We Pursue God...By The Word Part 1
November 25, 2017
27:30
The Connection with Skip Heitzig
Closed captions
We Pursue God...By The Word Part 1
Show timecode
Hide timecode
- 00:00:01.010 --> 00:00:07.100
- Skip Heitzig: God has revered his Word even above his name.
- 00:00:07.110 --> 00:00:13.090
- That is, when life is crashing in around you like this,
- 00:00:13.100 --> 00:00:17.000
- you can hold fast to his promises.
- 00:00:17.010 --> 00:00:19.280
- So, make God's Word your priority in times of delight as
- 00:00:19.290 --> 00:00:24.040
- well as times of distress, when the cupboards are full,
- 00:00:24.050 --> 00:00:27.100
- when the cupboards are bare, when there are smiles around you
- 00:00:27.110 --> 00:00:30.160
- or frowns around you like in David's life.
- 00:00:30.170 --> 00:00:34.040
- It's the primary way you will hear from God.
- 00:00:34.050 --> 00:00:37.230
- Jesus said,
- 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:39.210
- "Sanctify them by your truth.
- 00:00:39.220 --> 00:00:42.140
- Your Word is truth."
- 00:00:42.150 --> 00:00:45.040
- 00:00:45.050 --> 00:00:49.240
- Skip: Someone noted that if everyone in America decided
- 00:00:49.250 --> 00:00:52.080
- to read their Bibles at once, we would have the worst
- 00:00:52.090 --> 00:00:55.120
- dust storm in history.
- 00:00:55.130 --> 00:00:59.130
- By the way, did you know that the most widely-known
- 00:00:59.140 --> 00:01:02.230
- Bible verse in this country besides John 3:16,
- 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:07.070
- the most widely-known Bible verse in this country
- 00:01:07.080 --> 00:01:10.170
- is not a Bible verse.
- 00:01:10.180 --> 00:01:13.170
- The most widely-thought Bible verse in this country is,
- 00:01:13.180 --> 00:01:17.200
- "God helps those who help themselves."
- 00:01:17.210 --> 00:01:21.090
- Eighty-two percent of Americans think that's in the Bible.
- 00:01:21.100 --> 00:01:26.230
- Some of you are looking at me like, "It's--it's not?"
- 00:01:26.240 --> 00:01:31.080
- No, I think you know better by now,
- 00:01:31.090 --> 00:01:32.220
- but 81%, 81% of those who call themselves born again Christians
- 00:01:32.230 --> 00:01:39.060
- also believe that verse is in the Bible.
- 00:01:39.070 --> 00:01:42.010
- It was spoken, of course, by Benjamin Franklin.
- 00:01:42.020 --> 00:01:44.100
- It is not a portion of the Scripture.
- 00:01:44.110 --> 00:01:47.150
- But according to the Gallop Organization,
- 00:01:47.160 --> 00:01:49.270
- one-third don't know who gave the Sermon on the Mount.
- 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:55.000
- In fact, in this poll research that I found,
- 00:01:55.010 --> 00:01:58.090
- not only do a third of those polled believe--only a third
- 00:01:58.100 --> 00:02:03.010
- knew that Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount,
- 00:02:03.020 --> 00:02:05.290
- a large majority of them thought Billy Graham was the one
- 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:09.100
- that gave the Sermon on the Mount.
- 00:02:09.110 --> 00:02:12.030
- In the same poll, fewer than half could name the first book
- 00:02:12.040 --> 00:02:15.220
- in the Bible, leading the Gallop Organization
- 00:02:15.230 --> 00:02:21.000
- to make this statement, "As Americans, we revere the Bible,
- 00:02:21.010 --> 00:02:24.260
- we just don't read it."
- 00:02:24.270 --> 00:02:27.210
- And their conclusion is that America has become a nation
- 00:02:27.220 --> 00:02:30.170
- of biblical illiteracy.
- 00:02:30.180 --> 00:02:33.020
- Now, I know I'm preaching to the choir,
- 00:02:33.030 --> 00:02:35.100
- I know that you guys are different.
- 00:02:35.110 --> 00:02:36.270
- You truly are.
- 00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:38.070
- You love the Scripture, you love the exposition of the Bible,
- 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:43.010
- you've come to expect that over the years.
- 00:02:43.020 --> 00:02:45.230
- And that's one of the things I love about you
- 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:48.100
- is that you love God's Word.
- 00:02:48.110 --> 00:02:51.210
- But teaching the Bible has always been central
- 00:02:51.220 --> 00:02:54.200
- to this church.
- 00:02:54.210 --> 00:02:56.090
- And though you know that and we know that and we do that,
- 00:02:56.100 --> 00:02:59.060
- some of you may be new to this church,
- 00:02:59.070 --> 00:03:01.000
- a couple months old or even a year,
- 00:03:01.010 --> 00:03:03.070
- and you don't understand the foundations of where this flock,
- 00:03:03.080 --> 00:03:07.050
- this expression of the body of Christ,
- 00:03:07.060 --> 00:03:09.250
- how it was birthed and how it came about.
- 00:03:09.260 --> 00:03:12.240
- So, a series like we have been doing on the vision of this
- 00:03:12.250 --> 00:03:17.020
- church is I think extremely helpful because what we've tried
- 00:03:17.030 --> 00:03:20.240
- to do is rediscover the biblical vision for the church.
- 00:03:20.250 --> 00:03:25.150
- We don't believe this is our vision,
- 00:03:25.160 --> 00:03:27.070
- like we came up with it.
- 00:03:27.080 --> 00:03:28.280
- All we did was synthesize and put into a statement or a couple
- 00:03:28.290 --> 00:03:33.270
- of statements what we believe the biblical vision
- 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:37.150
- for the church is, for God's people are.
- 00:03:37.160 --> 00:03:40.110
- And so, our vision statement, as we've been saying the last few
- 00:03:40.120 --> 00:03:42.260
- weeks, is simply this: we pursue the God who is passionately
- 00:03:42.270 --> 00:03:46.190
- pursuing a lost world.
- 00:03:46.200 --> 00:03:48.090
- We do it with one another, through worship,
- 00:03:48.100 --> 00:03:51.180
- by the Word, and to the world.
- 00:03:51.190 --> 00:03:55.090
- And we today are discovering what that
- 00:03:55.100 --> 00:03:58.230
- by the Word is all about.
- 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:02.090
- So, we do it by the Word of God, by the Word of God.
- 00:04:02.100 --> 00:04:09.290
- Christianity is the church of Jesus Christ being called out of
- 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:16.070
- the world to become a new group.
- 00:04:16.080 --> 00:04:20.020
- And do you know that the church is the only institution that
- 00:04:20.030 --> 00:04:23.290
- Jesus promised to build and to bless?
- 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:27.090
- He said, "Upon this rock I will build my church."
- 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:31.270
- So, it's the only institution he promised to build and to bless,
- 00:04:31.280 --> 00:04:35.220
- but the way he builds it and the way he blesses it
- 00:04:35.230 --> 00:04:38.230
- is in part by the Word.
- 00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:43.040
- We believe that it's the Word of God that does the work of God.
- 00:04:43.050 --> 00:04:48.140
- The Word of God does the work of God by the Spirit of God in the
- 00:04:48.150 --> 00:04:52.060
- lives of the people of God.
- 00:04:52.070 --> 00:04:54.070
- That's sort of been our mantra over the many years.
- 00:04:54.080 --> 00:04:59.080
- Now, if you know your New Testament,
- 00:04:59.090 --> 00:05:00.240
- you know that there are different analogies,
- 00:05:00.250 --> 00:05:03.180
- different word pictures, metaphors
- 00:05:03.190 --> 00:05:05.170
- to describe the church.
- 00:05:05.180 --> 00:05:08.140
- We're called the flock of God.
- 00:05:08.150 --> 00:05:10.090
- He's the shepherd, we're the sheep.
- 00:05:10.100 --> 00:05:12.270
- It's called the bride of Christ.
- 00:05:12.280 --> 00:05:14.220
- He's the bridegroom, we're the bride.
- 00:05:14.230 --> 00:05:16.100
- It's called the building of God.
- 00:05:16.110 --> 00:05:18.230
- But perhaps the most famous, certainly I think Paul the
- 00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:22.080
- apostle's favorite analogy is that we are the body of Christ.
- 00:05:22.090 --> 00:05:26.190
- And as a body, we need to eat.
- 00:05:26.200 --> 00:05:29.190
- We need nourishment, and the nourishment comes
- 00:05:29.200 --> 00:05:31.270
- from the Word of God.
- 00:05:31.280 --> 00:05:33.070
- Job said, "I have esteemed the words of his mouth
- 00:05:33.080 --> 00:05:37.070
- more than my necessary food.
- 00:05:37.080 --> 00:05:41.040
- And Jeremiah said, "Your words were found and I did eat them.
- 00:05:41.050 --> 00:05:45.280
- And they were to me the joy and the rejoicing of my heart."
- 00:05:45.290 --> 00:05:49.290
- The Scripture says and Jesus quoted it,
- 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:52.050
- "Man shall not live by bread alone,
- 00:05:52.060 --> 00:05:55.000
- but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
- 00:05:55.010 --> 00:06:00.190
- So, turning to Acts chapter 2, and in particular verse 42,
- 00:06:00.200 --> 00:06:08.230
- we want to today examine, get this,
- 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:11.230
- one-half of one verse.
- 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:13.200
- That's really all we're going to look at,
- 00:06:13.210 --> 00:06:15.000
- one-half of one verse.
- 00:06:15.010 --> 00:06:16.100
- But I want to drill deep, I want to unpack one-half of one verse,
- 00:06:16.110 --> 00:06:21.190
- and that is verse 42.
- 00:06:21.200 --> 00:06:24.240
- And what I want you to see in that one-half of one verse is
- 00:06:24.250 --> 00:06:29.010
- the early church's relationship in particular to the Scriptures,
- 00:06:29.020 --> 00:06:33.260
- to the Word of God.
- 00:06:33.270 --> 00:06:35.240
- We will discover that they were learning,
- 00:06:35.250 --> 00:06:38.080
- number one, that they were learning truth,
- 00:06:38.090 --> 00:06:42.120
- number two, and that they were learning truth continually,
- 00:06:42.130 --> 00:06:46.180
- number three.
- 00:06:46.190 --> 00:06:47.280
- They were learning truth and they were doing it continually.
- 00:06:47.290 --> 00:06:50.130
- And as we look at this one verse and examine these things,
- 00:06:50.140 --> 00:06:53.170
- I want to make three statements about us,
- 00:06:53.180 --> 00:06:55.190
- about you, and three decisions that we need
- 00:06:55.200 --> 00:06:58.270
- to make concerning the Scriptures.
- 00:06:58.280 --> 00:07:02.130
- Before I do that, allow me to give you a little context of
- 00:07:02.140 --> 00:07:05.070
- where we find ourselves once again in the book of Acts.
- 00:07:05.080 --> 00:07:07.290
- It's the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.
- 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:11.030
- Pentecost is 50 days after Passover,
- 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:14.010
- it's the day the church was born,
- 00:07:14.020 --> 00:07:15.220
- it's the day the Holy Spirit descended on this group of
- 00:07:15.230 --> 00:07:18.180
- people, 120 in an upper room.
- 00:07:18.190 --> 00:07:22.080
- Peter goes outside and he preaches a sermon.
- 00:07:22.090 --> 00:07:26.110
- And remember how many people came to faith that day,
- 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:30.030
- 3.000 converts, 3.000 born again believers.
- 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:36.270
- Now, as soon as they come into the church,
- 00:07:36.280 --> 00:07:39.080
- these 3.000 new people will find themselves
- 00:07:39.090 --> 00:07:42.190
- in a hostile environment.
- 00:07:42.200 --> 00:07:45.060
- First of all, their leader now, the Messiah Jesus,
- 00:07:45.070 --> 00:07:48.070
- he's been executed 6 weeks prior.
- 00:07:48.080 --> 00:07:51.020
- And the religious elite of that city and even the civil
- 00:07:51.030 --> 00:07:54.250
- government has their eye on this new group of believers,
- 00:07:54.260 --> 00:07:59.050
- now 3.120 of them, and so the spotlight is on them
- 00:07:59.060 --> 00:08:04.280
- and the persecution will be turned up.
- 00:08:04.290 --> 00:08:08.260
- So, here's a question, what do we do with these 3.000?
- 00:08:08.270 --> 00:08:14.020
- What do we train them to do?
- 00:08:14.030 --> 00:08:15.210
- How will they survive?
- 00:08:15.220 --> 00:08:17.150
- What priorities do they need to incorporate into their lives
- 00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:21.160
- so that they can survive and thrive, mature and grow?
- 00:08:21.170 --> 00:08:27.040
- With that question, we get the answer in verse 42,
- 00:08:27.050 --> 00:08:29.290
- but let me take you to verse 41
- 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:31.180
- for just a little bit of context.
- 00:08:31.190 --> 00:08:34.290
- "Then those who gladly received his Word were baptized.
- 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:40.140
- And that day, about 3.000 souls were added to them.
- 00:08:40.150 --> 00:08:47.200
- And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine."
- 00:08:47.210 --> 00:08:54.030
- That's the one-half of the one verse I want to cover.
- 00:08:54.040 --> 00:08:57.210
- But let's indulge ourselves, let's finish the verse,
- 00:08:57.220 --> 00:09:01.100
- shall we?
- 00:09:01.110 --> 00:09:02.220
- "They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine
- 00:09:02.230 --> 00:09:05.180
- and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers."
- 00:09:05.190 --> 00:09:09.180
- Now, let me make the first statement,
- 00:09:09.190 --> 00:09:11.000
- the first decision we need to make regarding our relationship
- 00:09:11.010 --> 00:09:14.030
- with the Scripture.
- 00:09:14.040 --> 00:09:15.130
- Here it is, to grow, you must learn.
- 00:09:15.140 --> 00:09:17.200
- To grow, you must learn.
- 00:09:17.210 --> 00:09:21.210
- Notice it says, "They continued steadfastly
- 00:09:21.220 --> 00:09:23.250
- in the apostles' doctrine."
- 00:09:23.260 --> 00:09:26.040
- What does that mean, doctrine?
- 00:09:26.050 --> 00:09:27.250
- Well, it simply means instruction.
- 00:09:27.260 --> 00:09:30.190
- It means truth taught, truth that is taught.
- 00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:35.180
- To be honest, I feel sorry for the word "doctrine."
- 00:09:35.190 --> 00:09:39.100
- You know, there's some words in the Bible that I look at
- 00:09:39.110 --> 00:09:41.000
- and I go, "I feel sorry for that word."
- 00:09:41.010 --> 00:09:44.030
- And I feel sorry for the word "doctrine" because it has been
- 00:09:44.040 --> 00:09:46.130
- so marginalized by people.
- 00:09:46.140 --> 00:09:48.290
- People say things like, "Oh doctrine,
- 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:50.290
- we're not into doctrine.
- 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:52.130
- That's that technical stuff."
- 00:09:52.140 --> 00:09:54.090
- But doctrine simply means good, wholesome instruction,
- 00:09:54.100 --> 00:09:59.020
- or truth that is taught.
- 00:09:59.030 --> 00:10:01.270
- We get doctrine through this book,
- 00:10:01.280 --> 00:10:06.000
- through the Bible.
- 00:10:06.010 --> 00:10:07.250
- It is our owner's manual to life.
- 00:10:07.260 --> 00:10:11.120
- But you know, I am concerned, I fear because so many people
- 00:10:11.130 --> 00:10:16.150
- treat their lives like they treat the gadgets they buy.
- 00:10:16.160 --> 00:10:22.000
- You know, we buy gadgets and they all come
- 00:10:22.010 --> 00:10:23.140
- with an owner's manual, either in the software built in
- 00:10:23.150 --> 00:10:26.280
- or on paper like they used to.
- 00:10:26.290 --> 00:10:29.280
- But sometimes the owner's manual are--they're quite large.
- 00:10:29.290 --> 00:10:33.110
- I got a stereo this last year for my car,
- 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:37.010
- and the owner's manual for the stereo is about
- 00:10:37.020 --> 00:10:39.140
- as big as the stereo.
- 00:10:39.150 --> 00:10:42.070
- So, I did what any American does, I didn't read it.
- 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:45.040
- I just put it in, figured, "I can figure this out."
- 00:10:45.050 --> 00:10:47.090
- But I couldn't.
- 00:10:47.100 --> 00:10:48.190
- There's lots of little things it does that I need to go to the
- 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:50.190
- manual to figure out what to do.
- 00:10:50.200 --> 00:10:53.250
- But a lot of people treat their lives like the gadget.
- 00:10:53.260 --> 00:10:57.230
- They just sort of try to wing it themselves without figuring out
- 00:10:57.240 --> 00:11:02.010
- what the manufacturer said about who they are
- 00:11:02.020 --> 00:11:06.000
- and how to live their life at peak.
- 00:11:06.010 --> 00:11:08.220
- I think we do that when it comes to the Scriptures.
- 00:11:08.230 --> 00:11:12.160
- That is my concern.
- 00:11:12.170 --> 00:11:14.030
- There is really an absence of theology in our churches,
- 00:11:14.040 --> 00:11:20.110
- and I'm laying the blame squarely on the churches
- 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:22.290
- and the pastors.
- 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:24.250
- There's an absence of that.
- 00:11:24.260 --> 00:11:26.140
- Dr. Michael Vlach, I agree with him,
- 00:11:26.150 --> 00:11:28.080
- said, "There's a crisis of biblical knowledge
- 00:11:28.090 --> 00:11:31.050
- in the American church."
- 00:11:31.060 --> 00:11:34.090
- A lot of people don't want knowledge,
- 00:11:34.100 --> 00:11:35.210
- they just want an experience.
- 00:11:35.220 --> 00:11:37.260
- They want to feel something and then walk away after the
- 00:11:37.270 --> 00:11:39.270
- feeling, but there's a crisis of biblical knowledge
- 00:11:39.280 --> 00:11:42.270
- in the American church.
- 00:11:42.280 --> 00:11:44.270
- Remember what God said through the prophet Hosea?
- 00:11:44.280 --> 00:11:47.130
- "My people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge."
- 00:11:47.140 --> 00:11:54.040
- Peter in the New Testament said, "Grow in the grace and the
- 00:11:54.050 --> 00:11:57.090
- knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
- 00:11:57.100 --> 00:12:01.110
- Proverbs 19, verse 2, "Also it is not good for a soul
- 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:05.140
- to be without knowledge."
- 00:12:05.150 --> 00:12:08.090
- So, here are the apostles giving these 3.000 believers knowledge,
- 00:12:08.100 --> 00:12:14.190
- doctrine, instruction.
- 00:12:14.200 --> 00:12:18.020
- Skip: Eric, what are your biggest concerns about America?
- 00:12:18.030 --> 00:12:22.110
- Eric Metaxas: Well, the--I wrote a book,
- 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:24.170
- as you know, called, "If You Can Keep It"
- 00:12:24.180 --> 00:12:26.160
- about America and American liberty.
- 00:12:26.170 --> 00:12:28.190
- And it's my conviction that for 40 or so years,
- 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:31.100
- we have not been teaching the guts of what it means
- 00:12:31.110 --> 00:12:34.040
- to be an American.
- 00:12:34.050 --> 00:12:35.140
- And that because America is an ideal,
- 00:12:35.150 --> 00:12:37.090
- we're not an ethnic group, we're not just a land mass,
- 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:40.180
- and if you live here you're an American.
- 00:12:40.190 --> 00:12:42.160
- It's an idea that the founder said,
- 00:12:42.170 --> 00:12:44.120
- "You must buy into the idea."
- 00:12:44.130 --> 00:12:46.130
- If you buy into the idea, you can become as American
- 00:12:46.140 --> 00:12:49.020
- as George Washington.
- 00:12:49.030 --> 00:12:50.130
- Doesn't matter what your last name is,
- 00:12:50.140 --> 00:12:51.230
- the color of your skin, but you have to buy into the idea,
- 00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:54.080
- and we have to teach the idea of what is self-government,
- 00:12:54.090 --> 00:12:57.010
- how does it work?
- 00:12:57.020 --> 00:12:58.220
- I didn't learn it growing up in school.
- 00:12:58.230 --> 00:13:00.240
- I think anybody my age or younger didn't learn it
- 00:13:00.250 --> 00:13:03.220
- growing up in school.
- 00:13:03.230 --> 00:13:05.020
- And then you get to college and they're sort of teaching
- 00:13:05.030 --> 00:13:06.180
- against it in a weird way.
- 00:13:06.190 --> 00:13:09.030
- This is not just a crime and a travesty,
- 00:13:09.040 --> 00:13:11.090
- but this is a horror for the future.
- 00:13:11.100 --> 00:13:13.250
- If we do not learn these things and teach these things
- 00:13:13.260 --> 00:13:15.260
- to our kids, America goes away.
- 00:13:15.270 --> 00:13:18.280
- America is not normal, it is a fragile,
- 00:13:18.290 --> 00:13:21.210
- extraordinary almost like a mutation.
- 00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:26.110
- It pops up in history and you say,
- 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:29.050
- "Don't let this die.
- 00:13:29.060 --> 00:13:30.180
- This is unique, this is amazing, and this holds promise
- 00:13:30.190 --> 00:13:34.050
- for the whole world."
- 00:13:34.060 --> 00:13:35.180
- But we've got to keep this flame alive.
- 00:13:35.190 --> 00:13:37.090
- We've got to keep the torch alive,
- 00:13:37.100 --> 00:13:38.220
- and I really think that that's something we've neglected
- 00:13:38.230 --> 00:13:41.010
- for 40 or so years.
- 00:13:41.020 --> 00:13:42.120
- And so, by writing, "If You Can Keep It," I tried to write a
- 00:13:42.130 --> 00:13:45.030
- primer on the basics of what is self-government,
- 00:13:45.040 --> 00:13:48.070
- what is American liberty.
- 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:49.190
- And I hope that if people just read that book,
- 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:52.040
- they'll get the basics and they'll be encouraged
- 00:13:52.050 --> 00:13:54.240
- to look into it more.
- 00:13:54.250 --> 00:13:56.120
- But I really feel that we need to know that
- 00:13:56.130 --> 00:14:00.100
- what we have goes away by itself if we don't tend to garden,
- 00:14:00.110 --> 00:14:03.130
- if we don't keep--as Benjamin Franklin said,
- 00:14:03.140 --> 00:14:05.270
- "If you can keep it."
- 00:14:05.280 --> 00:14:07.070
- If we keep it, if we keep it alive and love it and cherish it
- 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:11.040
- and teach it, it will last.
- 00:14:11.050 --> 00:14:14.090
- But if we don't do that, it goes away.
- 00:14:14.100 --> 00:14:16.050
- So, my fear is that it would go away because I don't think
- 00:14:16.060 --> 00:14:18.200
- there's anybody waiting in the wings with these ideas,
- 00:14:18.210 --> 00:14:22.050
- these ideas that have been entrusted to us.
- 00:14:22.060 --> 00:14:24.130
- And so, it's a sacred charge that we've been called to keep,
- 00:14:24.140 --> 00:14:29.040
- I believe, by God for his purposes
- 00:14:29.050 --> 00:14:31.020
- and it's very important.
- 00:14:31.030 --> 00:14:32.290
- People who try to separate that from the gospel,
- 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:34.220
- they're getting confused because the freedom to preach the gospel
- 00:14:34.230 --> 00:14:37.120
- comes from the liberty that we have.
- 00:14:37.130 --> 00:14:39.260
- Skip: How close do you think we are to that, to losing it?
- 00:14:39.270 --> 00:14:42.120
- And can we get it back through just education?
- 00:14:42.130 --> 00:14:45.100
- Eric: I think that we have been very much on the precipice.
- 00:14:45.110 --> 00:14:48.270
- I think that, you know, you can say what you want about the
- 00:14:48.280 --> 00:14:52.150
- current president, but I think that the Supreme Court was on
- 00:14:52.160 --> 00:14:57.040
- the verge of becoming fundamentally unable to preserve
- 00:14:57.050 --> 00:15:05.150
- what it says in the constitution.
- 00:15:05.160 --> 00:15:07.040
- That's the job of the Supreme Court.
- 00:15:07.050 --> 00:15:08.210
- and I think that with Sotomayor or another Ginsberg,
- 00:15:08.220 --> 00:15:14.000
- we would lose that for more than a generation.
- 00:15:14.010 --> 00:15:17.170
- And I think that people need to understand how serious that is.
- 00:15:17.180 --> 00:15:21.180
- We're not talking about trying to make things perfect or
- 00:15:21.190 --> 00:15:24.030
- wonderful, we're talking about staying alive.
- 00:15:24.040 --> 00:15:26.010
- If you're drowning, you don't ask too many questions about,
- 00:15:26.020 --> 00:15:28.280
- "What color is the rope? I really don't like this rope.
- 00:15:28.290 --> 00:15:32.070
- This rope annoys me.
- 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:34.010
- This rope shouldn't tweet after 2 a.m."
- 00:15:34.020 --> 00:15:35.280
- I really think that if you have an opportunity to stay alive
- 00:15:35.290 --> 00:15:39.010
- for another 4 years or 8 years and preserve the liberties
- 00:15:39.020 --> 00:15:41.260
- and teach this stuff, if you have a window,
- 00:15:41.270 --> 00:15:44.290
- the church needs to rise up and stand in the gap,
- 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:49.070
- teach these things, and understand we've been given
- 00:15:49.080 --> 00:15:51.120
- a reprieve from the governor of the universe.
- 00:15:51.130 --> 00:15:54.270
- It may not be the kind of reprieve we want,
- 00:15:54.280 --> 00:15:57.180
- but if you're alive, God's given you an opportunity
- 00:15:57.190 --> 00:16:00.110
- to be the church.
- 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:01.250
- If the church will be the church now,
- 00:16:01.260 --> 00:16:03.200
- I am convinced that there is hope in the future.
- 00:16:03.210 --> 00:16:07.130
- I'm convinced, but it's up to the church.
- 00:16:07.140 --> 00:16:09.270
- The church needs to be the church.
- 00:16:09.280 --> 00:16:11.170
- And you know, I talk about that a lot,
- 00:16:11.180 --> 00:16:12.270
- but that is something that I'm not one of these naysayers.
- 00:16:12.280 --> 00:16:15.290
- I really--I have hope and joy, but that's up to the church.
- 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:20.120
- The church has to be the church.
- 00:16:20.130 --> 00:16:24.020
- Skip: John Stott, a commentator on this section of
- 00:16:24.030 --> 00:16:27.030
- Scripture, writes, "One might say that the Holy Spirit opened
- 00:16:27.040 --> 00:16:31.000
- a school in Jerusalem that day.
- 00:16:31.010 --> 00:16:34.000
- The school teachers were the apostles,
- 00:16:34.010 --> 00:16:35.220
- whom Jesus had appointed and trained,
- 00:16:35.230 --> 00:16:38.160
- and there were 3.000 new pupils in kindergarten that day."
- 00:16:38.170 --> 00:16:44.010
- I like that.
- 00:16:44.020 --> 00:16:45.110
- To grow, you must learn apostles' doctrine.
- 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:51.110
- Something else, look at verse 42 again and notice really there
- 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:55.190
- are four activities that are mentioned.
- 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:57.100
- It's really a list that is given of activities that they did.
- 00:16:57.110 --> 00:17:01.150
- So, if you look at it in terms of the list,
- 00:17:01.160 --> 00:17:04.090
- they continued steadfastly, number one,
- 00:17:04.100 --> 00:17:07.270
- in the apostles' doctrine.
- 00:17:07.280 --> 00:17:09.080
- Number two, in fellowship.
- 00:17:09.090 --> 00:17:11.210
- Number three, in the breaking of bread.
- 00:17:11.220 --> 00:17:14.170
- And number four, in prayer.
- 00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:16.200
- So, if you look at it like a list,
- 00:17:16.210 --> 00:17:18.280
- I want you to notice that on their priority list,
- 00:17:18.290 --> 00:17:23.000
- number one is the Word of God.
- 00:17:23.010 --> 00:17:26.290
- Now, I bring that up because if we were writing the list,
- 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:29.120
- I don't think we'd necessarily put that as number one.
- 00:17:29.130 --> 00:17:33.260
- If we were to write a list of what a church ought to do
- 00:17:33.270 --> 00:17:37.130
- and what ought to be the priorities,
- 00:17:37.140 --> 00:17:39.030
- some would write singing as number one.
- 00:17:39.040 --> 00:17:43.040
- Or they would do praying as number one,
- 00:17:43.050 --> 00:17:45.280
- or missions as number one, or serving as number one.
- 00:17:45.290 --> 00:17:50.190
- But according to Scripture, their survival priority list,
- 00:17:50.200 --> 00:17:54.230
- number one was the apostles' doctrine.
- 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:59.080
- But let me ask you a question, how many people do you know
- 00:17:59.090 --> 00:18:04.090
- that are devoted to doctrine, honestly?
- 00:18:04.100 --> 00:18:07.150
- Just ask your Christian friends,
- 00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:09.060
- "Hey, are you devoted to doctrine?"
- 00:18:09.070 --> 00:18:12.080
- If you go to Christian bookstores,
- 00:18:12.090 --> 00:18:14.110
- books on doctrine are not the bestsellers.
- 00:18:14.120 --> 00:18:18.040
- They're hardly sold.
- 00:18:18.050 --> 00:18:21.000
- Bestsellers are the "fix me" book kind of things.
- 00:18:21.010 --> 00:18:25.240
- But doctrine was first on their list, why?
- 00:18:25.250 --> 00:18:28.070
- 'Cause it's the basis of everything.
- 00:18:28.080 --> 00:18:32.130
- Over the years, I've been asked questions like,
- 00:18:32.140 --> 00:18:34.220
- "Why do you preach expository sermons?
- 00:18:34.230 --> 00:18:37.080
- I mean, why do you feel, Skip, like you have to tether
- 00:18:37.090 --> 00:18:39.210
- everything to the text, and point out nouns and pronouns
- 00:18:39.220 --> 00:18:43.060
- and word meanings and all that stuff?
- 00:18:43.070 --> 00:18:45.220
- Why do you spend so much time studying
- 00:18:45.230 --> 00:18:48.170
- and reading and teaching?
- 00:18:48.180 --> 00:18:50.030
- And why on Wednesday nights do you preach an hour
- 00:18:50.040 --> 00:18:56.150
- through a book of the Bible?"
- 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:58.040
- Actually, you should count yourself fortunate,
- 00:18:58.050 --> 00:18:59.160
- they used to be like an hour and 20 minutes,
- 00:18:59.170 --> 00:19:01.070
- so I've cut back.
- 00:19:01.080 --> 00:19:04.060
- And let me tell you why, why I'm so insistent on that.
- 00:19:04.070 --> 00:19:08.220
- Because basically, when you come to church,
- 00:19:08.230 --> 00:19:10.230
- I'm asking you to trust God, I'm asking you to trust him.
- 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:14.130
- I'm asking you to put your life in his hands.
- 00:19:14.140 --> 00:19:16.200
- If I'm asking you to put your life in his hands,
- 00:19:16.210 --> 00:19:20.120
- don't you want to know the one I'm asking you
- 00:19:20.130 --> 00:19:23.140
- to entrust your life to?
- 00:19:23.150 --> 00:19:25.180
- You want to know a little bit about him.
- 00:19:25.190 --> 00:19:28.010
- And so, that's why we focus on the Scriptures.
- 00:19:28.020 --> 00:19:31.090
- As I get to know my Bible, I get to know my God.
- 00:19:31.100 --> 00:19:36.180
- Now, you can know about God a number of different ways.
- 00:19:36.190 --> 00:19:41.210
- The moral law, the conscience that God has given every one
- 00:19:41.220 --> 00:19:44.020
- of us, the creation that we live in.
- 00:19:44.030 --> 00:19:46.100
- You look around, creation, it tells you about God.
- 00:19:46.110 --> 00:19:49.270
- But if you want to get to know God,
- 00:19:49.280 --> 00:19:52.150
- he gives his self-disclosure, his full revelation in his Word
- 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:57.000
- principally, principally.
- 00:19:57.010 --> 00:19:59.130
- That's why we study it.
- 00:19:59.140 --> 00:20:01.090
- That's why we seek to apply it and understand it continually.
- 00:20:01.100 --> 00:20:07.120
- Psalm 19, David writes about this theme.
- 00:20:07.130 --> 00:20:10.210
- He says, "The heavens declared the glory of God.
- 00:20:10.220 --> 00:20:13.140
- The firmament shows his handiwork.
- 00:20:13.150 --> 00:20:15.250
- Day unto day, they utter their speech,
- 00:20:15.260 --> 00:20:17.120
- night unto night they reveal knowledge.
- 00:20:17.130 --> 00:20:19.160
- There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.
- 00:20:19.170 --> 00:20:23.040
- Their line has gone throughout all of the earth and their words
- 00:20:23.050 --> 00:20:25.200
- to the end of the world."
- 00:20:25.210 --> 00:20:28.050
- But then he says this, "The law of the Lord is perfect,
- 00:20:28.060 --> 00:20:33.040
- converting the soul.
- 00:20:33.050 --> 00:20:34.140
- The testimony of the Lord is sure,
- 00:20:34.150 --> 00:20:36.200
- making wise the simple.
- 00:20:36.210 --> 00:20:38.070
- The statures of the Lord are right,
- 00:20:38.080 --> 00:20:40.000
- rejoicing the heart.
- 00:20:40.010 --> 00:20:41.150
- The commandment of the Lord is pure in lightening the eyes.
- 00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:45.150
- More to be desired than gold,
- 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:47.270
- more than much fine gold are these.
- 00:20:47.280 --> 00:20:50.080
- Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
- 00:20:50.090 --> 00:20:52.260
- Moreover by them your servant is warned,
- 00:20:52.270 --> 00:20:55.100
- and in keeping them there is great reward."
- 00:20:55.110 --> 00:20:58.250
- Here's what he's saying, "You can look around your world
- 00:20:58.260 --> 00:21:02.060
- and you can look at the stars and the beauty of nature,
- 00:21:02.070 --> 00:21:05.150
- and it will tell you about God.
- 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:08.230
- He's glorious, he's powerful, he's creative.
- 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:12.060
- But if you want to get to know God in his perfection,
- 00:21:12.070 --> 00:21:14.070
- the law of the Lord is perfect.
- 00:21:14.080 --> 00:21:17.040
- That's where you really have God set before you
- 00:21:17.050 --> 00:21:21.060
- by his Scriptures."
- 00:21:21.070 --> 00:21:24.120
- When I was a brand new believer, I was in a bookstore,
- 00:21:24.130 --> 00:21:28.250
- and I'm walking by a bookshelf, and there was a title
- 00:21:28.260 --> 00:21:31.250
- that grabbed my attention.
- 00:21:31.260 --> 00:21:33.190
- It was the title that sold the book.
- 00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:36.040
- It was a book by J.I. Packer called "Knowing God."
- 00:21:36.050 --> 00:21:39.110
- It's one of the best books I've ever read,
- 00:21:39.120 --> 00:21:40.230
- I would recommend it to you.
- 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:42.090
- But when I took it home and cracked it open,
- 00:21:42.100 --> 00:21:44.150
- I was disappointed.
- 00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:47.040
- I was disappointed because the book said "Knowing God,"
- 00:21:47.050 --> 00:21:50.030
- but essentially this book was a theology text,
- 00:21:50.040 --> 00:21:53.150
- a systematic theology in laymen's terms.
- 00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:56.180
- So, I'm walking away going,
- 00:21:56.190 --> 00:21:57.280
- "I'm sort of disappointed in this book.
- 00:21:57.290 --> 00:21:59.200
- It says knowing God is about theology."
- 00:21:59.210 --> 00:22:01.130
- But then in struck me, "I think he's on to something.
- 00:22:01.140 --> 00:22:05.010
- I think he's absolutely right.
- 00:22:05.020 --> 00:22:07.000
- If I want to know God, I have to know God in the means
- 00:22:07.010 --> 00:22:09.220
- that God has disclosed himself, and that is principally
- 00:22:09.230 --> 00:22:13.090
- through the Scriptures."
- 00:22:13.100 --> 00:22:15.240
- So, no wonder the afternoon I gave my life to Christ after
- 00:22:15.250 --> 00:22:19.290
- Billy Graham led the audience in the sinner's prayer,
- 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:23.070
- he turned and said, "And make sure that you go
- 00:22:23.080 --> 00:22:25.230
- to church this Sunday."
- 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:29.270
- The reason he wanted people to go to church on Sunday is
- 00:22:29.280 --> 00:22:32.200
- because church, at least then, was the place
- 00:22:32.210 --> 00:22:36.260
- where you'll get the teaching from the Bible.
- 00:22:36.270 --> 00:22:41.110
- And to grow, you must learn.
- 00:22:41.120 --> 00:22:44.000
- Peter said, "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk
- 00:22:44.010 --> 00:22:47.210
- of the Word, that you may grow thereby."
- 00:22:47.220 --> 00:22:51.180
- So, that's the first statement, that's the first decision,
- 00:22:51.190 --> 00:22:53.240
- "To grow you must learn."
- 00:22:53.250 --> 00:22:55.040
- Here's the second, "To learn you must hear."
- 00:22:55.050 --> 00:22:58.150
- To learn you must hear.
- 00:22:58.160 --> 00:22:59.250
- Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
- 00:22:59.260 --> 00:23:05.000
- Now, look at verse 42 since we're dealing with the text.
- 00:23:05.010 --> 00:23:10.030
- It says, "They continued steadfastly
- 00:23:10.040 --> 00:23:12.090
- in the apostles' doctrine."
- 00:23:12.100 --> 00:23:15.090
- Notice the modifier to doctrine.
- 00:23:15.100 --> 00:23:17.010
- It's not any doctrine, it's the apostles' doctrine.
- 00:23:17.020 --> 00:23:20.240
- There were many false doctrines going around back then.
- 00:23:20.250 --> 00:23:23.050
- There were the doctrine of the Pharisees,
- 00:23:23.060 --> 00:23:25.010
- the legalistic doctrine.
- 00:23:25.020 --> 00:23:26.110
- There were--there was the doctrine of the Sadducees,
- 00:23:26.120 --> 00:23:30.020
- very liberal doctrine.
- 00:23:30.030 --> 00:23:32.290
- This was the apostles' doctrine.
- 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:34.180
- What does that mean?
- 00:23:34.190 --> 00:23:35.280
- Simply this, the apostles preached,
- 00:23:35.290 --> 00:23:38.080
- they spoke, they taught with their mouths to the people what
- 00:23:38.090 --> 00:23:42.010
- the Old Testament said about what they were going
- 00:23:42.020 --> 00:23:45.220
- through at that time.
- 00:23:45.230 --> 00:23:47.050
- Keep in mind they didn't have the gospels of Matthew,
- 00:23:47.060 --> 00:23:49.200
- Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, et cetera.
- 00:23:49.210 --> 00:23:52.180
- They had the Old Testament.
- 00:23:52.190 --> 00:23:54.110
- So, the apostles' doctrine was taking the Old Testament
- 00:23:54.120 --> 00:23:57.170
- Scriptures and applying it in a New Testament setting.
- 00:23:57.180 --> 00:24:01.080
- That was the apostles' doctrine.
- 00:24:01.090 --> 00:24:02.290
- I want to show this to you.
- 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:04.230
- Go back in chapter 2, same chapter of Acts,
- 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:08.050
- go back a few verses to verse 14.
- 00:24:08.060 --> 00:24:11.140
- The setting is Peter is preaching.
- 00:24:11.150 --> 00:24:14.060
- The Holy Spirit has come upon the church.
- 00:24:14.070 --> 00:24:16.210
- They created a real stir because they were speaking in languages
- 00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:20.110
- and wondering what--the people were wondering
- 00:24:20.120 --> 00:24:22.080
- what the commotion was.
- 00:24:22.090 --> 00:24:23.180
- "So Peter," verse 14, "standing up with the 11 raised his voice
- 00:24:23.190 --> 00:24:27.170
- and said, 'Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem,
- 00:24:27.180 --> 00:24:31.250
- let this be known to you and heed my words.
- 00:24:31.260 --> 00:24:33.270
- For these are not drunk as you suppose,
- 00:24:33.280 --> 00:24:36.090
- since it's only the third hour of the day.'"
- 00:24:36.100 --> 00:24:38.000
- That was the accusation, "These guys sound like they're drunk."
- 00:24:38.010 --> 00:24:40.280
- Peter's saying, "It's way too early for that,
- 00:24:40.290 --> 00:24:42.190
- it's only 9 o'clock."
- 00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:45.050
- But look at verse 16, "But this is what was spoken
- 00:24:45.060 --> 00:24:49.130
- by the prophet Joel, 'And it shall come to pass,'"
- 00:24:49.140 --> 00:24:54.280
- now he's quoting Joel.
- 00:24:54.290 --> 00:24:56.080
- "It shall come to pass in the last days,
- 00:24:56.090 --> 00:24:57.290
- says God, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
- 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:00.250
- Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.
- 00:25:00.260 --> 00:25:03.170
- Your young men shall see visions.
- 00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:05.160
- Your old men shall dream dreams.'"
- 00:25:05.170 --> 00:25:08.080
- So, what is Peter doing?
- 00:25:08.090 --> 00:25:10.040
- Peter's quoting the Old Testament book of Joel chapter 2
- 00:25:10.050 --> 00:25:14.080
- and showing them that the Scripture is fulfilled.
- 00:25:14.090 --> 00:25:16.260
- But what I want you to see is that Peter's sermon is rooted
- 00:25:16.270 --> 00:25:19.100
- in a text of Scripture, not some kind of emotion,
- 00:25:19.110 --> 00:25:24.150
- or some kind of feeling, or some kind of an opinion.
- 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:28.000
- It's rooted in the text of Old Testament Scripture.
- 00:25:28.010 --> 00:25:31.230
- Go down a couple verses, verse 23.
- 00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:35.220
- Peter continues referring to Christ,
- 00:25:35.230 --> 00:25:39.070
- "Him being delivered by the determined purpose and
- 00:25:39.080 --> 00:25:44.190
- foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands
- 00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:49.010
- and crucified and put to death.
- 00:25:49.020 --> 00:25:51.170
- Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death
- 00:25:51.180 --> 00:25:55.070
- because it was not possible that he shall be held by it."
- 00:25:55.080 --> 00:25:59.010
- Now, look at what he does, "For David says concerning him."
- 00:25:59.020 --> 00:26:03.270
- Now he's quoting Psalm 16,
- 00:26:03.280 --> 00:26:06.070
- "I foresaw the Lord always before my face.
- 00:26:06.080 --> 00:26:08.140
- He is at my right hand. I shall not be shaken."
- 00:26:08.150 --> 00:26:12.270
- Peter is showing them that the death of Jesus Christ
- 00:26:12.280 --> 00:26:16.080
- and his resurrection was foretold by the Scripture,
- 00:26:16.090 --> 00:26:19.240
- and he uses the text to do it.
- 00:26:19.250 --> 00:26:22.170
- What I'd like you to see is this.
- 00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:25.080
- The apostolic preaching, the preaching of the apostles
- 00:26:25.090 --> 00:26:27.210
- was expository preaching.
- 00:26:27.220 --> 00:26:31.120
- That is, they let the text speak for itself.
- 00:26:31.130 --> 00:26:36.060
- They let the text speak.
- 00:26:36.070 --> 00:26:38.060
- You see, an expository preacher believes in the power
- 00:26:38.070 --> 00:26:41.070
- of the text more than the personality of the teacher.
- 00:26:41.080 --> 00:26:44.250
- 00:26:44.260 --> 00:26:52.220
- female announcer: We want to help you grow stronger
- 00:26:52.230 --> 00:26:54.040
- in God's Word by sending you
- 00:26:54.050 --> 00:26:55.220
- "The Bible From 30.000 Feet" 2018 calendar.
- 00:26:55.230 --> 00:26:58.290
- This 12-month calendar encourages you to stay grounded
- 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:02.010
- in Scripture every day of the year.
- 00:27:02.020 --> 00:27:04.010
- "The Bible From 30.000 Feet" 2018 Calendar is our thank you
- 00:27:04.020 --> 00:27:07.240
- for your gift to help continue broadcasting the truth and power
- 00:27:07.250 --> 00:27:11.030
- of God's Word on this and other stations.
- 00:27:11.040 --> 00:27:14.020
- So, request yours when you give a gift to the ministry.
- 00:27:14.030 --> 00:27:16.220
- Give today at connectwithskip.com.
- 00:27:16.230 --> 00:27:19.080
- That's connectwithskip.com.
- 00:27:19.090 --> 00:27:21.240
- 00:27:21.250 --> 00:27:29.050