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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Anthony Baca Weekend 2019

Anthony Baca

The Intention of the Bible

A Deeper Look:  The Intention of Scripture

Gracious Heavenly Father, we want to thank you so much for the privilege we have to come and study your Word.

I pray that you'd organize my thoughts, that you'd put your words in my mouth, you'd help me to just wholly rely upon you, to trust in you, and to let you speak to each of us individually and personally, even to myself.

Take the verses that we read, take the inspired references that we look at, and impact us, Lord.

Take your word and change us, for this is our prayer in Christ's name.

Today's presentation is entitled, The Intention of Scripture, The Devotional Life of the Remnant.

The Intention of Scripture, The devotional life of the remnant.

Now before I dive in, I want to kind of give a principle, a concept, a thought that I think is important.

And I actually learned this in school this week actually, so it's kind of interesting.

I was in class, my math class, and the teacher was covering something that I actually already knew.

Have you ever had that happen when a teacher presents something you already actually know?

So what do you do when a teacher starts talking about something that you already know?

I grab my little AirPod, I slip the AirPod into my right ear, I double-tap this so it resumed the playlist, I pulled out the iPad, swiped it over off of the note section onto another section, and I was working on something totally unrelated to that particular class.

Because I'm about to tell you something that I should have known that that day.

I also have found that we don't just do that in like a secular setting, but we do that in a spiritual setting all the time.

And I noticed this at an evangelistic series when I was sitting there and I preach evangelistic campaigns and the preacher started, he gave the title, he gave his introductory story and I knew where he was going already.

I could have probably told you the verses before he used the verses and when that happens, what happens to our brains?

And they start thinking about what's for dinner or how much bad traffic gonna be on the way home from this meeting, whatever we think about when we're checked out.

1 Corinthians 8, verse 2, our introductory text, kind of unrelated, more of just a foundation so that we don't check out.

The Bible says if anyone thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing.

So if you think that as we're going to talk about the devotional life and the intention of Scripture, like I know the purpose of the Bible and of course I have devotions and immediately your brain is already beginning to think about potluck and what church service you're gonna go to next and who's gonna have the best potluck or whatever it is that we think about on Sabbath when we check out.

Don't check out, amen, Because if you thought you knew something that was evidence you know nothing, as you should know it.

And therefore you should pay very close attention because you may learn something new, amen?

Or you just might be reminded of something that God knows that you need, or else why would he have allowed you to be here today?

So I believe God has a special particular blessing for each person when they come and I know God has something for you today as we dive in.

So I hope that helps you to kind of harness the power of the mind as we dive in.

We're gonna look at the intention of the Bible in Scripture in 3 points.

Number 1, we're gonna look at the purpose of the Bible.

And you are free to totally disagree with me.

I am but a man and can err, but I will share with you things that I have studied and conclusions that I have come to on why I believe big picture why God gave us the Bible.

Number 2, we're going to look at the practical impact of understanding that purpose because when you understand why God gave the Bible, you can maximize his intention, amen?

I mean, if God gave this for reason A, but you're using it for reason B, you're missing out on what God intended.

And you may be getting something good, but you're not maximizing.

So we're gonna talk about that with a practical impact of this purpose and then 0.3 kind of sounds like it makes no sense, but we'll get there.

We're gonna look at the other half of God's character and that would just be 0.3.

We all have unique backgrounds and I'm no different.

I'm a convert from being an atheist, from a secular background, 1 who didn't believe in God, who wasn't a practicing religion, practicing any religion of any sorts.

And so for me, when I first became a Christian, I had my understanding of the purpose of the Bible based on my experience and background.

First 2 verses I ever read in Scripture were Isaiah 46, 9 and 10.

The very first verses I ever read for myself.

The Bible says, Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is no other.

And this was proposed to me as God's claim to his existence.

And verse 10 was his evidence, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

And the New Testament rendition of that concept, I believe it's found in John 14 29 also on the screen.

It says, Jesus says, and now I have told you before it comes to pass that when it does come to pass you might believe.

So if you were to ask me as a young Christian, what is the purpose of the Bible?

I would have given you a threefold answer based on these passages right here.

Number 2, to show the reliability of his word.

In other words, to show what is right and what is wrong.

And obviously, because I'm studying it, I'm what?

So it's 3 points for me in my mind as a young Christian.

Number 2, reliability of the Bible through the prophetic word, and number 3, to show what is right and what is wrong and that the things that I now believe are the right.

And this was kind of my big-picture view of the Bible.

Ah, so this was kind of my understanding of the Bible and I took a great delight in actually utilizing these 3 concepts in friendly, cordial debating of individuals to try to go over what's right and what's wrong according to the scripture.

And for the better part of 2 years, this is how I viewed the Bible as a young Christian.

I studied the Bible 8 hours a day for 2 years with that premise in mind.

I'm studying the Bible, I'm dedicating 2 years of my life so that I can 1, show God clearly exists.

Number 2, show that the Bible is reliable more than you can imagine.

And number 3, to show what is right versus obviously what is wrong.

Well, after studying the Bible for a couple years and growing in the Christian faith, I eventually came across a concept that changed how I study my Bible and it's found in John 5 39.

Jesus says something here that everyone in this room probably has heard, you've probably read it, but I'm going to challenge us today to actually apply this concept.

Jesus says, you search the scriptures, speaking to some Pharisees, for in them you think you have eternal life.

And these are they which testify of me, Jesus speaking.

Here Jesus gives us a concept, a principle that you cannot miss.

I actually used to hear people quote this verse all the time and say but instead of the word and.

And that actually changes the meaning of the verse, doesn't it?

Because in the scriptures, can you find the source of eternal life, yes or no?

And so here Jesus is saying, look, your focus is wrong.

Series

Anthony Baca Weekend 2019

The Intention of the Bible

Transcript

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

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