Journey Through the Bible – Introduction
November 6, 2011 / 8:30 Service
Here is how you can make this journey more meaningful to you:
1. Bring your bible at all times.
2. Buy a 3-ring binder (8 ½ x 11)
3. A teachable spirit
Lesson 1 – A Map of the Journey
Read 2 Timothy 2:15, and explain why a Christian should study the Bible: ____________________________________________
____________________________________________________
A. The Origin and History of the Bible
Bible was written over a period of ___1500 years____
Amount of human authors: ___40__
Who is the one author (2 Pet. 1:21): ______________________
____________________________________________________
Number of translated languages: ____1100___
Number of copies told per year: ____30 million______
B. The Theme of the Bible: ___The Redemption of Mankind______________
What is the name of this Messiah (Matt. 1:1): _______________
C. The Divisions of the Bible
Two Main Sections: _____Old_Testament____and ___New Testament_______
“Testament” means, “____covenant or aggreement_____”
I. The Old Testament
1. The first five books of the OT is called the “____Pentateuch__,” which means a “five volume book.”
Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomy
Whom did God inspire to write these books? (John 1:45 and 7:19).
2. The next twelve books are called the “__Historical___” books. These books show us how the Lord brought the chosen people (Israel) into the Promise Land and how the Law itself cannot save people. They deal with the continual rebellion of Israel as well as tell us the stories of great her great kings and leaders.
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther
3. Next are the Books of _____Poetry___. These books record encouragement, comfort, wisdom, and song. These books are often referred to as “___Wisdom______ literature.” They are:
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
4. The next section are the ______Prophets_____. There are 17 books in this section, divided into two main parts – the “___Major___” and “___Minor___” prophets.
What does the word “prophet” mean? (cf. Exod. 7:1-2)
The Major Prophets are: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel (5)
The minor prophets are: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. (12)
This makes a total of ___39__ books in the OT, with four divisions --- Law, History, Wisdom and Prophets.
II. The New Testament
1. The _Gospels_. These books are referred to as “__biographical__” books since they show us the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, as well as His death, burial and resurrection. The Gospels are: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
2. _Historical_ – Acts. This book is a sequence or second volume of Luke’s Gospel and deals with the origin and growth of the church.
3. _Pauline_ Epistles – All these books are authored by Paul who wrote almost half of the NT. These 14 books (if also Hebrews is included) are divided into three sections: The _Church_ Epistles, The _Pastoral_ Epistles, and the _Personal_ Epistles.
The Church Epistles: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
The Pastoral Epistles: 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus
The Personal Epistles are: Philemon and Hebrews
4. The _General__ Epistles. Each book in this section carries the name of its author – James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, and Jude.
5. The _Prophetic_ Book – Revelation, also called the “apocalypse,” which means “to unveil.” This book was written by the John the apostle and is the last book in the NT.
There are:
4 Gospels
1 Historical Book
14 Pauline Epistles
7 General Epistles
1 Book of Prophecy
For a total of _27_ books in the New Testament.
Application: The Bible will keep you from __sin__, and sin will keep you from reading your __bible___. God wrote the Bible to reveal to you and me His love for us, His plan of redemption, His coming Kingdom, and how we can come to have a personal relationship with Him.
Christ's Commitment to His Church
Revelation 1 / Nov. 6, 2011 / 10:30 Service
In Revelation 1:1 – “The Revelation of Jesus Christ. . .” Can be translated “from” – making Jesus the ___source____; or “about,” making Jesus the ___subject_____.
How is Jesus Committed to His Church?
1. Jesus _Loves_His Church – 1:4-5: John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.
Eph. 5 - 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed (nourishes) and care (Cherishes) for their body, just as Christ does the church.
2. Jesus _Elevates__ Us – v. 6: To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
1 Cor. 6:9-11 - Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
You are a kingdom (___royalty____) and priests (___privilege__).
3. Jesus _Intercedes__for the Church – v. 12-13: I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
Heb. 4:15: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. V. 16: Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews – 2:15-16: For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.
4. Jesus is committed to _Discipline_ His Church – v. 14: The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
Rev. 2:5: Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Rev. 3:19: Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
5. He _Comforts__ Her – verses 17-18 - When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
6. Jesus _Rewards__the Church – Chs. 2-3
2:7 - To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
2:11 - The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
2:17 - To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone (diamond) with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
2:26 - To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations; v. 28 – “I will give him the morning star.” 22:16 – “I am the bright and morning star”
3:5 - The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.
3:12 - The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
3:21 - To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.
7. He will _Glorify_ Her – Chs. 4-22
