I Have A Friend Who Thinks That The Bible Is Just Another Book

I Have A Friend Who… (pt 2)

Thinks The Bible Is Just Another Book

Last week we began a new message series called – “I Have A Friend Who…” The theme verse is 1 Peter 3:15… “…always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

AND – as I said last week, the goal of this message series is twofold; FIRST – to equip us to do what God commands us to do in 1 Peter 3:15 – TO make a defense of the gospel – TO answer the questions that those who are seeking God may have… AND – my second goal is – TO re-enforce and firm up our own faith, to give us more confidence & a greater eagerness to share the truth. LISTEN – the Christian faith has it’s reasons – it is not a faith for the brain dead.

PICTURE – in your mind a scale (you know one with 2 trays); One tray is labeled Christianity is true, the other; Christianity is not true. IN this series I will be piling up a lot of stuff on to the tray that says Christianity is true. FRIENDS – I want you to understand that our faith has it’s reasons. I want you to see that Christianity IS; rational, reasonable and true…

NOW - last Sunday we dealt with the question of God’s existence… AND – we presented some very convincing evidence that points to the existence of God; (can order tape or series/sign up for notes)

TODAY’S – message is entitled, “I Have A Friend Who Thinks That The Bible Is Just Another Book…”

Prayer….

There’s a story of a guy on an airplane who was an atheist. He was sitting next to a little girl who was traveling alone, and the little girl brought out a Bible to read during the trip.

The man struck up a conversation with the little girl, and after a while, he asked her about her Bible.

“Do you like reading that Bible?” “Yes, I do,” she replied.

“How do you know it’s true?” “Because it’s God’s Word.”

“Yeah, but take Jonah and the Whale. Do you really believe that?” “Yes, I do.”

“How can you explain how God would make a whale swallow a man like that?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll ask Jonah when I get to heaven.”

“What if Jonah’s not in heaven?” “Then you can ask him.”

It seems today that everyone has an opinion about the bible… SOME – say that the bible is a pack of lies that it simply meets the needs of weak-minded men & women. AND OTHERS – say that this book is God-breathed and is the hope of the world…

QUESTION - what do you think about this book? How seriously do you take it in your life? I MEAN - in your daily life how seriously do you take it? is it just nice to have around or do you read? Do you follow it’s teachings? Is it a guide? Is it a compass for you?

QUESTION – IF God exists and I think last week we settled that matter – IF this: non-contingent, uncaused by anything else, self-sufficient, self-reliant, powerful, intelligent, always existing, unique, good & moral God who loves us (look at the world/nursery he created for us), were to write a book – what kind of book would it be?

WELL - I think among other things a book written by God would be; Unique (in a class of it’s own), Accurate (we could trust what it says) & Supernatural (it would know some stuff that only God could know)…

QUESTION – is there such a book…. WELL TODAY – I want to make the case for the bible being that kind of book……

The Bible Is Unique

Webster must have had the bible in mind when he wrote the definition of the word ‘unique.’ CHECKOUT – this definition of the word unique; 1. one and only; single; sole. 2. Different from all others; having no equal.

OKAY – I want to talk about 7 ways that the bible is different from all other books in the world and how it has no equal…

The bible is unique in it’s composition

The bible was written over a period of 1500 years; in 3 languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek), on 3 continents (Asia, Africa, Europe) and it was written by 40+ different writers from all walks of life; including kings, military leaders, peasants, poets, fisherman, prophets, statesman, priests, scribes, scholars, shepherds, fig pickers and even an IRS agent…

The bible was written in many different places; Moses wrote in the wilderness, Jeremiah in a dungeon, Daniel in a palace, Paul behind prison bars, Luke while traveling, John while in exile on the island of Patmos.