WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE

#1 · November 26, 2007, 2:47 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on November 26, 2007, 2:47 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE

November 11, 2007

Evening Service

Text: Psalms 119:97-104

For those who may not be aware, Sunday school has not always been a part of the life of the church. The Sunday school movement did not begin until well into the 1800s, so it is not really a very old institution. The movement began largely in response to the recognition that many Americans, adults and children, were illiterate. Long hours of factory work kept many people from attending or finishing school. Seeing a need in society, Christians responded as they have been doing ever since Jesus completed his saving work and called us to join him in his mission. In response to this need, many churches began offering school on Sunday, hence the name Sunday school.

Among some of the prominent leaders in this movement was Dwight L. Moody. He and others believed strongly that men, women, and children of all ages need to learn Bible truths. One of the basic foundations of the Sunday school movement has been that Gods Word must be carefully and systematically studied by believers of all ages. One poet wrote:

Study it carefully, think of it prayerfully,

Till in your heart its precepts dwell;

Slight not its history, ponder its mystery,

None can eer prize it too fondly or well.

(Author unknown. Taken from Amazing Grace, by Kenneth W. Osbeck, 1990, p. 75)

Another name in the movement was Philip P. Bliss, who was one of the most important hymnists in the development of early gospel music. Wonderful Words of Life was written by Bliss in 1874 for the first issue of a Sunday school paper, Words of Life. His words still speak us about the importance of Gods Word in our daily lives:

Beautiful words, wonderful words,

Wonderful words of Life;

Beautiful words, wonderful words,

Wonderful words of Life.

This hymn we still sing by Philip Bliss is not too different than the thoughts expressed by the Psalmist in Psalm 119:97-104. In fact, the surrounding passages of this longest Psalm also speak of the importance of the Word of God.

In our day, we typically refer to the Word of God as the Bible. The word is derived from the same root as bibliography, which means a collection of books. Thats what the Bible is - a collection of books. Of course, we recognize the specific use of the term Bible to also mean the collection of books recognized as divine in nature.

How is it, though, that we can find assurance that the Bible is really what it says it is? Or that it is really what others say it is? What is it about the Bible that has given men to write that they love to meditate upon it, and that it delivers wonderful words of life? Can we trust it to that extent?

In short, yes we can. But still, the questions arise not only among religious skeptics, but also among professing Christians of various levels of spiritual growth and maturity. In fact, we hear frequent testimonies of university students about academic attacks on the Bible from some professors. Even though we can easily say that we trust the Bible in faith, it is still legitimate to seek reasons in support of this faith and truth. Josh McDowell, writing in Evidence that Demands a Verdict, makes it clear that his faith rests more upon the evidence he found in support of the truth of the Scriptures than in just a faith that is disjointed from reality. Josh came to Christ in faith, but, as he wrote, If I had exercised blind faith, I would have rejected Jesus Christ and turned my back on all the evidence. (p. 10)

To my knowledge, the Bible is the most unique book ever written. I have not read every book written, and I do not know the details of every religion, but I can say truthfully that the Bible presents unique characteristics different from anything I have ever read or have heard about others reading. The Bible is unique in its continuity. It was written over a period of 1,500 years, by more than forty authors. The lives of these authors ranged from kings, philosophers, statesmen, and poets to peasants, servants, slaves, fishermen, and tax collectors. It was written in times of war and in times of peace. It was written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was written, at different times, in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. It was written by authors experiencing great joys and great sorrows. It covers hundreds of controversial subjects.

For all of this, I find no other book that matches the Bibles continuity. I have read a variety of historical fiction novels, many of which trace the life of one family for a few generations. These books are written by one author who has researched periods of history for authenticity. If successful, the author then produces an interesting, readable novel that weaves a fairly consistent story. Some authors succeed better than others. Yet here is the Bible, written as I have already described, that succeeds in uniting the theme of Gods revelation throughout. Bible scholar F. F. Bruce adds, For all that, the Bible is not simply an anthology; there is a unity that binds the whole together. An anthology is compiled by an anthologist, but no anthologist compiled the Bible. (F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments, 1963, p. 88)

Josh McDowell tells the story of a representative of the Great Books of the Western World who was recruiting salespeople for the series. Josh challenged him to take just ten of the authors, all from one walk of life, one generation, one place, one time, one continent, one language, and one subject, and then asked, Would they all agree? No! What would you have? Immediately he said, A conglomeration. Two days later, Josh writes, he committed his life to Christ.

The Bible is unique in its survival. The Bible has been subjected to more scrutiny and vicious attacks than any other book known. It would not be unreasonable to presume that if any group of writings were as persecuted as the Bible, they would not have existed. From local tribal chiefs to emperors of vast domains, the orders have been issued to destroy all Bibles. In AD 303, Roman emperor Diocletian issued orders that all Christians stop worshipping and all Scriptures be destroyed. Yet, twenty five years later, Emperor Constantine ordered that fifty copies of the Bible be prepared at the expense of the government.

The French philosopher Voltaire, who died in 1778, led one attack after another on the Christian faith and the Bible. He said at one point in his life that in one hundred years from his time Christianity would be swept from existence and passed into history. Ironically, fifty years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society used Voltaires printing press and his house to produce stacks of Bibles.

One of the main attacks against Biblical accuracy over the years has been based upon historical gaps. In other words, some place and people names in the Scriptures were not verified in historical research. Subsequently, the Bible is accused of containing errors.

Over and over, though, archaeological and other studies have confirmed the Scriptures. Not every place or tribal name mentioned in the Bible has been discovered, but many new archaeological finds have verified Scriptural places and names that were once believed to be non-existent. Dr. Nelson Glueck, former president of the Jewish Theological Seminary in the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, and a leading archaeologist, once said, Ive been accused of teaching the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scripture. I want it to be understood that I have never taught this. All that I have ever said is that in all of my archaeological investigation I have never found one artifact of iniquity that contradicts any statement of the Word of God. (Quoted by Dr. Earl Radmacher, Dallas, Texas, 1972).

By the end of the 1800s and into the beginning of the 1900s, scholars were beginning to take a critical look at the Bible. Using the same academic skills as they used on other works of literature, they began questioning its authenticity. Many of these scholars were Bible scholars, too! One of the primary outcomes of all this was to claim that the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Pentateuch, were not written by Moses. Instead, they claimed, it was written over a longer period of time by at least four editors. The main reason for this conclusion stemmed from the lack of any proof that a written language was used at the time of Moses. Everything, it was supposed, was passed verbally through storytelling. But later in the twentieth century an artifact known as the black stele was discovered. It contained wedge shaped characters and detailed laws of the Hammurabi, an ancient people who were capable of maintaining written records. The black stele artifact pre-dated the time of Moses, thereby shattering the theory that written language was non-existent during the timeframe of Moses.

During excavations of Jericho from 1930-1936, John Garstang found something so startling that a statement of what was found was prepared and signed by himself and two other members of the team. He states, As to the main fact, then, there remains no doubt: the walls fell outwards so completely that the attackers would be able to clamber up and over their ruins into the city. The archaeologists found this extremely unusual because walls of besieged cities fell inwards, not outwards. Yet Joshua 6:20 reads, The wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city every man straight ahead, and they took the city. The walls were made to fall outward. (John Garstang, The Foundations of Bible history; Joshua, Judges, 1931, p. 146)

For many years, the Gospel of Luke was brought into serious question surrounding the events of Jesus birth in chapter 2:1-3. There was no evidence at the time to support the census, the governorship of Quirinius, or the return of the citizens to their ancestral homes. But archaeological evidence has since been found that documents the regular enrollment and census of their citizens every fourteen years. The procedure began under Emperor Augustus in 23-22 BC and then in 9-8 BC. The last would be the one to which Luke refers. Evidence has been found to show that Quirinius was governor of Syria around 7 BC. An inscription was found in Antioch naming Quirinius to this post at two different times: 7 BC and 6 AD.

Documentation showing the requirement to be enrolled in the city of ancestry was also found. A papyrus was found in Egypt that reads: Because of the approaching census it is necessary that all those residing for any cause away from their homes should at once prepare to return to their own governments in order that they may complete the family registration of the enrollment and that the tilled lands may retain those belonging to them. (John Elder, Prophets, Idols and Diggers, 1960, pp. 159-160, & Joseph Free, Archaeology and the Bible, 1969, p. 285)

These are but a few of the many examples that exist of confirmation after confirmation of Biblical testimony and discovered fact. As impressive as they may be, though, ultimately nothing proves the Bible to be true. I believe that there is more than enough evidence to point to its unerring truth, but the final decision rests with each individual. Although the Bible continues to bear up under the weight of historical proof, or any other kind of proof, the Bible is not a history book or a science book or a book of ethics. It contains all those elements, and many more beside, but in the end, the Bible is an autobiography. It is the self revelation of God; to reduce it to anything less is to diminish its intent, meaning, and very nature. It is God telling us - to the extent we can comprehend - who He is, what He has done, and what He wants us to do in response. Taking back a little bit of what I just said, the Bible is a history book: it is the salvation history of Gods activities in His world and with His people. It is, as we have come to know it through the New Testament authors, the gospel; meaning, the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

170 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

November 11, 2007

Evening Service

Text: Psalms 119:97-104

For those who may not be aware, Sunday school has not always been a part of the life of the church. The Sunday school movement did not begin until well into the 1800s, so it is not really a very old institution. The movement began largely in response to the recognition that many Americans, adults and children, were illiterate. Long hours of factory work kept many people from attending or finishing school. Seeing a need in society, Christians responded as they have been doing ever since Jesus completed his saving work and called us to join him in his mission. In response to this need, many churches began offering school on Sunday, hence the name Sunday school.

Among some of the prominent leaders in this movement was Dwight L. Moody. He and others believed strongly that men, women, and children of all ages need to learn Bible truths. One of the basic foundations of the Sunday school movement has been that Gods Word must be carefully and systematically studied by believers of all ages. One poet wrote:

Study it carefully, think of it prayerfully,

Till in your heart its precepts dwell;

Slight not its history, ponder its mystery,

None can eer prize it too fondly or well.

(Author unknown. Taken from Amazing Grace, by Kenneth W. Osbeck, 1990, p. 75)

Another name in the movement was Philip P. Bliss, who was one of the most important hymnists in the development of early gospel music. Wonderful Words of Life was written by Bliss in 1874 for the first issue of a Sunday school paper, Words of Life. His words still speak us about the importance of Gods Word in our daily lives:

Beautiful words, wonderful words,

Wonderful words of Life;

Beautiful words, wonderful words,

Wonderful words of Life.

This hymn we still sing by Philip Bliss is not too different than the thoughts expressed by the Psalmist in Psalm 119:97-104. In fact, the surrounding passages of this longest Psalm also speak of the importance of the Word of God.

In our day, we typically refer to the Word of God as the Bible. The word is derived from the same root as bibliography, which means a collection of books. Thats what the Bible is - a collection of books. Of course, we recognize the specific use of the term Bible to also mean the collection of books recognized as divine in nature.

How is it, though, that we can find assurance that the Bible is really what it says it is? Or that it is really what others say it is? What is it about the Bible that has given men to write that they love to meditate upon it, and that it delivers wonderful words of life? Can we trust it to that extent?

In short, yes we can. But still, the questions arise not only among religious skeptics, but also among professing Christians of various levels of spiritual growth and maturity. In fact, we hear frequent testimonies of university students about academic attacks on the Bible from some professors. Even though we can easily say that we trust the Bible in faith, it is still legitimate to seek reasons in support of this faith and truth. Josh McDowell, writing in Evidence that Demands a Verdict, makes it clear that his faith rests more upon the evidence he found in support of the truth of the Scriptures than in just a faith that is disjointed from reality. Josh came to Christ in faith, but, as he wrote, If I had exercised blind faith, I would have rejected Jesus Christ and turned my back on all the evidence. (p. 10)

To my knowledge, the Bible is the most unique book ever written. I have not read every book written, and I do not know the details of every religion, but I can say truthfully that the Bible presents unique characteristics different from anything I have ever read or have heard about others reading. The Bible is unique in its continuity. It was written over a period of 1,500 years, by more than forty authors. The lives of these authors ranged from kings, philosophers, statesmen, and poets to peasants, servants, slaves, fishermen, and tax collectors. It was written in times of war and in times of peace. It was written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was written, at different times, in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. It was written by authors experiencing great joys and great sorrows. It covers hundreds of controversial subjects.

For all of this, I find no other book that matches the Bibles continuity. I have read a variety of historical fiction novels, many of which trace the life of one family for a few generations. These books are written by one author who has researched periods of history for authenticity. If successful, the author then produces an interesting, readable novel that weaves a fairly consistent story. Some authors succeed better than others. Yet here is the Bible, written as I have already described, that succeeds in uniting the theme of Gods revelation throughout. Bible scholar F. F. Bruce adds, For all that, the Bible is not simply an anthology; there is a unity that binds the whole together. An anthology is compiled by an anthologist, but no anthologist compiled the Bible. (F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments, 1963, p. 88)

Josh McDowell tells the story of a representative of the Great Books of the Western World who was recruiting salespeople for the series. Josh challenged him to take just ten of the authors, all from one walk of life, one generation, one place, one time, one continent, one language, and one subject, and then asked, Would they all agree? No! What would you have? Immediately he said, A conglomeration. Two days later, Josh writes, he committed his life to Christ.

The Bible is unique in its survival. The Bible has been subjected to more scrutiny and vicious attacks than any other book known. It would not be unreasonable to presume that if any group of writings were as persecuted as the Bible, they would not have existed. From local tribal chiefs to emperors of vast domains, the orders have been issued to destroy all Bibles. In AD 303, Roman emperor Diocletian issued orders that all Christians stop worshipping and all Scriptures be destroyed. Yet, twenty five years later, Emperor Constantine ordered that fifty copies of the Bible be prepared at the expense of the government.

The French philosopher Voltaire, who died in 1778, led one attack after another on the Christian faith and the Bible. He said at one point in his life that in one hundred years from his time Christianity would be swept from existence and passed into history. Ironically, fifty years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society used Voltaires printing press and his house to produce stacks of Bibles.

One of the main attacks against Biblical accuracy over the years has been based upon historical gaps. In other words, some place and people names in the Scriptures were not verified in historical research. Subsequently, the Bible is accused of containing errors.

Over and over, though, archaeological and other studies have confirmed the Scriptures. Not every place or tribal name mentioned in the Bible has been discovered, but many new archaeological finds have verified Scriptural places and names that were once believed to be non-existent. Dr. Nelson Glueck, former president of the Jewish Theological Seminary in the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, and a leading archaeologist, once said, Ive been accused of teaching the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scripture. I want it to be understood that I have never taught this. All that I have ever said is that in all of my archaeological investigation I have never found one artifact of iniquity that contradicts any statement of the Word of God. (Quoted by Dr. Earl Radmacher, Dallas, Texas, 1972).

By the end of the 1800s and into the beginning of the 1900s, scholars were beginning to take a critical look at the Bible. Using the same academic skills as they used on other works of literature, they began questioning its authenticity. Many of these scholars were Bible scholars, too! One of the primary outcomes of all this was to claim that the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Pentateuch, were not written by Moses. Instead, they claimed, it was written over a longer period of time by at least four editors. The main reason for this conclusion stemmed from the lack of any proof that a written language was used at the time of Moses. Everything, it was supposed, was passed verbally through storytelling. But later in the twentieth century an artifact known as the black stele was discovered. It contained wedge shaped characters and detailed laws of the Hammurabi, an ancient people who were capable of maintaining written records. The black stele artifact pre-dated the time of Moses, thereby shattering the theory that written language was non-existent during the timeframe of Moses.

During excavations of Jericho from 1930-1936, John Garstang found something so startling that a statement of what was found was prepared and signed by himself and two other members of the team. He states, As to the main fact, then, there remains no doubt: the walls fell outwards so completely that the attackers would be able to clamber up and over their ruins into the city. The archaeologists found this extremely unusual because walls of besieged cities fell inwards, not outwards. Yet Joshua 6:20 reads, The wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city every man straight ahead, and they took the city. The walls were made to fall outward. (John Garstang, The Foundations of Bible history; Joshua, Judges, 1931, p. 146)

For many years, the Gospel of Luke was brought into serious question surrounding the events of Jesus birth in chapter 2:1-3. There was no evidence at the time to support the census, the governorship of Quirinius, or the return of the citizens to their ancestral homes. But archaeological evidence has since been found that documents the regular enrollment and census of their citizens every fourteen years. The procedure began under Emperor Augustus in 23-22 BC and then in 9-8 BC. The last would be the one to which Luke refers. Evidence has been found to show that Quirinius was governor of Syria around 7 BC. An inscription was found in Antioch naming Quirinius to this post at two different times: 7 BC and 6 AD.

Documentation showing the requirement to be enrolled in the city of ancestry was also found. A papyrus was found in Egypt that reads: Because of the approaching census it is necessary that all those residing for any cause away from their homes should at once prepare to return to their own governments in order that they may complete the family registration of the enrollment and that the tilled lands may retain those belonging to them. (John Elder, Prophets, Idols and Diggers, 1960, pp. 159-160, & Joseph Free, Archaeology and the Bible, 1969, p. 285)

These are but a few of the many examples that exist of confirmation after confirmation of Biblical testimony and discovered fact. As impressive as they may be, though, ultimately nothing proves the Bible to be true. I believe that there is more than enough evidence to point to its unerring truth, but the final decision rests with each individual. Although the Bible continues to bear up under the weight of historical proof, or any other kind of proof, the Bible is not a history book or a science book or a book of ethics. It contains all those elements, and many more beside, but in the end, the Bible is an autobiography. It is the self revelation of God; to reduce it to anything less is to diminish its intent, meaning, and very nature. It is God telling us - to the extent we can comprehend - who He is, what He has done, and what He wants us to do in response. Taking back a little bit of what I just said, the Bible is a history book: it is the salvation history of Gods activities in His world and with His people. It is, as we have come to know it through the New Testament authors, the gospel; meaning, the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

170 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org