Hope Sabbath School Lesson 4 The Bible The Authoritative Source of Our Theology

[Music] [Applause] [Applause] welcome to Hope Sabbath school an in-depth interactive study of the word of God in this series we're studying about how to interpret the Bible today the Bible as the authoritative source for our theology it's a crucial topic and I'm glad you joined us for hope Sabbath school and welcome to our team what are you learning about Jesus right the Bible is all about Jesus so as we learn how to interpret the Bible we learn the function of the Bible is to draw us to Jesus that's why the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets and how the Holy Spirit spoke most clearly through the Incarnation the ministry life death resurrection and ascension of Jesus and he's coming back soon but Bible tells us that and we want to understand how the Bible can be the source of all of our theology that is our spiritual convictions based on the Word of God I want to share first from some of our viewers Sharon writes to us Thank You Sharon from Guyana we heard from Guyana just a while back beautiful country from the town of paradise that sounds nice blessings to you and your team I enjoy watching hope Sabbath school I look forward to it every week it helps me get a clearer picture of what I've been studying in the Bible may God continue to bless you and the team as you take the message to the world amen Thank You Sharon for writing to us here's another note from the islands of the Turks and Caicos from Rainford and joy thanks for writing greetings in the precious name of Jesus we're writing from the beautiful islands of Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean my wife and I constantly watch hope sabbath-school we find the experience very spirit filled in better than amen may God continue to bless your work here's a note from a donor and I want to thank all of our donors into this donor supported ministry this donor writes from North Carolina I've been a hope Sabbath school member for too now and I've been wanting to donate but due to irregular work income could not so I decided I must make an effort to give back to the Lord for all he's done for me so I managed to come up with twelve dollars and I'll try to send that every month thanks hope Sabbath school and thank you Lord Jesus well I want you to know God loves a cheerful Giver right thank you to the donor in North Carolina and thank you to each one of you for supporting this ministry that's beautiful what could God do with $12 Tanisha writes from Jamaica I'm delighted to be part of the Hope sabbath-school Global family you see we don't have spectators we have what participants right we're interacting together I enjoy tuning into the interactive studies of the Word of God it gives me a special feeling of joy just to watch your faces I know heaven is going to be a happy place with all of us there please continue to do the marvelous work you're doing you're so knowledgeable of the Bible and humble may you continue to let your light shine so that they may see your good works and glorify her father and your father in heaven God bless you all well Tanisha thanks for that little message of encouragement we're so thankful that you're part of our Hope Service Corps family there in Jamaica one last note from Rudy in Georgia in the United States he says I live in Georgia and I'm nine years old by the way I don't know if you can see the beautiful writing there that's a that's a beautiful real letter they're written by Rudy nine years old he says I enjoy watching hopes Sabbath school with my family every Friday night Hope Sabbath school draws me closer to God amen I enjoy your lessons my favorite part of Hope Sabbath school is the song keep up the good work and keep praising God sincerely Rudy Rudy thanks for writing to us from Georgia in the United States and we're so glad you are part of our hopes and school family and I want you to sing with us now if you would the songs taken from Colossians chapter 3 verse 16 it says let the word of Christ dwell in you make a home in you it's a beautiful song I hope you'll sing it with us [Music] teaching and I see one to Tina and one some spiritual [Music] to [Music] while we were singing I was thinking of Rudy in Georgia age 9 let the word of Christ dwell in you betta fulness and we're glad that wherever you are around the world part of our hopes after school family that you want the Word of God to come alive in you that God can bless others through you let's pray as we study today about the Bible as the authoritative source for our theology let's pray father in heaven there's so many teachings out there but we want to find our doctrine in the Word of God so I pray as we study today that your Holy Spirit who inspired the prophets and preserve the scripture and speaks to us now would speak your word to our hearts each one who's part of our hopes Abba school team today each one is part of our family maybe someone watching for the first time may we hear a life-changing word from you we pray in the name of Jesus amen when we think about the word theology which literally means words about God or teaching about God we would think where would we find our theology and you might say well obviously you'd find it from and you might come up with an answer but in our study today we're going to see some places that people go to form their understanding about God the Word of God and the will of God and we're gonna see what we should be doing okay so let's start with some danger and that is of allowing religious tradition to have authority over the Bible hmm you say but they've been doing it ever since I was little or maybe they've been doing it for hundreds of years it's our tradition let's start and see what Jesus says as he addresses that issue you see all Christian churches accept the Bible at least in theory mm-hmm some of them don't read it or they believe it's kind of human words about God some believe no it's the Word of God but they just take parts of it and some say no it has authority but tradition is equal or maybe can surpass the authority of the Bible well let's let's this study together today and see what we can learn mark chapter 7 is where I'd like us to start we've looked at this so far in our series because it's an important insight and Kim I'd like you to read for us the first 13 verses of mark chapter 7 where Jesus confronts religious people who put religious tradition over the clear teaching of the word of God I'll be reading from the English standard version mark chapter 7 verses 1 through 13 now when the Pharisees gathered to him with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled that is unwashed for the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly holding to the tradition of the elders and when they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash and there are many other traditions that they observe such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches and the Pharisees and the scribes asked him why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat with defiled hands and he said to them well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites as it is written this people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me in vain do they worship Me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men you leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men and he said to them you have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition for Moses said honor your father and your mother and whoever revile his father or mother must surely die but you say if a man tells his father or his mother whatever would have gained from me is Corbin that is given to God then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother thus making void the Word of God by your tradition that you have handed down and many such things you do is it wrong to wash hands before you eat actually it's quite healthy right yes but but apparently there was a certain tradition of how you to wash your hands right I don't know if anyone knows what that was you can demonstrate it Pedro do you know how they would wash their hands I believe they should wash the seven times they had a sink that will go around and they had a little place and they have to fill it in and wash their hands and seven times and there was a specific way they had to do it and so he's saying you're so concerned about tradition but you're setting aside the clear teaching of the word of God now not old traditions are bad right mm-hmm for example if you have a tradition in your household to wash your hands before you eat that's a good thing right oh you have a tradition that you brush your teeth in the morning that's not a bad thing right the Apostle Paul says even in our worship there are some traditions which are good to follow let's look at a few verses first Corinthians chapter 11 verse 2 and second Thessalonians 3 verse 6 are two examples let's see what the Apostle Paul says officially first corinthians 11 and verse 2 reading from the New King James Version now I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you okay and second Thessalonians three lauryl verse six alright I'll be reading from the new American Standard Bible now we command you brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us so what might some of the traditions have been that Paul left with communion service alright maybe that was not just a tradition that was a clear teaching of God but but how often they celebrated the communion service you can say well in our church we celebrate it once a month or if someone says we celebrate it once a week or some say well we celebrate it quarterly once every 13 weeks Jesus says as often as you do it do it in remembrance of me I can remember people who said well I can't have communion next week because I had it when I was at a campout three weeks ago as if somehow that would be illegal but actually that's a tradition isn't it how often it's celebrated Pedro with a tradition that we see that Paul gives to the churches you know to separate tight at the first day of the week well he comes then we collected it would be no gathering at that day okay he's saying you know when you start the week and look at all your resources available set something aside for the offering of the poor so there are some things that we're gonna ask the big question is how do I know when a tradition is out of harmony and I should let it go but there are certainly some traditions like the ones he gave to the early Christians that there aren't bad okay so what about in your church what are some traditions so me so you're looking like you want to comment on that or talk about tradition let me hear what you're thinking so untraditional I just want to go back to the text in Matthew where the washing on their hands and maybe focus on the intent of why they're washing their hands it's because they believe that making contact with people who didn't believe what they believed would defile them ceremonially they'd be unclean and so that's why the washing hand and-and-and-and Christ is saying that's contrary to you should make contact with people so that you can show them what Christ's love is and it's actually what's on the inside exactly not not on the Ellen valve okay Lily you want to talk about now we're still back then well talking about traditions okay you know church although it's not sort of like well let me say that in my church you know we dedicate babies you know when you know to God the parents you only invite their families and then they wanted you know a blessing on their on their baby and I didn't think that that was a big deal until I think I'm hearing stories about from friends and also from people that I know that the same thing is happening for you know babies that are dedicated to the devil that because of you know they had no choice but when they are growing up they have certain demons are attracted to them because of that because they have sort of a castle on them so why can't we do the same thing you know we dedicate babies to God from the beginning having that protection over them sure sure by the way one of my students when I was teaching at Southern Adventist University God rescued him from from a dangerous life and in an altercation with the evil one the Lord said he was dedicated to me and he's mine so dedication but but whether in your church at the dedication grandma and grandpa come up that's our tradition that's this not a biblical thing is it I think it is biblical to pray a blessing for the children right they're baptized later when they can make that decision but but you say well we always we all know we don't allow grandparents up on our because that's our tradition okay sometimes we have tradition that we need to let go of but some that are meaningful give me another meaningful tradition in your church you said that's meaningful we have a praise and petition and a time to share it okay is that during the worship service all right someone's got a word of praise or a special prayer request you do that and that's that's a tradition in your church yes that a good thing yes Travis fellowship meal all right having a meal after the service not all churches do that the ones that don't are not wicked the bible does speak about Koinonia fellowship and breaking bread together being a good thing mm-hmm but that's a tradition in a church and it seems to be a good one yes we have a tradition our church of dividing our Sabbath schools kind of up by age so that you have different groups get together based on their age or educational status in some cases okay so you have something for the little tots and then the juniors and then the teens it would there be anything wrong in just having the whole family together in a Bible study no you say well we don't do that okay but maybe there'd be some settings where that would be good right so we have to evaluate whether a tradition is positive or not and that's the next question how do we discern when we need to let go but but they've been doing that forever a case in point you may have noticed I'm not that tall right I have spoken at churches where the pulpit was like but that's been there for 50 years and it's part of our tradition you know and and so please if I try to carry that away there would probably be great consternation I I could step to the side because I don't think Jesus used one of those big boxes talking to people but it's been there for a long time okay no I'm not suggesting everyone go in and chop up opens in their churches but but how do we discern when this is just a long-held tradition but we we maybe should let go of it what would you say shana i think when it's starting to become or like causing people to be too excited or emotion filled and you can't really see the love of god in it and so a source of contention maybe yeah like i can't agree over what should be done about this specific tradition okay anybody else how do i know when something should be that b we should just let go of it Stephanie maybe when the church studies further okay people when they say oh what I'm what I'm currently doing conflicts with the Word of God uh-huh we need to change the way we do that so you're you're you're stepping back and looking at the big picture which is all of what we do should actually be tested by what the Word of God says and the Word of God isn't definitive on that topic then what then the community decides whether they want to meet for church at 11 o'clock or at 10 o'clock I mean that is not in the Bible right it says don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together it does say remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy but it doesn't say what time right but we always have had the church service that you know and you change that and that's that's evil actually it's not right what else so what else can we learn about when to let go of a tradition when it excludes others or hurts people ah maybe it's our tradition that we only let a certain ethnic group in mm-hmm you know one thing I love about Hope Sabbath school I mean look at each other here you look great you don't all look alike okay we look like the world yeah and yet is it possible they could be a church well we're just for this group of people and that's we've done that all along we might even call ourself to this group of people Church mmm and we go let that go if God leaves someone that doesn't look like me the spirit leaves them to come to our church should we embrace them as brothers yeah so one danger when forming our theology is to exalt religious tradition over the Bible not all traditions are bad but anything that's not biblical or that doesn't reveal to me so saying that immeasurable unfailing love of God we ought to let that go here's another danger and that is trusting too much in our own experience now sometimes experiences personal experiences can be helpful let's look at a couple of verses together Romans chapter 2 and verse 4 and Titus chapter 3 verses 4 and 5 Romans chapter 2 and verse 4 Jason could you read that for us I'll be reading from the New King James Version Romans chapter 2 verse 4 or do you despise the riches of his goodness forbearance and longsuffering not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance the time comes when you just sense the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart you know you don't hear a voice and it may not even have been a person preaching God just spoke to you and said it's time to change I want you to draw closer to God that's a personal experience is that a bad thing of course it isn't that's actually a wonderful thing isn't it that God is speaking what about Titus chapter 3 verses 4 and 5 Pedro I'll be reading from the New King James Version Titus 3 verses 4 and 5 but when the kindness and the love of God our Savior the worst men appear not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy spirit so the Holy Spirit comes to us right because of what Jesus has accomplished and he draws us right he draws us that's a good thing but I've heard people say I don't need the Bible because I have the Holy Spirit hmm right now I'm depending too much on what I'm feeling I'm feeling being drawn yeah rather than the Word of God as my authority for making my decisions let's look at a couple of examples where people depended too much on their personal experience their feelings if you will Genesis chapter 3 and verse 6 Genesis 3 and verse 6 I'm looking here and Gina looks like you have it Genesis 3 verse 6 and I'll be reading from the King James Version and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise she took up the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat now if you read chapter 2 the Lord had said don't go near that tree don't even touch it right in the day that you eat it you'll surely but here it says she looked at it and it looked good it looked good and it looked desirable right it looked desirable so she was depending up Eve was depending upon her experience at that moment but she was mistaken judges in Chapter 14 gives us another example of the danger of trusting too much in our personal experience Travis would you read verses 1 to 3 of judges 14 and I'll be reading from the New King James Version now Samson went down to Timna and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines so we he went up and told his father and his mother saying I have seen a woman in Timna of the daughters of the Philistines now therefore get her for me as a wife and his father and his mother said to him is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren or among all my people then you must go and get away from the uncircumcised Philips teens and Sampson said to his father get her for me before she pleases me well now it's confession time is there a time when though you knew something wasn't right that you decided you were going to give it a try because your feelings told you it was something you'd like to do in other words your personal experience silence the Word of God and you did something because it felt like the right thing to do you're raising your hand say during that's a tough question to ask because if we did we're probably not that proud of it right but you go you know what I knew better right Pedro well I think we all have that conviction in our lives daily expose ourselves in many ways but one thing that I have noticed here through our reading is that it's always something that we see across the fence it's we're looking what they're other people are doing that the Pharisees are saying what the disciples are doing what what wasn't the tree that was not available for us to eat or what is on the other CD and sometimes we look on others and tried to tradition we try to do what others are doing instead of asking the word and says what God wants us to do hmm we're looking in the wrong place Tricia Lee my comment is similar to Pedro's I was thinking about the experience that people have well a false experience about the Holy Spirit falling on them we have studied in previous studies that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is something that leads to intelligible experiences not just being able to say strange things but I've had friends that have said they've gone to churches and people have told them you're not saved until you do an act the same way we act until you have this experience that we've had I think we have to be very careful because God is going to work with us individually in different ways right he gives us one common Bible but I do think we have to be careful when we look across the fence as you described Pedro and say because I've had this experience with God if you don't have it then I start to question whether or not you're true or faithful or if you're a real believer and I think that's one way we can use those experiences in the wrong way I think God wants to work with us individually because he knows us and loves us with be very careful not to judge other people because we have a dream or even a vision or we have something meaningful that happens to us we can't force that on other people sure sure well whether we use tradition or our feelings to determine what we believe is truth both of those can be very dangerous as can being influenced by our culture well this is what we do in our culture so let's talk about positive first what are some positive aspects of the culture in which you live yassuh me so-so I have a couch or I'm from Zimbabwe and typically when someone loses a loved one we come together as a community and raise some funds to offset any funeral expenses so that's a culture and tradition which I think is positive and not contrary to and certainly in harmony with the Bible about loving one another as I've loved you and bearing one another's burdens right but but specifically when a loved one dies the community comes and helps provide beautiful alright anybody in your culture something that's positive yes Travis I know where Ike in Wisconsin when I lived there they there was a gentleman who would always for years and years during Christmas served food for the elderly where hundreds of people would come and many people embrace that including you know members of my family and so that was something that was part of you know the it ended up being part of the culture in that city that was positive and that wasn't just for church people that was everyone that was just part of that little culture sounds like a nice culture right what else what's positive in your culture yes my culture and Caribbean culture we respect elders and so people that are older than you they get deference and preference and so you tend to that you are supposed to listen to them and they their experiences their wisdom and that's very important in the church and throughout Society now Billy I'm looking I know you're involved in development and relief agency do you see people in the culture you live in the United States right do you see people sensitive to wanting to care for the needs of people who are going through challenging situations it was it makes its a mix I've been to places where the culture actually prevents that ah for instance I was in Nepal in you know because of the Hindu culture even though not everybody's into that you have the caste system so so there is that culture where you know even though I have money I cannot help you because you are from a different caste system but the people outside of that culture let's say you know especially humanitarian aid workers coming from different cultures bringing that opposite if you saying that no because you need to help I don't care if you are a different caste system I'm still gonna help you and I'm talking about not people who are Christian or not just that that's their culture they have to they help people are in need so you have basically those competing cultures where one culture says that I cannot help you because you're from a lower caste system and then you have another culture saying that no I need to help you because you are you I need so so I see a lot of things like probably in the United States where I live we don't have a caste system but we do have some kind of I'll help you because you're part of my group or right so we have we have ways that we hinder but the good thing I think is that there is generally a desire to help people who are in need at least by some what does John mean in first John 2:15 when he says don't love the world or the things of the world we're talking about our culture is he mean don't be happy that you're alive and living in whatever country you're in don't love the world and the things of the world what do you think he means by that would someone read that for us first John chapter 1 verse 15 let's see Stephanie would you read that for us sure and I'll be reading from the King James Version love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the father is not in him what's the world in that context what is he talking about is he talking about the planet love nature Shaina what's the world there it seem like the things of the world like materialism or because later he's going to say the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh and the private life we might say worldly things right yes don't love worldly things but rather love love God God and love people right love God with all your heart jesus said and love people too so don't be too attached to a worldly culture because the coach is not all good is it we talked about some good things caring for people when someone dies or respecting elders what is some negative things in your culture where you live you go you know um that's what they do in my culture but that's not what Jesus would want what are some negative things you see I could even share the flipside of respecting your elders you can take it to the extreme and look at many churches in the Caribbean and they're very dominated by older adults and younger people or children don't really have a place in the service and so jesus said suffer little children to come unto me we have to make sure we're training up our children allowing them to participate in church and in church activities otherwise they might not feel they have a place for them and then we get surprised when they're not there anymore if we only let it be only for older adults so that's reminding me that that if a tradition is hindering right a revelation of the character of God balance we got to adjust somewhere right yeah what are the negatives you see Billy I definitely am mistreatment of women there's a lot of that it might be in the office space you know at work or even in church that that's something sometimes it's it's not given priority or it's overlooked but I think you know it's a negative thing like in our culture that mistreatment of women is is normalized you know I often say this smiling you were very open-minded with Hope Sabbath school we even allow men on the team spirit of God is poured out on our sons and daughters amen amen but you're saying that some coaches are more male-dominated cultures and that negatively impacts women is that what you're telling me yeah but what's worse is that it's accepted in all parts of society including the church where because alcohol sure doesn't respect women as much so that even in you know churches sometimes we practice the same I do it is interesting there are some cultures where the women lead up it's a matriarchal society I met a colleague from India it was a matriarchal the men can't even own land and you say wow that's that's intense but you know that's the reverse problem of a male-dominated society that doesn't recognize women right what's God's ideal equality equality right we're all precious in the sight of God so some we may look at things in our culture and go that's not right I need to be what's the word we use when we don't just go with the culture counter-cultural right is that easy well everybody think you're wonderful when do you know when you have to be countercultural when it goes against the word when it goes against the Word of God it always comes back right not to just well my culture but what does the word of God say that's what's going to guide me so if there are things in our culture and I'll come to your points to me so that are not in harmony with the will of God and I can't change everything about culture how do I live with a god-centered god-honoring mindset in a culture that doesn't honor God in ever the things in all the things that it considers normal how do I survive or do I just have to leave the culture what do you think Sammy so I think you have to respect a culture in its form and understand that it took a while for it took so many years it has been ingrained and so looking at people through the eyes of Jesus and saying Christ is patient with people and they come to understanding with time you don't all take the same time to get that level of revelation so patience and prayerfully reveal the will of God to be and what if they don't allow you to be faithful to the Word of God what are you doing a culture like that take a stand build what do you do Trisha Lee we have so many examples of this throughout the Bible I even think about Daniel who lived in a culture where he was expected to worship a king he knew he couldn't bow down to this king and he determined in his heart that he wouldn't sin against his God he would continue to pray to the only true God I think that we personally have to take a stand for Jesus and trust that he will take care of the consequences whatever they might be we can be respectful of other people's choices to do and live as they please but we know that God is looking at us and is expecting more from us and we can order our own steps our own priorities our own families to follow the Lord and ask him to protect us from the consequences whatever they might be is there a time to leave if you can sure if you can relocate oh I think to add on to what Tricia Lee is saying in order to be able to stand or like act in counter culture you have to be rooted in Bible culture so so there needs to be that solid foundation I'm just thinking during the Communist year in the former USSR there were families that left because it was impossible to raise their children to know and love God and worship God it was impossible staying there and so they they got out and they went to Canada or Australia or wherever now a lot has changed praise God there's more religious freedom those scars are still there but there may come a time when you have to leave a culture because it's toxic right you may have to leave and you know we said well it wouldn't happen here but it could happen anywhere mm-hmm if the coach who just embraces godless principles anybody want to respond Pedro well I see the importance of freedom of choice and witnessing you know we have to respect people's freedom of choice but we also be active in witnessing you know you mention of leaving a place but there's many people who wants to go to those places and testify for those that have no no other other way of finding out if it wasn't you coming so being not only selective on your words and your actions but testify through through your actions more than to say the things that you believe sometimes are we want to we want to testify our culture instead of leaving our culture and the Christian culture is in the Bible you know and this is a Holy Spirit let think is if you have two two little children and someone says how would you like to live on the strip in Las Vegas you know you might say that maybe something God would call someone else maybe an older person you know right that's not a foolish thing to think about and say can can I responsibly take my family into that situation or you may like Enoch in the Bible you know he ministered in a very wicked time but he also would retreat you know he would have time away to his mind didn't get so a acted by the culture well we I'm gonna take Billy's point and then we're gonna move on but what we've talked about elevating tradition over the Bible say well my my doctrine my theology is based on the tradition of the church or my personal experience is how I form my theology or my my culture you know that's that's just that's how I form it all of those can be very dangerous yeah and I guess you know thinking from the missionary mindset it's not always a good idea to just you know leave the culture sometimes we need to be the missionaries that and the representative the ambassador of God inside the culture if if all we do is that it you know if there was something negative about any culture that we leave the culture you know what about know the people inside the culture you know they have to have a witness for God even in the culture so and you are the light and the salt of the earth right amen the light of the world so that's a Holy Spirit led decision isn't it yeah who should go and who should stay we want to look at a fourth danger and then of course we're gonna come to why the Bible must be our authority more than for our theology but it is something I think is becoming more and more prevalent and that is basing our ideas about God and about right and wrong on human reason human reason what's the danger of saying well this is what I think is most reasonable let's look at a couple of verses Jason could you read proverbs 14 and verse 12 for us I'll be reading from the New King James Version proverbs chapter 14 verse 12 there is a way that seems right to a man but it's end is the way of death now I was thought that men know just a bad person is this person wanting to go in the way of death no no doesn't say they do is like right death wish no in fact the way what seems seems reasonable by the wrong way it seems reasonable to me but it's not right mm-hmm let's look at one more verse in Romans chapter 1 actually from verses 18 to 23 Romans 1 verses 18 to 23 Alex would you read that for us sure and I'll be reading from the King James Version for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has showed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither we're thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of their corruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and to four-footed beasts and creeping things why did they do that why didn't they take the image of the invisible God and turn it into some kind of animal idol they thought they were wise doing that they thought it was the right thing reasonable in fact wasn't there a story where the children of Israel they made something because they thought it would be good to be able to see something the golden calf at Sinai right and Aaron says well we put the golden and the calf just came out that's unreasonable but it's also unreasonable to say this is the God that brought you out of Egypt right so trusting too much in in human reason is actually unreasonable so I have a question and I'm gonna give you a chance to respond Pedro do your thought but how can we avoid an unhealthy dependence upon human reason God expects us to use our brain right yeah but how can we avoid an unhealthy dependence upon human reason which might say well I read these things in the Bible but they're not reasonable to me so I'm going to discard them yeah well I see I think that question kind of goes well with the comment I want to make is that we see this option here is the key point there's a section they think that's wise it's a there's a belief that this is the right thing to do and that belief is its is a lie and we know that the father of lies have brought that belief - or - or myths now when we look into evenness and tradition and things that are bad that that's a result of deception and the way the solution is given here the way to understand the deception is to find the truth so we can reveal ourselves and say okay this person is doing this bad thing because they are not aware of the truth how can they connect with the Word of God so they can be free from that the patent deception well I want to look at one verse that I think would be very helpful for us in 2nd Corinthians 10 verses 3 through 5 if you're saying I don't I don't want to set human reason aside but I don't want to have a unreasonable dependence on just what I think let's read 2nd Corinthians 10 and see see what the Apostle Paul says heavily verses 3 to 5 and I'll be reading from the New King James Version for though we walk in the flesh we do not war according to the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ it's a battle right weapons don't use carnal weapons but what are the weapons we should use to tear down all of these false arguments and everything that sets itself up against the knowledge of God what weapons can we use the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God so I'm gonna know the word but but then the Holy Spirit's gonna help me right what else do I need what are the weapon because not of the flesh but of the spirit what are the weapons of the Spirit prayer connecting to God yep because we receive power when we connect to God we see God fill me with your Holy Spirit so I don't depend too much on what I think because it may not be the way of life but the way of death right so use my mind but use my mind to connect to God let me review what we've studied so in our studies there's been a great study we've discovered that we trying to find my outline here I know it's here somewhere here it is don't exalt tradition over the Bible right if it's not with the Bible let it go right don't trust too much in personal experience listen to the scripture listen to the Word of God don't let your culture pull you away from the truth of God and don't solely depend on what you think is right yeah but ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what's right here and it all brings us to the real foundation for our theology which is the Word of God and by the Word of God is not just the Word of God but Jesus the Living Word of God is the foundation for our theology let's look at a few verses that that emphasize that and since I said Jesus is the foundation I probably should go to John chapter 5 verse 39 and Billy I'm gonna ask you to read that John 5 verse 39 and then we'll go back to Psalm 19 verses 7 to 11 Billy how does that read in your Bible so I'll be reading from the King James Version John 5:39 search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and they are they which testify of me so here it is Jesus is the foundation so is it fair to say does this tradition or this religious teaching is it in harmony with the teaching of Jesus yes or no and does it point me to Jesus and draw me closer to Jesus if not let it go right let's look in Psalm 19 verses 7 through 11 Laura you have that I love this as the song begins by talking about the heavens declaring the glory of God and that's one way that he reveals his creative power and his character but also through the scripture read first verses 7 to 11 I'll be reading from the new American Standard Bible the law of the Lord is perfect restoring the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the precepts of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever the judgments of the Lord are true they are righteous all together they are more desirable than gold yes than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb moreover by them your servant is warned in keeping them there is great reward mmm can you summarize that in four words I love the Bible but he's saying because the Bible points me to the Savior yes he doesn't know the Savior yet he's writing before the Savior comes a thousand years before we have the advantage of knowing all about Jesus God with us he said I love the Word of God right it's a beautiful and precious gift I would have based my theology my understanding of God on the revelations that's been given one last X 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verses 15 through 17 beautiful beautiful instruction tells us how precious the Bible is second Timothy chapter 3 verses 15 through 17 Stephanie would you read that for us and I'll be reading from the King James Version and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus 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 and we normally read verses 16 and 17 that's important that it's the scriptures that should be the foundation for our doctrine for reproof and correction and instruction and righteousness but don't miss verse 15 from it what's what's what's the the importance of the scripture is what to make us what why not just wise or salvation the salvation that's right because what does God want for us what's the save us right to make us wise unto salvation that's why the Bible is so important that's why we can't just trust human tradition over the Bible that's why we can't just trust our experience what we might say I'm not worth being saved and there's an enemy ready to tell us that right we're not going to trust our personal experience we're not going to trust our culture and what our culture says or we're not going to trust just our human reason we need to trust the Bible which says you are precious and and loved by God amen amen and God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that you if you believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life that is the foundation of our theology that's why Hope Savas go people say all you do is study the Bible well amen and apply it to life so here's the closing question a friend comes to you and says I have a revelation and and the revelation that they share with you they say I came from but just I just feel it it came from God but it's it's out of harmony with what the Bible teaches how are you gonna respond to that friend we've been studying about the Bible is the foundation what we believe Stephanie how are you gonna respond to that friend you love her dearly and she's had this revelation that she sure is from God but it's out of harmony with the Bible I think we have to be sensitive because they truly feel that and they truly believe that so I would have to be in much prayer and and talk with them and say what what gave you that impression and share with us we'll have you considered the Bible and truly a lot of Prayer Lord what should I say how do I take this conversation would it be fair to be honest and say I'm really struggling with that because the Bible says this so help me with that I'm struggling right yes maybe they don't know and they go oh wow but I like the fact that we don't just come in and strike them down you know we're praying we're asking the Holy Spirit to guide us right and someone else what would you say if it was your friend I have this revelation Kim what would you tell them but it's not in harmony with the Word of God I might also be in much prayer and try to teach them as well the Word of God what what it's saying yeah I think if I can do that rather than say well you think and I think mm-hmm say well this is what I base my understanding on how do we get those two to come together I I don't know maybe that will happen for you we someone may come to you and say but but I really I'm really sure this revelation is from God maybe we had to say well let's wait and see if something's supposed to happen next Tuesday I'm supposed to bet on this horse God told me this horse will win you know well let's let's see what the Bible says and and let's pray and let's love people yes even when they may not be exactly where they think we think they should be but for ourselves can we choose the Bible as the foundation amen for our theology our doctrine let's pray father in heaven so many ideas out there traditions and culture saying things and even our reason saying things help us to base our beliefs on the Word of God and on Jesus the Living Word of God is our prayer in Jesus name Amen but thanks for joining us for hope service cool it's a journey learning how to interpret the Bible but apply it to our lives let God change us and go out and be a blessing to those around [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause]

Channel: HopeSabbathSchool

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Id: i4mxi_EKFqo

Length: 58min 24sec (3504 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 19 2020