Sabbath School Panel by 3ABN - Lesson 4: The Bible–the Authoritative Source of Our Theology | 2020

hello welcome to 3abn sabbath-school panel we thank you for taking the time to join us we are starting on lesson number 4 the Bible the authoritative source of our theology and our overall study for this quarter is how to interpret Scripture get your Bible get your pens invite your family to sit down if you'd like a copy of the lesson go to a be SG Adventist org or go to your local seventh-day Adventist Church and join them for a tremendous Bible study but right now join us as we walk through the Word of God and understand his plan for our lives in this lesson [Music] welcome to our 3abn sabbath-school panel we are so thankful that you've taken the time to join us we are going to dive into an exciting study today the Bible the authoritative source of our theology all you need is a Bible in some time to sit down and find out what the Lord has in store for you today but before we go any further meet our panelists today to my immediate left is pastor John Lindsey head of 3abn Latino good to have you here today it's a pleasure to be here and it's wonderful to be able to dig into God's Word and my forever evangelist pastor Kenny Shelton always I know you're always ready you bring that down-home flavor to our panel thank you for being here it's always a pleasure thank you and I assume that Jill might have a list that assumption might be accurate and my singer in Israel has to Ryan de to have unity and I'm blessed and so glad to be here well why don't you begin with prayer for us okay father in heaven Lord God we just thank you so much for being able to gather here to break bread break bread with you Lord and and we would dare not go into this study without asking for the leadership and guidance of your Holy Spirit and so father I pray that you will give us again the spiritual eyesight the spiritual hearing the spiritual mind of Jesus to be able to rightly divide your word of truth at this time and Lord as this message goes around the world may someone be blessed may someone be brought closer to Jesus because of this study we ask in Jesus name the Bible the authoritative source of our theology you know I cannot think of a Christian Church that does not use the Bible to conclude what they believe and the ironic thing about that is how can so many conflicting contradicting beliefs be found in so many different denominations in all claim to be reading the same Bible I mean think about that if we had a GPS and we all bought it from the same company and we all began at the same a beginning point going to the same destination how could we all be going in all different directions claiming to have the same destination what we've discovered though is the role of Scripture plays a different role in the minds of each person handling it and each person looks through a window of their experiences we know that the Protestant Reformation was a movement back to the Bible but out of the Protestant Reformation people came out of that and as we study this passage ins you've seen that the churches that broke away from the Church of Rome during the dark ages different leaders grappled with different topics like Martin Luther dealt with justification by faith the just shall live by faith yet Calvinism you had Zwingli hast Rome Wickliffe all of these individuals had different beliefs that they decided to bring to the forefront baptism was reestablished based on Scripture the just shall live by faith Jill was established based on the Word of God the Sabbath eventually came back in the 1800's through the Miller right movement by a name of a lady by the name of Rachel Oakes who was a seven-thirty Baptist and what we found is that through the plethora of beliefs some understandings of Scripture have been placed in concrete that really are not linked to Scripture and the role that has played so much significance in that is the role of tradition now let's begin with our text because the Bible gives us an unmistakable blueprint that we could follow to examine whether or not what is being taught is from the Word of God we begin in Isaiah 8 in verse 20 the memory text for this lesson yeah the Bible says to the law and to the testimony if they do not speak according to this word it is because there is no light in them so there's there's an acid test in Isaiah there's an acid test at first John chapter 2 verse 3 and 4 hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments he who said I keep his command he who said I know him and does not keep his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him and both of these cases you find the commandments of God testimony there but I want to talk about tradition for a brief moment because tradition while it's on the on the 80% side not a good thing when it comes to the Bible there are some traditions that are not bad but I heard a story about a person who had a tradition in their family and and we don't eat ham I just want to make that point clear but the story fits in this role there was a lady on a particular holiday during the year she decided to cut off two inches from the hand before she put her in the oven and her husband says why are you doing that she said well my mother did that while she call her mom mom why do we do that well grandma does it and thank the Lord three generations and she called grandma grandma why do we do that does it add to the taste she said no I cut off two inches because it was just too big to fit in the pan no relevant reason to cut it off but traditions usually exist without any explanation as to why this tradition I saw there at Buckingham Palace I saw soldiers standing at a spot and he was guarding absolutely nothing but he was standing at an odd ironic spot and I thought why are they changing guards and I'm looking down all I see is pavement came to find out that he must have been 70 years earlier that there was a plant that had been planted there by one of the royal children and that child requested that nobody destroys that plant so they put a guard to guard it well the plant had since long died but there was nothing to guard but tradition carried it through tradition assist in establishing routines in our lives tradition also establishes consistent practices but it's important that those practices are biblically based tradition tends to grow in its requirements whereas truth is constant let's look at some of the dangers of tradition Hebrews 12 and Hebrews 13 and verse 8 tradition is accumulative but Jesus is fixed now I say that in the sense Hebrews 13 verse 8 Jesus Christ is the same come on together since he is the same what does the Bible say about truth it's the same yesterday today and forever even when the phrase new light comes to the forefront you may have just discovered it but France has always been there that's right it's not new light to those who live in France as in the new world wasn't the new world to the Indians when Christopher Columbus got here it was their backyard so tradition is a cumulative meaning tradition tends to add more requirements over the course of time read some of the Jewish traditions in the Bible mm-hmm you couldn't walk more than a half a mile on the Sabbath they call it a Sabbath day's journey so they added another tradition to violate that tradition if I left food at your house on Friday Ryan then I could walk more than a half a mile this was ridiculous that was a tradition that was not based on Scripture at all and many Christians today don't adhere to certain things in Scripture that are a command of God like remember the Sabbath to keep it holy because they have embraced tradition which is not supported by Scripture the other one let's go to mark chapter 7 verse 2 and three traditions tradition views non-compliance as disrespect I want you to get that tradition often views non-compliance has disrespect so people might say why don't you keep this look look at mark seven verse two and three Jill do you have that and you just read there for us mark seven two and three now when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled that is with unwashed hands they found fall for the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way holding the tradition of the elders notice what happened non-compliance was seen as disrespect they found false right and a lot of traditions that people hold special that are not scripturally required they find fault when you don't adhere to it it's embarrassing to them or it's disrespectful that's why this says holding the tradition of the elders and there are those of you watching that might think that the Sabbath is a tradition it's not a tradition it's a scriptural requirement it's the fourth commandment it's not a commandment taken out of the and set aside for any particular denomination like all the other nine commandments it's a requirement by Christ for those who follow him the other thing let's go to mark chapter 7 verse 79 doctrine based on tradition is a hindrance to true worship Oh Ryan do you have verse 79 yes absolutely it says and in vain they worship me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men for laying aside the commandment of God you hold the tradition of men the washing of pitchers of cups and many other such things you do and he said to them all too well you reject the commandment of God that you may keep your tradition and that's happening in the Christian world today the commandments of God is seen as look at the excuses tradition makes people say it was nailed to the cross well if it was nailed to the cross the commandments of God were nailed to the cross based on traditional views then all the churches have no reason to exist because the commandments is the standard of righteousness it is in fact the blueprint of our relationship between God and our fellow man if the commandments are done away with then the church has no reason to exist you cannot call people to repentance because there's no longer any sin so don't allow tradition to make you believe that somehow what you don't like in the commandments now causes you to think that it is done away with the third thing about tradition is or fourth thing tradition is more important truth is more important and I want to say this correctly more important than admiration let's look at Matthew 5:15 and verse 2 tradition is more important than admiration because a lot of people think that well let's just read Matthew 15 verse 2 it says why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread now we read that in a different gospel but the reason I read it again is because admiration they say we would admire your disciples more if they would follow the tradition of the elders but truth is more important than admiration simply put another way some people may say well pastor Kenny I really would like you if you honored our traditions well I would forgo admiration for being in harmony with God amen that's a very important so don't do things to be in harmony with people and be out of harmony with God tradition should never push you out of harmony with God also tradition that harmonizes with truth is not necessary but admissible now that's a powerful one tradition that harmonizes with truth is not necessary but add missable let's go to first Corinthians 11 verse 2 an example here I'm not gonna go all the way through it and I can see by the by the clock I won't get through all of mine but I'll save it for another time there are certain traditions that are not bad if you keep them but they're not necessary 1st Corinthians 11 verse 2 it says now I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I deliver them to you and then verse 16 and I'll give you the middle verses verse 16 says but if anyone seems to be contentious we have no such custom nor do the Churches of God the topic was here the topic here was whether or not a woman should cover her head and there are some people I had some people sadly enough in our own church not our church physically here but in our own denomination saying why don't your women cover their hear and I said they said 1st Corinthians 11 verse 2 and there's a joke in our family we say we had a guy that says you mean to tell me you're not gonna do what the Bible says and I said read the whole story and don't forget verse 16 because it says if any of you seem to be contentious we have no such custom nor do the Churches of God the push was women need to cover their head and the Apostle Paul says that's why God gave them here first and secondly that's why God gave them a husband for covering but that so if you want to cover your head it's not it it's not against truth but don't make it a requirement that is not a necessary command of God on that note I'm gonna give it to Pastor Dan see I have some more but I'll cover it later on well moving to monday's part we go to experience and what does experience have to do as far as in our theology and in Scripture let's go to our first question in the lesson which is how do we experience the goodness forbearance forgiveness and kindness and love of God the wonderful thing is that God is working behind the things working in our hearts working in our minds to lead us to a personal experience with him so for this we turn to Romans chapter 2 and we're gonna go to verse 4 in Romans chapter 2 and verse 4 if someone has found that would you kind kindly read that for us 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 and so we have here this scripture with a wonderful question and this tells us that the goodness of God leads us to repentance we have to go from being spectators and having had knowledge to actually entering into the experience that the Bible invites us into you know I remember that we had a doctor meshach Samuel faster I remember Sam and I think some most of you he said something that really impacted me because in India they have over 50 million gods that are not really gods because there are trees that are gods and different things but there's one Creator God and he said that in his country there's no such thing as these these the people having a a relationship with the God because it's something they fear something they respect and and worship but no personal experience and relationship God invites us into a personal relationship with him and embracing the message of hope that he gives to us so I'd like to now go to Titus chapter 3 and verse 4 and 5 notice these wonderful words but when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared 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 coming into the knowledge of these things should draw us to the so that we can get the full wonderful blessing of knowing a god that loves because the Bible says God is love but if you just stay there and and say well that's great that's good to know but if you don't experience the love of God then you are just a spectator and this is why as the esta lesson brings out very well that we have to move from an abstract intellectual knowledge to moving into an actual experience with God and so one of my favorite passages in the Bible is Psalms 34 verse 8 Psalm 34 verse 8 and I see that the memory has already said I know that the Bible says or taste and see that the Lord is what good so this is an invitation from God to just don't just stand there taste and see that the Lord is good enter into the experience of tasting and seeing you know when you taste something you go from merely admiring how good it looks and merely admiring how good it smells you know something that you like when my wife is cooking something your Roma just hits you know I said I want to taste that but if I just stay there I never enjoy it that's right and so likewise God invites us to not only read the scripture study the scriptures but enter into the actual experience of loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves now the verse concludes with these words blessed is the man whose trust in him so be besides just having the the you know like the Bible says that the devil's believe and tremble so it is not enough to just believe but they believe and tremble because but their belief is not a a belief that brings them to into a saving experience they've rejected God so besides believing we have to trust God and that when you when you enter into that experience you're entering to an experience saving experience with God now experience of course leads us to trust God and to know God is to really love God and this is why Isaiah chapter 26 verse 3 for another very known well-known scripture in Isaiah chapter 26 verse 3 and 4 and I like to ask a pastor Ryan if you if you find it there for us say it chapter 26 verses 3 & 4 we will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you trust in the Lord forever for in yah the Lord is everlasting strength amen amen now there is another scripture that helps us understand that we have to enter into the experience not only do you see the Bible talking about peace Jesus says peace I give to you my peace give I unto you now as Jesus is holding out this opportunity for peace and you say thank you thank you but you don't embrace it you never experience that wonderful peace that passes all understanding and here again Isaiah 26 it says you will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is what stayed on you that's an experience that you enter into and that brings you the blessing and trust in the Lord forever and in him you enter into the experience receive the blessing the joy the peace that God wants to give to you now when we are talking about the scriptures I like to bring to you a book written by Alan G Michael Acts of the Apostles page 388 notice these words Paul pleaded with those who had once known in their lives the power of God to return to their first love of gospel truth with unanswerable arguments he said before them their privilege of becoming free men and women in Christ through whose atoning grace all who make full surrender notice the word full surrender are clothed with the robe of his righteousness he took the position that every soul who would be saved must have a genuine genuine personal experience in the things of God every individual has to have a genuine personal experience with God some people stay at the head knowledge but will stay at the old that's good to know but they never enter you know there are millions of people there say oh yes I believe there's a god but that's it they believe there's a god but they do not take the step of knowing God and it's a sad sad thing to know that salvation is available full and free through Jesus Christ but you never accept it mmm you never enjoy it in this world and the world to come that's why when you look at the Bible you see a picture it's a brief picture but a very sorrowful picture because the Bible says that they will be weeping and gnashing of teeth these people that rejected the grace of God rejected the experience of salvation rejected salvation through Jesus Christ now in the last moments that remain I like to mention something as far as interpreting scripture we have to as we have said before in these programs we have to study to show ourselves approved unto God a workman that needs not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth because the Bible also gives us a warning that there will be deceivers that will come twisting the Scriptures and every wind of doctrine is blowing that is not founded on the Scriptures that's why we have to study to show ourselves approved and some people have entered into a wrong experience I remember a young man that followed a group there was a guy that claimed to be Jesus Christ in the flesh you may remember this man he claimed our eyes I heard him in the news I cannot die well he died about three years ago but this man told his followers that sin does not exist mmm that's not scriptural but hundreds of people followed him and entered into a horrible experience in which they thought I can do anything I have freedom to do anything but forgetting that the Bible is balanced and true the Bible says for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life this scripture helps us to understand that these people who were completely wrong and know there's no choice of course so as far as our experience is concerned we have to weigh it in the balance of Scripture and study to show ourselves approved unto God rightly dividing the word Thank You Johnny that was a wonderful yes you know when we think about experience experience can pull us to God I mean lead us to God or repel us away from God on that note we're going to just take a short break don't go anywhere we'll be right back ever wish you could watch a three-bean sabbath-school panel again or share it on Facebook Instagram or Twitter well you can by visiting 3abn sabes cool panel comm a clean design makes it easy to find the program you're looking for there are also links to the adult Bible study guide so you can follow along sharing is easy just click share and choose your favorite social media cheryline save a life for eternity welcome back to our Sabbath school panel we now transition from experience to culture pastor Kenny I do this is on Tuesdays less than culture and to me it's very interesting subject when we talk about their culture because everybody has a culture you know some part of it we you know it has an influence on our life wherever we come from something we've come across the other side of the tracks and some were born here some you know but there's a culture there and sometimes culture might possibly get in the way of our belief in the Word of God if we're not careful so hopefully in a lesson we see a little bit of balance on this give a definition of culture this is from the dictionary so I read it and then I had to read it again then I read it again and I thought I'd put a little something simple down there that's alright with you definition of culture from the dictionary says the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively so I didn't get a whole lot out is that okay yeah now simply put culture is a way is a word for simply the way of life you know the way of life or for groups of people meaning simply the way they do things okay people do things different ways in different places of the world they eat different they talk different they believe different and you mention a lot of gods and different things here so hopefully we can put it together in the culture here that it doesn't get in our way of what the Bible teaches as truth now included in in that culture could be knowledge hmm included in that could be a belief it could be a behavior it could be an outlook it could be an attitude it could be values it could be morals so a lot of this is included and customs we are all influenced and shaped I know I have been shaped by certain you know think about culture I've been shaped they're just things that are there that you grow up with it you automatically believe this is it and you you put into experience we live in a cultural transmission world I don't know how what it mean by that well we we learn a behavior by observing someone else is that ever happen to anyone absolutely I've learned a lot of things by watching someone else and then we have to decide whether it's the thing we want to incorporate in our life or not and so where did they learn their behavior mmm by watching someone else mm-hm and how did that go they watched somebody else and so it goes on and on and on so we learned that way and it covers all ages it can be young it can be old it doesn't matter and it for instance I've got a story's kind of interesting a child he sees another child getting his way when he throws a fit right quick they picked up on that you know I haven't had a wonderful step set bad Earl and and I didn't call him stepdad I call him my dad you know he was such a good person and I often told him and we all be doing these things well parents grandparents stepner are still alive you know to him always that I loved him and that I appreciated him and I said you know if I could if I could choose some man in the world to take care of my mother after my dad passed away it would be you hmm no that's that's pretty good as far as my thinking so he was that kind of man but anyway he had two sons and we talked about the influence and culture it was different many years ago so it's just kind of hang on to your hats and don't get excited about some of these things we said we don't do that nowadays but he took his youngest son into the store and the son said I I want this toy I've got to have this toy and and and and dad said no you can't can have that toy right now we don't have time let's go he said no I want that toy he said no you can't have that toy well pretty soon the boy just lays down on the concrete floor right and he he looks at his dad all the people start to gather round and then he goes banging his head on the concrete he started and dad looked him said he's never done this before why is he doing this do you know so he got down real quick said son get off of the floor I want a toy he's about seven or eight I want that toy dad thought you know who I evidently the banging of the heads not doing any good so I'm gonna help him so he got a hold his neck and he went boom boom and all of a sudden the boy thought this is not quite what I had in mind so he decided to change his mind and get up and go so dad wanted to get out of you know gathered a group not right now just as soon as that happens there would be phones dialling done one nine one one and family service you know all kind of stuff going on way back then it didn't you know a lot of them probably say hey good give it to him you know you took him outside I guess the whole point took him outside and he said son Ted was this nice dad why in the world did you do that you've never done that before he said dad because I I saw the boy next door over here he he won the toy and they said no and he began to bang his head on the floor and he got the toy so we see back they learned by what what they see and thought he was going to get all he got was a bigger knot on his head and he never had to do that again so you know we did throwing a fit sometime it depends you know the outcome depends upon how the parent handles it and we're gonna handle it by the Word of God here in time that we have left God warned warned ancient Israel he warned them a begins to you know about mingling with other nations why because they would be influenced God did not want them to pick up on things and have them you know in their culture to bring it into God's special seed his people so he warned them and I wonder how many of us as I read the one passage of Scripture in Ezra chapter 9 verse 1 and 2 I thought was so interesting and I'm just paraphrasing here because of the time they said that people of Israel are doing abominations they the holy seed have mingled with other people in other lands so we see that there and notice notice what the prophet Isaiah did I thought it was very very interesting it tore him up you know as a pastor sometime do we get torn up elders the church leaders the church get torn up when our people are going in the wrong direction this tore him up so much it said he rent his clothes it said he pulls some of his hair out he pulled some of his beard out and some of them say well man I'm not gonna go through that I hate that the Joe's doing this but we don't maybe get so connected but this tore him up not so much of what but because God said don't do it these things are abomination when God says come apart and be separate cut not touch not the unclean that's exactly what's that first Corinthians second Corinthians 6:17 is that's exactly what God means why he wants to protect us that's want us to get in trouble pick up any of these bad habits or sins from other nations he doesn't want us to get Oh knots on our head he doesn't want that to happen but there has to be a good balance in Scripture because you can't just leave everything out there the Bible says that we are what in the world but not to be of the world therein in John 17 verse 16 and so we we have a place in this world and we have an influence in this world we have a culture all of us do come from different places we hear about New York you know in different things and it's not coming from a cornfield in southern Illinois there's a difference in culture but yet we need to have the Bible as the basic and the rule the influence that it that transcends all culture all other tradition that you're talking about here in traditions the Bible and the Bible only why because the Bible is the only book that can transform your life it can change your life it can make the ugly pretty that's right did you get it it can make the ugly pretty right it can take the things that Paul talked about things he wants love that we now hate it can change you just ride around in a circle for sure that's why if the question is asked there in first John 2 15 through 17 we can't read that right now but it's talking about but that we're not to love what the world they won't love the world or the things that are in the world John just simply says love not stop do not you know continue to love the world the things in the world or even the people of the world this is very difficult sometime for us when people are involved and yet they're said nicely their worldly they just haven't accepted Jesus but you know what we hang around with those kind of folks sometime will you know their culture will come back on us and being able to change our thoughts in our opinion rather staying in the Word of God so we realize there it's good we must be aware and resist these things the enemy puts on us in I think is James 4:7 says submit yourself unto God write and do what that means by that means we have to be willing to fight to the death as it were like Jesus did that we'd rather in our life we'd rather die then commit a knowing sin that's pretty heavy dude that's right that God wants us to come to that point it's not to be influenced by the world so we resist the enemy quickly here in just in less than a minute there's about seven things we can look at real quick we submit to God we resist the devil the Bible said we draw nigh to God we clean hands right purify hearts humble ourself and the one thing down there in verse 10 there of James 4 7 through 10 it says don't speak evil about one another you know probably all of us could learn that lesson by the grace of God not to speak evil man always said if I can't say something good your you know you've heard that in flow don't say you can't say something good don't say anything person you know because that's just following scripture and then James 4:10 simply says then if you do these things then he will lift you up and by the grace of God I want to be lifted up I want to lift it up in higher plane I don't want to be influenced by culture I don't want to be influenced by the war even though culture is good and some things but what we want to be influenced by the Word of God thank you so much pastor each one of you as I think about this lesson tradition is not all bad but if tradition supersedes the Word of God there's a problem experience is good but if experience supersedes the Word of God there's an issue culture is not all bad but if cultures who precedes the Word of God there's an issue so on Wednesday we look at read then reason is not bad but if it supersedes the Word of God there is a problem we're looking at four aspects here I'll tell you that up front so you know where we're going we're gonna look at empiricism irrationalism rationalism and then biblical faith the first three might all have some elements of truth mixed with error we get to the end biblical faith that is a hundred percent solid so let's look at that empiricism what is that true Christians must reject empiricism empiricism is the theory that all knowledge is derived from experience or from your senses it's a philosophical belief that states your knowledge of the world is based on your experiences based on your sensory experiences this is where what Pastor Johnny talked about you could get the danger of having experience when it's not in line with the Word of God of course we know experience is important as pastor Johnny brought out so well taste and see that the Lord is good so I'm thirty four eight we are called to experience God first John 1:1 in three this is some of my favorite scriptures John the Apostle writing that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we've seen with our eyes which we've looked upon and our hands have handled concerning the word of life we jump to verse three that which we have seen and heard we declare to you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our Fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ John saying what we have experienced walking and talking with Jesus we are sharing that with you so there's elements of truth in experience because we want an experience God calls us to experience him but there's also a danger of empiricism I see that in 2nd Peter 1 2nd Peter 1:16 and 19 verses 16 and 19 verse 16 says we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of his majesty so Peter again is saying we experienced and we're telling you just like John did we're telling you what we experienced but then verse 19 Peter goes on to say we have the prophetic word confirmed we have a more sure word of prophecy we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed meaning that the Word of God is to be trusted even above our experience yes that's empiricism let next let's look at irrationalism the true Christian must reject irrationalism irrationalism is the system of belief or action that disregards or contradicts rational principles irrational would be something that's not logical something that's not reasonable now mark twain said faith was believing what you know ain't so some people say reason takes over where faith takes over where reason leaves off some people say what Christianity just can't be proven there might be one element of truth in this in the irrational ISM when God asks us to do something that maybe seems contradictory pastor Ryan's to rational thought that would be maybe when God called Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac now that would be considered irrational would it not you would say well that goes against God you promised my son right and there's supposed to be a great nation coming from him so that might appear irrational when God asked that what are the dangers of a rationalism faith involves a reason and we know that when we get to biblical faith we will see that in fact the word for faith in Greek is pista s-- it's used over 240 times in the New Testament and it literally means to be persuaded faith involves that reason Isaiah 1:18 pastor Kenny God says come now and us reason together says the Lord though their sins are scarlet they shall be white as snow first Peter 3:15 Peter tells us sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear so reason is important to our faith the next danger is rationalism now we swing from irrationalism where there's no logic to the opposite end of the spectrum true christians must reject rationalism the definition of rationalism would be a belief or theory that opinions and action should be based on reason and knowledge rather than religious belief or emotional experience it's the practice of treating reason as the ultimate authority in religion now clearly we already talked about that we are to reason and God calls us to do that we are to study and what the Word of God says the the Word of God the faith in the Word of God there is reason behind that right but there's also a danger if we use our minds and senses to begin to judge God's Word Eve did that in the Garden of Eden that first temptations Genesis 3 verse 6 it's Bible says when the woman saw that the tree was good for food that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise she took of the fruit and ate she also gave to her husband with her and she ate she decided that her mind her reason would be above what the Word of God said and God said don't eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and she decided her mind her intellect her reason would be even above what the Word of God said 2nd Corinthians Paul tells us 2nd Corinthians 10 verses 5 and 6 this is when we can use arguments and false reasoning to judge God's Word casting down imaginations King James says New King James says casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ we are called to cast down those arguments that exalt themselves against the Word of God so true Christians must exercise biblical faith all right Hebrews 11:1 faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen biblical faith is not blind faith biblical faith is the substance of things hoped for the word hoped for means confident expectation we believe and trust and know that God stands back of his word let's look quickly in closing five keys to understanding biblical faith and reason key number one God invites questions and discussion and dialogue God invites that we read the scripture earlier Isaiah 1:18 come now let us reason together says our Lord though your sins be as scarlet there'll be white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as well God invites questions discussion and dialogue number two understanding God precedes any true wisdom or reason in other words we need to understand God first before we ever have any wisdom or any understanding proverbs 9:10 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding we need to know God first before we have anything else number 3 obeying God precedes any true knowledge or wisdom so not only do we need to understand God we need to obey Him proverbs 1:7 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction number four sanctification precedes sharing the reason for our faith with others let's look at a scripture for that first Peter 3:15 sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear what does that say before we witness before we share the truth before we share the Word of God with others God wants to sanctify our heart he wants to sanctify our lives first then were equipped to share our faith with someone else and finally number five reason is part of biblical teaching and sermons acts 17 17 Paul Paul reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers and in the marketplace daily with those who happen to be there he reasoned he discussed because reason is an important piece an integral part of our faith we just need to make sure it is always subject to the Word of God praise the Lord man I this particular lesson was very very relevant to me personally and I know it had to be relevant to you guys because going through this you know hearing pastor Loma King talked about the traditional aspect and of course brother densey talking about the experience and then pastor Kenny with the culture and then of course you with the this reason aspect of Scripture Thursday's lesson is entitled the Bible and it kind of brings all of these kind of ties all of these together but it adds an element in which we have to put in proper perspective the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Scripture because again all of these aspects that we've discussed so far you know there's many people that will say you know what because of my tradition I believe this is Holy Spirit led my experience is this and I know the Holy Spirit led me to experience this you know you know you know in this culture that we live and you know God God's Spirit would not be a you know would not be leading me astray into a culture that's not right and of course in my reasoning in my thoughts and my ideas and and the Holy Spirit's leading and guiding me this particular lesson on Thursday there was a part in here that I have to read it's it's very well put and so I just want to read it right now it says the Holy Spirit who has revealed and inspired content of the Bible two human beings will never lead us contrary to God's Word or astray from the Word of God very simple put but very powerful and it goes on to say for seventh-day Adventist the Bible has a higher authority than human tradition experience reason or culture the Bible alone is the norm by which everything else needs to be tested so hence why this study is entitled the Bible because you have all these different aspects that people are led by but at the end of the day we must allow God's Word and God's Word alone to lead and guide us in fact this is very true for Jesus Christ in the scriptures go with me to John chapter five John chapter five verses 46 and 47 and then we're gonna jump over to John chapter 7 and you'll see that there's a common theme and these two particular texts in relation to how Jesus allowed Scripture to lead his life John chapter 5 verses 46 and 47 Jesus says here for if you believed Moses you would believe me for he wrote about me but if you do not believe his writings how will you believe my words okay so that's John chapter 5 Jesus says is strongly emphasizing the importance of Scripture go back to the Bible study description because if you've read these and of course he's referring to the Old Testament text if you read this Old Testament if you read these scriptures that come before you know that they are testifying of me John chapter 7 verses 37 and 38 very similar context notice what it says here on the last day the great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried out saying if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink he who believes in Me notice this as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of living waters so Christ is always emphasizing God's Word in his preaching and his teaching in his counsel but notice this first off notice notice how Jesus is confirming his divinity and his Messiahship here this is a powerful but it's simple but powerful here notice how he's not showing up on the scene and saying you know hey look look at all these wonderful signs and wonders that I'm working here oh let me turn this water into wine that proves that I'm your Messiah let me raise this guy from the dead surely that proves that I'm your Messiah let me work all these signs and wonders in these miracles surely that is the solidified proof that I am your coming Messiah that's not what we find here Jesus never pointed the people to the signs and the wonders and the experience and the things that they were seeing with their eyes he always pointed them back to the scripture saying look I'm your Messiah why because the Bible confirms it go back to the scripture study the Word of God then you will see that I am indeed your Savior it's powerful you know he's not using in any of these cases he's not using convoluted you know out of thin air spiritualistic relevation to be the basis of his Messiahship he allows the Word of God to be the basis and proof for his for his ministry and his accomplishments and you know I this really hit home for me because I I grew up going you know to many different churches studying with many different denominations but my primary experience growing up in Christianity was in the charismatic Pentecostal churches and I just want to say for the record I love all those people you know there's good people wonderful people in this movement but nonetheless I remember growing up you know much of that experience is is based on personal feeling personal experience and then you'll hear a lot of people say well the Holy Spirit said to me mm-hmm well the Holy Spirit told me well God God said to me last night well God came and told me to give you this message and then you know some of the things that would come out of people's mouths years later I would find out that's not in harmony with God's Word the Holy Spirit will never ever speak to someone and lead them contrary to God's Word and that's what this this Lenten this lesson here on Thursdays lesson is emphasizing the fact that you know mccann have the spiritualistic experience but it leads you to personal philosophies and these secret revelations that you think are coming from God but it's not from the Spirit of God I think of desire of Ages page 671 notice a powerful statement from desire of Ages page 671 through the scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind how does the Holy Spirit Minister us through the scriptures and impress his truth upon the heart thus he exposes error and expels it from the soul it is by the Spirit of Truth I want to emphasize that spirit of truth never will the Holy Spirit again I've said this many times never with the Holy Spirit teach you something give you something or or share something with you that is not in harmony with God's truth that's why it's referred to the Spirit of Truth Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life and of course Jesus said you know sanctify them by thy truth thy Word is truth this particular quote goes on to say it is by the Spirit of Truth working through the Word of God that Christ subdues his chosen people to himself so you know when I hear a brother/sister say you know you know the word did many different evangelistic series and and you know you you meet a lot of different people and you give out you know you send out those public announcements that you're gonna have an evangelistic series and you invite people you want people to come but you never know who's gonna show up and what kind of experience you're gonna have one particular experience comes to my mind where I had done a sermon on the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit and in a small portion of that particular sermon I talked about how you know the gift of speaking in tongues and I noticed this one lady who came she came every night to my evangelistic series but after that particular sermon she didn't come back and so they are too kind of went by and I thought oh this isn't this isn't like her so I called her I said hey you know we're missing you is everything okay and she commenced to tell me well I didn't agree with what you said about that because I speak in tongues and and and and the Holy Spirit speaks through me and the Holy Spirit tells me that what I've experienced is real and I remember asking her but what if what you're experiencing what you're feeling and these revelations that you're receiving from the Spirit of God is not in harmony with God's Word and her response didn't surprise me but yet it did her response was well I'm not sure exactly what all the Bible teaches on this subject but I know what I've experienced and I know what the Holy Spirit has told me even though it's not in harmony with God's Word and so we to be careful because the Bible tells us in first John chapter 4 verse 1 beloved do not believe every spirit but test the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world we need to make sure that the spirit that is that is ministering to us and teaching us and guiding us is that of the Spirit of God and that it's in harmony with God's Word there's no doubt in my mind that a spirit spoke to that woman mm-hmm that she was experiencing something that was real but it was not of the genuine Spirit of God just in closing here I read John chapter 14 verses 26 and also referencing John chapter 16 verses eight thirteen and fourteen we learn what the Bible teaches us about the Holy Spirit and what we can experience from this but the helper the Holy Spirit there's a John 14 verse 26 the helper the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you jesus says so he's not gonna send the Holy Spirit say you're not just going down there and just tell him whatever no no the Holy Spirit ministers to us love the of the word of God John 16 verses 8 verses 13 and 14 says and when he has come he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment however when he the spirit of there it is truth has come he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak of his own authority there it is but whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come he will glorify me for he will take of mine and declare it unto you so there's five things here I'm gonna give I'm gonna use the list here five things and closing really quickly here the Holy Spirit will teach you all things according to Christ's word he will remind you always of God's ways he will reprove that is convict the world of sin he will guide you into all truth and of course number five he always will glorify Christ by revealing his character to you so the ultimate lesson we can learn here is trust in God's Word go back to the Bible and the Holy Spirit will continue to lead you always this is a powerful lesson I've really really enjoyed this because all these aspects that quote that you made just a moment ago tradition experience culture reason don't put any of those above the Bible passage ends your closing thought a closing thought is from John chapter 17 in verse 2 as you have given him authority over all flesh he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him and this is life eternal that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent enter into the experience of knowing the father in the son in your heavy eternal life Thank You mr. Kenny just a quick thought on the counsels to parents and teachers page 323 says the followers of Christ are to be separate from the world in principle and interest but they are not to isolate themselves from the world the Savior mingled constantly with men to uplift and ennoble them something 119 verse 105 we know the scripture your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path God's word illumines our reason our mind our intellect to enable us to understand and share that word with others powerful there was a particular message in Thursday's lesson that I just want to read again it's powerful it says the Holy Spirit this is powerful the Holy Spirit should never be understood to replace the Word of God and that makes perfect sense because it works in harmony with the Word of God right rather he as I says he works in harmony with and through the Bible to draw us to Christ thus making the Bible the only norm for authentic biblical spirituality this lesson is one and I thought I wondered to myself where is this lesson going but if you look at what we've just talked about tradition experience culture reason all are subject to the Word of God I've met so many people Ryan I was really listening from an evangelistic perspective and it's so true the wall against accepting truth has been all these categories but I know what the Spirit said to me well my culture doesn't fit well I mean I've experienced certain things that you also experience so this must be from the Spirit of God well I'm not sure about that let me see what's the reason I should keep the Sabbath hmm it all comes back to the Word of God so all things are from the Word of God sanctify them by your truth he orders truth John 17:17 join us next time for the following study lesson number five by scripture alone Sola scriptura may the Lord bless you tradition experience culture reason may it all lead you to know Christ [Music] you

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Keywords: sabbath school, 3abn sabbath school panel, sabbath school lesson 2020, 3abn, How to interpret Scripture, quarterly, seventh day adventist, bible study, Three Angels Broadcasting Network, yt:quality=high, lesson 4

Id: QLft_7zW41o

Length: 58min 34sec (3514 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 19 2020