Examining The Foundation Continued
Estimating The Scriptures
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Often it is not our interpretation of the scriptures that begs correction, but our estimation.
Please turn in your bibles to The Book Of Hebrews, Chapter 11
Every person filters information and considerations through some world view which they have adopted along life‘s way.
This filter enables each one of us to decide upon the rightness or wrongness of any matter in only a micro-second.
Our judgments are usually based solely on this world view without us ever feeling the need to investigate the matter further.
For instance, many people view most of their life, make decisions and judge others from the perspective of their own adopted world view.
An Individual Usually Adopts A Dominant World View Based On
Their current political party
Their culture
Their temperament and/or experiences
Their national heritage
Their religious affiliation
Their education and/or achievements
Few people break the mold and put themselves in the shoes of others, not like them, to see the bigger picture and sincerely attempt to understand opposing sides of an issue.
Fewer still have recognized the ultimate and embraced the fact that
There Is But One Correct World View
This sounds exclusionary and absolute. It is and I make no apology for it. There is but one correct world view … it is:
A Biblical World View
* You can only afford to be closed minded when you are right
I believe that all matters of life and community should be judged and decisions made in agreement with the word of God because God is right.
Romans 3:4 … let God be true and every man a liar …
To hold a biblical world view will, from time to time, put one at odds with:
Their current political party
Their culture
Their temperament & experiences
Their national heritage
Their religious affiliation
Their education & achievements
Truth is not determined by a show of hands
Jesus does not belong to any one denomination
Your success in life is not the single aim of Calvary’s Cross
You can be wrong … God cannot
The bible was written without respect to nationality or ethnicity
Lying is Lying whether you’re a Democrat or Republican
This morning I hope to challenge your world view.
This is my sincere attempt to assist you in examining the foundation of your life. Have you recently asked yourself the question:
Why do I think what I think, feel what I feel and want what I want?
Why do I do what I do and get what I get?
Because you believe what you believe and
Because you choose what you choose!
But why, may I ask, do you believe what you believe & choose what you choose? It has to do with the filter you have adopted.
It is my hope as your pastor or teacher this morning, that you would make a quality decision to believe God’s word more than your other filters and be empowered by the scriptures to make tough decisions when the time comes for it.
Lets evaluate our estimation of the scriptures.
Text: Hebrews 11
1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Faith in the scriptures is basically your trust, even more than that, your conviction that God is telling you the truth.
Faith is your conviction that God is telling you the truth.
It is through this conviction, this filter, that we understand the universe was formed by the word of God, so that what is now seen was not made out of what was seen when God first spoke His command.
What God believed and said was more powerful than what was. Nothing could then, nor can now, resist the word of God.
If we believe this, then we should raise our estimation of God’s word to equal that belief. We should adopt God’s Word as our filter.
Speaking of God’s Word
This week I made a search of an exact two word phrase in the KJV.
‘Thy Word…’
Found 59 times in the whole bible
Over half are in the book of Psalms
35 times in one chapter of Psalms
David must have known and had great respect for God’s word.
When I added a third word to that combination in efforts to narrow the search and bring specificity, I made the phrase to read
‘Thy Word Is …’
5 times in the whole bible
4 times in that same chapter of Psalms
David not only knew the word, he also had revelation as to what the word of God is.
Throughout this one single chapter in Psalms,
David reveals God’s Word, God’s Will & God’s Way
This Psalm is of course, Psalms 119 The longest Psalms in the bible.
Alphabetical Psalm
22 Letters In The Hebrew Alphabet
8 Verses To Each Letter
8 X 22 = 176
David’s Pocket Book (Youth to maturity)
9 Repetitive References To God’s Word
Law
Testimonies
Precepts
Statutes
Commandments
Judgments
Word
Saying
Way
Over and over again David speaks revelation concerning God’s Word
You remember I told you that I narrowed my search somewhat … allow me now to share the results of that study:
I. ‘Thy Word Is …’
12 A. Psalms 119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in heaven.
14 B. Psalms 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
17 C. Psalms 119:140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.
20 D. Psalms 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
II. Adopting A Biblical World View
A. Believe (Accept that God is telling you the truth)
1. God’s Word Settles Every Issue
2. God’s Word Reveals The Path To Take
* there is a way that seems right but is not
* at times the path is narrow, costly & lonely
* the last verse of NUN is verse 112, it reads in NKJV
I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end.
* commit to the path all the way to the very end
3. God’s Word Plays No Favorites
* God does not love others and hate you
* God’s word is not unjust, uneven or uncaring
4. God’s Word Is Right For Every Generation
B. Choose To See Life & The World Through God’s Eyes
In order to develop a biblical world view one must study the word to know how God feels and how He expects man to respond to the varied situations in personal life and community affairs.
I challenge each one of you to make a commitment this morning to meaningfully enhance your daily personal bible time.
I suggest that you, along with me, Begin With Psalms 119 and attempt to accomplish the following 4 things:
1. Read 8 verses each day and see if you can discover what theme David had in mind when he wrote that particular stanza.
2. Pray that God would develop a deeper trust and renewed respect for His word in you as you meditate on these truths.
3. Watch for opportunities to incorporate that day’s theme in your personal, family and community life.
4. Remember, a true follower of Christ does not impose Christianity on others, but rather exposes Christianity to others.
