Who, What, When - Col 2:8
September 17, 2023
do you know what a worldview is… framework from which we view reality and make sense of life… combination of all we believe… behind every emotion, decision, action… affects choices in every area of life… everybody has one…
main question is… do you have a biblical worldview… allows God’s word to be foundation of everything we say and do… determines choices and actions… Barna Research indicates only 4% of Americans and 9% of born-again Christians do…
two paths… life and death… you get to choose… only God’s way leads to life…
Deut 30:15… “giving you a choice… life and prosperity… death and adversity…”
Prov 12:28… “there is life in the path of righteousness… there is no death…”
John 5:24… “if anyone hears My word and believes… passed from death to life…”
2Tim 1:10… “Jesus… abolished death and brought life thru the Gospel…”
can’t have biblical worldview if you don’t read bible… proper response to evil… builds confidence, strength, wisdom, Godly choices… puts focus on Jesus…
Isa 5:20… “what sorrow… call evil good and good evil… who think they’re wise…”
Psa 119:28-30… “my soul is weary… strengthen me with Your word…”
Rom 12:2… “don’t copy behavior of world… be transformed by renewing mind…”
1Cor 3:10-23… “laid foundation… foundation is Jesus… world is foolishness…”
Col 2:4-23… “saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable… be careful no one takes you captive thru philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, rather than Christ… these are a shadow, the substance is Christ…”
just want you to know… a biblical worldview will offend people… pray…
Psa 119:165… “great peace they have which love your word… nothing shall offend them…”
Matt 11:6… “blessed is the one who isn’t offended by Me…”
Matt 15:12… “do you know the Pharisees were offended by what You said…”
skandalizo… put stumbling block in the way; to cause displeasure at a thing…
Who
good reporter asks questions… who should read bible… ideally, the world… but specifically God’s children… blessings come to those who read His word…
Mark 12… “haven’t you read… the common people heard Him gladly…”
John 3:16… “God so loved world… gave Son… so all who believe won’t perish…”
Rom/Gal/Eph/Phil… “to saints… brothers… churches… God’s holy people…”
1Cor 2:6-16… “God revealed these things to us by HS… so we may understand…”
1Thess 5:27… “this letter should be read to all the brothers and sisters…”
1Tim 2:4… “devote yourself… to the public reading of scripture…”
James 1… “to the 12 tribes… Jewish believers scattered abroad…”
1Pet 1… “to God’s chosen people…”
1John 2-4… “my little children… dear friends… children… brothers and sisters…”
Rev 1… “blessed is he who reads… this letter is from John to the seven churches…”
What
seems simple… supposed to read His word… but what word… logos or rhema…
John 1… “in beginning was Word… Word with God… Word was God…”
logos… expression of a thought; total message of God to man; written message…
Matt 4:4… “man shall not live on bread alone… but every word from God…”
rhema… actual spoken words of God…
Jesus is called the Word (logos)… Jesus is total message of God to man… He is subject of entire written word… cannot separate them… Jesus/Word is life…
John 5:39… “search Scriptures (thing written) because you think they give you life… but the Scriptures point to Me… yet you refuse to come to Me to receive this life…”
John 14:6… “I am way, truth, life… no one comes to the Father except thru Me…”
John 17:17… “sanctify them by your truth… your word is truth…”
Col 1:25… “I have become a servant… to make the word of God fully known…”
Col 2:9… “the entire fullness of God’s nature lives bodily in Christ…”
Heb 4:12… “the word of God is living, effective, and powerful…”
logos… expression of a thought; total message of God to man; written message…
we read logos… but we hear and speak rhema… listen very close… must hear and speak rhema words of God to overcome an enemy… not just read written word…
Luke 1:37… “no word from God will ever fail (nothing impossible)…”
Matt 4:1-11… “it is written… every word from God… it is written… it is written…”
John 6:63… “the words I have spoken… they are full of the HS and of life…”
Eph 6:17-18… “take the sword of the Spirit… which is the word of God… pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request… be persistent in prayer…”
rhema… actual spoken words of God…
God speaks to all in a variety of ways… creation, prophets, Jesus, HS, logos… far fewer take time to hear rhema… rhema is personal… rhema is when you actually get to know Him… that’s our goal, not just to read His words… but to know Him…
1Kings 19… “the Lord was not in wind, earthquake, fire… but in soft whisper…”
Psa 19:1… “the heavens declare the glory of God… proclaim work of His hands…”
Hosea 12:10… “I will speak thru the prophets…”
John 14:10… “words I speak are not My own… but my Father who lives in Me…”
John 16:13… “Spirit of truth will not speak on His own… but what He hears…”
Rom 1:19-20… “truth about God is evident… thru earth, sky, divine nature…”
1Cor 2:2… “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus crucified…”
Phil 3:1-11… “my goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection…”
When
how often do negative words/images/thoughts hit… 24/7/365… need words of love, hope, encouragement daily… don’t just read, spend time with Author… pray…
Deut 6… “put these words in your heart… repeat them to children… at home, road, bed…”
Deut 11… “imprint words on your heart and mind… when you sleep and rise…”
Deut 17:19… “he shall read it all the days of his life…”
Josh 1:8… “this book must not depart from your mouth… meditate day and night…”
2Chron 8:13-14… “followed daily requirement for offerings (Jesus) and praise…”
Neh 8… “Ezra read from daybreak till noon… read daily… and people rejoiced…”
Job 23:12… “I have treasured His words more than my daily food…”
Psa 16:7… “bless the Lord who guides… even at night when thoughts trouble me…”
Matt 6:11; John 6:35… “give us this day our daily bread… I am the bread of life…”
Acts 17:11… “they examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so…”
Eph 3:14-21… “pray you may be able to comprehend Christ’s love…”
Eph 5:26… “make holy and clean… washed by cleansing of God’s word…”
1Tim 4:13… “focus on reading Scriptures to church… encouraging and teaching…”
Heb 3:13… “encourage each other daily… so that you won’t be deceived…”