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INTRODUCTION
I often preach on the Bible on this Sunday - National Bible Sunday, one purpose to encourage you to plan for how you will read
Bible in coming year.
I give credit to Dr. Bud Hopkins for the 10 point outline - Dean of the Moody Grad School for many years - now retired. A great man
of God, an encourager.
We live in a post-modern, post-Christian culture. Even in the church we are seeing a drift from the historic Biblical truths. There
is little respect for the Bible as God’s authorative Word, people want to hear what pleases them not the voice of God.
Israel of old had this problem. ISA 30:10 Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”; And to the prophets,
“You must not prophesy to us what is right, Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy illusions.”
This message presents some of the shenanigans that even religionists and even evangelicals pull which erode people’s
confidence in the Bible. These tricks turn the Bible into illusions, remove its authority, it can’t be trusted, it is
outdated, it is irrelevant. The Bible is thus unimportant to the majority of people in our world today, Christians included. Have
we prophesied illusions?
1. Mystifying the Scriptures I Timothy 6:3-5
- Creating confusion that the Bible really doesn’t mean what it says, that the meaning is a mystery. Need the
secret codes, leaders. BUT as a whole the Bible is plain/clear, the average reader can discern meaning.
QUOTE: The Baptist Confession of 1689 - #7
- There are parts we don’t understand, but like Mark Twain said- it is the not the parts he doesn’t
understand that bother him, it is the parts he does understand. The central message is visible, the Christian ethics
are clear.
ILLUS: Preaching on John 3:16 not talking about salvation.
- If it is communicated that Bible is mystery for only the enlightened, it thus is seen as confusing and meaningless, is
not authoritative or helpful.
2. Intellectualizing the Bible I Timothy 4:12-13
- Scholars love to do this. Present the Bible in big words, abstract thought, technical data. “The Greek
pluperfect...” “hydrastatic deconstructionist”
- Haddon Robinson: The average person wants to hear what God says so they can make it through another week. Not
interested in theological jargon, or dazzled by language tidbits.
- I am no scholar: I can’t spell, read slow, write out notes, but sometimes I speak profound, and not say a word.
Using big words and complicated exegesis?? KISS.
3. Sensationalizing the Sacred Word Acts 8:17-24
- Preaching the Word of God is a circus sideshow, TV comedy show.
- Unique interpretations, and showman presentations. Preaching like comic’s monologue, treating Bible as a Top 10
list. Preaching in arrogance, with sick humor, crude language, or obnoxious gestures and mannerisms, a vehicle to tie
jokes together or exalt the speaker.
ILLUS: We don’t want to become Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live
4. Trivializing the Truth I Thess. 2:13
- The Bible is for children, the unenlightened. The Bible is no big deal, we don’t read it or study it, it can sit
on the shelf. Clean inside as the day we received it, dust on outside, binding is not even broken.
- Some feel too sophisticated to serious study ancient book, unnecessary.
ILLUS: Church in Georgia one Christmas - read, closed the Bible, preached.
5. Culturalizing the Commands of God 2 Tim. 2:3-4
- Bible is for the culture of its time, not us. We can rationalize things away
- Arbitrary law, culturally defined ethics - culturally sensitive becomes culturally driven. 10 Commandments become 10
Suggestions.
ILLUS: Marriage and divorce, sexual relations, justice, etc. “We are more enlightened than people in Bible
times.” Bible is very graphic about sin, and sin has really made us less enlightened morally and spiritually.
6. Commercializing the Statutes of God 2 Cor. 2:17
- The Good Book syndrome. Advertised as quick cure, another gimmick.
- The Bible is a tool of the trade. “Take 2 verses and call me in the morning.” Heretics and cults use parts
of Bible to promote agenda
ILLUS: KKK, Aryan nation, Paramilitary groups, Health and wealth.
7. Ceremonializing the Ordinances of God Malachi 1:6-2:9
- The Bible is only valuable in formal rituals and rites, not daily living.
- Pharisees did this - liberals are good at this too. It is a magical book waved at rituals. Too sacred to touch,
exclusive for highly religious, but empty of power for no faith in it’s holy content.
8. Ridiculing the Law of God 2 Chronicles 36:15-16
- Bible is filled with myths and folklore, rejected as God’s Holy Word
ILLUS: Genesis 1-11, Revelation is all symbolic, no Jonah
9. De-prioritizing Word of God Mark 7:6-8
- Know about the Bible, but don’t know the Bible. One book of many. Focus on Greek and Hebrew, focus on systematic
theology, history. - Making psychology more important than the Bible, placing tradition above Bible. Pharisees
traditions superseded the Bible.
ILLUS: Grad school professor: “We are people of the Book, but when we have the choice between the Book and
tradition we often choose tradition.” Running programs after they died; no good translation since 1611;
worship same as 1950. Always compare what we do with the Bible, final authority.
10. De-personalizing God’s Precepts Deut. 6:24; 11:18
- It is for others and not for myself. We point fingers at others. I am OK, just fine. “How dare you step on my
toes.” “Preach against Hitities”
- We don’t let the Bible convict us. We are above the law - executive privilege. Refuse to repent of our own sin.
Holier-than-thou.
- Rituals but no real life application. A Sunday only book. I am pleased Life Application Bibles and Study Bibles are
best sellers.
ILLUS: One great danger of being a preacher - easy to see Bible as encyclopedia, just for source material for
sermons and lessons. And fail to apply it to me first. The message becomes an oration, my public show for the week.
Rate it on entertainment value.
CONCLUSION
These are ways we prophesy illusions - say words but not the Word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16-4:4.
I sure hope we make the Bible clear in our teaching and preaching here!
“Wow, I never saw that before.” “I need to change my life here.”
Our teaching and preaching are truth based, Christ focused, personally life-changing, with the goal of giving God the honor. We are
to take stands against sin, and stands for holiness. We are defend the Word of God and let it define us. We are to Love, Learn, and
Live the Bible.
How are you going to read and study the Bible this coming year?
This year I journaled my reading - a hodge podge of themes, mixture of books, mainly used the NASV.
In 2009: A couple of choices still weighing for me personally
- New Century Version - twice before, marked for annual
- Uncle John’s Daily Bible Reading - started but not finished
- Often use the Our Daily Bread, as added personal reading
In a year the whole Bible, or NT.
Buy a new Bible and mark as you go
Good translation: NASV, NIV, English Standard, New Living Over 30 different translations
Good Study Bible: Ryrie, NIV Study, NAS Study, Life Application Over 70 different Study Bibles
Listen on Tape or CD in your car
Read Our Daily Bread
Use Devotional book at Wellspring or Family Book, or Lutz
Any theme: mothers, husbands, retired, hurting, Bible facts, cats.
Read something from the Bible every day...
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