THE WORD
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were
made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him
was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace
and truth. - John 1:1-5, 14
1.
"This bible that I am holding is the most unique book in the entire world. Yet still, many people ignore it, or consider it to be old fashioned. What is needed is a REASON - a reason to embrace this book into your life. My hope today is that you’ll walk away with a renewed
desire to read, study, meditate on the Word.
Where did the Word
come from?
2.
We consider the Word as one book, yet it is in
reality it is made up of 66 different books, written by 40 different authors,
1600 years
a.
The first words were written by Moses (1400 BC),
and it was completed at the time of the apostle John (90 AD);
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man,
but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. – 2 Peter
1:21
3.
Not just a book, but a panorama of the entirety
of human history, and Gods plan for mankind.
a.
It begins in Genesis with the God of creation,
who spoke the universe into existence, an expanse so vast that even our most
powerful telescopes cannot locate its beginning or end.
b.
It reveals how God formed the earth – unique
among all known planets
c.
It describes how God formed mankind in His own
image from the elements of the earth, and it presents man as the object of
God’s love and attention.
d.
It describes the fall of man through the
deception of the enemy of God, the fallen angel Lucifer, whom we now know as
Satan,
4.
It gives an account of the human race, and the
account of how God chose one man, Abraham, who would birth a nation, and
possess a land that God would use to reveal Himself to all of mankind.
a.
The Word prophetically foretold that God would
send a Savior, who would be fully man and fully God,
b.
then how God delivered on that promise with the
birth of Jesus the Christ in the town of Bethlehem.
5.
Through the gospels it gives us the eyewitness
testimony of the life, ministry, and death of His Son Jesus Christ, as well as
the account of His resurrection.
a.
It declares the powerful truth of the gospel
message: That man can be reconciled to
God, and live with Him forever through entering a relationship with His Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
b.
Throughout the epistles this book presents the
principles of how man can live in obedience to God, and thus live in harmony
with God and his fellow man.
6.
The Word ends with a vision of the future:
a.
When the enemy of God, Satan, fully controls the
levers of power of all civilization, and brings all of the instruments of war
to a great valley in the middle east called Armageddon, to do battle with the
Son of God.
b.
We are given a description the return of Jesus
Christ, this time as a mighty warrior king
c.
Who leads Gods armies in a war that ends all
wars, where the blood of men is as high as a horse's bridle, and the enemies of
God are defeated.
d.
It describes a 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ
on this earth, a final judgment of all beings – human and angelic -
e.
And finally an eternal existence in a new heaven
and a new earth, existing together, created by God for himself, His Son, and His
people. (blank)
7.
There is no other book in the world that so
boldly covers a range and scope as this book.
8.
Divided into 2 sections: Old and New Testament
Panorama of the
Old Testament
9.
The Old Testament can be divided into four
categories: The Law, history, the
Prophets, and the Psalms. Jesus confirms
this in Luke 24
These are the words which I spoke to you while I was
still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law
of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (Luke 24:44)
10. The
first five books were written by Moses.
a.
The historical books were written by men such as
Joshua, Ezra, Samuel, and Nehemiah.
b.
The Psalms and Proverbs were written mostly by
David, Solomon, and Asaph.
c.
The prophetic books were written by the men
whose name they bear (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel…)
11. The
first complete assembly of the 39 books of the OT was in the city of Alexandria
around 200 BC, which is called the Septuagint.
12. But
what is interesting about the Old Testament is the fact that it is really
old! It has been in existence in part
since 1400 BC, which means these writings have survived for 3,400 years!
Panorama of the
New Testament
13. The
New Testament can be separated into four groups:
a.
The Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
b.
Historical:
Acts: the acts of the Apostles
c.
Epistles:
The letters of Paul and the other Apostles
d.
Prophetic:
The revelation given to John
14. Now,
if we look at this book, old as it is, how do we it's maintained its integrity?
(blank)
Integrity - How do
we know if the scriptures are accurate?
15. First
we’ll deal with the Old Testament: We no
longer have the original manuscripts that were written 3,400 years ago, so how
can we be sure that the Word we have is accurate?
a.
Several ways, one of which is found in the way
the Jewish scribes copied the ancient scriptures.
b.
At that time text was written on parchment,
which would break down over time, and so the Jews employed men called
“scribes.”
c.
A Scribe’s sole responsibility was to make exact
copies of the original scrolls, and the way they did this is revealed in the
name they were given: (blank)
16. The
Hebrew word for scribe is caphar (saw-far), which literally means “to properly
score,” or “to count”;
a.
They earned this title because of the method
they used to ensure accuracy in duplication:
b.
After the scribe finished copying a scroll, that
scroll would be reviewed by counting:
c.
They would count all of the words and letters.
d.
They would count the number of times a
particular word occurred of the scroll,
e.
They would locate the middle word and the middle
letter of the scroll, comparing all of these with his original scroll.
f.
All of these checks would validate the integrity
of the scroll.
17. What’s
so fascinating about this is that it’s exact the same error-checking method
that is used today to keep your bank balance accurate!
a.
This incredibly accurate system of
error-checking devised by the Jewish scribes is known today as a “parity
check,” and its used millions of times each day worldwide by computer networks.
b.
Whenever a data packet is transmitted across a
network, a known value is embedded into that packet (Ex: The alphabet), and
that known value is checked at the receiving end.
c.
If the value is correct, the integrity of the
packet is affirmed.
Testing the Source
18. This
tells us that the scribes had a way to keep the scriptures error-free, but how
do we know someone didn’t just change the text on purpose?
a.
It’s a valid question, given that nearly 3400
years have passed since the first books were written.
19. So
there is another test, called the bibliographical test.
a.
This test entails gathering all of the ancient
manuscripts, manuscripts that were written in a different time, authors, and
locations, and comparing them to one other.
b.
If they match, then the manuscripts have maintained
their integrity.
20. In
1947 something incredible happened: The
discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls
a.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 900
documents, discovered in eleven caves on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea
b.
That contain sections of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deut, a complete copy of Isaiah, large parts of Daniel,.
c.
Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls,
the earliest Hebrew manuscripts of the Word were texts were from the 10th
century (1000 years) after Christ.
d.
However the Dead Sea Scrolls have been dated to
the 200 years BEFORE Christ – 1100 years earlier! (blank)
21. And
guess what: These scrolls were
essentially duplicates of the later manuscripts, which simply validates the
integrity of the OT.
The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver
tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever. - Ps 12:6-7
New Testament
22. Again,
a valid question, given that it wasn’t Jewish scribes that copied the New
Testament, and nearly two thousand years have passed since these books were
written. We dont have the original, Is there a way to test the text?
a.
Well, just like with the OT, we can apply the
bibliographical test.
23. Scholars
have collected all known manuscripts in existence, from different times and
different locations, copied by different people, and compared them to see if
they are the same.
a.
In addition to the manuscripts, they have access
to the writings of early church fathers, because they often quoted from the
original work (just like today I am quoting verses),
b.
and we can examine those quotes to see if they
match the passages we have today.
c.
(The NT is
quoted so often in ancient writings that if you burned every bible, you could
reconstruct a nearly complete NT, lacking only 11 verses, using only quotes
from non-biblical works!)
d.
So how does the NT stand under the
bibliographical test?
24. Here’s
where it gets crazy: there are a total of 24,970 ancient NT manuscripts, in
different languages and from different periods of history. (The closest work is Homers Iliad, coming in
at a distant second with 643 copies.)
a.
Out of 7,956 verses contained in the Word,
scholars have identified a grand total of 40 lines that have some variation,
(by the way, none of those variations affect biblical doctrine or principles.)
b.
That is 99.995% accuracy! (compare to networks)
25. Incredible
– but just because something had maintained its integrity doesn't mean it is
TRUE. (blank)
26. So
how can we validate the truthfulness of the word of God? Two ways:
Historical
Accuracy
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It
shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it
shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. - Is 55:11
27. Over
the centuries many claims have been made against the Word regarding supposed
“historical inaccuracies”.
a.
Claims such as:
the Hittites never existed; Sodom and Gomorrah never existed; there was never a governor named Pilot; crucifixion was not practiced in the first
century, etc.
b.
All of these and more claims have been leveled
against the Word to call into question its historical integrity.
28. However,
beginning in the mid-1800’s, the science of Biblical Archeology was birthed:
a.
Men such as Edward Robinson, Charles Warren, who
participated in the Palestinian Exploration Fund started by Queen Victoria in
1865, followed by the British Mandate in 1922.
b.
Going to the Holy Land, conducting archeological
expeditions...
c.
One by one each of these arguments have fallen
by the information found in archeological discoveries, each discovery
validating the account of the Word of God.
(blank)
d.
In fact, there has not been one archeological
find that invalidated what is written in the Word. ALL HAVE BEEN VALIDATED!
29. So,
if someone says to you “the Word is full of errors…” you now have an answer, as
Peter encouraged us:
… always be ready to give a defense to everyone who
asks you a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15)
Predictive
accuracy:
Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass
away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will not pass away. – Matt 24:34-35
30. Many
book have been written that speculate on what the future will hold, some come
close, some are just funny,
a.
but the Word is unique in that it not only
boldly foretells the future, it also has the historical accuracy to back up
it’s claims:
31. For
example, in 5th century BC the prophet Daniel describes the great Empires of
the world, hundreds of years before they existed, in such great detail that
many critics charge that it must have been written after the events occurred.
(blank)
a.
in Chapter 4 Daniel describes the fall of
Babylon, the rise of the Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires, hundreds of years
before they existed
b.
In chapter 9 Daniel foretells the exact day that
Jesus Christ will enter Jerusalem, nearly six hundred years later.
c.
In chapter 11 Daniel describes the rise of
Alexander the Great, his fall, the division of his empire amongst his generals,
and the conflicts that followed.
32. The
prophet Ezekiel accurately foretold the rebirth of the nation of Israel:
a.
Before 1947 one could have argued that the Word
was wrong, because of all of the prophetic passages that referenced the nation
of Israel, especially Revelation, because Israel no longer existed as a nation.
b.
Then in 1947 the prophecy given in Ezekiel 37
came to pass!
33. In
other words, time and history have validated each predictive message that they
word has given us.
a.
The only prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled
is the return of our Lord Jesus Christ:
b.
In the Revelation of John the word lays out the
eventual destiny of civilization,
c.
Including the return of His Son the Lord Jesus
Christ, who will sit on the throne of David in the New Jerusalem forever!
On August 7th, at AT&T Park in San
Francisco, Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run off Washington's Mike Bacsik,
breaking the record held since 1976 by the great Hank Aaron. At the beginning
of Barry’s career with the Pittsburg Pirates, what would I have bet that he
would beat Hank Aaron’s all time homerun record? Not a nickel.
But on August 7th, with 755 under his belt, bating .480, if
you would have asked me what I would be that Barry would hit a home that day, I
would have bet all I had!
The Uniqueness of
the Word
34. The
Word is unique among any other book ever written in the history of mankind.
(repeat!)
35. Unique
in its survival: We have more
copies of ancient manuscripts of the Word than any other ancient document, ten
times over!
36. Unique
in its translation: The Word was
one of the first books ever to be translated into another language (250 BC
Septuagint), but as of now it has been translated into over 1300 languages
worldwide (I didn’t even know there were so many languages!), and the work is
still on-going.
37. Unique
in its circulation: you can tell
a lot by a book by how many are sold, and the Word is at the top of the
best-seller list over any other book, a thousand times over:
a.
Over 6 BILLION printed!
38. Unique
in its criticism: The Word has
been studied, scrutinized, and critiqued more than any other book in the
history of man:
a.
For thousands of years scholars, critics, and
theologians have inspected every single word of the Word.
b.
Multitudes of highly educated and intelligent
men have attempted to find errors or contradictions, yet the Word still stands
as a work of bulletproof integrity.
c.
As one elder French statesman noted, “the Word
is an anvil that has worn out many a hammer!”
39. Unique
in its harmony: Written over a
1600 year span, by more than 40 authors from every walk of life (The adopted
son of an Egyptian Pharaoh, kings, warriors, priests, prophets, a doctor, a
fisherman, a Pharisee)
a.
It addresses hundreds of controversial subjects
ranging from marriage, divorce, remarriage, sexual relations, adultery,
b.
homosexuality, bestiality, honesty, leadership,
parenting…
c.
And yet from Genesis to Revelation each of these
areas is addressed with an amazing degree of harmony. (when do 40 men agree on
anything?)
40. The
Word is unique in its effect on civilization: No other influence has had a greater effect
on the world than the teachings of the Word.
a.
Morality, law, interpersonal relations, charity,
character, leadership, even our own constitution - the great “American
Experiment”
b.
the Word presents the highest ideals known to
man, and those ideals have shaped our world more than any other book in
existence.
c.
Regardless of whether a person even believes
what the Word says, if that person lives according to the truths and principles
found in the word of God, that person will live a blessed life!
41. Unique
in its portrayal of the human condition:
It is a fact that we as a race are enamored with ourselves; we hide our
flaws, and embellish our strengths
a.
The Word gives us the cold hard truth about man,
whether he be a king or a beggar;
The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked; who can know it? -
Jer 17:9
42. The
Word accurately portrays man as a fallen creature, capable of terrible and evil
deeds,
a.
But the Word also declares that God is willing
to forgive mankind, and He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, so that man can be
reconciled to the Living God who created him!
43. But
the one final truth that I would point out to you this: the Word is unique in its ability to
change the life of its reader.
Transformation
44. I’m
a reader, and over the course of my life I’ve read many books that have helped
me in many areas...
a.
But I have to admit to you that the one book
that has had the most profound impact on my life has been the Word.
45. The
first ten years of my Christian life I barely cracked my bible. I was a
Christian, but I was a “dry Christian”
a.
I didn’t do the things I used to do, but to be
honest I thought about them – a lot!
b.
For me living the Christian life was a ‘mind
over matter’ thing, and it was always a struggle.
46. But
something happened in 1996: I attended a Promise Keepers event in Dallas Texas,
and one of the speakers challenged us to get with a few men and start studying
our bibles. (strange, I know!)
a.
So we did it; me and 5 of my buddies started
meeting once a week and studying the scriptures - and something really strange
started to happen...
b.
I started to notice that my heart and mind began
to change…
c.
Instead of thinking about sinful things all the
time, I started wanting to think about the things of Lord. (it kind of freaked
me out!)
d.
I found myself not having to fight my flesh as
much, not being drawn to carnal things, not having the desire to do those
carnal thing…
47. My
life and my marriage began to improve: My wife was like “what’s gotten into
you?” It was like I was somehow being
transformed from the inside out!
For the word of God is living and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and
spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart. - Heb 4:12
48. I
hate to describe it this way, but it was as if I had drank a magic potion, and
it was changing me, rewriting my DNA; I was becoming a new person!
a.
I began to experience Eph 4:
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have
heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put
off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according
to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you
put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness
and holiness. - Eph 4:20-24
49. The
word of God began to renew my mind, His wisdom began to guide my decisions, His
truth began to show me where I was off-course
a.
I was literally experiencing 2 Tim 3
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for
every good work. - 2 Tim 3:16-17
The Challenge
50. And
that, my friends bring us to my challenge for today: The big question, the “so
what”
a.
Is there a reason that you should invest the
time and energy into reading, studying, and meditating on the God’s word?
b.
Well I’ve given many reasons to trust the Word
51. But
the #1 reason to read, study, and embrace the Word is that it will change you!
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not
cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of
His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of
the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious
power. (Col 1:9-11)
Copyright © 2013 Clay Ritter. This data file is the sole property of Clay Ritter. It may be copied in its entirety or in part for personal use, or teaching, freely without charge. Please include a citation to this website. This data file may not be copied in part, edited, revised, copied for resale or incorporated in any commercial publications, recordings, broadcasts, performances, displays or other products offered for sale, without the written permission of Clay Ritter. Requests for permission should be made in writing and addressed to Pastor Clay Ritter, c/o Calvary Chapel of Wilmington, 2831 Carolina Beach Rd, Wilmington NC, 28412, or via email to office@calvaryofwilmington.org.
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