Warren Wiersby said, the test of successful Bible study is not simply how much you learn,

460
00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:58,000
but how much you live.

461
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:06,000
The proof that Christ has taught you is not a big head, but a burning heart.

462
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:10,000
Does your heart burn?

463
00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:21,000
He also went on to say, the success of your Christian life depends entirely on what you do with your Bible.

464
00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:22,000
Let's just talk for a minute.

465
00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:27,000
What are you doing with your Bible?

466
00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:38,000
Is it just a dry textbook that you use in your seminary class or in your college class?

467
00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:44,000
Is it just a book of poetry or good literature to you?

468
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:50,000
Is it a nice decoration for your coffee table?

469
00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:54,000
Dear friend, we talked last week how unique the Bible is.

470
00:39:54,000 --> 00:40:00,000
It is God's revelation given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

471
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:07,000
God wants to meet with us in the reading of that book.

472
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:13,000
Is your spiritual life vital?

473
00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:16,000
Are you warm? Are you hot?

474
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:22,000
Are you to the point of boiling in your fervency of love for Jesus Christ and then you'll walk with Him?

475
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:29,000
Or do you have to frankly say as you sit here today that you are kind of bored with it all and cold and dry?

476
00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:33,000
Oh, I've been there.

477
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,000
And there are times I still get there.

478
00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:43,000
We all have to continually keep ourselves fresh spiritually.

479
00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:49,000
I remember one time in my life when I was in Bible school, and of course there you study the Bible for a living.

480
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:52,000
And you get good grades because if you don't, you flunk out.

481
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:54,000
So you study the Bible.

482
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:59,000
But there's a difference between that kind of Bible study and the kind we're talking about here.

483
00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:05,000
I came to my senior year, in my senior year to one point when I got down on my knees and I said,

484
00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:14,000
God, if this is all there is to the Christian life, then I am going to drop out of school tomorrow and I'm going back to plowing on the farm.

485
00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:18,000
That's a pretty desperate statement.

486
00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:28,000
You know, as I prayed, God spoke to me in the Word and refreshed me spiritually.

487
00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:35,000
I repented of sin and I got up to walk on with the Lord.

488
00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:39,000
And I'm talking to some people today who are at that point.

489
00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:44,000
The congregation this size, there's no question in my mind that that's the case.

490
00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:49,000
Some of you are depressed and miserable and dry spiritually.

491
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:54,000
And your need is to get alone with God and to do business with God.

492
00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:59,000
And get back to that place of fellowship in the Word.

493
00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:05,000
The success of your Christian life depends entirely on what you do with your Bible.

494
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,000
What are you doing with it?

495
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:12,000
Let's pray.

496
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:19,000
Father, for some of us here, the Bible has become a dry book.

497
00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:24,000
Not because it is dry, but because it has become dry to us.

498
00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:33,000
Our hearts have become calloused and hardened by sin and neglect and carelessness.

499
00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:40,000
We need above everything else revival, new life.

500
00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:47,000
We need fresh water from the Word.

501
00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:57,000
I pray right now for each one of us, and particularly for those of us who are in that dry spiritual state.

502
00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:02,000
You help us to do business with you as we close this service.

503
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:07,000
We don't walk on in a lukewarm or cold condition.

504
00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:12,000
With our heads bowed and our eyes closed and as we wait upon God,

505
00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:21,000
I wonder if by the uplifted hand you would say, Pastor, today I am not spiritually where I ought to be.

506
00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:25,000
And the Bible is a closed book right now.

507
00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:36,000
I'm getting nothing out of it. My walk with God is almost non-existent.

508
00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:45,000
And by this uplifted hand, I want to confess that before God and commit myself to repentance, confession,

509
00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:50,000
and getting back to that spiritual walk where I ought to be.

510
00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:57,000
Will you lift your hand and then put it down? Yes, Vinnie.

511
00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:01,000
There are times when we could all lift our hand.

512
00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:07,000
How about you this morning? Anyone else?

513
00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:13,000
Lord, we have lifted our hands not for others, but for you.

514
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:18,000
We have pledged ourselves. Thank you for speaking to us in this hour.

515
00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:22,000
And I pray that right now you will bring to a consummation your dealing in many hearts.

516
00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:26,000
In Jesus' name, Amen.

517
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:31,000
Our custom is to close with an invitation hymn and as we do that,

518
00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:39,000
we want to encourage you if you have a spiritual need in your life to slip out from where you are and come to the front.

519
00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:45,000
Now, just because you lifted your hand a few moments ago doesn't mean that you automatically need to come forward.

520
00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:53,000
You may have, as we were praying, dealt with this matter of your own spiritual walk and things are right now between you and God.

521
00:44:53,000 --> 00:45:03,000
But it may be that today you have need for someone to sit down with you and answer some questions and pray with you to help you through this tough time.

522
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:06,000
Would you allow us that privilege?

523
00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:11,000
Particularly if you've never trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior,

524
00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:17,000
could we sit down with you today and show you how simple it is to become a member of God's eternal family?

525
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:25,000
As we sing number 123, we encourage you to come forward if we can deal with you personally and help you and counsel you.

526
00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:27,000
We would count that a privilege.

527
00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:31,000
Let's sing together.

528
00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:33,000
These words that are very meaningful,

529
00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:36,000
Break thou the bread of life.

530
00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:48,000
Let's stand as we sing, please.