The Word Series - The Transforming Power, Miracles, Moral & Ethical Superiority of the Bible - 8

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to another word-filled message by David Entry. Preaching is the means by which God manifests His word and nourishes our spirits.

[0:11] May the life of God enter into you anew as you listen to this message. Be blessed. Father, we thank you for the privilege to hear your word.

[0:22] It changes our hearts. It changes our lives. It gives us a better understanding. It helps us to be able to live life. It helps us to be able to work with you.

[0:33] Father, impart yourself into us that we will not be the same again. In Jesus' name. And someone shout Amen. Amen. Hallelujah. Amen.

[0:43] Praise the Lord. We want to look at the Bible. I told you that the word of God is inspired. And because it is inspired, it is inerrant.

[0:56] Because it is inspired, it is authoritative. Because it is inspired, it has credibility. And I spoke about some of the proofs of inspiration.

[1:10] It is divine claims. What the Bible says, the Bible says it is God's word. And I spoke about how it's historical records, archaeological evidence.

[1:24] I spoke about the scientific accuracy of the Bible. Right? It doesn't make any statement that is scientifically inaccurate. It makes statements which later on science discovers.

[1:37] Yes. Right? And I spoke about the, last week I spoke about the prophecies. The prophecies of the Bible.

[1:49] And then I went on to talk about the unity of the Bible. It has complex diversity, but amazing unity in the complexity of its diversity.

[2:00] It says, I mean, different authors, different backgrounds, different geographical locations, about 3,000 cast members of the storyline.

[2:12] Different backgrounds. Some were kings, shepherds, slaves, ex-tax collectors, ex-parasies, scribes. In spite of all the diversity, it speaks one language.

[2:25] It speaks with one voice. It says one origin of man. One destiny of man. One plan of salvation. It has one voice.

[2:36] And I went on to, I spoke about the prophecies. And I want to talk about the miracles of the Bible. I won't say much about that. Then I'll go on the ethics.

[2:49] The miracles of the Bible. 2 Timothy 3, verse 16. It says that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God. And it's profitable for doctrine.

[2:59] And it's profitable for reproof. It's profitable for correction and instructions. Instruction in righteousness. Hallelujah. All scripture is given.

[3:10] It's not like it was written in later on. It was the way it was given. It was given by the theonopsis. It was given by the inspiration of God. Hallelujah. So it's all scripture.

[3:20] Say all scripture. All scripture. Those of you who were in church on Wednesday, I was teaching about the spirit and the blessing of Abraham. And Galatians chapter 3. And I went on to talk about it in verse 15, 14, 15, 16.

[3:34] Where it talks about. It was the promise was made to Abraham and to his seed. Remember Galatians chapter 3, verse 16. Now Abraham and to Abraham and his seed were the promise made.

[3:50] He does not say to seeds. That's very interesting. Now he was quoting from Genesis chapter 12, verse 3. The Bible was particular. Even about one letter.

[4:01] One letter. It said not seeds. The S. It said no. We can't take anything like that. He was so particular. He said not seeds, but seed. Quoting Genesis chapter 12, verse 3.

[4:16] Right. He said not seeds, but seed. Jesus said in Matthew 5, 18, that heaven and earth shall pass away. Perish, I see unto you till heaven and earth pass away.

[4:26] Not one jot and one tittle. The jot, that's the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

[4:37] It's called the yod. The smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet is called the yod. And the yod is, it's size is like just the little apostrophe.

[4:50] Or what separates the lowercase L from the lowercase T. That cross. Bible says that even for one jot of God's word to pass, heaven and earth shall pass away by the word of God.

[5:04] Even that little, that little apostrophe of God's word is that valid. So that tells you the Bible is very serious. It's very comprehensive.

[5:15] Now people may say that, but if God is God and he wants to speak to us, why doesn't he use other means? Why must he use a book? Why a book? Because I can't speak through, I mean, more credible means.

[5:30] Like the way thunder will strike and then something will happen. And then suddenly you hear clearly the whole earth will shake and there will be an earthquake. Everything collapse.

[5:40] Then suddenly everything comes back to place. Then God says, now you know I'm around. Let me tell you what. But if you read the Bible very carefully, every other means, God use several means to talk to us.

[5:53] Use several means to talk. Dreams, visions. He spoke to people through dreams, visions, through personal encounters. Like a burning bush encounter. Romans chapter 2 verse 15.

[6:04] He actually impresses his word in the conscience of man. Who showed the work of the law written in their hearts. Their conscience also bearing witness. Alright, so the conscience in between themselves, their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.

[6:21] God has put his word. There is an aspect of God's word in our conscience, in our hearts. And some of the things he does, some of you, some things happen, you know that this one is God.

[6:31] Sometimes you watch the news and there is serious disaster. Recently in Nepal, a baby was pulled out. And someone was pulled out alive who should have died. And they come out and they say, no, this one is unusual.

[6:45] Some of them say that I should have died. Something helped me. Those who understand a bit of, they have a bit of sensibility to believe in the supernatural. They said, God saved me.

[6:57] What I'm trying to say, some of you, things have happened in your life, in your father's life, your grandmother's life, your auntie's life. And you know they should have died and God spared them. Things happen in your life and you know God is telling you something.

[7:09] So some of the good things is that, in the book of Matthew chapter 5 verse 45, he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good and send rain on the just. These are the signs.

[7:20] God does good to all. Acts chapter 14 verse 17. Acts chapter 14 verse 17. It talks about how, nevertheless, he did not leave himself without witness.

[7:32] In that he did good, he gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filled our hearts with food and gladness. See, so God actually, some of the things that happen, besides revelations and things, things that happen around you, you know that, I mean, this is God.

[7:48] So what I'm trying to say is that God speaks to us through different means. So then why a book? Because, you know, revelations and personal experiences are subjective.

[8:03] Personal experiences are subjective. And someone's experience of 50 years ago may be different from now and he may not be around to tell the story. But what is written is written.

[8:15] It's written. Hallelujah. What is written is written. So there are so many things. Now, God himself told Moses, these things that I'm telling you, write them down.

[8:31] Write them down. Exodus chapter 31, 31 verse 18. God told him, write these things down. Where I grew up, sometimes you can enter into a contract with a person and usually most contracts turn into bitterness and pain and anger.

[8:47] Do you know why? God has no written record. He said, I paid you eight pounds. No, you didn't pay me eight pounds. It was six pounds you gave me. The people will not lie. In the United Kingdom, your brother wants to, you want to loan your brother some money or something.

[8:59] He said, okay, let's write it down. Maybe not. Yes, God the Lord. Maybe not even my brother, but my children and his children will fight. God, they will say, our dad said this.

[9:11] He said, no, your dad didn't say that. And then they may fight. So once written is written. So God said to Exodus chapter 31 verse, he said, when he had made an end of speaking with him on the Mount Sinai, he gave Moses two tablets of the testimony, tablets of the soul written with the finger of God.

[9:27] So he said, no, actually it was written. God himself wrote it with the finger of God. And then in Exodus chapter 17 verse 14, that's when he said to Moses, this is, I'm telling you, write it down so we can rehearse it to generations to come.

[9:44] The Lord said to Moses, write this for the memorial in the book. They counted in the here in Joshua, that I will actually blot out the remembrance of us. He said, write these things down for memorial.

[9:56] The Bible was not written by one. Over 40 authors. They don't know each other. Different experiences. Different experiences. And they all said the same thing, that don't contradict. A thousand years later, someone is also writing, didn't know this one, didn't know what this one was written.

[10:10] And they agree. You understand that. The Bible says in 1 John chapter 4 verse 1, it says, test the spirits. So, because your experiences are subjective, they can be actually whimsical.

[10:24] You know what I'm saying? Your experiences. Because one day, you are in a very good mood. Even when you are praying, and you are in a very good mood, sometimes, you easily pick up things quickly.

[10:36] Especially when you see a lady, you are beginning to like, or a man, you are beginning to like. When you begin to pray, you see all kinds of wishes about him. Sometimes, you can be deluded, by what is preoccupying your mind, to think that God is speaking to you.

[10:51] That is why it says that, let's come to the sure word of prophecy, which is the word of 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 20 down, we said, the sure word of prophecy, is the word of God. In 1 John chapter 4 verse 1, it says, test all spirits.

[11:03] How would you test what you are saying, if you don't have a standard? That's why even in our nation, we have a constitution. All right, so, what did I say I'm going to mention today? The miracles of the Bible.

[11:13] Jesus said in the book of John chapter 10, verse 31. John chapter 10, verse 31. Okay, verse 31, then the Jews pick up stones to stone him, verse 32. Jesus, as I said, many good works, I have shown you from my father.

[11:29] For which of these works do you stone me? All right, so, he's saying that the works I show, they are a point, a point, they are pointers to who I am.

[11:40] Do you understand what I'm saying? Then, 37, look at verse 37 on the same chapter. If I do not do the works of my father, do not believe me. Verse 38, watch this.

[11:51] But if I do, though you do not believe me, believe the works, you may know and believe that God the Father is in me. The miracles of the Bible, the miracles the Bible record, tell us as well, point us to the fact that the hand of God is behind these miracles.

[12:07] John chapter 20, verse 29, 30, 31. That should definitely be there. John chapter 20, said Jesus, truly Jesus did many other signs in the prayers of disciples which are not written in this book.

[12:18] Right? So, why do we have these signs written? But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Son. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. In believing, you may have life in his name. Right? So, the things written are to help somebody.

[12:30] Right? The things are written to help somebody. So, now, going back to the point I'm making, look at the works that I do. Miracles are pointers of who is awake. Are pointers of the supernatural presence.

[12:42] Alright? Does that make sense? In the book of Acts chapter 2, verse 22, Bible talks about, 21 and 22, Bible talks about how Jesus Christ, a man attested of God, with signs, a man attested by God, with miracles, wonders, and signs, which he did in your midst.

[12:59] So, you can tell that Jesus Christ, the miracles he did, were a pointer to who he was. In Acts chapter 4, verse 16, they wanted to stone the apostles, or beat them, and kill them, or put them in prison.

[13:11] But it says that, what shall we do to these men? For indeed, that a notable miracle has been done, through them, is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. The miracle was too evident, and too obvious for you to deny that.

[13:25] This is what, what's a miracle? A miracle is not, is not a happening, that is contrary to nature. Right. Or the laws of nature. It's not contrary to the laws of nature. But the laws of nature, without the agents, that were the miracle, cannot be able to explain it.

[13:39] Do you understand that? And miracles don't happen by themselves. There must be always, an agent, supernatural, God behind it. Alright, so, it's very interesting.

[13:51] When they saw that, and miracles, watch this, miracles, when miracles happen, it is obvious to the eyes. Okay, it's obvious to the five senses. So, when you are born against the greatest, of all the miracles, true, but it's not actually obvious, to the five senses.

[14:10] When we talk, miracle by itself, the definition of the word itself, points to the fact, that something physical, or something that is obvious, to the five senses, have taken place, and you can't deny it. You may not want to accept it, but you can't deny it.

[14:24] Do you understand what I'm saying? So, that's what the Bible, the Bible is fraught, with miracles, to point to the fact, that God is behind, the writing now. And then, in Mark chapter, 16 verse 20, in Mark chapter 16 verse 20, the Bible says, that they went declaring God's word, all right, and they went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word, through the accompanying signs.

[14:49] So, God worked with them, and confirmed his word. He worked with them, confirmed his word. He worked with them, and confirmed his word. Praise the Lord. All right. So, the miracles of the Bible.

[14:59] I want to go to, the ethical superiority of the Bible. Ethical superiority of the Bible. Or moral, its superior moral standards.

[15:11] When you study other, religions, almost all other religions, some way, one way or the other, have desecration of morality, to a certain extent.

[15:23] It's because, when you look at religion in Israel, and most of all the religions, there's a desecration of morality, or human sanctity. One way or the other. We read the Bible, and it tells you, love your enemies.

[15:37] Love your wife. Love your children. Love your neighbor as, ah, yourself. The moral standard, the ethical standard of the Bible, is, superior.

[15:53] That must be God. Most of our laws in United Kingdom, are built on, Judeo-Christian, traditional principles.

[16:05] You take the Bible, and then it tells you, you read the Bible, and you learn, it teaches racial equality. Hello. Somebody says, okay, if the Bible is God's way, why is it that people have used it, to do so much evil?

[16:19] People have committed, so many crimes, so many crimes, done evil, behind the Bible. Slave trade, was endorsed, by some preachers, with the Bible.

[16:29] So how do you explain that? Have you also forgotten, that slave trade, was abolished, because someone found, in the Bible, that this is not right. William Wilberforce.

[16:41] Look at Martin Luther King. It's based on scripture, and you realize that, all human beings are the same. How about that? So the fact that, someone uses it wrongly, doesn't make it, doesn't mean, like someone takes a knife, to do evil, does that mean that knife, is not right?

[16:57] You need a knife to cook. Am I making a point? You read, you read it, it teaches, it's the Bible, the Bible teaches, let me tell you some of the things, the Bible teaches, racial equality, good citizenship, you find it in the Bible.

[17:12] Anyone, who claims, to be a Christian, and practicing, the scriptures, cannot, say cannot, cannot go, in town, and, attacking, physically attacking, and even verbally, attacking, prime minister.

[17:26] It's not Christian. Right. Can you imagine, you see me, in a picket line, and the police are staying, and I say, oh, no, I'm turning, I'm turning, I say police, hey, no, no, that's not Christian.

[17:39] That's not Christian. The Bible doesn't teach that. The moral standards, of the Bible are high. So it teaches, good, it teaches, racial equality, good citizenship, sanctity of human life.

[17:53] That is why, in the West, and particularly in Europe, that's why, in Europe, capital punishment, was abolished. Right. Sanctity of human life, is very important.

[18:05] Social justice, legal equity, selfless service. It's the United Kingdom, and the West, that, you, watch this, you, you take guns, want to kill people, and they see you, and you get arrested, and they say, no, they shouldn't kill you.

[18:20] Let's take you to the course, to prove you guilty. But we all saw, it doesn't matter. And when you are taken, to watch it, to the court, when you are taken to the court, if you don't have a lawyer, they will give you a lawyer, to defend your, what I'm trying to say, is that, the ethical standards, of the Bible, are superior.

[18:43] We learn, sanctity of human life, you read it, you read the Bible, it teaches you hard work, teaches you selfless service, it teaches you, individual integrity.

[18:54] Look at the number of people, who have attempted, in the name of, Christianity, which is true, who have gone to, Ebola-redeating nations, to go and help, don't you love your life?

[19:07] The closer you get, to the Bible, the more selfless, you want to be. People go to Syria, some of them, have been beheaded, because, they were not going to preach, they were going to help, the people who are hungry, they were going to help, the people, and I wonder, look at Red Cross, now we have Red Cross, it's just, an imitation, you know what I'm talking about, Red Cross, it's Red Cross, do you know where Red Cross, come from?

[19:33] Even the ambulance service, it was started, by Christian principles, you go on the internet, Facebook, news, and now, it's a justifiable, and laudable bombardment, we are being bombarded, by Appeal to Help, Nepal, by Tear Fund, and, World Vision, all these organizations, are Christian organizations, founded based on scripture, you can't read the Bible, and be unconcerned, about human suffering, you can't read the Bible, and hate someone to death, you cannot, have you realized, that when you read the Bible, something happens to you, oh, I wanted to talk about, the transforming power, of the Bible, how drunkards, are changing, to sober men, how prostitutes, are changed, to pure people, how a wife beater, is changed, into a wonderful husband, because I have an encounter, with the Bible, this is God, so when I talk about, this moral superiority, the ethical superiority, of the Bible, it is unbeatable, because, it is God, who gave this, it's morality, now,

[20:40] I like the way, the Bible puts in, Galatians chapter 5, verse 23, very interesting, Galatians 5, 23, it talks about, the, it's a continuation, from verse 22, okay, so there is a gentleness, 23, the fruit of the spirit, gentleness, self-control, let's read the last bit together, let's read it, and let's go, for the last time, there's no law, against these things, no nation, anywhere, there can't be, any law, against, the morality, the Bible teaches, they can't, it's the Bible, which tells you, that shall not murder, so that shall not bear, don't bear false witness, against your, your neighbor, the Bible teaches you, honor your mother, and your father, the Bible teaches you, that shall not commit adultery, that's a teaching, that shall not steal, the Bible teaches us, love your neighbor as yourself, high standard morality, impeccable, the Bible teaches, all these things, that's why, let me tell you, that's why, ethically, or, it's a moral reason, as I told you, about atheism, that's why many people, in the west, try to frown, or shun away, frown from the Bible, because its standards, are so high, because when you go to the book, the book is reading you,

[22:05] Martin Luther, says that, this book has life, it speaks to me, it has feet, it runs after me, it has hands, it holds me, that's why people, are running away from it, because we have, the high moral codes, of God, and we live by it, and because, Bible says, because the heart of man, is evil, when the light comes, they want to hide away, run away from the light, as I told you, some time ago, a story of my friend, who, when he got into this country, early days, in this country, when he got, he was looking for a job, so he got one at a bingo, and then every time, there's a board, people can go on the board, in the bingo somewhere, there, you can write anything, anything, anything, as offensive, as it may sound, write it, because that's, that's the rule there, people be writing, swear words, and all kinds of things, and he too, because he was, working there, a Christian brother, he also went to write, all sinners will go to hell, immediately, they're calling, the boss, he said, why do you write that,

[23:11] I can't, he said, I thought we can write, he said, no way, you don't write these things here, you don't write these things here, but I thought you said, we can write everything, anything, no, because that one, it's, they tell you, it's offensive, that one is chasing, after people, you'll make people stop, coming to the, that thing is reading you, did you get something, please put your hands together, for the love, thank you for listening, to this message, by David Entry, to hear more, from David Entry, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can also subscribe, to Karish Church on YouTube, don't forget to share, and subscribe to our podcast, so you're always up to date, be blessed.