[0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. This is the next message in our series on the book of John entitled, Jesus is God.
[0:15] Take your Bible, if you would, and open it to John chapter 19. John chapter 19, if you would, and we're going to look at the verse. I'm going to just give you the verses. We've read them several times, so I'm just going to get you to skip, if you would, straight to John 19, 24.
[0:32] Now, let me just say tonight, it is in the passage, and it is what it's talking about, but I want to take just a little bit and help you understand we have the Word of God.
[0:43] Could I hear an amen right there? And we can trust God, and we can trust His Word. And the apostles knew that, and you need to know that. And there will come times in your life when you're going to only have one place to hang on to, and you're going to need the Bible.
[1:00] And so I want you to just look at what the Bible says in John 19, 24. The Bible says, They said, Therefore among themselves, let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots.
[1:19] These things, therefore, the soldiers did. And here's what's happening. John's writing the Gospel of John. And as he goes to write the Gospel of John, he knows the story.
[1:30] And as he knows the story, he's been a Bible student. And he says, Hey, do you remember when they were casting lots about his clothes, and they had the discussion about his clothes?
[1:40] And he said, Do you remember that's what the Bible says? We'll go over that in just a second. And he said, Notice this, they did it, that the Scriptures would be fulfilled. And they're starting to catch on to the fact that God is at work in a big and mighty way above everything that's going on in their lives.
[1:56] Go down to verse 28. Verse 28. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
[2:06] Underline that the Scripture might be fulfilled. The Scriptures will be fulfilled. Jesus saw to it on the cross that they would be fulfilled. And they were fulfilled. Look, if you would, in verse 36 again.
[2:19] For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken. They didn't break his legs. We'll look at that in just a second. And then the next verse says, And again, another Scripture saith.
[2:32] Just stop a second and think with me what's going on. The apostles are realizing that the 39 books that they have in the Old Testament are the Word of God and can be trusted.
[2:44] And it's happening exactly like God said it would. God said it. It's happening. God said it. It's happening. God said it. It's happening. And probably one of the greatest things that's going on is they're realizing it.
[2:56] God said it. It's happening. And I finally figured out God really is doing stuff. So kind of interesting, all the way back before the creation, all the way back when they're writing the Old Testament books, all the way back through 39 books of Bible history, they're telling the future that Jesus will soon die on the cross.
[3:15] Nothing was strange. Nothing strange was happening on the cross. Just a couple of things before we get into the Scripture. Open your Bible, if you would, to Luke chapter 24. We'll mark a couple of things.
[3:27] The apostles were obviously students of the Word of God. They obviously knew what the Bible said. You've got to remember they didn't have an iPad. They didn't have a computer program.
[3:39] They didn't have a computer. They knew this from studying it, from listening to it preach, from listening to it being read. They probably didn't own their own copy of the 39 books.
[3:50] But they knew what the Bible said. But much of what they studied might have been very academic. They might have just known facts and didn't realize application.
[4:02] They knew what it said but didn't realize what it meant. And I would just like to say to you, I'm afraid that's what goes on here. It's like when John's writing his gospel, Jesus has died.
[4:14] He's been buried and he's risen again. And now God's got John writing the gospel. And John's going, man, wow, yeah, man, yeah, wow, man, yes.
[4:26] That's what the Bible said. And John's like, man, it is alive and it's true and it's real. And I'm catching on to that. And I'm afraid that sometimes we've been going to church all our lives.
[4:37] And we've been hearing the Bible preaching all our lives. And yet we have a real hard time believing it and applying it. We were talking, some of us were talking the other day about dying, going to heaven.
[4:50] We got two families dealing with somebody going to heaven. Elizabeth's dad's on his way to heaven just in a matter of time. And Amy Coffey and Stephanie Cornwell's grandmother is on her way to heaven.
[5:03] But you know, almost none of us really believe what the Bible says about heaven. Almost none of us really believe. And the only time we start trying to believe it's for somebody else. When we're trying to encourage them. But we get the news and we're going to be like, hold it, wait a minute.
[5:16] I'm not so sure about that. That's kind of what I'm talking about. It's academic. And we need to get it out of academic into, I really believe I have the word of God. You ought to be able to hold this book and say, I believe it is God's word.
[5:27] You ought to be able to hold this book and you ought to be able to say, I believe this is the word of God. But not only do I believe this is the word of God. I read it. I study it. I pray over it. Because it is real and it is powerful and it is at work.
[5:38] And it's quick and sharper than any two-edged sword. And the Bible is real. I hope you get that. Look if you would in Luke 24, 13. I just think this is a beautiful way to get started towards where we're headed in the message tonight.
[5:50] You remember the story. There were a couple of guys that were walking on the road towards Emmaus. And as they were walking along and they were talking in verse 15, they were reasoning together and thinking.
[6:02] But they didn't know who Jesus was. And he came close to them. And he started walking down the street with them. And they didn't realize it was Jesus. And as they began to talk, Jesus said, man, why are you guys so sad? What's going on?
[6:13] And they said, my goodness, he's the only guy that lives in this neck of the woods and doesn't know what's happened. They have crucified Jesus. And he is dead. And Jesus is walking right there with him.
[6:25] And he said unto them in verse 19, what things? And they said, concerning Jesus and Nazareth, a prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all the people. And talked about how he had suffered and all the things that happened.
[6:36] Now jump down to verse 25. Jesus' answer to them is pretty strong. Verse 25, he said, then he said unto them, oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
[6:52] That would be a harsh message if he said that to us. Hey, you bunch of fools, slow of heart. Don't believe what the Bible says.
[7:02] That's what he said to them. And he said, verse 26, shouldn't Jesus, ought not Christ have suffered these things and enter into his glory? I mean, honestly, you're sad about it, but didn't God say it was going to happen?
[7:15] Isn't it what the Bible said? Don't you know what the book said? Don't you believe the book? Don't you apply the book? I mean, you got the wrong attitude here. If God had this in mind, we ought to be proud about this. We ought to be happy about it. That's not where you are.
[7:26] Verse 27. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded. He opened up the Bible. He explained the verses to them. All the scriptures, the things concerning himself.
[7:37] He said, look, let me show you. And they finally figured out they were talking to Jesus. They read scriptures. They just didn't understand them. They'd seen the prophecies about the Messiah, but they were confused.
[7:52] Now they're seeing it all. And it makes sense. They see things happening to Jesus and they see what they've read and studied. And they realize scripture is coming true.
[8:03] Approximately 25 Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in these moments right around what we're talking about. John mentioned several to show that God was in charge of the events that were taking place.
[8:15] God is in charge. We see that the scriptures never failed. By the way, if you've ever read them through, there'll be plenty of times in the Bible. They'll say it happened just like he said it would happen.
[8:27] It happened. This book is true. It worked in the Old Testament. It worked in the New Testament. It worked in other people's lives. They know it's been true. And it's time that you and I realize we really do have the word of God.
[8:41] First thing I wish you'd write down, the scriptures were fulfilled. Three times with a fourth indirect message. Right here in John chapter 19. He just boldly says that the scriptures might be fulfilled.
[8:52] So there was something going on in the heart of the apostle John. There's something the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate that says when Jesus is down on the cross, he's saying to it that everything the Old Testament said about Jesus is actually coming true.
[9:07] And so the Old Testament had all these comments and all these prophecies and all these sayings about him. It was about his birth. It was about his life. And it was about his death. And he said it's all coming true. You know what he's saying is trust the book.
[9:20] Trust the book. Believe that God gave you this book. That's what he's saying. Go to with me if you would to chapter 19 and verse 23. That passage right there is about them tearing his garment.
[9:33] He had this tunic that he wore. It's kind of like their underclothed that they wore down across their body. And he would have only worn one usually that would have been his garment.
[9:45] And it's going to be, it's sewn, woven from top throughout. And the scriptures are going to be fulfilled. And look at Psalm 22, 18. Write that in the margin right there.
[9:55] Psalm 22, 18. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture. That was Old Testament scripture. Talking about what was going to happen to Jesus.
[10:05] You would have read that if you hadn't known. And you would have said, I don't know that that's talking about Jesus. It would have been pretty hard for us to figure out that was talking about Jesus. But the Holy Spirit told John, write it down. That's talking about Jesus.
[10:16] In verse 28, they're going to give him vinegar. Chapter 19, verse 28. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst.
[10:27] And there was set a vessel full of vinegar. They filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon hyssop and put it to his mouth. Psalm 69, 21. Write that there. They gave me also gall for my meat.
[10:39] And in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink. Old Testament. Written about Jesus. Coming true in the New Testament. Look, if you would, in chapter 19, verse 31.
[10:51] We'll go through these real quick. I don't want to talk to you about the Bible. Chapter 19, verse 31. They got to get the guys off the cross. They need Jesus off the cross.
[11:02] The Jews need Jesus off the cross. They've got permission to get them off the cross. They got a holy day coming. They need Jesus off the cross. Customary way to kill the guy who's on the cross is to break his legs.
[11:13] So he can no longer push himself up to get any air because he's hanging in his body. It takes everything he can to push himself up with his legs, pull himself up with his arms to get a breath. Break his legs.
[11:23] He'll soon suffocate and be dead. So they go out to break his legs. And when they get ready to break his legs, one of them looks up and said, that guy's dead. No need in breaking his legs. And so unusually, they just skip over Jesus and don't break his legs.
[11:36] You know, they ram a spear into his side. But the reason they didn't break his leg, the reason they didn't break his leg, verse 33. They came to Jesus, saw he was dead already. They break not his legs.
[11:47] Verse 36. They did that, that the scriptures should be fulfilled. Psalm 3420 says he keeps all his bones. Not one of them is broken.
[11:59] He keeps all of his bones. Not one of them is broken. Might be interesting for you to go study the Passover and find out if they could break the little lamb's legs. Might be interesting if you go all the way back there and something you'd say that has nothing to do with Jesus.
[12:10] And you find that little lamb. And just go check it out. How about that? The spear piercing his side, verses 34 through 35. They, they, they, they, uh, one of the soldiers pierced his side and there came out blood and water.
[12:24] Zechariah chapter 12, verse 10. And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced. And they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first born.
[12:44] Let me just say, those are the scriptures that John uses. John says, let me, I just want everybody to stop. John's writing a book. John's got a purpose. John wants you to realize Old Testament scripture said it.
[12:55] New Testament scripture. I can show you that it passed. I can show you that it happened. I can show you that, that God really did it. In fact, is, um, if I could get you to go back with me, uh, if I could get you to go back with me to chapter 19 and verse 35, look at this verse that what John says right in the middle of what he's talking.
[13:13] And he that saw it bear record and his record is true. And he knoweth that he saith true that you might believe. John said, I was there. I watched every one of these things happen.
[13:25] I heard him talking about his garments. I saw him pierce his side. I saw him not break his legs. He said, I was there. I'm telling you. So you might believe. If you recall, that's his purpose.
[13:36] He wants to cause them to believe in Jesus and to be saved, to realize that he is the Christ. You need to learn that you can trust the scriptures or you have nothing as a Christian.
[13:49] I don't know how, you know, how far did I jump out here? But just let me say this. Everybody attacks the Bible. Everybody attacks the Bible. Everybody makes you think it's old and irrelevant.
[14:01] Everybody makes you think that it's not trustworthy. It's a bunch of old facts and everything simply because they don't know what the Bible is. And you need to know as a Christian, we believe this book.
[14:13] Everything I have, everything I believe, everything I practice, everything is this book. I can tell you when I landed in Peru in 1988 and it was my time to try to teach people, I did not take them any American stuff.
[14:29] I didn't take them what we did here in America. I just took Bible and read Bible and preached Bible to them and I saw God change their lives. You hold in your hands the word of God. You ought to believe that.
[14:40] You ought to know that. You can't live on your feelings. Almost every young person, and Trent was telling me this just the other day, almost every teenager, whenever they talk about getting saved, they don't talk about what the Bible says.
[14:50] They talk about what they feel. Feelings don't last. The book lasts. The book lasts. It was here 2,000 years before today. It's been around. In fact, it's a long time even before that.
[15:01] It's through eternity. You can't live on feelings. You can't live on what your parents told you. You need the book. You can't live on what your parents told you. You're going to experience and face extremely hard things and times, and only your faith in God through His word will get you through.
[15:19] Let me just say this. It doesn't mean a thing for you to say you believe God if you don't believe the book. It is impossible to believe God without believing His book.
[15:32] Because the only way God speaks to you is through His book. He doesn't speak to you through clouds. He doesn't speak to you through voices. He doesn't speak to you through emotions. He speaks to you through His book. That's why every service we open and read it.
[15:44] It's His book. It's His word. It's the scriptures that the scriptures might be fulfilled. The book is true. It's the word of God. The second thing I wish you'd write down.
[15:55] Something very obvious in chapter 19. The scriptures are about Jesus. The scriptures are about Jesus. The scriptures are where you come to learn about Him, to believe in Him, to believe Him.
[16:09] John chapter 5 and verse 39. The Bible says, In search of scriptures for them you think you have eternal life. And they are they which testify of me. I'd just like to say to you, this is not a good book of quotes and a collection of sayings.
[16:23] It's almost like everybody needs to read a little bit of Bible. Everybody needs to be able to throw out a saying. This is word of God. This is the word of God. This isn't what the apostle Paul thought and what Moses thought.
[16:34] And when I went to college, everybody was attacking the Bible. And I'll just say this to you. They said, how could Moses write the last part of Deuteronomy? I said, I don't have a better problem understanding that.
[16:46] Because I believe it's the word of God. So Moses is sitting there writing along in Deuteronomy. And he said, and Moses went up in the mountain. And Moses looked up and said, I ain't been up in the mountain. He said, you're fixing to go. And Moses died. You say, I don't believe that.
[16:58] I believe that. This is the word of God. You don't have to learn to trust that God has given you his word. The scriptures are about Jesus. What happens in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15?
[17:10] In Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15, would you just look at some of these verses and realize this book's about Jesus. The truth is, if we looked at those prophecies, if we looked at those prophecies that John tells us are coming true, most of us would have said, I think I would have said, don't see it.
[17:25] If I'm reading just the Old Testament, don't see it. I mean, that pierced one's a little bit foggy for me. And I'd have read about that. I'd have read about the legs not being broken. And I'd have said, well, who's he really talking about there?
[17:36] But when God puts it all together, I know what he's talking about. Cause he told me real clearly. Can you say, man, now watch this Genesis 3 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed.
[17:47] And it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel. Adam and Eve have just sinned. Adam and Eve have just sinned. They are now cast out of the garden. They are, they have tried to cover themselves with fig leaves.
[17:59] They've tried to cover their sin. And they know something's wrong. They know they're not right with God. They're hiding from God. They're hiding from God. And Jesus comes down to Christ, the, the, the preexistent Christ.
[18:11] He hadn't been born yet, but he's always been alive. Can you say, man, he's always been alive. He was in the beginning with the word. He was the word. He was God. Can you say, man, right there. And he came down because God, the father's invisible.
[18:23] You can't ever see him. So it was God, the son that came down and God, the son came down and he said, Adam, what y'all, what y'all doing? Where are you hiding? And they said, uh, we're hiding over here. It wasn't Adam that came looking for God.
[18:33] It was God that came looking for Adam. That's a pretty good story too. Amen. And he came and he said, well, come out here. I'll fix things. And then he looks at the devil, the serpent, looks at the woman, looks at Adam and gives him a fantastic promise.
[18:50] All the way in Genesis three. We don't know anything yet. Exodus hasn't been written yet. Deuteronomy has not been written yet. There's no new Testament. We don't know anything about. There's going to be Jesus down on the cross yet.
[19:01] We wouldn't know that he knows that because he's eternal and his book is already written because he's God and he knows. And there's no time limits with him. God doesn't have a yesterday. And God doesn't have a tomorrow.
[19:11] God's only got right now because God's eternal. And God says, Jesus says, the Christ says, I'll put some, I'll make enemies between you, Satan and the woman between your seed and your seed.
[19:29] You will bruise his heel, but he will bruise your head. In Romans chapter 16 and verse 20, the apostle Paul knew about that. I love this verse.
[19:39] I preached in Peru or improve to the, to the Christians down here. Look at Romans 16, 20 and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
[19:49] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. In Romans, Paul said, I read Genesis. And he's going to bruise him. And you know what? We're in Christ and in Christ, we're going to bruise his nasty head.
[20:04] All the way back in Genesis, the seed that's talked about Jesus. The Bible's about Jesus. When you read the Bible, it's not about you. It's not about how you can prosper and live long.
[20:17] It's not about how you can have peace and money. It's not even about how you can be. It's about Jesus. The whole book's about Jesus. That's why we come to worship Jesus and sing to Jesus and give to Jesus. Our whole lives are built around him.
[20:29] Romans 16, 20 and Romans 16, 20 bruise Satan. Look at Hebrews 2, 14, if you would. Hebrews 2, 14, New Testament, referring all the way back to Genesis 3. Hebrews 2, 14, for as much sin as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the same that through his death, he might destroy, destroy him that hath the power of death, that is the devil.
[20:55] So all the way in the New Testament, they're saying, hey, we know exactly what God said in Genesis 3, 15. We know it's true. Just think with me. We don't have time to read all the stories. But the Passover lamb.
[21:06] And by the way, we could be here all night if we took the stories and talked about all the things and every one of them pointed to Jesus. But there's some that so blatantly point to him, you can't miss them. Passover lamb.
[21:17] Stories found, if you'd like to write it down, stories found in Exodus chapter 12. Principally verse 13. You remember what happened? The death angel is about to pass across Egypt and it's going to destroy every firstborn.
[21:28] And Moses goes and tells all them, hey, the death angel is coming. And Moses tells that to the Egyptians. And then he goes to the Israelites and he says, hey, the firstborn have got to die. So you need to get a lamb and you're going to sacrifice the lamb.
[21:41] And you're going to put the lamb's blood on your doorpost and on your lentil. And when the death angel sees the blood of the lamb, the death angel will pass over your house and go to the next house to kill somebody.
[21:52] That's a picture of Jesus. You know what saves me and protects me from the death angel? Because I am never going to die. Did you hear that one? I am never going to die.
[22:03] I will wake up there. I won't be there. Jesus said, you believe in me, you'll never die. My body may die, but I ain't dying. When you guys are looking at my dead corpse, I'll be alive. I'll be more alive than all of y'all say, man, that's what the book says.
[22:15] You're going to have to believe it. Say, man. And so, and so look at what happens. He said, I'll see the blood and I'll pass over. That's Jesus in Leviticus. We have a high priest making sacrifices to atone for sin.
[22:27] That's what Jesus did. He made sacrifices. The book of Hebrews is all about that. Job chapter 19 verses 25 and 26. Look what Job says.
[22:37] Job says, I know that my redeemer liveth and he's, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin, after my skin, worms destroy this body yet in my flesh, shall I see God all the way back in Job.
[22:56] Job said, let me just go ahead and tell y'all something. There is a real God and he is somebody I can see and he's a redeemer and he will stand here and I will live again in my flesh though the worms eat my body.
[23:08] I will be alive. That's what Jesus said in the new Testament. You know, it's talking about, you know, that redeemer is, don't you? That's Jesus. Can you say, man, he's, he's all the way back there in the book of Job. He's there.
[23:18] And Isaiah, you get his birth. You get his death. One of my favorite passages of scripture is Isaiah 53. I probably go over that so much. Sometimes y'all might even tire of it, but Jesus carried our sins in his own body and he purchased our salvation.
[23:33] Jonah, even Jesus preached and said, Jonah, like Jonah was in the belly of the fish. I will be in the belly of this earth for three days. We make a major mistake when we turn our Bible reading into rules and Jewish history and simply facts.
[23:49] Look for Jesus. Every page, everything's about him. Everything. Third thing I'd like you to write down. God's word never fails.
[24:01] I'd like you to really look these verses up with me. How'd we get the book? How'd we get the book? What's the book say about how we got it? God's word has proven itself thousands of times over.
[24:13] No matter how much some mockers try to make you doubt, they are but fools. I hope you know that. Every one of the idiots that gets on television and makes some comment about the Bible, I know exactly who I'm listening to.
[24:25] A blooming idiot. A fool. Every time somebody makes a disparaging mark. I'm not talking about some stupid Christian that doesn't, that didn't live right or some God hates fags church.
[24:36] I'm not talking about, I'm talking about when they, when they attack this book, they're a fool. And you got to know that right now. You just got to know that. You got to know that. How did we get the word of God? Take your Bible and go to second Peter chapter one, verse 21.
[24:51] Second Peter chapter one, verse 21. Now I believe everything I'm saying to you tonight with every, every ounce of this big fat body.
[25:01] I believe it. The second Peter one 21, it says for the prophecy came not in old time of the will of man. It wasn't a man's will. It wasn't what a man wanted to say. Wasn't what a bunch of men wrote, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy ghost.
[25:17] You know what happened? Holy men sat down. When Moses sat down to write the Pentateuch Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus numbers and Deuteronomy, I want you to understand Moses wasn't writing Moses's opinion. That's another big mistake.
[25:27] We all make. We're like, well, Paul and Peter didn't really agree. Oh yes, they did. Cause Paul and Peter were just pencils in the hand of the one who wrote the book. It's the book of God. It's the word of God. It's not the words of Peter.
[25:38] It's not the word. Holy men of God was spake as they were moved by the Holy ghost. God came down and in some supernatural, all miraculous way. He took control of the thing and made sure we got the words of God.
[25:53] We have God's word. How did it happen? Holy ghost. What happened? He used people, but it was God. Second Samuel chapter 23. What's it mean to be moved by the Holy ghost?
[26:05] Well, he literally put his word in their tongue. The Bible says second Samuel 23 to he said, the spirit of the Lord spake by me. I love this. And his word was in my tongue.
[26:16] His word has never been in my tongue like that. Except when I read from this book, because I am not one of those guys. When I read this book, I can read his word. His word could be in my tongue. But old Samuel spoke.
[26:29] And it was the spirit of the Lord speaking by him. I'm not like that. Benny Hinn's not like that, by the way, either. Just, just in case you didn't know that. No other preacher alive on this planet is. All we have today is guys that can exposit the book, explain the book, show you the book.
[26:43] And you ought to be able to open the book and see if what I'm saying is the truth. It's the book, not the preacher anymore. Say amen. There were some men that God used that way. Not us today. In Luke chapter 1 and verse 70, if you would.
[26:54] How did he do it? He spoke by the mouth of his prophets. That's what it says in Luke chapter 1 and verse 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which had been since the world began.
[27:06] He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets. Acts chapter 3 and verse 18, he showed things by the mouth of his prophets. Acts 3, 18.
[27:16] But those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all of his prophets and that Christ should suffer. He has so fulfilled by the mouth of his prophets. God before showed by the mouth of all of his prophets.
[27:28] Now you're going to look at me and you're going to say, well, how do we know those prophets were right? And how do we know? And how do we know? And I'm going to tell you how I know because the Bible says it. You say, well, do you have any feelings on that? Not really. I don't need a feeling about what's true.
[27:41] It's just the truth. That's what it says. I accept it. I believe it's the word of God. That's what the Bible said. God said they spoke and God gave their, gave his word. Go to 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17.
[27:53] One more verse about how we got it. 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
[28:13] Inspired of God. Inspired of God. All scripture inspired of God. Now listen to this. God gave us a book.
[28:23] You know, Christianity has got to be a really sad place when you don't have a book. When all you got is what somebody can tell a real good story. When all you got is somebody can sing a real nice song you like.
[28:35] The truth is we come together because we got the book. We want to read the book. We want to study the book. We want to learn about the book. You want to hear what the important part of every service we have around here is? The book. The book.
[28:46] You know what the singing has to do with it? Only if it points to him in the book. It's no good otherwise. Everything around here is all one thing. The book. The book. Our mistake is to try and think of the Bible as a historical book or man's book and read it like any other book.
[29:01] So many of us treat the Bible like it's any other book. It's not any other book. There's not a book on the planet, nor has there ever been a book on the planet inspired by God, spoken by God, written by God, taken care of by God.
[29:16] God. This is God's book. This book has to be spiritually discerned or understood. The book has to be spiritually discerned. The Holy Spirit will have to speak to you. Verse Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14.
[29:28] The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. So some people read the Bible and they're like, man, it's a bunch of gobbledygook. Can't figure it out.
[29:39] I can tell you why they can't figure it out. Because nobody can figure it out. It takes Holy Spirit illumination. It takes the Holy Spirit opening our eyes. If he hadn't done a work of grace to us, we're not going to be able to do that. It takes him saving us and teaching us.
[29:50] He's our guide. Hebrews 5.14. The Bible says, but strong meat belongs to them. They're a full of age. Even those by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
[30:03] Can I just get you to look at that verse just a second? Can I just tell you? We know about exercise. I don't. You do. You know, you like to exercise.
[30:14] I ran this much. I love it on Twitter. I just posted six miles. You know, I mean, if they burped, they got to tweet it. Especially if it had to do with exercise.
[30:26] But you know that, you know, one of the reasons you don't understand the word of God and the word God doesn't speak to you is because it says they have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. You learn to read this Bible and work in this Bible.
[30:38] It doesn't come quick and it doesn't come easy. Get in the book and let God deal with your heart. Some of you gave it one flippant try. You started reading your Bible through and you got all the way to Genesis 3 before you gave up.
[30:50] Some of you made it to Exodus. No wonder the word of God doesn't work in your heart. It's the word of God. It ought to be studied and you ought to know what it says. It's not a normal book.
[31:01] Fact is, this is the funniest thing. I love this. While you're trying to discern the Bible, the Bible is discerning you. That's pretty bad. You know, you're saying, let me figure this Bible out.
[31:12] And while you're reading it, all of a sudden you realize, uh-oh, it's working backwards. I'm trying to figure it out. It's figuring me out. It knows exactly who I am, knows where I live. I got down to Peru. It was the funniest thing.
[31:24] I got to Peru and I preached the same kind of messages I had preached in America. And people would come up to me and say, how do you know so much about our culture? And I said, I don't. I just read it in the book. Same stuff.
[31:34] The word of God. Look, if you would, at Hebrews chapter 5 or 4 and verse 12, if you would. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12. Hebrews 4, 12. The Bible says, the word of God is quick or alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit of the joints of marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
[31:57] This book is, uh, this is what this book says about itself. It's alive. And men start reading it. And it starts working on them. They're trying to understand it.
[32:07] And it's understanding them. Because it is the word of God. No other book like it anywhere. Don't be the fool that falls for the lie that the Bible is old and not relevant and contains many contradictions and mistakes.
[32:22] Those are lies told by those that would have you not get into the Bible. God was big enough to inspire the scriptures and give us the truths through men. And don't you think he, by the way, the truths that they didn't even understand.
[32:37] And give them where you could trust him. Do you not think he's big enough to protect and preserve his word? Somebody is going to step up and say, I really do believe God had a word way back in 2,000 years ago.
[32:49] I really believe he did, but we don't have one today. That would be a pretty weak God, wouldn't it, to have a divine book been around for eons and eons and generations and generations for all of eternity. And then give it through men to us down here on earth so we could get a copy of what he had to say.
[33:04] And then somewhere along the way he said, sorry guys, I lost it. That would be a pretty weak God. Could you say amen right there? He said, I won't lose a jot and I won't lose a tittle. But you guys think you lost the whole book. Somebody's dumb in this room.
[33:20] How's that? Trust the book. By the way, Satan was very sure that the word of God wasn't true nor relevant all the way back in the Garden of Eden. He talked just like the commentators on television.
[33:33] He was sure that everybody was misunderstanding what the Bible said or it was a mistranslation. There was a lot of mess in it. He was so sure, wasn't he? He told Eve, you didn't understand.
[33:44] That's not what God said. But it was what God said. Let me just give you some application you can take home and I'll get you out of here right on time.
[33:58] Find out why every story in the Old Testament. Find out why every story is in the Old Testament. Try to see how Jesus is the hero of the story. When you read the stories, it's not Joseph that's a hero.
[34:09] Joseph's a picture of the hero. When you read a story, it's a picture of our hero. Our hero is Jesus. God in human flesh.
[34:20] Go through your Bible and realize that. By the way, I'm still learning. There's so much I don't understand. There's so many stories I read and I say, come on, Lord, help me see you. And you say, I don't get it. Hey, I got to exercise.
[34:31] Got to work. Got to work. Realize that the Bible wasn't given to you as a list of rules or a bunch of facts you needed to memorize. It was given to you to show you Jesus.
[34:42] It was given to you to show you Jesus. Way back in the dark ages when I was dating Betty, there wasn't email or cell phones.
[34:54] Well, there might have been, but you had them in Alpharetta. We did not have them in Bucks North, Tennessee. And I wrote her a letter every day. She wrote me one once a week, once a month, not very often.
[35:08] But when I, she's kind of going, but that's the truth. But when I got a letter from her, I wanted to see her. I wanted to know her. I wanted to hear from her. Unlike Kyle, I didn't come up to the pulpit going.
[35:22] I was kind of excited. I ran to the mailbox to see what was going on, to be disappointed when the letter didn't show up. This is a book to know Jesus.
[35:34] It's a book to know God. It's a book to know about my eternity. It's a book to know about how I live. It's a book that everything good that's ever happened to me came out of some truth of this book.
[35:45] Get a hold of it. The word of God will be fulfilled. Do not allow yourself to fall for the lies that make you doubt the word of God. They only mock it because they fear it.
[35:55] Why don't they mock the other religious books? Could you wake up a second? They're not scared of the Koran so they don't ever say anything about it because it's not the Bible.
[36:05] But the word of God scares them to death. Man, they're like, we don't like the Bible. We don't like the Bible. I wonder why. Why don't they say about the Koran? Why don't they say about the Book of Mormon?
[36:17] Why don't they say about any other book? They only talk about one. Why don't they just like this book? Because the rest of them are dead and this one's alive. They know it's alive. It's the word of God.
[36:29] Get in the book. Learn to understand it and allow it to discern you. Trust that God spoke to us. Realize you do not need to pump yourself up with men's positive thinking when you can fill your heart and mind with biblical truth.
[36:47] You've got truth. You don't need trite sayings. They're all good. I like them. I like them like anybody else. But these are true sayings. Abraham Lincoln might have said some nice stuff.
[36:58] But Abraham said some really good stuff. And Moses said some stuff that will last. And a gazillion years from now, stuff that a little guy named Joshua wrote will still be remembered.
[37:10] When we may hardly know who your favorite speaker was. You have the Bible. I do not understand. If I was you, I'd get in and read it.
[37:21] If I was you, I'd memorize it. If I was you, I'd teach it. If I was you, I'd talk about it. If I was you, I'd love it. If I was you, I'd teach my children about it. If I was you, I'd believe it with everything within me.
[37:32] It is the word of God. Father, tonight I ask you to work in our hearts. Help us love your book. Believe your book. Act on your book. Obey your book. Put your book into practice.
[37:42] I give you praise for all you do. You have been listening to Austin Gardner, pastor of Vision Baptist Church. For contact information, location, service times, or more audio and video recordings, log on to www.visionbaptist.com.