Doctrine of the Bible: The testimony of changed lives December 20, 2009

LIFE CHANGE HOW HAS THE BIBLE IMPACTED YOUR LIFE?

ANSWERS TO LIFE’S QUESTIONS

“The Bible answers the questions which nature raises…This seems to be an initial presumption in favor of the Bible’s being the very word of God, namely, it answers the questions that only God can answer.”- John Gerstner

THE UNIVERSE Rev 4:11 Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.

MANKIND Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

REASON & KNOWLEDGE Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

EVIL & PAIN Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.

CONSCIENCE Rom 2:14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.

SATISFACTION Eccl 2:25 for apart from [God] who can eat or who can have enjoyment?

ANSWERS TO LIFE’S QUESTIONS “There is [but] one worldview which can explain the existence of the universe, its form, and the uniqueness of people—the worldview given to us in the Bible…The Bible tells us that the universe is ordered, because God made it cohere in all sorts of amazing ways. At the same time it tells us that we are persons. We are able to know what is around us; the subject can know the object.”- Francis Schaeffer

INEXHAUSTIBLE “Not only individual men but generations of men for eighteen hundred years have dug into it and given to the world thousands of volumes devoted to its exposition, and they have not reached the bottom of the quarry yet. A book that man produces man can exhaust, but all men together have not been able to get to the bottom of this book. How are you going to account for it? Only in this way—that in this book are hidden the infinite and inexhaustible treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God.”- R. A. Torrey

INEXHAUSTIBLE “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.”- Charles Spurgeon Deut 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

INEXHAUSTIBLE “[The Bible is] a stream where alike the elephant may swim and the lamb may wade.”- Gregory I

INEXHAUSTIBLE “I should like to devote the last years of my life to a fresh study of the New Testament, which I seem only to begin to understand.”- Sir William Ramsay “Every time you open it, some old text that you have read a score of times suddenly beams with a new meaning.”- Woodrow Wilson

MORAL ETHIC Ps 19:10-11 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. “The departure from divine revelation has brought our culture to chaos in the area of ethics.” - R. C. Sproul

LIFE CHANGE 1 Cor 2:12-13 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. John 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 1.The Bible is powerful Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 1.The Bible is powerful 2.The Bible is controversial 3.The Bible brings about spiritual growth

SCHEDULE 09/27 Introduction 10/04 How did we get our Bible? 10/11 How do we know we have the true Bible? (Part 1) 10/18 How do we know we have the true Bible? (Part 2) 10/25 Why are there so many different translations? 11/01 How do we know the Bible is true? (Part 1) 11/08 How do we know the Bible is true? (Part 2) 11/15 The testimony of Scripture to itself (Part 1) 11/22 The testimony of Scripture to itself (Part 2) 11/29 Thanksgiving 12/06 The testimony of church history 12/13 The testimony of archaeology 12/20 The testimony of changed lives 12/27 Christmas