WEBVTT 207 00:20:14.994 --> 00:20:18.055 How we doing? Doing all right. Good. 208 00:20:20.255 --> 00:20:24.335 Hey, uh, about two months ago, um, actually almost exactly two months ago, 209 00:20:24.355 --> 00:20:28.535 we welcomed our daughter ever into the world. And, uh, when we did, yeah, 210 00:20:30.425 --> 00:20:32.935 she's sleep in the back. She can't hear you, but you know, go for it. Um, 211 00:20:34.595 --> 00:20:35.895 we welcomed her into the world. 212 00:20:36.175 --> 00:20:40.295 And I think the only people that were more excited than us to have a child were 213 00:20:40.435 --> 00:20:45.055 our friends who had children who had outgrown all their old stuff. 214 00:20:45.075 --> 00:20:47.285 And now they just want to get rid of all of it. Uh, 215 00:20:47.286 --> 00:20:50.205 they couldn't wait to come to our house and drop stuff off on our front door. 216 00:20:50.275 --> 00:20:54.685 Many of you guys did exactly that. We're super grateful for you. Um, but also, 217 00:20:55.125 --> 00:20:59.205 uh, the grandparents as well. Uh, specifically my wife's parents. Uh, 218 00:20:59.305 --> 00:21:00.965 one weekend while Morgan was still pregnant, 219 00:21:00.966 --> 00:21:04.165 we went over to my in-Law's house and uh, I'm asleep. 220 00:21:04.445 --> 00:21:06.005 I wake up later than everybody else, 221 00:21:06.265 --> 00:21:09.525 and I walk into the living room and I go in the living room and there's just all 222 00:21:09.526 --> 00:21:12.885 this furniture everywhere, like all this baby furniture. Uh, 223 00:21:12.965 --> 00:21:16.405 I looked around and there was a crib, there was a cradle, 224 00:21:16.705 --> 00:21:19.685 and there was this changing table. And I see it and I'm like, 225 00:21:20.734 --> 00:21:23.945 what are we gonna do with all this? Right? Because, uh, 226 00:21:24.065 --> 00:21:27.065 I see all the furniture that's around the house. And, uh, 227 00:21:27.085 --> 00:21:29.065 her parents start to explain to us, uh, 228 00:21:29.066 --> 00:21:32.185 this was Morgan's like crib from when she was a baby, 229 00:21:32.605 --> 00:21:34.705 and it was her cradle and it was her changing table. 230 00:21:34.765 --> 00:21:38.425 And they always had this dream that one day that when Morgan had kids, 231 00:21:38.426 --> 00:21:42.225 that we would use that furniture for her kids. Uh, 232 00:21:42.226 --> 00:21:43.905 and so we're looking around at all of it, like, man, 233 00:21:43.906 --> 00:21:45.905 that's super sweet and super sentimental and all that other stuff. 234 00:21:45.925 --> 00:21:48.385 But the only thing I can think of in my mind is this, 235 00:21:48.535 --> 00:21:51.185 none of this matches like the color scheme. 236 00:21:52.135 --> 00:21:55.545 None of it goes along with like the Pinterest board that my wife made. 237 00:21:55.546 --> 00:21:58.385 None of it goes along with the stuff on the registry. And so like, 238 00:21:58.545 --> 00:22:01.585 this is a really sweet gesture, but, but what are we gonna do with all of it? 239 00:22:02.025 --> 00:22:04.865 Uh, because we had this idea of all these like bright pastel colors, 240 00:22:04.965 --> 00:22:07.865 but this is kinda like a darker brown, you know what I mean? I'm like, 241 00:22:07.866 --> 00:22:10.385 it's just, it feels like it's gonna clash, but we didn't wanna be mean. 242 00:22:10.386 --> 00:22:12.265 We didn't wanna say no, all this stuff. So anyway, 243 00:22:12.266 --> 00:22:15.105 we're having some conversation about it, and eventually the truth comes out. 244 00:22:15.106 --> 00:22:18.465 They're like, Hey, listen, um, we don't really care what you do with it. 245 00:22:18.855 --> 00:22:20.145 Just get it out of our house. 246 00:22:20.255 --> 00:22:22.865 Like we've been holding onto it for almost 30 years. 247 00:22:22.965 --> 00:22:24.425 We just want to get rid of the stuff, right? 248 00:22:24.484 --> 00:22:28.105 So they load it all up in the truck, they drive it from Wilmington to Fuke Way, 249 00:22:28.106 --> 00:22:30.025 and they drop it off at our house. Uh, 250 00:22:30.165 --> 00:22:33.225 and I remember we had all this stuff and we, our brains are turning. We're like, 251 00:22:33.226 --> 00:22:35.025 what do we do with all this? And so, uh, one day Morgan, 252 00:22:35.035 --> 00:22:39.025 she's at TJ Maxx and she finds this gold mirror and she's like, man, 253 00:22:39.026 --> 00:22:42.425 this mirror would look really good if it went along with the crib. 254 00:22:42.525 --> 00:22:45.744 And if we changed kind of the design and the layout that we had for the room. 255 00:22:46.365 --> 00:22:49.345 So she bring brings it home, we start thinking through it like, man, this, 256 00:22:49.455 --> 00:22:52.825 this actually could be pretty cool. So I have a picture of it here. 257 00:22:52.826 --> 00:22:55.744 This is a picture of our nursery now. Um, 258 00:22:56.005 --> 00:22:59.065 and so there's like these gold accents and you have the, uh, 259 00:22:59.165 --> 00:23:01.385 you have the crib in there and you have the green. 260 00:23:01.455 --> 00:23:04.585 It's kind of got this kind of like speakeasy vibe to it, you know what I mean? 261 00:23:04.586 --> 00:23:08.345 Like we, it's our favorite room in the house now. Uh, but that's the crib. 262 00:23:08.346 --> 00:23:10.385 That's what we decided to do with it. We realized, man, 263 00:23:10.386 --> 00:23:13.945 we can actually redesign the room in order to fit the crib. 264 00:23:14.125 --> 00:23:17.945 Now we also had the cradle. Now lemme tell you something about the cradle. Okay? 265 00:23:18.545 --> 00:23:22.825 Um, it's just very similar to the crib. It's wooden. It's kind of big and bulky. 266 00:23:22.925 --> 00:23:25.145 But when we were at the hospital, they put ever, 267 00:23:25.146 --> 00:23:28.105 when she was born in the little like rolling bassinet thing, 268 00:23:28.125 --> 00:23:28.958 you know what I'm talking about? 269 00:23:29.325 --> 00:23:32.345 And I remember we were walking around with her in the hospital like, man, 270 00:23:32.346 --> 00:23:35.225 this thing is great. It's mobile. Like we can, if we gotta go to the kitchen, 271 00:23:35.275 --> 00:23:36.625 we're good. If we have to go to the living room, 272 00:23:36.744 --> 00:23:38.225 if we need to bring her into our room, we can do all that. 273 00:23:38.244 --> 00:23:40.945 So I'm sitting in the hospital, I pull my phone out, 274 00:23:41.065 --> 00:23:43.545 I order a rolling bassinet before we get home. 275 00:23:43.575 --> 00:23:46.244 It's waiting for us on our doorstep when we get there. Uh, 276 00:23:46.345 --> 00:23:51.085 but now we have this wooden cradle that's not easy to move around. 277 00:23:51.185 --> 00:23:55.165 It just kind of takes up some space. Um, it would probably serve somebody well, 278 00:23:55.265 --> 00:24:00.005 but not us. Uh, and so here's a picture of the cradle. It's, um, 279 00:24:00.405 --> 00:24:04.285 disassembled , and it's sitting in our office kind of collecting dust. 280 00:24:04.385 --> 00:24:06.765 Now, when I started telling you about all the furniture that we got, 281 00:24:06.865 --> 00:24:08.765 we also received this changing table. 282 00:24:09.305 --> 00:24:12.565 And the changing table was pretty worn down. It was pretty old. 283 00:24:12.565 --> 00:24:15.205 There was like some water stains on it. We realized, man, 284 00:24:15.206 --> 00:24:18.125 we're probably not gonna be able to use this. This is probably just trash. 285 00:24:18.865 --> 00:24:21.645 But we didn't dump it out. It's actually still sitting in the, in-laws attic. 286 00:24:21.646 --> 00:24:24.965 They're doing a great job holding on to us. Please don't ever change. Um, 287 00:24:26.795 --> 00:24:28.895 but I was sitting there, I was sitting in the office the other day, 288 00:24:28.896 --> 00:24:31.095 and I saw that cradle sitting in the corner of the room. 289 00:24:31.096 --> 00:24:33.815 And I started thinking to myself, I'm like, man, I'm working on this message. 290 00:24:33.835 --> 00:24:37.015 And we're, we're talking about the Bible. And I realized, uh, 291 00:24:37.155 --> 00:24:41.815 our approach or the way we accept the scriptures can fall 292 00:24:41.925 --> 00:24:45.415 into, uh, the same way that we think about the crib, the cradle, 293 00:24:45.416 --> 00:24:47.875 and the changing table. I think for some of us, 294 00:24:47.895 --> 00:24:52.494 we think the Bible is like the changing table. It's old, it's worn down. 295 00:24:53.695 --> 00:24:56.865 It's, it's really like not all that appealing. And the truth is, 296 00:24:57.025 --> 00:24:59.665 is we could probably just throw it out and nobody would miss it. 297 00:25:00.734 --> 00:25:03.545 Then there are others of us who would treat it kind of like the cradle. Like, 298 00:25:03.546 --> 00:25:05.225 Hey, it might be useful for some people. 299 00:25:06.475 --> 00:25:08.945 There might be some stuff that we could eventually use it for. 300 00:25:08.946 --> 00:25:11.265 Maybe if we keep it around the house long enough, 301 00:25:11.275 --> 00:25:14.545 we'll think to get it out of the corner or go into the room and grab it and dust 302 00:25:14.546 --> 00:25:16.305 it off, and then maybe we can decide to use it one day. 303 00:25:17.855 --> 00:25:20.475 But I really think about it this way, and I, I, 304 00:25:20.615 --> 00:25:24.355 my prayer for us as a church is that we would all kind of start to think about 305 00:25:24.356 --> 00:25:26.815 it like the crib that like, 306 00:25:26.816 --> 00:25:31.455 even though it doesn't seem to fit in to begin with that, think about this. 307 00:25:31.475 --> 00:25:35.655 We didn't like throw out the crib. We too quickly. 308 00:25:36.005 --> 00:25:36.975 Instead we said, Hey, 309 00:25:36.976 --> 00:25:40.655 what if we reoriented the nursery to fit the crib instead of the other way 310 00:25:40.656 --> 00:25:41.489 around? 311 00:25:42.095 --> 00:25:46.635 So what if we took our lives and reoriented our lives around the scriptures 312 00:25:47.145 --> 00:25:49.595 instead of trying to make the scriptures fit around us? 313 00:25:50.755 --> 00:25:53.005 That would be a beautiful thing. I, I genuinely believe that. 314 00:25:53.125 --> 00:25:55.244 And so over the course of this series, uh, two weeks ago, 315 00:25:55.245 --> 00:25:56.645 what we talked about was is, uh, 316 00:25:56.646 --> 00:26:00.405 we looked at the story of King Josiah and how when we rediscover the word of 317 00:26:00.425 --> 00:26:05.365 God, that it leads us into a transformative walk in our relationship with him. 318 00:26:05.625 --> 00:26:09.244 And then last week, Jason gave us the overarching narrative of scripture. 319 00:26:09.345 --> 00:26:13.244 He taught us how from beginning to end the Bible is one grand story that points 320 00:26:13.245 --> 00:26:16.885 us towards Jesus. So if the Bible, the purpose of it, 321 00:26:16.945 --> 00:26:21.725 if the purpose of the Bible is to point us to and make us like Jesus, 322 00:26:21.835 --> 00:26:25.765 well then why do so many of us treat it like the changing table or the cradle? 323 00:26:26.595 --> 00:26:30.685 Why do we throw it out? Why do we treat it like it's not important? 324 00:26:32.285 --> 00:26:36.545 The reason for this is because we have an active enemy who wants you to believe 325 00:26:36.615 --> 00:26:40.765 that it's not useful to you. Over the course of this series, 326 00:26:40.766 --> 00:26:43.845 we've been referring to the Bible as the word of the Lord. 327 00:26:43.905 --> 00:26:48.605 And so Satan's goal is that you would see the word of the Lord as 328 00:26:48.615 --> 00:26:52.855 irrelevant and outdated and not useful for your life. That's his strategy, 329 00:26:53.315 --> 00:26:56.175 and it's been his strategy ever since the beginning. If you have your Bible, 330 00:26:56.195 --> 00:26:58.935 go ahead and turn to Genesis chapter three. Uh, 331 00:26:59.005 --> 00:27:01.175 I'll give you a minute to get there. If you hit revelation, 332 00:27:01.176 --> 00:27:05.855 you went way too far. It's okay. Um, but this is the very beginning of time. 333 00:27:05.856 --> 00:27:07.655 And if this passage sounds familiar to you, 334 00:27:07.685 --> 00:27:11.015 it's a very familiar passage of scripture. Uh, if you do the Bible in a year, 335 00:27:11.205 --> 00:27:14.335 it's like day two or three. So you've probably hit it before. Um, 336 00:27:14.336 --> 00:27:15.855 but also Jason talked about it last week, right? 337 00:27:15.856 --> 00:27:19.015 And so this is the moment when sin enters into the world. 338 00:27:19.295 --> 00:27:21.855 And I know you might be super familiar with this, but man, 339 00:27:22.035 --> 00:27:24.494 one of the things we're gonna talk about today is how the word of God is living 340 00:27:24.555 --> 00:27:25.388 and active. 341 00:27:25.515 --> 00:27:28.255 So just lean in for a minute because you might notice something that you've 342 00:27:28.256 --> 00:27:32.545 never noticed before. Okay, starting in verse one, it says, now the serpent, 343 00:27:32.565 --> 00:27:34.105 who is Satan, our enemy, 344 00:27:34.325 --> 00:27:39.065 he was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. 345 00:27:39.805 --> 00:27:42.025 And he said to the woman, Eve, Hey, 346 00:27:42.125 --> 00:27:46.465 did God actually say that you shall not eat of any tree in the garden? 347 00:27:47.125 --> 00:27:48.465 And the woman said to the serpent, 348 00:27:48.825 --> 00:27:51.744 we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 349 00:27:51.945 --> 00:27:54.625 you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden. 350 00:27:54.734 --> 00:27:57.385 Neither shall you touch it lest you die. 351 00:27:58.925 --> 00:28:02.855 But the serpent said to the woman, you'll not surely die, 352 00:28:04.065 --> 00:28:06.165 for God knows that when you eat of it, 353 00:28:06.166 --> 00:28:09.645 your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil. 354 00:28:09.825 --> 00:28:13.325 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight 355 00:28:13.326 --> 00:28:17.484 to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, 356 00:28:17.905 --> 00:28:19.484 she took of its fruit and ate. 357 00:28:20.315 --> 00:28:23.655 And she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 358 00:28:24.435 --> 00:28:27.725 Then the eyes of both were open and they knew that they were naked, 359 00:28:27.865 --> 00:28:31.484 and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 360 00:28:32.295 --> 00:28:35.155 And they heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden in the cool of day. 361 00:28:35.156 --> 00:28:39.515 And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among 362 00:28:39.516 --> 00:28:42.075 the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, 363 00:28:42.355 --> 00:28:45.935 where are you? Adam responded. And he said, 364 00:28:45.975 --> 00:28:47.255 I heard the sound of you in the garden. 365 00:28:47.256 --> 00:28:50.295 And I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. 366 00:28:51.805 --> 00:28:56.785 God asked him, who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, 367 00:28:56.786 --> 00:29:01.745 which I commanded you not to eat? The man said, the woman who you gave me, 368 00:29:02.405 --> 00:29:05.345 she gave me the fruit of the tree and I ate. 369 00:29:06.885 --> 00:29:10.215 Then the Lord God said to the woman, what is it that you have done? 370 00:29:10.235 --> 00:29:13.695 And the woman said, the serpent deceived me. And I ate. 371 00:29:16.095 --> 00:29:19.715 The first description that the Bible gives us for Satan, our adversary, 372 00:29:19.895 --> 00:29:24.825 is that he's crafty. That's just a way of saying, Hey, he's got a plan. 373 00:29:25.175 --> 00:29:27.985 He's scheming behind the scenes and he's really good at it. 374 00:29:29.305 --> 00:29:30.915 He's naturally deceptive, 375 00:29:30.916 --> 00:29:35.115 and there's a way that we as humans are susceptible to his craftiness. 376 00:29:36.435 --> 00:29:39.775 And so let's just, let's reverse engineer this story for just a second. 377 00:29:40.605 --> 00:29:44.615 Satan's goal is he sees Adam and Eve walking in the garden with God in the 378 00:29:44.775 --> 00:29:47.375 cooler today. There is perfect unity. His goal is, Hey, 379 00:29:47.595 --> 00:29:50.175 how do I create separation between them? 380 00:29:50.555 --> 00:29:54.575 How do I separate humanity from God? And his strategy is, well, 381 00:29:54.576 --> 00:29:59.375 if I can convince them that the word of God is wrong or bad or 382 00:29:59.376 --> 00:30:00.815 doesn't want what's best for them, 383 00:30:01.045 --> 00:30:04.935 well then eventually I can convince them of something that will draw them away 384 00:30:04.936 --> 00:30:09.855 from their intimacy with God. And this has been his strategy ever since. 385 00:30:11.115 --> 00:30:13.875 I think the reason why we have so many questions about the Bible, 386 00:30:14.195 --> 00:30:16.115 I think the reason why we have so many doubts about the Bible, 387 00:30:16.515 --> 00:30:20.555 I think the reason why this book seems to be on trial all the time is because 388 00:30:20.685 --> 00:30:23.955 Satan is still using the same strategy that he used in the garden. 389 00:30:24.575 --> 00:30:27.795 If I can convince people that there's something wrong with this book, 390 00:30:27.865 --> 00:30:30.595 well then maybe I can convince them that there's something wrong with the author 391 00:30:32.765 --> 00:30:34.845 in this strategy. It works, right? It it, 392 00:30:34.846 --> 00:30:39.125 we see the way it plays out in the garden, but it's very similar in 2024, 393 00:30:40.215 --> 00:30:44.485 right? The question is, did God really say in Genesis Pen in 2024, it's, oh, 394 00:30:44.486 --> 00:30:48.245 come on. You don't really believe that. Do you? Listen, 395 00:30:48.405 --> 00:30:51.405 I know the word of God says that Jesus is the only way to the Father, 396 00:30:51.505 --> 00:30:56.005 but that's so exclusive. You're smarter than that. Surely, right? Surely, 397 00:30:56.025 --> 00:31:00.165 all religions lead to God or you, you won't die. Just, just take the fruit, 398 00:31:00.355 --> 00:31:01.925 take a bite, take the bait. 399 00:31:02.105 --> 00:31:06.245 You really subscribe to the Bible sexual ethic in 2024. Are you kidding me? 400 00:31:06.246 --> 00:31:10.305 That's so outdated and so antiquated. Hey, 401 00:31:10.325 --> 00:31:11.985 did you know that if you do, uh, 402 00:31:12.145 --> 00:31:15.225 a study of the Bible and you actually look at the original language, 403 00:31:15.226 --> 00:31:18.225 you realize Jesus didn't teach anything about hell? He, 404 00:31:18.325 --> 00:31:20.425 he actually doesn't say that anybody goes to hell, 405 00:31:20.426 --> 00:31:23.505 that nobody is punished for their sin. Come on. Well, besides, 406 00:31:23.635 --> 00:31:26.305 would a loving God really send anybody to hell? 407 00:31:29.815 --> 00:31:34.715 Our modern unraveling of scripture is just a modern remix of the drama from the 408 00:31:34.716 --> 00:31:35.549 garden. 409 00:31:36.705 --> 00:31:40.475 Satan's goal is to get us to question the word of God, 410 00:31:40.476 --> 00:31:42.755 because then we challenge the authority of God. 411 00:31:42.815 --> 00:31:45.515 So here's the first thing that I want us to accept. 412 00:31:45.795 --> 00:31:50.035 It's this is that the Bible is the ultimate authority because it has the 413 00:31:50.275 --> 00:31:51.108 ultimate author. 414 00:31:52.505 --> 00:31:56.765 We don't just trust this book because churches all around the world stand on 415 00:31:56.766 --> 00:32:01.265 stages on Sundays and say, Hey, you should believe it 'cause why not? No. 416 00:32:01.266 --> 00:32:03.505 We believe in this book because of the authorship, 417 00:32:03.615 --> 00:32:08.305 because we trust that God is the one who inspired every word on 418 00:32:08.315 --> 00:32:12.625 every page. But Satan's goal is doubt the book, doubt the author. 419 00:32:13.655 --> 00:32:17.075 So today what I wanna do is I want to expose four lies about the Bible, 420 00:32:18.095 --> 00:32:21.395 and I wanna replace them with four truths about God. 421 00:32:21.505 --> 00:32:24.235 Because I think if we trust the character of God, 422 00:32:24.265 --> 00:32:28.755 then we will trust the word of God. So let's start here. Here's truth. 423 00:32:28.995 --> 00:32:31.715 Or I'm sorry, here's lie number one, the not lie. 424 00:32:31.915 --> 00:32:34.675 The first lie many of us believe is that the Bible is full of errors, 425 00:32:35.055 --> 00:32:37.945 so it can't be trusted. Uh, 426 00:32:37.985 --> 00:32:40.965 I wanna start here because it's probably the most practical and honestly 427 00:32:41.285 --> 00:32:43.325 probably one of the easiest to refute, um, 428 00:32:43.326 --> 00:32:47.365 because there's been a ton of work on the topic, like so much work, 429 00:32:47.585 --> 00:32:50.845 too much work that we don't have enough time to get into all of it today. 430 00:32:51.065 --> 00:32:52.805 But here's a couple of things that I want to, 431 00:32:52.885 --> 00:32:55.245 I just want you to have in the back of your mind as we continue to talk about 432 00:32:55.246 --> 00:32:56.325 this, okay? Uh, 433 00:32:56.335 --> 00:33:01.325 first is that there are people who are way smarter than me who have done 434 00:33:01.326 --> 00:33:05.605 the work of confirming that the Bible that we have in our hands is the same as 435 00:33:05.606 --> 00:33:10.205 the Bible. That the early church had that not much, if anything at all, 436 00:33:10.305 --> 00:33:13.125 has changed. That there are no ever, uh, no errors, if any, 437 00:33:13.305 --> 00:33:17.685 and that despite any errors that there may be in the translation process, 438 00:33:18.405 --> 00:33:22.125 uh, none of them affect the message of the Bible in any way, shape, 439 00:33:22.185 --> 00:33:25.845 or form that is critical or debilitating to the Christian message overall. 440 00:33:25.985 --> 00:33:28.805 So I just want you to imagine that you are having a conversation with someone 441 00:33:28.825 --> 00:33:31.885 who speaks a different language and there's a translator in the middle. Um, 442 00:33:32.105 --> 00:33:36.645 the translator is not like, Hey, let me ruin some people's lives today. Like, 443 00:33:36.965 --> 00:33:39.725 that's, that's not the goal. The work of the translators is, Hey, 444 00:33:39.745 --> 00:33:43.765 let me communicate this from one language into another in a way that makes sense 445 00:33:44.025 --> 00:33:48.085 to the hearer and that translates well. In fact, 446 00:33:48.225 --> 00:33:51.725 if there is any margin of error in that entire process, 447 00:33:52.705 --> 00:33:57.125 the leading scholars in the world who deal with this will agree that the margin 448 00:33:57.185 --> 00:33:59.765 of error is less than a quarter of a percent. 449 00:34:00.065 --> 00:34:03.725 And most of that has to do with spelling and grammatical errors and stuff like 450 00:34:03.726 --> 00:34:07.125 that. So there's nothing that changes the overall message of the Bible. 451 00:34:07.185 --> 00:34:10.925 On top of that, there's historical accuracy that the Bible is true. Uh, 452 00:34:10.926 --> 00:34:13.364 so archeologists, the longer they dig, 453 00:34:13.745 --> 00:34:16.645 and I actually think this is like a physical principle that we can apply to our 454 00:34:16.885 --> 00:34:20.965 spiritual lives, the longer they dig, the more it affirms Scripture, 455 00:34:21.585 --> 00:34:25.085 not like denies any of its realities. Here's a fact. Uh, 456 00:34:25.405 --> 00:34:28.165 there are places all across the world where they have been able to determine, 457 00:34:28.265 --> 00:34:33.005 hey, uh, Jericho was a city that had these massive walls that were destroyed. 458 00:34:33.565 --> 00:34:33.566 Uh, 459 00:34:33.566 --> 00:34:37.445 there's a way you can point back to and see that there was some historical event 460 00:34:37.585 --> 00:34:42.045 in Babylon where there was a mass confusion of languages. There's, uh, 461 00:34:42.055 --> 00:34:45.685 areas where they believe Sodom and Gomorrah was where you can see that man, 462 00:34:45.686 --> 00:34:49.725 there was some sort of fiery desolation that happened here at some point. 463 00:34:49.985 --> 00:34:52.285 But on top of all of that, and uh, 464 00:34:52.395 --> 00:34:55.805 there's a mountain of evidence that says these things actually happened. 465 00:34:56.114 --> 00:35:00.285 There's no evidence to say they didn't happen. What do I mean by that? 466 00:35:00.465 --> 00:35:03.885 For example, let's say if I told my wife, Hey, I was home at two 30 yesterday, 467 00:35:03.886 --> 00:35:07.605 but she checks the ring cam and realizes Aaron's car wasn't in the driveway. 468 00:35:08.195 --> 00:35:09.765 Well, now she has cause, right? 469 00:35:10.565 --> 00:35:14.505 But there's never been anything in all of history that says the car wasn't in 470 00:35:14.506 --> 00:35:18.114 the driveway. There's always something they can point back to and says, man, 471 00:35:18.115 --> 00:35:21.195 we have a lot more proof that this did happen than it didn't. Now again, 472 00:35:21.196 --> 00:35:22.515 we don't have time to get into all that today. 473 00:35:22.735 --> 00:35:25.915 We actually had this conversation a couple of years ago. Um, 474 00:35:25.916 --> 00:35:30.635 we did a series called Asking for a Friend, and there was a message on May 8th, 475 00:35:30.635 --> 00:35:34.355 2022 called Is the Bible Reliable? Highly recommend it. 476 00:35:34.375 --> 00:35:36.795 Go back and watch it for yourself. You can find it on YouTube, 477 00:35:36.915 --> 00:35:39.965 it's on our website. Anywhere you listen to podcasts, you can go listen to that. 478 00:35:40.065 --> 00:35:43.925 And it's like 30 minutes of nerding out about how we know that the Bible is 479 00:35:43.926 --> 00:35:47.285 true. Okay? So that's there for you. But I also wanna let you know, 480 00:35:47.305 --> 00:35:50.485 the Bible doesn't try to hide anything from you. 481 00:35:51.565 --> 00:35:54.455 Like the Bible's not trying to convince you that it's anything that it's not. 482 00:35:55.585 --> 00:35:56.418 Uh, in other words, 483 00:35:56.445 --> 00:35:59.864 the Bible is not like a magician using sleight of hand to be like, ah, 484 00:35:59.905 --> 00:36:02.905 I got you, I tricked you. Right? No, everything is there. 485 00:36:04.094 --> 00:36:06.015 And the work of the translators, uh, 486 00:36:06.085 --> 00:36:08.895 they include a lot of those details in there as well. 487 00:36:08.995 --> 00:36:10.055 So I'll give you an example. 488 00:36:10.114 --> 00:36:14.015 If you open your Bible and turn to Matthew chapter 18, verse 11, 489 00:36:15.605 --> 00:36:18.735 you'll notice something weird. It's not there. 490 00:36:20.364 --> 00:36:24.945 If you open your Bible, you go to Matthew chapter 18, and you have verses 9, 10, 491 00:36:24.945 --> 00:36:29.585 12, and 13. Well, where's verse 11? , what happened to it? 492 00:36:29.795 --> 00:36:30.605 Lemme tell you, 493 00:36:30.605 --> 00:36:34.225 you actually will find it if you have a King James or a New King James version 494 00:36:34.226 --> 00:36:34.725 of the Bible. 495 00:36:34.725 --> 00:36:38.785 And there's reason for this that's actually listed in most Bibles that you 496 00:36:38.985 --> 00:36:41.344 probably have in your hand right now. If you look down at the bottom, 497 00:36:41.345 --> 00:36:43.665 there's a little footnote in there that says, Hey, listen, 498 00:36:44.005 --> 00:36:48.425 we have reason to believe that some of the earliest versions of this verse, 499 00:36:48.426 --> 00:36:51.545 like the earliest version that people had of the Bible, uh, 500 00:36:51.546 --> 00:36:55.385 some of them didn't include that verse. And we've done a lot of work, 501 00:36:55.475 --> 00:36:57.305 we've done a lot of grueling research, 502 00:36:57.364 --> 00:37:02.145 and we really can't determine if it's supposed to be in there or not. So, uh, 503 00:37:02.275 --> 00:37:05.985 based on all of our knowledge and our research and all the hard work we've done, 504 00:37:05.986 --> 00:37:09.864 we've decided it's probably best to pull it because it's not in the most 505 00:37:09.865 --> 00:37:11.825 reputable copies of the Bible that we have, 506 00:37:12.445 --> 00:37:14.665 but we're not just gonna hide it from you. 507 00:37:14.875 --> 00:37:17.785 We're gonna number it verse 11 and put it in the footnotes. 508 00:37:17.786 --> 00:37:20.025 So if you wanna do more research on your own, you can. 509 00:37:21.114 --> 00:37:24.965 Same thing is true of John chapter seven, verse 53 through eight 11. 510 00:37:25.505 --> 00:37:29.085 If you go on your Bible, this is a very common story. It's a story of, uh, 511 00:37:29.086 --> 00:37:31.364 the woman being caught in the act of adultery, right? 512 00:37:31.505 --> 00:37:34.725 Let him who's without sin cast the first stone. If you go in your Bible, 513 00:37:34.995 --> 00:37:37.685 most Bibles have a little detail in there that says, listen, 514 00:37:37.825 --> 00:37:42.125 the earliest versions of the text that we can find don't include this story, 515 00:37:43.005 --> 00:37:44.864 but through all of our research, one, 516 00:37:44.865 --> 00:37:47.905 we agree there's nothing in there that would contradict that this possibly 517 00:37:48.225 --> 00:37:51.465 happened. You know, the reason why they don't include it in the Book of John, 518 00:37:51.466 --> 00:37:52.864 or at least why they include this detail, 519 00:37:53.745 --> 00:37:58.235 it's because they don't know for sure if John wrote it or if a follower of John 520 00:37:58.405 --> 00:38:01.955 wrote it later on when he was recalling Jesus' life. So again, 521 00:38:01.956 --> 00:38:04.635 there are little moments in there where they may have some questions, 522 00:38:04.695 --> 00:38:08.155 but they're not trying to trick you at all. In fact, 523 00:38:08.156 --> 00:38:10.715 they give you more information than you need to say. 524 00:38:10.716 --> 00:38:12.675 If you wanna do the research yourself, go for it. 525 00:38:12.676 --> 00:38:14.715 But here's the way that we landed on what we have. Why? 526 00:38:14.716 --> 00:38:18.715 Because they care that the Bible you have in your hand is the Bible that you 527 00:38:18.716 --> 00:38:22.695 always intended to have. Here's the truth about truth. 528 00:38:23.645 --> 00:38:28.225 It's not afraid of a little investigation. It in truth isn't a concept, 529 00:38:28.535 --> 00:38:31.395 it's a person God is truth. 530 00:38:32.295 --> 00:38:37.245 Jesus says in John 14, six that he is the way, the truth and the life. 531 00:38:37.505 --> 00:38:42.045 So here's the truth that we need to know about God that replaces any lie that we 532 00:38:42.046 --> 00:38:45.255 have about whether or not this Bible is true. Simply put, 533 00:38:45.475 --> 00:38:48.505 God loves you and he's sovereign. 534 00:38:49.295 --> 00:38:53.475 So the Bible you have in your hand is the Bible he wants you to have. Listen, 535 00:38:53.725 --> 00:38:57.755 God's not telling you to check your brain at the door whenever you interact with 536 00:38:57.756 --> 00:39:01.475 his word, he's saying no, engage with it, investigate it, ask your questions, 537 00:39:01.495 --> 00:39:04.555 and that's all okay. But as much as he's inviting you into the process, 538 00:39:04.875 --> 00:39:07.715 I actually get more comfort knowing that he's in the process. 539 00:39:08.094 --> 00:39:11.435 And he has been since the beginning of time to make sure that this book ends up 540 00:39:11.436 --> 00:39:14.315 in your lap, just the way that he intended for it to be there. 541 00:39:15.555 --> 00:39:18.725 With all the truths that we talk about. I want to tie them to scripture. 542 00:39:19.305 --> 00:39:21.885 And for this one, I wanna point you to Psalm 33, 4, 543 00:39:21.886 --> 00:39:26.885 which says that the word of the Lord is upright and all his work is 544 00:39:26.955 --> 00:39:28.005 done in faithfulness. 545 00:39:28.995 --> 00:39:32.575 If he trusts that God is good and that he's faithful, 546 00:39:32.576 --> 00:39:34.895 well then we can trust that the Bible that we have is the Bible. 547 00:39:34.965 --> 00:39:39.355 He's always intended for you to have Lie Number two is that the Bible doesn't 548 00:39:39.415 --> 00:39:43.675 fit into today's culture or society. So I don't have to agree with all of it. 549 00:39:44.195 --> 00:39:46.864 , listen, here's the problem with this lie 550 00:39:48.475 --> 00:39:53.295 to say that God's word is so antiquated that it can't keep up with an 551 00:39:53.296 --> 00:39:55.215 ever changing, ever evolving world, 552 00:39:55.635 --> 00:40:00.015 is to then say that culture is actually the most powerful entity in the world, 553 00:40:00.395 --> 00:40:01.228 not God. 554 00:40:02.364 --> 00:40:05.785 So if we say men culture keeps changing and the Bible can't keep up, well, 555 00:40:05.786 --> 00:40:09.905 now you're placing culture with a higher voice and a higher uh, 556 00:40:09.906 --> 00:40:12.864 authority than we do with God. Lemme tell you something, 557 00:40:12.865 --> 00:40:15.545 I dunno if you know this or not, but the Roman empire fell. 558 00:40:17.025 --> 00:40:20.275 Michael Jackson is no longer at the top of the billboard, top 100, 559 00:40:21.465 --> 00:40:25.645 the Motorola Razor is no longer the most popular phone that people have in their 560 00:40:25.646 --> 00:40:30.525 pockets. In 1882, a philosopher named, uh, Frederick Nietzsche said, 561 00:40:30.885 --> 00:40:32.885 uh, he coined the phrase, God is dead. 562 00:40:32.985 --> 00:40:37.045 It was this big philosophical and cultural milestone moment. You know, 563 00:40:37.046 --> 00:40:41.325 who is dead? Nietzsche , he's not there. 564 00:40:41.864 --> 00:40:45.045 But till this day, you can go and visit Jesus's tomb. And guess what? 565 00:40:45.046 --> 00:40:49.955 His body isn't there. Because the truth is, is that as much as culture changes, 566 00:40:50.735 --> 00:40:54.955 God is consistent. But come on, Aaron, man, there's so much stuff in there. 567 00:40:54.956 --> 00:40:59.755 The Bible talks about slavery and women and sexuality and incest and polygamy 568 00:40:59.955 --> 00:41:03.795 and all these different ways that we would never tolerate in our culture today. 569 00:41:03.815 --> 00:41:05.114 And you're absolutely right. 570 00:41:06.925 --> 00:41:11.344 But something we need to know about the Bible is that the Bible was written for 571 00:41:11.345 --> 00:41:15.765 you, but it wasn't written to you. Okay, 572 00:41:16.485 --> 00:41:18.325 let me, lemme tell you what I mean by this. 573 00:41:18.945 --> 00:41:23.005 It means that the Bible was written to a specific audience at a specific time in 574 00:41:23.006 --> 00:41:26.485 history. So when you open your Bible and when you start reading in a way, 575 00:41:26.486 --> 00:41:31.325 you start to travel, you time travel into ancient civilizations, 576 00:41:31.545 --> 00:41:35.125 you travel into cultures that are very much so different than the Western 577 00:41:35.126 --> 00:41:37.325 culture that we live in today. You, uh, 578 00:41:37.805 --> 00:41:40.885 travel to a nation that's totally different than the nation that we find 579 00:41:40.886 --> 00:41:44.485 ourselves in today. And all of these things that we read about them, 580 00:41:44.585 --> 00:41:48.205 at least the majority of them, they're more descriptive than prescriptive. 581 00:41:48.925 --> 00:41:49.758 What do I mean by that? 582 00:41:49.955 --> 00:41:53.495 It means because the Bible wants to give you an accurate historical account. 583 00:41:53.594 --> 00:41:55.695 It doesn't change any of the details of what happened. 584 00:41:56.435 --> 00:42:00.415 But usually you have to kind of follow some breadcrumbs to realize, okay, 585 00:42:00.416 --> 00:42:02.495 what's the lesson that's here? So for example, 586 00:42:02.594 --> 00:42:05.614 all the things about incest and polygamy, keep reading the stories. 587 00:42:06.485 --> 00:42:09.655 They don't turn out well. The Bible is not saying, 588 00:42:09.656 --> 00:42:11.255 this is how you should live your life. 589 00:42:11.285 --> 00:42:13.535 It's saying this is how people live their lives. 590 00:42:13.875 --> 00:42:17.815 And now as we engage these stories, these historical narratives, and these, 591 00:42:18.135 --> 00:42:21.815 this poetic literature and all this narrative, uh, with the Holy Spirit, 592 00:42:21.985 --> 00:42:25.055 we'll start to realize, listen, this is descriptive of some things, 593 00:42:25.155 --> 00:42:28.015 but it's not prescriptive all the time. Obviously, 594 00:42:28.016 --> 00:42:30.455 there are cases where the Bible tells you exactly how to live, 595 00:42:30.594 --> 00:42:33.135 and you should live that way. For example, 596 00:42:33.145 --> 00:42:35.055 let's look at the passage that we looked at earlier, right? 597 00:42:35.275 --> 00:42:38.055 The snake in the garden, like, 598 00:42:38.056 --> 00:42:42.525 none of us will ever hold a conversation with a snake in a garden. If so, 599 00:42:42.585 --> 00:42:44.285 let us know. We have plenty of counselors on hand. 600 00:42:44.286 --> 00:42:48.485 We'd love to connect you with somebody. But what will happen, 601 00:42:49.325 --> 00:42:50.065 we will, 602 00:42:50.065 --> 00:42:53.665 we will all be faced with some sort of outside temptation to accept the truth of 603 00:42:53.666 --> 00:42:55.105 God's word or to reject it. 604 00:42:55.995 --> 00:42:59.575 You may never be told to march seven times around the wall of a city and on the 605 00:42:59.695 --> 00:43:00.815 seventh time blow the trumpets, 606 00:43:00.816 --> 00:43:03.695 and then the walls will come crumbling down like we see in Joshua chapter six 607 00:43:03.696 --> 00:43:05.255 with the, the city of Jericho. 608 00:43:05.275 --> 00:43:09.895 But God may invite you into doing something that feels foolish or 609 00:43:09.985 --> 00:43:14.255 scary because he wants the opportunity to reveal his power through your 610 00:43:14.325 --> 00:43:15.945 obedience. Listen, 611 00:43:16.085 --> 00:43:20.985 the principles of the Bible apply to each and every one of us today in some form 612 00:43:21.325 --> 00:43:25.265 or fashion, and they all teach us about a God who is eternal, 613 00:43:26.265 --> 00:43:29.145 moreover, like that's the number one priority. Moreover, 614 00:43:29.325 --> 00:43:31.145 it teaches us about temporary cultures. 615 00:43:32.875 --> 00:43:36.055 The author Dan Kimball puts it this way. Scripture isn't antiquated, 616 00:43:36.125 --> 00:43:36.958 it's timeless. 617 00:43:37.655 --> 00:43:41.885 There are principles that we can apply from all over scripture that affirm this. 618 00:43:41.886 --> 00:43:44.165 And Jason talked last week about how this main, uh, 619 00:43:44.166 --> 00:43:48.765 narrative of the Bible is that God loves man rebels and God is 620 00:43:49.005 --> 00:43:53.555 faithful. We all know that to be true. I don't, 621 00:43:53.556 --> 00:43:54.515 I don't wanna make that assumption. 622 00:43:55.614 --> 00:44:00.614 Many of us know that to be true because it has perpetuated and we've seen 623 00:44:00.615 --> 00:44:03.614 it in our lives and in the lives of our friends and in the lives of our family. 624 00:44:04.355 --> 00:44:08.855 And we see the narrative played out over and over and over and over and over 625 00:44:08.856 --> 00:44:11.415 again throughout human history, despite what culture does. 626 00:44:11.685 --> 00:44:13.335 Hebrews four 12 puts it this way. 627 00:44:13.455 --> 00:44:16.295 It says that the word of God is living and active. 628 00:44:16.525 --> 00:44:20.455 It's sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the division of the soul and 629 00:44:20.456 --> 00:44:25.094 of spirit of joints and marrow discerning the thoughts and intentions of the 630 00:44:25.255 --> 00:44:27.075 heart. Listen, 631 00:44:27.076 --> 00:44:30.915 there's a reason why the Bible and why the church is still around today. 632 00:44:30.985 --> 00:44:33.485 And it's not because the Bible has a great PR firm, 633 00:44:34.765 --> 00:44:38.175 it's because there's a supernatural power behind it. 634 00:44:39.355 --> 00:44:44.245 And that is God moving this message of redemption throughout human history. 635 00:44:46.735 --> 00:44:48.565 We're gonna hit two more of these lies really quick, 636 00:44:48.566 --> 00:44:51.325 but I do wanna just take a moment to tell you that there's a high likelihood 637 00:44:51.326 --> 00:44:54.725 that if the first two haven't offended you in some way, that the next two might, 638 00:44:56.195 --> 00:45:00.114 in the first two, um, these were kind of geared towards. 639 00:45:00.135 --> 00:45:03.315 And I think they're most common for people who are either new to the faith or 640 00:45:03.555 --> 00:45:06.435 asking questions of the faith or have some natural doubts about the Bible. Uh, 641 00:45:06.436 --> 00:45:08.515 these next two lies that we tend to believe, 642 00:45:08.635 --> 00:45:11.475 I think are for those of us who feel really comfortable with the Bible, 643 00:45:11.535 --> 00:45:15.395 but maybe a little bit too comfortable to the point that we read it, 644 00:45:15.396 --> 00:45:17.995 but it doesn't really change our lives. And here's the first one. 645 00:45:18.575 --> 00:45:22.075 The first lie is, uh, I don't ha or this is really number three, 646 00:45:22.635 --> 00:45:26.715 I don't have to read the Bible because I engage with a lot of Christian content. 647 00:45:29.915 --> 00:45:33.395 Remember Satan's goal, it's separation from God. 648 00:45:34.565 --> 00:45:35.398 And the truth is, 649 00:45:35.465 --> 00:45:39.825 is that you can engage with a lot of Christian stuff and still not have an 650 00:45:39.985 --> 00:45:40.864 intimate relationship with God. 651 00:45:41.025 --> 00:45:42.825 And I'll illustrate this for you using my own story. 652 00:45:43.135 --> 00:45:45.905 When I was a junior in high school, I got invited to go to a youth camp, 653 00:45:46.475 --> 00:45:51.215 and it's like youth camp, you know what I'm talking about? It's like, man, 654 00:45:51.216 --> 00:45:55.415 people are crying and dedicating their lives to Jesus all over again and hugging 655 00:45:55.416 --> 00:45:57.575 each other and snotting all over each other. And it's this, 656 00:45:57.645 --> 00:45:59.614 this mountaintop moment. You're like, man, 657 00:45:59.875 --> 00:46:04.575 I'm team Jesus forever and I'm never turning back until camp next year, 658 00:46:04.576 --> 00:46:06.895 right? Because summer's coming and I'm gonna get wild again, right? 659 00:46:07.635 --> 00:46:09.495 So we go through this and man, 660 00:46:09.496 --> 00:46:11.735 I go to this camp and it's incredible and it's awesome, 661 00:46:11.835 --> 00:46:15.625 but I leave that camp waiting for next year. Man, 662 00:46:15.626 --> 00:46:17.505 I can't wait to go back to that camp again next year. 663 00:46:17.565 --> 00:46:20.545 God did something really cool here. I can't wait to see what he does then. 664 00:46:21.745 --> 00:46:23.325 And what happened was, is that I, 665 00:46:23.445 --> 00:46:26.045 I genuinely wanted to have a deeper relationship with God. 666 00:46:26.125 --> 00:46:30.445 I I genuinely believed that, but I tied all of those, 667 00:46:30.844 --> 00:46:32.965 I tied my relationship to those experiences. 668 00:46:34.265 --> 00:46:37.965 So over the course of 365 days, I was just, wait, man, 669 00:46:37.966 --> 00:46:39.805 I can't wait to get back to camp. I can't wait to get back to camp. 670 00:46:39.844 --> 00:46:42.765 I can't wait to get back to camp because I thought camp was awesome and I didn't 671 00:46:42.766 --> 00:46:45.725 realize, no, God is awesome and he's with you wherever you go. 672 00:46:46.545 --> 00:46:48.725 And so what ended up happening in my life was, 673 00:46:48.965 --> 00:46:53.205 is I found myself in the name of like, wanting to know God. Uh, 674 00:46:53.364 --> 00:46:56.565 I wasn't really knowing God. I was learning things about God. 675 00:46:57.145 --> 00:46:58.125 So what would happen was, 676 00:46:58.145 --> 00:47:02.165 is I would get really excited about these mountaintop experiences or, uh, uh, I, 677 00:47:02.166 --> 00:47:05.844 instead of reading the Bible, I would start reading books about the Bible. 678 00:47:07.145 --> 00:47:10.125 Or if I did read the Bible, I didn't pause to say, Hey God, 679 00:47:10.126 --> 00:47:11.485 what do you want to teach me about this? 680 00:47:11.805 --> 00:47:14.925 I would read a verse and then I would go to YouTube to see what is my favorite 681 00:47:14.926 --> 00:47:17.125 pastor from the other side of the country wanna say about this? 682 00:47:18.815 --> 00:47:20.275 And I was doing all this stuff. 683 00:47:20.276 --> 00:47:22.715 And anybody could have looked at my life from the outside in and say, man, 684 00:47:22.844 --> 00:47:26.555 Aaron loves the word, he loves God, all this stuff. But the truth was is I, 685 00:47:26.635 --> 00:47:28.755 I actually didn't have an intimate relationship with God. 686 00:47:28.835 --> 00:47:31.080 I was just looking for this sort of intellectualism. 687 00:47:31.125 --> 00:47:35.485 I was looking for all this sort of stuff. And so Satan had very craftily could, 688 00:47:35.685 --> 00:47:40.035 uh, he had, he had accomplished his goal in my life. I was doing the things, 689 00:47:41.005 --> 00:47:43.265 but I was separated from God. 690 00:47:44.695 --> 00:47:47.715 And I tell you this because I don't want you to fall into the same trap. Listen, 691 00:47:47.905 --> 00:47:50.875 your favorite pastor or Christian author is great. 692 00:47:51.825 --> 00:47:56.425 They can't compete with the Holy Spirit. Your morning devotional. 693 00:47:56.575 --> 00:47:57.408 It's a good idea, 694 00:47:58.175 --> 00:48:03.114 but don't let it replace your time actually in the word of God. Listen to me. 695 00:48:03.335 --> 00:48:07.195 The chosen is awesome, big fan of the chosen. 696 00:48:07.375 --> 00:48:10.395 Our small group watches the chosen together. But you know what happened? 697 00:48:10.555 --> 00:48:12.875 I watched a whole lot of the chosen and didn't read a lot of my Bible. 698 00:48:12.935 --> 00:48:14.915 So when I read the stories in the Bible, I'm like, wait a minute, 699 00:48:15.114 --> 00:48:17.395 whatever happened to this guy? That guy's not in there, . 700 00:48:17.665 --> 00:48:19.035 They're making a TV show. 701 00:48:19.035 --> 00:48:22.515 There's an entertainment aspect that they need to add to keep you hooked and to 702 00:48:22.516 --> 00:48:23.349 keep you watching, right? 703 00:48:23.375 --> 00:48:27.035 So I got so duped by this not saying that there's anything wrong with it or that 704 00:48:27.036 --> 00:48:29.594 it's bad or that you shouldn't watch it. What I'm saying is, 705 00:48:29.614 --> 00:48:32.594 is that it has to take a backseat to God himself. 706 00:48:32.855 --> 00:48:34.435 Why would you rob yourself of that? 707 00:48:35.935 --> 00:48:39.915 Why would you rob yourself of knowing the creator of the universe and instead 708 00:48:40.235 --> 00:48:41.835 settling for some sort of substitute? 709 00:48:42.575 --> 00:48:44.864 Because it just makes you feel a little bit better . 710 00:48:45.895 --> 00:48:48.785 What if God actually wants to transform you? Lemme put it this way, 711 00:48:49.205 --> 00:48:52.235 here's the truth. We need to know God is real, 712 00:48:53.295 --> 00:48:55.795 so we don't need a lesser alternative. 713 00:48:57.745 --> 00:49:00.145 The scripture that I wanna put together with this, 714 00:49:00.146 --> 00:49:04.745 and for you to memorize and to to internalize is one John 2 27 that says, 715 00:49:04.805 --> 00:49:08.665 but the anointing that you received from God abides in you, 716 00:49:08.965 --> 00:49:11.385 and you have no need that anyone should teach you. 717 00:49:12.695 --> 00:49:16.875 But as his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and is no lie, 718 00:49:16.905 --> 00:49:21.275 just as it has taught you, abide in him. Listen, you can, 719 00:49:21.375 --> 00:49:23.114 you can check out all these other things. 720 00:49:23.135 --> 00:49:25.715 You can check out all these other resources, but man, it's just not, 721 00:49:26.025 --> 00:49:30.455 it's not the same. I was talking to Jay, one of our elders earlier about this, 722 00:49:30.456 --> 00:49:31.935 and he goes, man, I was reading over your notes, 723 00:49:31.936 --> 00:49:33.614 and you know what I thought about? He's like, he said, 724 00:49:33.615 --> 00:49:36.735 I heard somebody describe it one time as eating pre chewed food. And I went, oh, 725 00:49:36.736 --> 00:49:39.055 that's disgusting. He's like, yeah, that's the point. , 726 00:49:39.844 --> 00:49:44.275 imagine someone else eating the food and then giving it to you when you can go 727 00:49:44.276 --> 00:49:47.435 and get the nutrients for yourself. Psalm says that, uh, 728 00:49:47.436 --> 00:49:51.035 we are to taste and see that the Lord is good for ourselves. 729 00:49:52.575 --> 00:49:55.375 And this fourth lie, it's actually kind of attached to that first one. 730 00:49:55.795 --> 00:49:58.415 And this is one that, that I, I, I genuinely like, man, 731 00:49:58.495 --> 00:50:00.175 I I pray for our church all the time, 732 00:50:00.176 --> 00:50:02.415 and I pray for our culture and our society all the time. 733 00:50:02.775 --> 00:50:06.735 I i pray for me all the time because I know how susceptible we are to follow to 734 00:50:06.736 --> 00:50:08.455 this one. Lie number four is, 735 00:50:08.695 --> 00:50:11.295 is everyone who teaches me the Bible is teaching me the truth. 736 00:50:14.114 --> 00:50:17.094 And that's not true. In our current day and age. 737 00:50:17.205 --> 00:50:20.975 It's so easy to spread misinformation. It's insanely easy. 738 00:50:20.976 --> 00:50:25.094 Anybody with a phone can pull something out and they start talking and post it 739 00:50:25.095 --> 00:50:27.739 to TikTok. And now you're like, man, I didn't know know that, that's super cool. 740 00:50:27.740 --> 00:50:28.580 I didn't think about it that way. 741 00:50:29.265 --> 00:50:32.685 But that's what happens when we check our brain to the door when we don't 742 00:50:32.686 --> 00:50:37.295 compare what's being said to the word and to the truth of God. Listen, 743 00:50:37.415 --> 00:50:39.775 I want you to think about what Satan did in the garden, right? 744 00:50:39.835 --> 00:50:44.625 He didn't say like, oh, God never said that. He tried to misinterpret, 745 00:50:44.725 --> 00:50:46.425 he tried to disin, uh, uh, 746 00:50:46.655 --> 00:50:50.505 dismantle what God had said because that misinterpretation and that 747 00:50:50.506 --> 00:50:53.745 misrepresentation is just as deadly because again, 748 00:50:53.765 --> 00:50:58.225 his goal is to separate you from God like the true God of the God of the Bible. 749 00:50:58.325 --> 00:51:01.105 So he will let you settle for any version of God you made up in your mind 750 00:51:03.025 --> 00:51:04.344 'cause that God can't change you. 751 00:51:07.035 --> 00:51:09.815 And I see this happening in our world all the time. 752 00:51:09.816 --> 00:51:12.375 Here's the truth about Satan. He doesn't come as some dark, 753 00:51:12.605 --> 00:51:17.335 like non-Christian ideology. He slips in, in a very convincing way. Like, 754 00:51:17.385 --> 00:51:19.175 think about this. People are always like, man, 755 00:51:19.176 --> 00:51:21.255 why did Eve talk to a snake in the guard? Listen, 756 00:51:21.335 --> 00:51:24.094 I don't know why the snake was talking. I I can't tell you all that. I'm, 757 00:51:24.095 --> 00:51:26.375 I'm sure there's people much smarter than me who can tell you, 758 00:51:26.376 --> 00:51:29.295 but I do know this. You expect to see a snake in a garden. 759 00:51:30.585 --> 00:51:34.094 Satan didn't come in as a bulldozer and say, Hey, you should sin against God. 760 00:51:34.235 --> 00:51:37.215 No, he came in craftily and cunningly, 761 00:51:37.275 --> 00:51:39.495 and he does the same thing in churches all the time. 762 00:51:41.075 --> 00:51:43.495 And we actually start to see this. I actually think that the, 763 00:51:43.594 --> 00:51:47.175 the reason why we've seen an uptick in deconstruction is because we've also seen 764 00:51:47.176 --> 00:51:49.415 an uptick in what we call progressive Christianity. 765 00:51:50.195 --> 00:51:53.535 And I would say that this isn't a Christianity at all. It's, uh, 766 00:51:53.935 --> 00:51:55.455 whenever someone talks about progressive Christianity, 767 00:51:55.456 --> 00:51:58.495 essentially what we're talking about is, is there's an escape from orthodoxy. 768 00:51:59.335 --> 00:52:02.575 And orthodoxy is the traditionally held view, uh, 769 00:52:02.635 --> 00:52:06.175 the church has had for millennia. Like this is what we've always believed. 770 00:52:06.176 --> 00:52:07.495 This is the way that we've always held onto, 771 00:52:07.815 --> 00:52:10.295 it's the long held traditional view of the faith. Now, 772 00:52:10.296 --> 00:52:12.015 some of the tenets of this, uh, 773 00:52:12.016 --> 00:52:15.655 some of the tenets of progressive Christianity include, um, listen to the, 774 00:52:15.656 --> 00:52:18.895 listen to how there's like a little bit of truth in here, okay? Uh, 775 00:52:19.055 --> 00:52:20.895 a connection to a divine source. 776 00:52:22.605 --> 00:52:25.695 Will we all say that we have a connection to it? Yes, God is a divine source, 777 00:52:25.696 --> 00:52:30.375 right? We have some connection to that, but they don't pinpoint, oh, like, 778 00:52:30.405 --> 00:52:33.055 it's like the God of the Bible, is what we're talking about, 779 00:52:34.005 --> 00:52:38.855 inclusivity at the sake of holiness. Inclusivity sounds like a great idea, 780 00:52:39.635 --> 00:52:42.375 but not if it means I have to give up all my Christian values and things that 781 00:52:42.435 --> 00:52:44.855 God has admittedly said, this is right and this is wrong. 782 00:52:46.255 --> 00:52:50.025 There's a tenant that says that there is more value in questioning than 783 00:52:50.026 --> 00:52:51.585 certainty. I think all of us would say, yeah, 784 00:52:51.614 --> 00:52:53.385 it's important to ask questions of things, 785 00:52:55.355 --> 00:52:59.015 But not if it means that we're neglecting the certainty of what God has already 786 00:52:59.085 --> 00:53:00.175 said in his word. 787 00:53:01.695 --> 00:53:04.094 So when the Bible warns us of this second Corinthians 11, 788 00:53:04.245 --> 00:53:08.255 Paul writes to the church in Corinth and says this, he says that for such men, 789 00:53:08.435 --> 00:53:11.735 people who spew this type of stuff, they're false apostles. 790 00:53:12.125 --> 00:53:16.895 They're deceitful workmen disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 791 00:53:17.035 --> 00:53:21.935 And no wonder for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of 792 00:53:21.936 --> 00:53:26.375 light. And here's the truth. 793 00:53:27.555 --> 00:53:29.535 We all have a little bit of the garden in us still. 794 00:53:30.555 --> 00:53:34.045 Like we all have that desire in us to pursue things other than God. 795 00:53:35.285 --> 00:53:36.645 Two Timothy four, three says this, 796 00:53:36.805 --> 00:53:40.645 it says that for a time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, 797 00:53:41.485 --> 00:53:43.045 but having itching ears, 798 00:53:43.114 --> 00:53:47.725 they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions 799 00:53:48.305 --> 00:53:53.085 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off to myths. 800 00:53:54.435 --> 00:53:58.725 Satan's goal is to separate us from the truth that God offers us. So how do we, 801 00:53:58.745 --> 00:54:02.285 how do we discern this? How do we withstand this 802 00:54:03.825 --> 00:54:04.085 one? 803 00:54:04.085 --> 00:54:08.005 I think we have to have the word of God so deeply and internally inside of us, 804 00:54:09.575 --> 00:54:12.025 that we don't have time for Satan's lives because we know the truth. 805 00:54:12.045 --> 00:54:15.185 We see Jesus do this in the, in the wilderness, right? Matthew chapter four, 806 00:54:15.186 --> 00:54:17.185 you can read about it. Jesus goes into the wilderness. 807 00:54:17.186 --> 00:54:18.225 He's being tempted by Satan, 808 00:54:18.226 --> 00:54:21.145 and Satan is hitting him with all these things that would play on his natural, 809 00:54:21.945 --> 00:54:25.185 uh, human desires, but instead he meets him with the word of God. 810 00:54:26.755 --> 00:54:30.275 Maybe you're not at that point yet. Maybe you haven't memorized the scripture. 811 00:54:30.276 --> 00:54:31.515 Maybe it's not written on your heart. 812 00:54:31.535 --> 00:54:34.315 But I I want to encourage you to adopt this mantra. 813 00:54:36.055 --> 00:54:39.695 Be a berean. What does that mean? , 814 00:54:41.114 --> 00:54:45.995 The berean were a group of people of, uh, Jews in Acts chapter 17, 815 00:54:47.295 --> 00:54:51.575 who when Paul and Silas went and preached to them, they loved it. 816 00:54:51.576 --> 00:54:52.176 They were like, man, 817 00:54:52.176 --> 00:54:54.695 these guys are in the synagogue and they're preaching the pain off the wall. 818 00:54:54.915 --> 00:54:58.055 The organ's going, amen. Hallelujah. They're hooping and hollering. 819 00:54:58.114 --> 00:55:01.415 But then look at this, look at what it says in Acts chapter 17, 10 through 12. 820 00:55:01.435 --> 00:55:05.055 It says, the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, 821 00:55:05.395 --> 00:55:08.055 and when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now, 822 00:55:08.056 --> 00:55:11.055 these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonika, who, uh, 823 00:55:11.155 --> 00:55:14.655 for some context, they disregarded the teaching of Paul and Silas. 824 00:55:15.685 --> 00:55:17.925 It says they received the word with eagerness, 825 00:55:18.405 --> 00:55:22.844 examining the scriptures daily to see if the things that they were saying were 826 00:55:22.945 --> 00:55:25.225 so many of them, 827 00:55:25.226 --> 00:55:29.705 therefore believed with not a few Greek women of high standing, um, as, 828 00:55:29.885 --> 00:55:34.015 as well as men. Here's the truth, 829 00:55:35.094 --> 00:55:36.185 just like the buras, 830 00:55:36.844 --> 00:55:41.715 God has placed his spirit inside of us and given us his word so that we 831 00:55:41.716 --> 00:55:45.075 can discern truth from lies. It just takes a little bit of effort. 832 00:55:45.935 --> 00:55:50.675 So before you like, or subscribe or retweet something that you see online, 833 00:55:50.785 --> 00:55:52.995 stop and think, no, how does it, like, it sounds good, 834 00:55:53.495 --> 00:55:55.475 but how does it compare with the truth of God's word? 835 00:55:59.415 --> 00:56:02.395 The scripture I want to tie to that is John 16, 13 through 15. 836 00:56:02.396 --> 00:56:03.995 It says that when the spirit of truth comes, 837 00:56:05.015 --> 00:56:07.435 he will guide you to all truth. 838 00:56:08.185 --> 00:56:11.195 Meaning you don't need anything external to find more truth. 839 00:56:11.415 --> 00:56:15.155 All of it comes by way of the spirit. He will not speak on his own authority, 840 00:56:15.175 --> 00:56:16.355 but whatever he hears, 841 00:56:16.356 --> 00:56:19.315 he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 842 00:56:20.215 --> 00:56:22.275 He will glorify me, talk Jesus, 843 00:56:23.065 --> 00:56:27.085 for He will take what is mine and declare it to you. He'll give you truth, 844 00:56:28.145 --> 00:56:30.045 all that the Father has his mind. Therefore, 845 00:56:30.085 --> 00:56:33.565 I say that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 846 00:56:34.905 --> 00:56:39.364 And guys, that's what we want for you. We want you to be like the barrens, 847 00:56:39.875 --> 00:56:43.125 that you don't just take somebody's word because they're like, what is, 848 00:56:43.126 --> 00:56:45.525 this is a stage. It's made outta wood. Like you can, 849 00:56:45.745 --> 00:56:48.285 you can come up here if you want. There's nothing special about it. 850 00:56:50.335 --> 00:56:52.785 what gives life to anything that we say we hope is, 851 00:56:53.025 --> 00:56:56.905 is the word of God that you have access to, and you have the spirit of God. 852 00:56:57.844 --> 00:56:59.505 So you don't need anyone else to do this for you. 853 00:57:01.645 --> 00:57:04.625 So come back next week because what we're gonna do next week is we're actually 854 00:57:04.626 --> 00:57:07.185 gonna give you some tools. We're gonna open our Bibles together. 855 00:57:07.186 --> 00:57:09.505 We're gonna whip out some notebooks and pens and highlighters. 856 00:57:09.506 --> 00:57:12.665 If you have that stuff, bring it with you. And at all of our campuses, 857 00:57:12.666 --> 00:57:16.225 what we're gonna do is we're gonna work through passages of text with certain 858 00:57:16.545 --> 00:57:20.065 resources that we think will help the scripture come alive to you, uh, 859 00:57:20.105 --> 00:57:24.225 so that you're not dependent on someone else or so that you're not susceptible 860 00:57:24.245 --> 00:57:28.735 to the deception of the enemy. Let's pray. Father, 861 00:57:28.736 --> 00:57:32.695 thank you so much for your goodness. Thank you for your word. 862 00:57:34.345 --> 00:57:35.535 Thank you for your Holy Spirit. 863 00:57:40.525 --> 00:57:43.175 Lord, I pray, um, I just, 864 00:57:43.255 --> 00:57:47.895 I just really have it on my heart to pray that you would put to death the parts 865 00:57:47.896 --> 00:57:50.935 of us that want anything other than you. 866 00:57:54.355 --> 00:57:55.365 Lord, don't give us a, 867 00:57:55.525 --> 00:57:58.445 i I pray that you would kill our appetite for lesser things. 868 00:58:01.465 --> 00:58:03.605 God, let us hunger and thirst for righteousness. 869 00:58:03.705 --> 00:58:06.365 Let us taste and see that you are good Lord. 870 00:58:06.385 --> 00:58:11.365 Let us be transformed by your word so that we don't fall to the 871 00:58:11.366 --> 00:58:16.085 schemes of the enemy. We ask all these things that Jesus name, we pray, amen.