Hope Sabbath School Lesson 10 The Bible As History

[Music] [Applause] [Applause] welcome to Hope Sabbath school an in-depth interactive study of the Word of God we are being blessed by a series of studies on how to interpret the Bible an important topic today the Bible as history is it just kind of religious myth or is there history there that we can count on because it tells us about our Savior we're glad you joined us for hope Sabbath school today and welcome to the team what a great seriousness has been and we're looking forward to more as we study together we're always happy to hear from you our hopes Abbas school family around the world and here's one from Ashley and let's see she's Colorado anybody from Colorado lived in Colorado like Colorado alright actually says I'm in the military I'm from Alabama but recently moved to Colorado Springs I never properly thanked Hope sabbath-school for your prayers while I was deployed from July 2018 to January 2019 mm-hmm I was very lonely and confused during that time I was new to my Christian faith and the base I was deployed and didn't have any Sabbath service I prayed and asked God to help me and he did he led me to Hope service goal awesome the Holy Spirit instructed me to go to youtube and type in Sabbath school studies hmm I watched one video and I was hooked I watch you every Sabbath I watched you every Sabbath while I was deployed you all made me feel like I was in the classroom I learned so much and it really helped me since as I said I was new to the faith I was in contact with the Facebook page and you all helped me and kept me in your beautiful prayers and everything worked out man god bless you thank you for your service please keep all our military members around the world in your prayers amen thank you so much for writing to us Ashley from Colorado Springs in the US Julius writes from 10 Saniya in East Africa and says greetings hope service school team I'm writing from the southern highlands of Tanzania we go all over don't we may God richly bless you as you do this great work and the outlines make my study of the word of God easier so Julius is downloading the outline that we use in our class I want to let you know that the interactive study of the word of God blesses my life Julius from the southern highlands of Tanzania we're glad you're part of our hope service school family here is a note from a couple donors they said we're both 92 but we watch home service school and God bless you and a gift for 10 dollars god bless you you know God can take that and he can feed a multitude he could bless in Supernatural ways thank you for supporting Hope Sabbath school Clayton I was touched by this email from Brazil anybody from Brazil Clayton writes and he says hello there God is using Hope Sabbath school to bring me back home amen Wow god bless you all well I don't think he's talking about back home to his house in Brazil but back home to God one last note from Laurie in Australia and Laurie writes and says I've been a follower of Hope Sabbath school for quite a few years now and really appreciate your interactive studies and the outlines which I've used in my study groups over the years I know the Lord wants me to have understanding and enlightenment and your studies have helped me thank you may the Lord continue to abundantly bless your ministry all the way from Queensland Australia Laurie thanks for writing to us I'm glad we're part of a hope Sabbath school family around the world aren't you someone wrote to me said your talk about the hopes sabbath-school family what about me and I wrote back and said that you do right we're all part of this interactive Bible study together right now we need your help we need to sing our scripture song from Colossians 3:16 and it always sounds better when you sing with us so let's sing together [Music] you [Music] tgd teaching [Music] with [Music] teaching teaching everyone [Music] to amen just a simple tune but a powerful message right let the word of Christ dwell in you find a home in you and that's our prayer as we study today about the Bible is history we're learning how to interpret the Bible let's pray together Father in Heaven we thank you for your word today a more sure word that we can trust thank you that your word is indeed a lamp to our feet and a light to our path I pray as we study today our team here and and our hopes avid school members around the world that your Holy Spirit would be our teacher and lead us into your truth point us to Jesus our Savior we pray in the powerful name of Jesus amen someone might ask the topic the Bible is history why does it really matter whether the Bible is historically reliable or not maybe someone can just find it and it's got lots of good moral teaching that could help us to live good lives why is it important to know that the Bible is historically reliable Kenneth I believe recently it has become a norm for most higher academic institution to teach the Bible as a piece of myth just like any other thing and they may study a book of the Bible but they study as literature not as revelation from God so part of the reason is because many in our culture today have abandoned the view that the Bible is historically reliable to Travis so if the Bible is about Jesus and testifies of Jesus and it's historically reliable I can then learn that I can trust God if it's based on myths then then I can't really put my trust in something that's that's fake you know are not real but because they're actually events and God came through time after time at time after time first people I start to build this trust and who who Jesus is who God is and for me that has just been just a staple in my beliefs and one of the great blessings of the Bible is that it tells about Jesus and his confidence in the scriptures say I'm a follower of Jesus well how did he relate to the Scriptures we know what he did with the religious traditions of the rabbis but how did he treat the Scriptures and that can help inform us well many liberal theologians have have abandoned the early chapters of Genesis as historically reliable so the creation account well that's just a myth from the ancient Near East the idea of a global flood and so on but there are others who are wanting to dispense with even what we would see as key Bible characters people like David and say well he never existed we have no records of him other people in the scriptures they were just kind of folklore but the things that are recorded are not really true we're gonna look at some of these key individuals and we're gonna discover that Bible history is vitally important and why we can trust what the Bible says so we're gonna begin with King David now again some revisionist say well it talks all about this great king and Goliath being killed and the great Kingdom of Israel but they say you know he really is he really didn't exist well I recorded 12 chapters in 1st Samuel and all of second Samuel that record detailed events about the life of King David so that means there is a whole lot of fabrication right if Daniel never existed but I want you to notice as we begin the testimony of Daniel himself in 2nd Samuel 23 and verse 2 2nd Samuel 23 and verse 2 shayna do you have that to start our study today what is what's David's confession and I'll be reading from the King James Version and it says the Spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue hmm it's saying that David not only existed but that he was hmm inspired by it was a prophet he was inspired by the Holy Spirit God touched him and his words were in David's mouth and of course what did he write what do we know in the Bible this David Wright many of the Psalms there are a few other songs written by Solomon Moses a seven but most of the hundred and fifty scripture songs in the five books of Psalms written by David but he says they're not just my songs I was moved by the Holy Spirit to write them down so that's his testimony well let's take a look at some things about David's life which boldly declared John to be historical let's start with first samuel if john if you'd read first first samuel 16 verses 1 through 13 alright first samuel chapter 16 1 through 13 this is from the new American Standard Bible it says now the Lord said to Samuel how long will you grieve over Saul since I have rejected him from being king over Israel fill your horn with oil and go I will send you to Jesse the Bethlem might for I have selected a king for myself among his sons but Samuel said how can I go when Saul hears of it he will kill me and the Lord said take a heifer with you and say I have come to sacrifice to the Lord you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will show you what you shall do and you shall anoint for me the one who might designate to you so Samuel did what the Lord said and came to Bethlehem and the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said do you come in peace he said in peace I have come to sacrifice to the Lord consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice he also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice when they entered he looked at illy AB and thought surely the Lord's anointed is before him but the Lord said to Samuel do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature because I have rejected him for God sees not as man sees for man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart then Jesse called a been a DAB and made him pass before Samuel and he said the Lord has not chosen this one either next Jesse made Shema passed by and he said the Lord has not chosen this one either thus Jesse made seven of his sons passed before Samuel but Samuel said to Jesse the Lord has not chosen these and Samuel said to Jesse are there are these all the children and he said there remains yet the youngest and behold he is tending the Sheep then Samuel said to Jesse sand and bring him for he will not sit down until he comes here we will not sit down until he comes here so he sent and brought him in now he was ruddy with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance and the Lord said arise anoint him for this is he then samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward and Samuel arose and went to Rama so what impresses you about this passage and really reinforces that this is a historical event and not just saying well way back there was this person called David Addison well there's a lot of names listed here so I think that's a pretty good family tree and his brothers okay what else yeah yes Travis the elders were frightened when he came so they're so it's showing that there they would have to have a reason to be frightened which means there would have to be a real story and the fact that they knew that God was with this prophet Samuel and wondered if there's some judgment coming maybe Jason there are real places where represented here in these places we can see them in history yep so he went from here to here alright what else you know they say one compelling evidence even when you've got reports of an accident sometimes it's it's not what you would expect that some more compelling evidence you know what wouldn't you expect in this story Glenn well you would expect that if Jesse thought his son should have been considered he would have called him before right so it's unexpected who would he have expected to have been chosen of his son suppose the tallest one there would have been not too good for me right tallest one but but there's that beautiful principal I guess or statement of truth there in verse seven is it that you've heard maybe I think it's worth remembering him what do you remember what it says God what or man does what looks at the outward appearance right but God looks at our heart yeah have you heard that before anybody yeah with and we still do it today don't we we tend to look at externals when really we should be looking at the heart so here's this story cities mentioned names mentioned unexpected outcome and yet the author of first Samuel is recording a historical event what would you say is the most memorable historical event in the life of David what would stand out in your mind Addison David and Goliath David look alive take us there if you would an unusual story in 1st Samuel 17 verses 41 we're not gonna read the whole chapter but verses 41 to 47 okay and I'm reading from the King James Version and the Philistine came on and drew near unto David and the man that bare the shield went before him and when the Philistine looked about and saw David he disdained him for he was but a youth and ruddy and of a fair countenance and the Philistine said unto David am i a dog that thou come us to me with staves and the Philistine cursed David by his gods and the Philistine said to David come to me and I will give thy flesh under the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field then said David to the Philistine thou come us to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts the god of the armies of Israel whom thou has defied this day where the Lord delivered the into mine hand and I will smite thee and take thine head from thee and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth that all the Earth may know that there is a God in Israel and all this assembly shall know that the Lord saith not with sword and spear for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands now anyone can say that and then get killed by the Giant right but the rest of the story what is the rest of the story who knows it Kenneth what's the rest of the story or by the poem called Damien defeated Goliath I love what Kenneth said because he you can say well I'm really good with a sling yeah but he's really good with a sword in javelin what Kenneth said was what by the power of God I can imagine even the armour-bearer goliath armor-bearer said I could kill that little boy but by the power of God this young lad kills this mighty warrior and what again reinforces this as being a historical event who would you expect to have gone up against Goliath by the way talking salt that's right Cline he was head and shoulders taller than anybody else not a soul as Goliath but the best option they had but that's not what the story records record something could you say hard to believe yeah but true yeah in fact there's little sayings that come from the women in Israel afterwards remembering back that soul kills his thousands but it's like now some of that you know maybe you say Wow was that all accurate was that just a little song well it was pointing out that God had worked a great victory right mm-hmm now if you just said God anointing this king and some wonderful thing he did you'd say well that that's good but the Bible actually records things that you wish it didn't record there's a story recorded in second Samuel Chapter eleven and Jason would you start that story for us I'm not going to read have us read the whole thing but the first five verses and then Trisha Leigh if you could read on in chapter 12 there's a whole section I can imagine some people saying why does that get included you know that's a that's a horrible failure but if it's historical and there's a lesson we can learn from it yeah the spirit may say to the author of first salmon write that down record it let's see what this story was there in the first five verses of second Samuel Chapter eleven I'll be reading from the New King James Version second Samuel Chapter eleven verses one through five it happened in the spring of the year at the time when Kings go out to battle that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah but David remained at Jerusalem then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house and from the roof he saw a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful to behold so David sent and inquired about the woman and someone said is this not Bathsheba the daughter of aalayam the wife of Uriah the Hittite then David sent messengers and took her and she came to him and he lay with her for she was cleansed from her impurity and she returned to her house and the woman conceived so she sent and told David and said I am with child what a story we'd like to leave that out mm-hmm right mmm but it's there it's even mentioned I think in the family tree of Jesus in Matthew 1 yeah by the wife of uriah remember so hmm why is that recorded John why didn't the Spirit of God said leave that out that kind of paints a bad picture it goes to show another reason why the Bible is trustworthy is that it doesn't gloss over the mistakes and the errors of their of its main characters and so it was it was truthful and transparent with with their weaknesses as well as strengths you know the story gets worse in order to cover up this unwanted pregnancy what does he do ends up setting up a terrible plan which not only kills Bathsheba's husband but the baby while the baby dies too that's the consequence but a lot of other soldiers died right it's like what are you doing and yet it's recorded as a witness something that really happened of course chapter 12 Nathan the Prophet comes and says you're the mayor you're the man so God is revealing this terrible sin that had been committed so if all of that is true including that terrible failure how could he be called a man after God's own heart I think it's in acts 13:22 you say I need to read that for myself Tricia Lee could you read acts 13 it doesn't really say that acts 13 and verse 22 after all the things he did that he's called a man after God's own heart I'm reading from the New King James Version and when he had removed him he raised up for them davidís king to whom also he gave testimony and said I have found David the son of Jesse a man after my own heart who will do all my will how could he call him that after these terrible things that are recorded and again we're saying now these are not just kind of mess these are historical events these are real things that he did how could he be called the man after God's own heart Alex we just see that he truly heartfelt lyrics ends you know he he loved God and he wanted to do was right as you pointed out when Nathan came to him he realized his error and how he was doing wrong and he wanted to make it right I was gonna say how do you know and alex says because the Bible records that when he was confronted he said I've sinned I've sinned but there's a psalm also that he wrote anybody remember that one Psalm 51 let's let's take a look at that that's history - isn't it Psalm 51 Glenn would you read the first four verses for us reading from the New International New King James Version apologies have mercy upon me O God according to your loving-kindness according to the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me thoroughly for my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me now I committed many but I think he's in here specifically thinking about his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah and the consequences Kim could you keep reading there's a beautiful testimony in verses 10 through 13 of that same Psalm which maybe some of you have quoted yourself because it's also history of his his prayer I'll be reading from the English standard version create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will return to you so why is he called a man after God's own heart then mm-hmm would you say from what we just read why would he be called a man after God's own heart what is God's heart like clean grace love forgiveness mercy mercy restoration restoration sensitive sensitive he knows the anguish that Dave is experiencing do you think David I mean how do you think he felt about how that all unfolded mm-hmm you ever had someone say to you I never thought I would do that I never thought I would stoop that low sometimes it happens and I think the example of David is forgive me God created me a clean heart Travis I think the Sermon on the Mount Jesus starts how blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is recognizing our need look amazing so what difference would it make you same Bible is history what difference would it make if these revisionists were telling the truth that David never existed is just kind of a maybe a little letter little shepherds band of some kind but all the things that says about him in the Bible are not historically reliable what difference would it make yes Kenneth one difference was gonna make his um you know most of this successive Kings who came in Israel all follow David because sometimes I make reference and then he was buried if his father David so it doesn't just affect the history about him anybody else Glen Christ talked about David that's fairly important take out David you're undermining crisis s own testimony and you know that is so important when we talk about that biblical history because Jesus talks about the creation of our first parents he talks about Abel he talks about Noah he talks about Jonah in the belly of the whale he talks about David Daniel the prophet Daniel so as followers of Jesus we have his testimony about the reliability of history I'm going to move on to another keye a Syrian leader by the name of Sennacherib Sennacherib if you read the story in Isaiah 36 and we're not going to read the whole story but there's archaeological evidence that this man Sennacherib existed and he comes sweeping through in a military campaign and how would you describe his attitude in the messages he sends to Hezekiah and to the people of God how would you describe it arrogant arrogant boastful boastful yes trusting in his God what God is able to deliver you from my hair my hand you go wow he's pretty confident by the way what do we know about the Assyrians from history well they like oh they were ruthless I mean they were hardened people of battle so how would you respond if that kind of force came against you we're not just saying I had a bad dream they're really coming well maybe we can learn something from Hezekiah but let's go John could you take us to Hezekiah at 37 verses 15 to 20 scuse me did I say Hezekiah Isaiah I don't think there's a book of Hezekiah Isaiah 37 15 to 20 let's see how King Hezekiah responds to this very real military threat alright and reading from the NASB it says Hezekiah prayed to the Lord saying O Lord of hosts the God of Israel who is enthroned above the cherubim you are the God you alone of all the kingdoms of the earth you have made heaven and earth incline your ear O Lord and here open your eyes O Lord and see and listen to all the words of Sennacherib who sent them to reproach the Living God truly O Lord the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire for they were not gods but the work of men's hands wood and stone so they have destroyed them now O Lord our God deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone Lord our God awesome what do you learn about Hezekiah from the prayer he trusted in the Lord God right what else do you learned he's asking for help too he's asking for help he's doing it he's asking for to glorify God to glorify God what else do you learn he makes a distinct difference between the gods made of hands and the God that he said and the One God alone okay what else do you learn he also made a reference to the creative attribute of God that's right he quotes biblical history right in other words he's accepting that biblical account is reliable history about the things that have been recorded that God has done well we've got to read the rest of the story Shana still in isaiah 37 let's see how the lord responds to this simple prayer faith in isaiah 37 verse is 33 to 36 and i'll be reading from the King James Version therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria he shall not come into the city nor shoot an arrow there nor come before with shields nor cast a bank against it by the way that he came by the same shall he returned and shall not come into the city st. the Lord for I will defend the city to save it for mine own sake and for my servant David sake then the angel of the Lord went for it hold it right there because you want to hear the rest of the story I know Oh verse 36 I asked you to read go right ahead then the angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and four score and five thousand and when they arose early in the morning behold they were all dead corpses so prophesy the Lord gives and he refers back to David by the way right mm-hmm so apparently the Lord God believes David existed too right for David's sake and what happens hundred and eighty-five thousand people hundred and eighty-five thousand people died was that something that God found any pleasure in no how do you know that Ezekiel 33 11 the Bible says what does it say quote it for me in Aviva 33 11 I have no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked and infer in second Peter 3 God is not willing that any should perish but he prophesized that Sennacherib would not die but he would go back home right let's see what the scripture records in verses 37 and 38 Alex could you read that for us sill on Isaiah 37 verses 37 and 38 okay and I'll be reading from the New King James Version so Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away returned home and remained at Nineveh now it came to pass as he was worshiping in the house of Miz Rock his God that his sons ad vermelha at dreamily and shez cheresa struck him down with this word and they escaped into the land of Ararat then they saw Haddon his son reigned in his place prophecy fulfilled he goes back but what happens his own sons kill him that's the end of the story you say well why is that story recorded do I really need to know that it's recorded as a historical event why do you think it's recorded in the Bible yes Edison there could be several reasons but I'd like to think of it as it shows us the power prayer relying on God Hezekiah didn't didn't act in haste it's not like he went and said okay we're gonna put sanctions on the Syrians as we might see today between countries yeah or let's go to war with them and try to match them or get the Egyptians to help us yeah I get this coalition or something but here we see that he's going right to God he's relying on him and he's trusting and what he can do in the power of God not in his strength or in the strength of the nation doesn't it say somewhere in the scriptures that these things are written for our learning it's in Romans 15 in verse 4 in case you wondered but that's why they're written these are real events the Bible is historically reliable and what's the lesson we could learn from this story anyone what could you learn you say well it's kind of a sad story 185 thousand soldiers died a man's killed by his own sons what lesson could I learn today from that story what would God want me to learn he is sovereign that he's sovereign Travis I think of the verse in the Bible pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall and you certainly hear that in the language in isaiah 36 of an arrogant attitude from Sennacherib yes Hezekiah who was a mighty king himself trusted in God how much more should I you know yes and Alex yeah me that's that's what I get from it is also is Hezekiah prayed in faith and he prayed his prayers was to glorify God through his actions and so my prayers what are my prayers for and what do I expect from them and if I mean am i praying to glorify God and to further his kingdom or is it for more selfish reason we got to move on to another character but I was thinking about the same person diagnosed with cancer rather than saying God if you love me take it away what about saying Lord whether you take it away or I live with it be glorified in my life that would be a lesson to learn wouldn't it when an enemy came upon me well we're going to move on Daniel they say well Daniel never existed in fact I had a young man who lives in Europe was studying with a theologian and asked him about the prophet Daniel and he said who are you talking about he never heard he says anybody here heard of Daniel and he turned back to this student and he said I don't think that he ever existed that's just a mythological character and that really troubled this young man and he went home and he began to read in his Bible and Jesus spoke about the prophet Daniel and so this young man said okay am I gonna believe my teacher who's written Daniel off isn't someone who never existed or am I going to believe Jesus today that young man is a leader of pastors in Austria because he had to choose between the interpretation of a liberal theologian who had written off the Bible as history and Jesus who spoke about the prophet Daniel now something inspiring if you read Daniel chapter 1 and we're not we've had done a whole series on Daniel but what what impresses you Daniel chapter one is taken as a prisoner of war if we understand correctly is under the care of the chief of the eunuchs so he's probably been through a very traumatic physical experience to what what inspires you about this young man the history that's recorded about him Daniel 1 verse 8 anybody remember what that says should we read it Daniel 1 and verse 8 who has it would read it Kim verse 8 what does it say I'll be reading from the English standard version but Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the King's food or with the wine that he drank therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself so he purposes in his heart anyone have another translation besides purposed in his heart made up his mind resolved he made a decision right as a young man now if you read the Book of Daniel what is the result of that commitment to honor God in every area of his life whether you say several things give me some specially well what should that stands out to me is that he lives through successive not just kings but empires so he hangs around he becomes the most relevant character here okay that commitment so God honors him for that faithfulness what else do you see Jason the king there Nebuchadnezzar eventually gets saved himself if you read the story on and Daniel get to Daniel chapter 4 right what else jayna God works mighty miracles through Daniel's lives absolutely he's given spiritual gifts he becomes a wife prophet many prophecies showing all the way to the end of time share one mighty miracle that God did in his life the lion how about Daniel and the Lions name right absolutely also in his friends mighty miracle for Hananiah Mishael and Azariah called by their babylonian names and what was the miracle in daniel 3 yeah being delivered from the fiery furnace so there's a lot of important information there but there's one text overarching by the way liberal theologians say the book of daniel you can't tell what's going to happen in the future so this could not possibly have been written by a character called daniel you know six survived BC taken as a prisoner of war it must have been hundreds of years later in the second century BC after all of these things have happened but Jesus speaks about Daniel as a historical figure and what's that key lesson that he wants us to remember I said could you read for us from Daniel chapter 4 and verse 17 we've heard this phrase in our study so far but I think we need to remember it this is one of the heavenly messengers who gives these words I'll be reading from the New International Version the decision is announced by messengers the Holy Ones declare the verdict so that the living may know that the most high is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people the most highest sovereign anyone else have another translation the most I know sigh rules you could say the Most High is in charge right that's the message of the Book of Daniel so what difference would it make if Daniel never existed if the Book of Daniel is just kind of a after event fabrication what difference would that make we wouldn't understand revelation well first of all we would not have confidence as Isaiah said records the Lord saying I know the end from the beginning what else what difference would it make Addison we couldn't trust that the Bible was historically accurate you know and then it was it's a it's a book of history and we could address that Jesus what he was saying I that's right yeah because he speaks back about Daniel the prophet and the things that under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he prophesied would take place and also there has been several scholarship has been written as a result of some of the languages that were used in the Book of Daniel there's no way we would have been able to understand some language that exists in that time period so it is not we don't have to set our brains aside to believe that the Book of Daniel is historically reliable there's much evidence for that but again as we've been learning in this series our presuppositions can color our understanding if we believe there's no God we can't have a Creator God if we believe that God doesn't know the future we can't have Bible prophecy so if we start with the wrong presupposition we inevitably end up with a faulty conclusion right well let's go to Jesus we've been talking about him the whole time why is it important that the record about Jesus is historically reliable you say well it's a lot of nice teachings you know love one another you know he said these are all good things love God love one another why is it important that Jesus was a real historical figure and what it says about him is true why is that important John that is the basis of our faith that he lived died and rose again mm-hmm so if he didn't literally come and literally pay the price for our sin and rise from the dead conquering death we don't have a living Savior right it matters to us that it's historically reliable Travis so in all the religions of the world Christianity is the only one that centers itself in a person if Jesus is gone Christianity does not exist you know so in other face if the if the main person is gone that religion still keeps continues on but in Christianity if Jesus is gone it's done because Christianity is not based on religious teaching Christianity is based on a person that's right in history the Incarnate son of God that's where a confidence rest racially the events of Jesus's life are important because his actions are what revealed to us what God is like the father is like because we haven't seen the father but he says that he's come to reveal him to us so if Jesus's life isn't accurate or didn't he didn't exist and we don't have a revelation of who God is and that's what's missing since the fall and that's why Jesus said to Philip if you've seen me revelation write the fullest revelation so take a moment what story in the life of Jesus impacts you the most you say that's a real story and it's recorded that I can get a picture of the immeasurable unfailing love of God it's a historically reliable account anybody Glen story prodigal son it's a parable it's only found in Luke but it's for me personally it's one of the most important it's actually a half a verse Luke 15 20 and when he was yet a great distance off the father saw him had come back compassion and ran to him and fell on his neck and kissed him that's the picture of our Father to us sinners that's an amazing story it's recorded I think verses 11 through what 33 or 34 because you've got the older brother who shows up to write but the whole story which is part of the three the lost sheep the lost coin and then the lost son or lost sons is a revelation as Glen said of the immeasurable and unfailing love of God beautiful story anybody else what event teaching story in the life of Jesus he's just so glad that it was recorded generally I am well we live in a world of haves and have-nots and even in a world where people can dislike me without even knowing me just based off how I look or present or presented but I love John 3:16 where Jesus himself explains that God loves the world all of us that he has eternal life for all of us and I think that there is equality with how God looks at all his children and I think that's a beautiful thing and this historical context to that verse isn't there he's talking to a religious leader right name's Amos in John 3 and he's talking about the way of salvation about Jesus being lifted up just like Jesus believed that to write about the children of Israel and that bronze serpent being lifted up to look and live so you know if you just took Jesus and say did Jesus believe that the scriptures were historically reliable over and over again if you're gonna dispense with that you're basically saying Jesus was just a man of his time who didn't really understand mm-hmm that it's not really reliable he doesn't understand what we understand right but we find that John 3:16 beautiful text anyone else one more it really stands out for you Kenneth for me about that better than the death of Jesus about the particular kings that were mid mention the census that took place and also the trial of Jesus between two governors who were representing the Roman Empire and that Jesus when it gives an accurate account of all the event that even aside the Bible those secular historians were even able to write about secular car and so god impresses both Matthew and Luke to record to pinpoint the time of not so much of the birth but the pinpoint the time of the beginning of the ministry and the death of Jesus which by the way was all spoken of by the prophet Daniel right in great detail so Jesus is fulfilling all of the processes even the city where he's born but you Bethlehem Ephrathah right in Micah 5 and verse 2 prophesied it would happen everything fulfilling just as the prophets had foretold while we're gonna wrap up I study by talking about the importance of faith because the Apostles they believed that the scriptures were reliable but they weren't there when all the events happen right why is faith so important well let's take a look in Hebrews chapter 11 and we'll look at verses 4 through six that someone hasn't read yet would like to read for us and Vivante Laurel thank you Hebrews 11 is called the face chapter right and there's all these famous men and women who walk by faith but let's just look at verses four through six I'll be reading from the new American Standard Bible by faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain through which he attained the testimony that he was righteous God testifying about his gifts and through faith though he is dead he still speaks by faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death and he was not found because God took him up for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God and without faith it is impossible to please him for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him so the author of Hebrews mentions Abel right yes if you keep going down some other characters mentioned are either Enoch and Noah and Abraham and Sarah and yeah you've got the sons you know so and then Moses he existed too right and then you got a lot of unnamed heroes who believed God and they trusted in God faith is a key element and and not just mentioning them but again they're being mentioned as historical figures right I can trust that the Bible that I'm reading is indeed reliable well let's have some time for some testimony did anybody grow up in a family where the Bible was not really taken very seriously and you had to find your own confidence in the Bible maybe not yes we have different groups here most of you grew up in a in a home where the Bible was reverenced respected as the Word of God so then you got to find it for yourself and find your own comp so when did that happen for you did you say I I really do believe I can trust this as a reliable testimony Edison I was it was about at the age of 12 that I made my faith my own you know it wasn't my parents I wasn't believing just because my parents believe in the Bible and in Jesus but I actually came to know Jesus on my own he became my personal friend and I began to walk with him and some will give you a Bible at that time right yeah right not very long after yeah you still have it I do is that the Bible that's falling apart right there it is so you could get another Bible white what is it about that Bible that makes it so significant for you so many memories of studying this this Bible and spending time with God and there's a page on the in this Bible where there was a group of men that signed their signatures and it was a way to just show that they were meant to going to mentor me and just you know always people that I could count on to go to for advice and what it meant to be a young man and learned to be a man of God until it falls apart yes and then you'll glue it back together again yes because it represents your spiritual journey that's right so that started as a young man about age 12 that's right 11 or 12 that's the time that Jesus began to realize his mission to write anybody else identify a time when you really said I I want to have a personal faith and sought the Word of God for yourself Kenneth I think my happen when it was time for me to start university education at the time where it was popular for people to you know veer off and do all kinds of you know quartic process we do still living back home yeah in Ghana at the time yeah so time to go off to university so that was that was when I decided to help us in my heart that I'm going to make the God of my father and my mother my past Marco so now God became my past mark or not my parent God and I taking the Bible seriously did you notice some biblical language there I decided to what purpose in my heart - what was the other language we heard make a making made up his mind Lloris translation kenneth made up his mind that he was gonna make the god of his mother and father his own god as he came to the word anyone else have another Testament really I would say was progressive I think reading the accounts of the Bible I just became impressed that if this is true these are all things that have happened they're done it's it's happened already but if this is true then God can work these miracles in my life and so I began to develop a prayer life and claim God's promises in my own life and as I saw those promises being talked by God and God revealing himself to me it would strengthen my faith in the Bible but strengthened my belief that he is real he is who he says he is and that though the story doesn't continue and name me specifically I know God is looking at me and he's writing his own story in my own life and so I was able to claim these promises claim this history and God starts to write his own in my life you know strictly was sharing the the Holy Spirit flashed texts of the psalmist David into my mind where David says taste is good blessed is the woman blessed is the man who trusts in him so you say you you step out in faith yeah and say are you are you my god are you faithful to your promises to me one last testimony maybe your testimony will connect with someone else in a special way yes John I was in Community College and my grades were nothing higher than C's I had no idea where I was going or what I wanted to do still living at home and it was shortly before finishing that I had a brief coming to the Lord and faith I was baptized and that scripture seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added until you came to mind and I decided to put the study of the Word of God first and prayer and we coupled that with studies God did something amazing that my grades started shooting up even though I was spending more time in the study of the word than the textbooks and it just I proved God that his word it was faithful and what do you do now John I'm a pastor to taste and see that the Lord is good that doesn't mean we'll all end up as pastors right but we'll all end up on a mission right to tell people that you can trust this word not just so you know Bible history and win Bible quizzes but so you find a personal relationship with the God who loves you with an immeasurable and unfailing love what a great study thank you for being with us today as we've talked about the Bible's history why is significant that the Bible is historically reliable and you know what I learned the most from this is Jesus believed that the Bible was reliable and I'm a follower of Jesus I trust him not only about that but with my whole life will you do that today and will you taste and see and the Lord will show himself to be good to you let's pray father in heaven thank you so much for reminding us again that we can trust this Holy Word of God and I pray that you would guide each each of us as we taste and see that you will be faithful to your wording that you are good may we know you whom to know is life eternal in Jesus name Amen well thanks for joining us for hope Sabbath school today what an amazing journey if you've never started start with the Gospel of John start reading the word the Holy Spirit will bless your heart and then go out and be a blessing to those around you [Music] [Applause] [Applause] you

Channel: HopeSabbathSchool

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Keywords: Hope Sabbath School, Seventh-Day Adventtist

Id: ZoQCobp2AvM

Length: 58min 34sec (3514 seconds)

Published: Sun May 31 2020