{"id":4498,"date":"2014-11-17T12:26:05","date_gmt":"2014-11-17T16:26:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=4498"},"modified":"2014-12-06T13:34:22","modified_gmt":"2014-12-06T17:34:22","slug":"when-all-else-fails-read-the-instructions-111614","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=4498","title":{"rendered":"When All Else Fails, Read the Instructions (11\/16\/14)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0Sunday November 16 was Bible Sunday.\u00a0 Pastor Jim’s message was from Paul’s final letter; 2 Timothy 3:14-17.\u00a0 We looked at how the Bible is the only real source of truth in our lives.\u00a0 What do you compare yourself to?<\/span><\/address>\n
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Click the “Play” button below to start the recording, then scroll down and follow along…<\/span><\/address>\n

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2 Timothy 3:14-17<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

14\u00a0 But you must keep on believing the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know that you can trust those of us who have taught you. <\/span><\/p>\n

15 You know how, when you were a small child, you were taught the holy Scriptures; and it is these that make you wise to accept God\u2019s salvation by trusting in Christ Jesus. <\/span><\/p>\n

16 The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. <\/span><\/p>\n

17 It is God\u2019s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

TLB<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

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When All Else Fails…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Have you ever had one of those experiences of “some assembly required” where you tossed the instructions aside, got out your screw driver, and started putting it together the way you thought it should go?\u00a0 Sometimes, it doesn’t turn out very well.\u00a0 Sometimes, it’s better if you do throw out the instructions, but that’s only because those instructions are flawed.<\/p>\n

What about the instructions that God gives us for this project we call “life”?\u00a0 We call the instruction booklet the Bible.\u00a0 Can you count on it?<\/p>\n

Just like the constant pregame and post game shows, everyone has an opinion.\u00a0 The world is saturated with opinions.\u00a0 Self appointed experts abound.<\/p>\n

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What objective source do YOU use to govern your life?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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DANGER!!!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you ever hear anyone saying the following, watch out!<\/p>\n

“Well, I know what the Bible says, but I believe…”<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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Biblical Illiteracy<\/span><\/h3>\n

George Linbeck<\/a>, the noted scholar from Yale said that the “greatest challenge for us is Biblical Illiteracy.”\u00a0 Check\u00a0 out Pastor Jim’s sermon on “Time to dust off the Bible<\/a>.”\u00a0 Do you really know what is and isn’t in the Bible?\u00a0 But\u00a01 Peter 3:15<\/a>\u00a0 tells us that we need to be able to explain our faith.<\/p>\n

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Why do you go to church on Sunday?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Could you answer this?\u00a0 Would you be able to explain in terms of the truth in the Bible?\u00a0 We can’t do anything of eternal value apart from prayer and the Word of God.<\/p>\n

Clark Pinnock<\/a> said, “Modern theology of almost every shade is in crisis.\u00a0 While there is no lack of religious fibrosity<\/a>, a sure word resonate with divine authority is scarcely to be heard.”<\/p>\n

In other words, there’s a lot of stuff about religion out there.\u00a0 But most of it is fluff and opinion, and people are comfortable with that.\u00a0 Nobody want’s to hear “Thus Saith the Lord.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What’s really needed is something that’s consistent with the true will\u00a0 of God.<\/p>\n

Amos 8:11<\/a>–\u00a0 says that there will be a “famine” of hearing the Word of the Lord.\u00a0 It seems that our world is in the midst of that famine now.\u00a0 Throughout history, there have been many attempts to squash the Bible.\u00a0 But yet, the Bible has survived and still speaks to us today.\u00a0 God has decided that this is How He wants to communicate with us.<\/p>\n

The Bible still stands as life’s instructions.\u00a0 Our challenge\u00a0 is to read them and follow them.<\/p>\n

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Stand Strong in the Word<\/span><\/h3>\n

OK.\u00a0 So other than reading the Bible consistently to get some head knowledge about it, how can studying the Bible change our lives?\u00a0 Why is this book different from any other “self-help” book?\u00a0 Is it really “God’s Word”?\u00a0 Is it really better to follow these instructions or to just go “build that bookshelf “without the assembly instructions?<\/p>\n

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Study the Truth…<\/span><\/h4>\n

We hold a lot of meetings and try to do things on our own. Leonard Sweeten said that “once we open the scriptures the windows of heaven open and we become drenched in showers of blessing and downpours of strength.”<\/p>\n

Timothy was going through some rough times.\u00a0 He was surrounded by people who “knew a better way.”\u00a0 And so Paul was telling him to stay true to the word of God.\u00a0 Bring your Bible to meetings!\u00a0 Don’t just listen to some “bald guy’s opinion”- stay close to the Word of God.\u00a0 People out there are trying to deceive you and we don’t even realize it because we don’t know the Word.<\/p>\n

FBI agents train\u00a0 for recognizing counterfeit dollars by studying the real thing.\u00a0 They never look at counterfeits; they just study all of the details in a real bill.\u00a0 But once they see a counterfeit bill they can spot it because they’re so used to the real thing.\u00a0 We need to be saturated and immersed in the Word.<\/p>\n

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The Bible Contains God’s True Mission Statement…<\/span><\/h4>\n

God is the definition of Truth.\u00a0 God is the standard we need to know.\u00a0 We’re surrounded by deception and “counterfeit bills”, so we need to know the real deal in order to avoid the pitfalls of lies.<\/p>\n