Welcome to “Learning and Living the God-centered life”

Carmel Baptist Church

www.learningandlivingtheword.com

November 9, 2008

Principle #1 - The Bible is one Book that is comprised of 66 books.

Old Testament - 39 books

New Testament - 27 books

The Bible was written over a 1500 year time period.

The Bible was written by over 40 different authors from 40 unique walks of life.

The Bible was written on 3 different continents

The Bible was written in 3 languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek)

The Bible was written in different genres

Through this the Bible shows unity through incredible diversity

Principle #2 - The Bible has a unique structure

Principle #3 - The Bible is the AUTHORITATIVE word of God The Bible is INSPIRED (God-breathed) The Bible is INFALLIBLE (can't fail) The Bible is INERRANT (without error)

Principle #4 - The Bible has 5 Christ-centered divisions

Anticipation - Old Testament

Manifestation - The gospels (Matthew-Luke)

Proclamation - Acts

Explanation - The epistles (Romans-Jude)

Consummation - Revelation

WARNING - WARNING - WARNING

“I obey-therefore I’m accepted.”

Motivation is based on fear and insecurity

When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at

God or my self, since I believe, like Job’s friends that

anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life

“I’m accepted-therefore I obey.”

Motivation is based on grateful joy

When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I

know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial

Religion (man-centered) Gospel (God-centered)

GOD

you

IN

TEL

L

EG

EC

T

L

ALIS

T

PEOPLE TEND TO SHOW UP

GOD

you

NO

D

OCT

EXP

IN

R

ERIEN

ECE

PEOPLE TEND TO BLOW UP

GOD

you

G

R

A

C

E

J

O

Y

LOVE

GOD

you

G

R

A

C

E

J

O

Y

LOVE

PEOPLE TEND TO GROW UP

Principle #5 - The theme of the Bible is “the glory of God

TESTING OUR BIBLICAL CATEGORIES FOR KNOWING GOD

Who is the most God-centered person in the universe?

Who is uppermost in God affections?

What is the primary jealousy of God?

What is the chief end of God?

Do you feel more loved because God makes much of you?

OR because at the cost of His Son He enables you to make much of Himself?

Are you God centered because you believe you are supremely valuable to Him?

OR are you God centered because He is supremely valuable to you?

Do you know why we need to be God-centered in our thinking about God?

Because God is God-centered in thinking about Himself

So according to the Bible;

1. Where is God headed? (doing)

2. What does God instruct us about where He is headed? (saying)

Numbers 14:21 - But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD,

Habakkuk 2:14 - For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Where is this going to happen?

Who is allowed to participate in this goal?

When will this goal be realized?

How do we know that we can count on this happening?

Questions to ask from these verses:

Biblical Truth

God’s word is as good as it is, because God’s character is as good as it is.

Who is the focus of this goal?

GOD

you

G

O

R

Y

JO

GOD

you

G

L

Y

MAGNIFIED

MAXIMIZED

1. Microscope

2. Telescope

Biblical truth #1

If your passion and enthusiasm for God is going to continue and endue

Then it will need to be rooted in God’s passion and enthusiasm for Himself

Biblical truth #2

If God is only a means to your own self interests and desires (health, wealth and prosperity via a change to make your life better)

Rather than your seeing God as wonderfully and incredibly glorious then you need to check your salvation

C. S. Lewis writes:But the most obvious fact about praise-whether of God or any thing-strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless (sometimes even if) shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought in to check it. The world rings with praise-lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game-praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars.

C. S. Lewis writes:

I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: "Isn't she lovely? Wasn't it glorious? Don't you think that magnificent?" The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about. My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can't help doing, about everything else we value.

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.