In 1 Corinthians 5:7 the Bible says, "For Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us." As you think about the Old Testament Passover and the events of that day, and then as we look forward to Christ, there are so many powerful lessons that we can learn from Christ, the new Passover lamb.

Welcome to our study of Old Testament lessons that we're going to look at today especially revolving around the Passover of the Old Testament and how that looks forward to Christ. The events leading up to the Passover in Exodus chapter 12 are very pertinent to the context. In Exodus 1 through 11, we now have that a new Pharaoh arises. A new dynasty of Pharaoh arises that does not know Joseph or the people of God. As a result the Egyptians, the Egyptian people, are growing powerful. God's people are starting to grow in number, though. The Egyptians realize this won't work. They begin to put to death some of God's people. God raises up a deliverer by the name of Moses. Moses is now going to release God's people from Egyptian bondage and tyranny. God uses nine of the 10 plagues to help them see His power. The 10th plague, though, the final plague, is what will ultimately convince Pharaoh to let God's people go. The death of the first-born causes Pharaoh's son to die, and as a result, he finally lets God's people go.

How did Israel escape that plague? They escaped it through the Passover, the lamb of the Passover's blood being put on the doorpost. Then they would ultimately, once they depart, separate that Passover where God allowed them to come out of Egypt by the blood of the lamb being posted in each one of their houses.

As we think about the Old Testament, there are so many things in the Old Testament that were a type or a shadow of things in the New Testament. For example, you've got the congregation of Israel that followed Moses and then you've got the church, God's people today that follow Christ. You've got baptism into Moses, in the Red Sea, and then you've got baptism today. Then you have that original Passover lamb in Exodus 11 and 12, and you've got Christ, His death, who is our Passover lamb today.

Today we want to think about the similarities between the Passover lamb of Israel, and Jesus Christ, the true Passover Lamb of God. When we think about these things, let's realize this about Jesus our Passover lamb. Exodus 12:3-4 says this: Speaking to all the congregation of Israel, say, "On the 10th of this month, every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons according to each man's need, you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without spot and blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats." God's people, to remember what happened in Exodus 11, that final plague in Exodus 10 and 11, where they posted the blood of the lamb to their doorpost and the death angel passed over, as it were, they're reminded when they take the Passover Lamb of God passing over his people and passing over every family that did that.

The lamb played a significant part in the Passover. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is our Passover lamb today. Jesus, in fact, is identified as the true Lamb of God. 1 Corinthians 5:7 "For Christ, our Passover," the word 'paschal' there, "Our Passover lamb was sacrificed for us." 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, "Knowing that you were redeemed, not by corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct, handed down by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without spot and blemish." John 1:29 John the Baptist sees Jesus approaching and he says this: "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." You see that great scene in Revelation 5:8-12, where there is a lamb that was slain from the foundations of the world. That lamb represents Jesus Christ.

Friend, it's also very interesting to notice that Jesus was taken by lawless men during the Passover to become the true Passover of God. It

was during the Old Testament Passover time that lawless men took Jesus, John 19:14 and He was made to be the true Passover Lamb of God.

Now, when you think about Jesus as the Passover lamb, let's also realize this: Just like the Old Testament Passover lamb had some conditions it had to meet; Christ is the perfect Lamb of God today. Listen again to Exodus 12:5. The Bible says, "Your lamb shall be without blemish. A male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.” Now, there were certain characteristics of the Passover lamb that it had to meet so that it would be proper to give during that time. It couldn't have spot or blemish-Had to be perfect and to be whole in that sense. A male of the first year, and it could be of the sheep or of the goats.

Now, Jesus perfectly fits the qualities and characteristics that were given for the Passover lamb. Jesus was of the right stock. That is, He was of the stock of Israel. Genesis 12:1-3, and Genesis 22:18 said that the one who would bless all nations would ultimately be of the seed of Abraham. Jesus is of the seed of Abraham. John 8, Jesus clearly identified, "Before Abraham was, I am." Not only that though, Jesus is of the lineage of David. 2 Samuel 7:12-14, "There would be one from the seed of David who would reign over the house of Israel forever." Jesus, according to Luke 1:32-33, is that one of the house of David, reigning forever. More importantly, Jesus is God in the flesh. ‘In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,’ John 1:14. He is of the right lineage and stock of Israel to be the proper Passover lamb.

Jesus also has the perfect qualities and characteristics to be the Passover lamb. Remember, that Old Testament lamb couldn't be a culled lamb. It couldn't be a hurt lamb. It couldn't' be a sick lamb. It was to be without spot and blemish. Spiritually speaking, that represents the Lord Jesus Christ, who committed no sin, nor was guile or deceit found in his mouth, 1 Peter 1:19-21. The Bible says in Hebrews 4:15: "He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin." 2 Corinthians 5:21: "God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might be the righteousness of God in Him." "He's done all things well," Mark 7:37, "He was about the father's business," Luke, 2:49-52. As you think about the comparisons Jesus represents in such clear fashion, that perfect, sinless, harmless son of God, the Passover lamb for us today. As we think about comparisons with the Passover lamb, realize this also: The Passover lamb,

under the Old Testament, was slain by Israel, by the people, by the congregation. Look at Exodus 12:6. The Bible says this: "Now, you shall keep it," that is the Passover lamb, "Until the 14th day of the same month. Then, the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight." This Passover lamb, it was to be slain in front of, and at the hands of the whole congregation of Israel.

Friend, do we realize that Jesus typifies this? In that our Lord was put to death at the hands of the Jews? 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15. The Jews are clearly identified. The nation of Israel is clearly identified as playing a part in that. Acts 2:23 Peter said, ‘your lawless hands have taken him.’ Acts 5:30, He was taken by the hands of the Israelites. Then of course, John 19:6 we clearly see he was put up before all Israel, taken by the hands of the Jews who cried out as they were asked, "Do you want me to release Barabbas or Jesus?" They told him, "Release Barabbas." They wanted Jesus crucified. And so the Jewish nation, Jesus' blood is on their hands, but not only was Jesus crucified by the Jews, let's realize this as well, let's make it personal. It was my sins and it was your sins that put Jesus on the cross.

The Passover lamb, it was for the people of Israel. But as we think about how Jesus typifies that, how he was slain by Israel, friend I'm going to make it personal. Jesus was slain by my hands and by yours as well. It was done for the sins of the whole world. I am a part of that world and so are you. Isaiah 59:1-2 "Our sins separate us from God." Hebrews 10:26 and Hebrews 9:22, "Without the shedding of blood, there's no forgiveness of sins." In 2 Timothy 1:9-10 tells us Jesus, according to the plan of God, died for my sins and for yours. Yes, Israel, their hands are the ones who literally took him, but friend, my sin and your sin, put Jesus on the cross, the Passover lamb, just as much as the Israelites did.

Now as we think about typifying and the example of Jesus as the true Passover lamb, let's realize what that Passover lamb represented. The Passover lamb, its blood. It allowed them to escape the punishment that was coming upon Egypt. Listen to Exodus 12:12-13, God says, "For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. I am the Lord." Now listen to this: "The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt." So this final plague, God is convincing Pharaoh,

He's destroying the heathen nations and their gods, and if there is no blood on the post of the door of that house, then they're going to lose the first born in that house. And yet God says to His people, listen these beautiful words, "When I see the blood, I will pass over your houses." When God saw the blood on the doorpost of the House of Israel, that house wouldn't suffer that final plague of the death of the firstborn that was coming.

Let's think about the practical application of that today. Today, people can escape the wrath of God, the plague that's coming spiritually by applying the blood of Christ to their spirits. Notice how powerful the blood of Jesus is for people today. Matthew 26:28, Jesus blood has the power to remit or remove all sin. As Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper with His disciples, He takes that fruit of the vine and He says this, "This is my blood of the new covenant shed for many for the remission of sins." The blood of Jesus remits or removes every sin a person's ever committed. The blood of Jesus is what bought the church or the saved in the first century and today. Acts 20:28 as Paul speaks to the elders in Ephesus, he encourages them to be shepherds. He says this in Acts 20:28, "To shepherd the Church of God which He purchased with His own blood." What does the blood of Jesus do? It remits all sin. It's that payment, that price that bought the saved and collects them into that place. That blood of Jesus is what justifies sinners. Romans 5:9, having been justified freely by his blood. The word justified is unique in that it means to ‘just as if I'd never sinned.’ What does it mean when you're justified by the blood of Jesus? Friend, you're going to second start, do over. ‘If anyone's in Christ, he's a new creation.’ There it is- the do over. ‘All things have passed away, behold all has become new.’ It's the blood of Christ that buys us back or redeems us to God. Ephesians 1:7, and Revelation 5:9, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." By selling ourselves to Satan, Satan now has me captive. What is it that's going to ransom us or buy us back from Satan? The blood of Jesus is what redeems or buys us back. It's that price that was paid for our sin.

The blood of Christ is what allows us to enter the most holy place. Hebrews 9:12, they couldn't enter the holy place except without blood. That blood that was sacrificed today, the Bible says in Hebrews 4:16, "Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we might find mercy and grace to help in time of need." We can enter the holy place of God today because of the great sacrifice that Jesus made. It is that blood that allows us to draw near to God. According to Ephesians 2:13, "By the blood of

Jesus Christ. It is that blood of Christ as we walk in the light that continually cleanses us. If we walk in the light, that means trying to live the Christian life every day. If we walk in the light, as he, Jesus is in the light. We have fellowship one with another and the blood of his son Jesus Christ cleanses, that's durative, ongoing idea, continually cleanses us of all sin.” Can you see the power? The power in that paschal Passover lamb? In the book of Exodus, you could clearly see that when that last plague passed over the house, you are thankful to God that the blood had been applied and you realized how powerful that blood was. Your first born didn't have to die. How much more so today when we think about the powerful benefits of our Lord and Savior's blood that is applied to every person's spirit?

As we think about the Passover lamb in the book of exodus, let's not miss the fact that then as are today, there was some things they had to do to escape the judgment of God and obey him. Listen to Exodus Chapter 12:21 following. In exodus chapter 12, here's what God commanded them. Verse number 21: "Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, pick out and take lambs for yourself according to your families and kill the Passover lamb, and you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin and shall strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house into morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you." Were there any acts of obedience? Were there commands they had to follow for the blood to work, for the blood to be applied to their houses? Well, sure there was. The Israelites could not escape the judgment of God unless they obeyed God and did certain things. First of all, they had to kill a lamb. You couldn't do it some other way. There was no other way. As bad as it may have hurt it, as much as you may not have wanted to, you had to kill a lamb. You had to gather some hyssop, something that would be sponge like as it were, a rag or something you might think of. A hyssop. You had to gather hyssop, you had to take that and actually dip it in blood. Then you had to take that with blood on it and put it on the lintel, the top part, and both of the posts. Then you could not go out of your house all night until the morning. Now would you say those are things they absolutely had to do to be saved from that last plague? Sure. Did these acts earn the Israelites their salvation? No. It was the blood being applied. It was God's grace, God's worry, and God's favor that passed over them.

If they didn't do what God say it, they don't obey him, they wouldn't have been saved. You see, you've got both grace and faith combined there. Listen to Ephesians 2:8-9. The Bible says, "By grace are you saved through faith. And that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." They were saved by the grace of God, but does that mean they didn't have to do anything? God's grace and their faith both were essential in them being saved from the judgment that was coming. Friend, how appropriate that is and how true that is for the blood of Christ being applied to people's spirits today. There are certain things God says one must do to obey Him and to be saved and to have the blood of Christ applied to our lives spiritually.

The Bible teaches that you've got to hear the word of God. In Romans 10:17 the Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." I know I've got to have faith, for without faith it's impossible to please God, Hebrews 11:6. How do I get faith? If faith is essential, whatever way I get faith is essential also, right? Faith comes by hearing, in hearing the word of God. Friend, if I'm going to be saved, I've got to study the word, 2 Timothy 2:15. I've got to read it. I've got to seek it; I've got to search it, Acts 17:11. I've got to prove all things to be true, 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

In Acts 8 as they're traveling down the road, Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in the distance, he sees it. "Here's water. There's water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Here's the condition. "If you believe with all your heart, you may." Is belief a condition you have to meet to contact the blood of Jesus? Absolutely. Now friend, it's not the only one and it doesn't end there, but I've got to hear the message of Christ and I've got to believe in Jesus. To contact the blood of Jesus. Jesus says I must repent. Luke 13:3 Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you'll all likewise perish.” There's no other way around it. I've got to turn from sin and turn to God." Acts 3:19 Peter preached, "Repent, and turn again or be converted that your sins may be blotted out." Repentance is a change way of thinking that leads to a change way of acting. I'm no longer going to give myself to sin; I'm going to turn to God. Doesn't mean you're 100% perfect- none of us are. We're going to try every day to walk in the light. Then a person must be willing to confess Jesus as Lord in their life. Romans 10:10 says, "With the heart, one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." I've got to do what Jesus said. "If you won't confess me before men, neither will I confess you before the father who is in heaven.

But if you will confess me before men, I'll also confess you before the father who is in heaven." To contact the blood of Jesus that saves the death and the blood of Jesus, one must be immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins. Revelation 1:5 says, "We're washed in his blood." Acts 22:16, Saul was told, "Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins." Jesus said in Mark 16:16, "He that believes and is baptized will be saved."

Probably the clearest passage to help us see that I cannot contact the death and the blood of Jesus without being baptized is found in Romans 6:1. Paul says, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that Grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" And I noticed this, "Or do you not know that is many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death. That just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father even so we also should walk in newness of life." Without the death of Jesus, is there any salvation? Of course not. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:22, without the shedding of blood, there's no forgiveness of sins. Jesus’ death is absolutely essential to salvation.

When do I contact the death of Jesus? “As many of us as were baptized into His death had been buried with Him in baptism.” Friend, you cannot contact the death of Jesus without being baptized. The blood was essential under the Old Testament Passover. They didn't put it to the lentil, they didn't put it on the door post, someone in the house was going to die. The firstborn was going to die. If you don't apply the blood of Christ to yourself spiritually by obeying the Gospel and ultimately being baptized, you cannot be saved.

God wants you to be saved. He doesn't want men and women to be lost. The Bible says God wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth, 1 Timothy 2:4. Christians everywhere want men and women to be saved, but you can't be saved without the blood of the Passover lamb being applied to you spiritually. To do that, you've got to hear the message. "You've got to believe in Jesus. You must repent of sin, confess His name before men." As Peter so clearly said in 1 Peter 3:21, “Baptism does now also save us.” It's where we contact the blood of Jesus in salvation.

Has the blood of the New Testament Passover lamb been applied to your spirit? If not, then on the Day of Judgment, you do have something to fear. But if you've obeyed the gospel, you're a Christian, you've been baptized for the omission of your sins, on that great and final day instead of hearing the words, "Depart from me, you workers of iniquity", and you can hear these wonderful words: "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joys of your Lord."

May God help each of us to live in view of that hope each and every day of our lives.

Study Questions for:

“Old Testament Studies Lesson 8- The Lamb”

1. According to 1 Corinthians 5:7, who is our Passover?

2. According to Romans 15:4, how does the Old Testament help us today?

3. According to Hebrews 8:13, what is now obsolete?

4. According to 1 Peter 1:18-19, what was Christ for us?

5. What does John call Jesus in John1:29?

6. What does Hebrews 4:15 say of Jesus and His temptation?

7. According to Isaiah 59:1-2, what separates us from God?

8. According to Hebrews 10:26, how does Christ feel when we sin?

9. According to Hebrews 9:22, what must there be for the forgiveness of sins?

10. According to Matthew 26:28, why was Jesus’ blood shed?

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for all delivered to the saints,” Jude verse 3.

We welcome you today to our study of fundamentals of the faith. Specifically today we're thinking about the fundamental idea of standing up for and defending the faith against error, which does so much damage to the souls of men and women worldwide. As we think about the idea of defending the faith, the very idea of controversy itself, is something that most of us really don't like. We don't like disputing or debating or much contention or disagreement. We don't like strife and argumentation a whole lot. The idea of controversy itself means something that's turned in the opposite direction. We'd rather like for people to agree with us, rather than have to face someone who takes a different idea than we do. As we think about this idea of defending the faith, we don't like controversy usually, because it makes us feel uncomfortable. It makes us feel uncomfortable, because we want to be liked by everybody. We’re afraid that somebody's going to get angry with us, or maybe somebody doesn't have all the facts. Some people associate standing up for the truth and controversy, with not being as loving as we ought to be.

As we think today about defending the faith, there's no doubt Jesus had people who disliked Him. There is no doubt that people became very angry at times with the Lord and Savior, so much so that that was one of the main motivating factors people put Him on the cross. There were those who didn't have all the facts, and yet Jesus still presented the truth and opposed error. No one would ever say Jesus didn’t love, when He stood up for the truth. That's the same for Christians today. When we defend the faith, when we contend earnestly for the truth, we’re not being mean or unkind. We're simply trying to let God's truth and God's word shine forth. Galatians 4:16 says it this way, “Have I become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” When Paul spoke to Christians in Galatia, some of whom were greatly confused and in error about mixing the old law and the new law, was he becoming their enemy when he spoke the truth of

God? Absolutely not! “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed,” the proverb writer said in Proverbs 27:5.

Now as we think about the basis and what it is that causes controversy, I'm reminded of Binford's law of controversy, which was expressed by Gregory Binford in this way. He said controversy is passion inversely proportionate to the amount of real or true information available. Controversy becomes passionate in an inadvertent way inversely proportionate to the amount of facts somebody may have. If we stand behind the truth, and if we're going to simply say what God's word says, should we be passionate about speaking up for the truth and opposing error? Absolutely! Christians should be passionate about that. Ephesians 5:11 says we're to, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; rather we are to expose them.” Why is it that Jesus spoke so passionately about the resurrection in Mark 12? They had this long argument with a woman who had the seven husbands. ‘Whose husband is she now?’ Jesus passionately said, ‘You do therefore greatly err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. In Heaven they’re neither married nor given in marriage, but they're like the Angels.’ He goes on to show, because the resurrection is such a vital part of Christianity, He spoke passionately about the error they held there and defended God's truth.

Now let's think for a moment about what it is, what causes us, to have to at times defend the faith and stand up for truth. Sometimes error and controversy occurs, maybe because rumors or gossip cause it to be unnecessary. Maybe somebody's heard something, or somebody told somebody something and that kind of went around the chain through everybody and before the long it's not even true. Maybe it started out with some sense of truth, but has been so exaggerated or gone through the gossip chain so much, that it's really not true. When we think about rumors and gossip causing error, Paul spoke about in 1 Timothy 1:3-5. He said, “You've got to stand up and make sure to teach the one gospel. Don't give heed to fables or endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification, which is in the faith.” The fables, the endless genealogies, the rumor and gossip maybe that had been spread there, the ancient history, which wasn't a source of tradition, caused controversy in the first century. Other times it's a failure to accept the facts that causes controversy. God makes clear in the Scriptures what's true. Jesus said, “The truth will make you free,” John 8:32. We know that God's word is truth, John 17:17. That truth is the only source we need to be saved. 2 Peter 1:3, God has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through knowledge of Him who called us.

When there are people trying to promote other facts, whether it be a church history, whether it be oral tradition, whether it be the books of men, and those facts oppose Scripture, and people are not willing to accept those. Controversy naturally comes when we don't accept the facts that are plain in the Scripture. Another reason that we often have to defend the faith is, because in some situations prejudice and pride can cause controversy. You see this clearly in the ministry of Jesus. As Jesus is teaching from the old law that the old law itself has been done away with, encouraging

people to follow the new law, you’ve got this whole idea of circumcision. People wanting to be the seed of Abraham, and Jesus clearly teaches that circumcision does not avail in New Testament Christianity, that the old law of Moses and the seed of Abraham, He is the seed of Abraham. They're having been brought up that way, and being prejudiced toward it for so long, they couldn't get over the problems that existed in their own mind, even though the facts were very clear.

When we think about controversy, we've got to ask ourselves, is personal bias and prejudice and what I like or don't like playing a factor in my understanding the truth? Whatever the controversy is, and whatever causes it, we've got to deal with controversy in the scriptural way. Whether it's disagreeing over the Scripture, what oral tradition and Scripture might say, and how we need to let the Bible have its say, or whatever it may be. The answer is always to deal with it in a scriptural approved way, and let God's word have the say. In doing that, let's then recognize, what are some attitudes and motives that are needed from someone trying to stand up for and defend the faith? No doubt, the main attitude that is needed is genuine love. Paul told Timothy, 1 Timothy 1:3-5, “charge some that they teach no other doctrine,” and again he said, “don't give in to fables or endless genealogies which are going to cause disputes,” and then he said this, “the purpose of the commandment, to charge some to teach no other doctrine, is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith.” When we stand up for truth, when we try to teach God's truth, and oppose error, how do we do that? Love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith. Luke 19:10, Jesus is the great example of this. Jesus often had to stand up for truth, but Jesus came for the sole purpose of seeking and saving the lost. No doubt His motivation was love. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you that you also love one another,” and yet Jesus at times even had to oppose His own disciples for some of the things they may have espoused.

When we're dealing with controversy, let's let brotherly love continue, Hebrews 13:1. Let's realize we've got to even love our enemies, Matthew 5:44 -46. And so when we talk about this idea, we’re talking about the words of Ephesians 4:15. I've got to, and anyone who stands up for truth which all of us at times must, we've got to speak the truth in love. And there's no doubt truth must come first and truth must reign supreme in. And I understand God's word is the absolute source of all truth, Psalm 119:160. But as I speak the word of God, do I want to be mean and hateful and unkind and demeaning to people? Of course not! I want to speak the truth in love, meaning that our motivation is love and that love ought to be exhibited in the way we say, the things that we do, and that were really trying to help people understand God's word.

Ultimately another attitude that is needed, in trying to stand up for and defend the faith is, we need a desire to please God not men. I want you to think about Paul's example in Galatians 1. As Paul thought about his past life, and how he had been often caught up in tradition and the things of men, Paul made this great statement and I want you to listen to the words of Galatians 1. Notice what the apostle Paul says in verse number 10, Paul says, “For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please

men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Paul said, ‘Am I trying to persuade God or men? Who am I trying to persuade? Men. Am I still trying to please men or God?’ He's trying to please God; therefore he wants to speak the very words of God. Our desire, please understand, God wants all men to be saved and Christians do as well, but our desire in defending the truth and standing up for what's right, is to make God happy. I want to stand behind and stand firmly upon God's word. I want to do that in an attitude and motivation of love. But ultimately when I think about who's happy, or who's unhappy, my number one concern is, does this make God happy? As we stand up for the truth in the way that he wants us to.

Another motivation that we need and in defending the truth, is we need first to seek the truth. I want to make sure I'm seeking truth first. Above all else truth must reign supreme. Jesus said in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free.” If it's truth that sets men free, then in defending God's truth, I want to seek the truth. I want to know the truth. I want to stand behind truth. Proverbs 23:23, the writer in the long-ago said, “Buy the truth and sell it not.” ‘Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?’ is the question Paul asked to those in Galatia. And friend, as we've mentioned, it is the word of God that is the source of truth. Not my feelings, not my opinion, not your feelings, and not your opinion or anybody else's. Jesus prayed to the father in the 17th chapter of the Gospel of John in verse 17, “Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth.”

Now are there other attitudes that are needed in dealing with controversy in defending the faith? Absolutely! Kindness goes a long way in dealing with controversy. Do we even if we disagree with somebody, even if we recognize somebody is teaching blatant error about the Scriptures, do I still want to be kind and respectful of that person who's been created in the image of God and who has an eternal soul? Sure I do! Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath.” Ephesians 4:32, we’re to have kindness. 1 Corinthians 13:4, kindness is directly connected and tenderness is directly connected to love. And so, even when we may passionately stand up for the truth, and even when we say what God says and oppose error, can we do that in kindness? Sure! Will it always be deemed, looked at as kindness? It may not be, but if our motive and attitude is to be kind and loving and speak the truth that's the things that God Himself is concerned with.

Also, when we think about defending the faith, friend we've got to have the attitude that I am going to contend earnestly for the faith. Jude verse 3, Jude wanted to write. And he wanted to write about the common salvation, but there was a problem that compelled him. “Though I was very diligent to write you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary,” there was a need “I found it necessary to exhort to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” I've got to be willing to expose the unfruitful works of darkness, Ephesians 5:11. If I know the truth, and if I want to do it in a kind and loving way, but if I never have the courage to stand up, I'm missing an attitude and a motivation that I need. God

needs His people to, in kindness and love, stand up and to battle for the truth. Fight the good fight of faith, Paul would say in 1 Timothy 6:12-18. Defend the faith that it's been delivered, and Jude gives the reasoning which was once for all delivered to the saints. This is the system of faith in the New Testament Scriptures. This is all of God's revelation. There isn't going to be anything else. It was once for all delivered to the saints, and God needs us. He wants us to stand up for the truth.

As we think about the idea of salvation, let's realize just as importantly in our defending for the faith, we need the attitude and the motivation of we're doing this, we're standing up for truth, for the motivation of the salvation of souls. Matthew 9:36-38, Jesus looked down upon the people from where He was sitting and He saw them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “Truly the harvest is plentiful the laborers are few, pray the Lord of hosts will send out laborers into His field or His harvest.” Why did Jesus oppose the religious elite? Why did He say things that made them so mad that they ultimately sent Him to the cross? Jesus did it, because He wanted people to be saved. Why did Jesus say to His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel?” That gospel was going to oppose religious error at times. Jesus wants all men to be saved and that's got to be our motivation.

The motivation cannot be to beat somebody over the head with the Bible, if we can use that language. The motivation cannot be to make ourselves look good, to feel better about ourselves, to give ourselves some kind of sense of religious approval. No! Our motivation in standing up for truth must be the salvation of men and women's souls. Do we really believe, think about this, those who are in religious error, those who've been taught ways of salvation that are not correct, those who are living lives that some have pawned off on them as religious, that are living in immorality, do we really believe those people are going to be lost? Does that motivate us then, to stand up for and teach the truth?

Friend, as you think about the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His willingness to stand up for truth and defend the faith, there's no doubt that Jesus at times was viewed as stepping right into the mire of controversy headlong. Jesus did that in certain areas. He did it as it related to salvation. For example, Jesus taught in John 14:6, opposed to the many ideas that the Jews had, opposed to the ideas the Greeks and idolaters had, and the Romans had, Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father except by me.” In a world where there was a pluralist idea in many ways of salvation, the people thought were available, Jesus boldly stood up, and whether it be controversial or not said, ‘I am the way the only way to the Father.’ Acts 4:12, ‘nor is there salvation in any name any other name there's no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ As it relates to matters of salvation, when people go out and teach doctrines that the Bible clearly teaches are not correct, ‘all you've got to do to be saved is believe in Jesus.’ Bible doesn't teach that. In fact, the Bible says faith only won't save, James 2:24. When people make up these ideas about salvation, and as they go around the country and saying, ‘all you got a do to be saved to say the sinner’s prayer.’ When you turn to the pages of your Bible and that

prayer isn't even in there. We need to oppose that type of error by teaching God's simple plan of salvation. Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved.” Jesus said in John 3:5, “Unless a man is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

We've got to as Jesus did. Jesus stood up for and defended God's truth on matters that related to worship. A woman came to Jesus with a question. She said ‘we Samaritans us over here, we've heard that you worship on mount Gerazhim. Jews say you got to worship in Jerusalem. I want to know, where do you really worship in essence?’ And Jesus said, “It's not the place, in essence, God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” Her idea wasn't right necessarily, nor was the Jew’s idea right necessarily. Jesus presented the truth on the matter about worship and stood up for that. Jesus did that even to Satan himself. Matthew 4:9-10, Satan came to Jesus and he said, ‘all these things I'll give you if you fall down and worship me.’ Jesus stood up for truth, “You shall worship the Lord your God, it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”

Christians must stand up today and defend the pattern of worship in the New Testament. That is to be in spirit and according to the truth. That it is on the first day of the week that Christians come together to worship God, to sing, to pray, to give, and to take the Lord's supper, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. That that Christians today are to sing and make melody in their heart. That God hasn't asked us in the New Testament age to have an organ or a band or a ten piece rock band or a piano up there. God wants me to sing and make melody in my heart. There is the place that I'm to sing from the heart and make melody with our voices as we teach and admonish one another Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19.

Jesus was also viewed controversially and had to defend the faith when it came to a difficult discussions like marriage, divorce, and remarriage. There were opposing views in Jesus day on this subject. And so the Jews want to know what does the Rabbi, what does the master teacher say. And they come to Jesus with the question: can a man divorce his wife for just any reason? One's camp said yes among the scholars of the day. Another camp said no. What do you say Jesus? “From the beginning it's not so,” Jesus said. Jesus goes all the way back to the beginning and says, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh therefore what God has joined together let not man separate.” Should you divorce your wife for any reason? Of course not! Jesus said and then He said in Matthew 19:9, “but I say to you whoever divorces his wife except for fornication and marries commits adultery.” Friend it's not unkind and it's not unloving when we say what Jesus said right there. The one and only scriptural reason Jesus gave for divorce was fornication. Then and only then does the innocent party have the right to remarry.

Those things sometimes are viewed as unkind and unloving. Friend that's not the way it is at all in Scripture. We say these things because we love people, and because we want them to go to heaven. One of the things that Jesus spoke so plainly about that

has become rather controversial and that we must defend the faith for today is the one true church you read about the Bible. Friend Jesus said, “I will build my church.” How many churches and whose church did Jesus build? Listen again, “I will build my church,” Matthew 16:18. It belongs to Christ. And it's singular in origin, Ephesians 4:4. “There is but one body,” 1 Corinthians 12:20. “There are many members yet but one body,” Colossians 3:15. “We've been called into God's love and mercy. And being we been called into one body and be ye thankful.” One church, one body. It belongs to Jesus. He built it. And denominationalism is contrary to the teaching of Christ. Paul said to those in Corinth who are trying to promote denominationalism, “Let there be no divisions among you.” Is it unkind to say denominationalism, the naming religious groups after men, the following the teaching of men, is not according to God's will? Of course not! We say that in love, because the Bible teaches there's one church. The Bible teaches how to get into that one church, and the Bible teaches only those in that church, when Christ comes back are going to go and be with the Father, 1 Corinthians 15:24.

Today, we encourage Christians. We stand up for and we defend the truth because that's what God wants. But we must, and this is our motivation and our desire we want to speak the truth in love. If truth is not first all else fails. If truth is first and there's no love, we have a hard time reaching folks.

May God help us to have the courage to truly defend the faith.

Study Questions for: “Fundamentals of the Faith: Defending the Faith”

1. According to Proverbs 27:5, what is better than love carefully concealed?

2. What should we do to the unfruitful works of the darkness according to Ephesians 5:11?

3. 1 Timothy tells us we must do what?

4. What will the truth do according to John 8:32?

5. In Galatians 1:10, why did Paul not want to please men?

6. What shall we do with the truth according to Proverbs 23:23?

7. According to John 17:17, the word is what?

8. In Matthew 9:36-38, what was few?

9. According to John 14:6, how can we get to the Father?

10. What must we do to enter Heaven according to John 3:5?

The apostle Paul asked a great question in Romans 4:3, “What does the Scripture say?”

We’re going to be discussing those doctrines and teaching of Scripture that are fundamental to one understanding God's word and New Testament Christianity.

As we think about fundamentals of the faith, laying the correct foundation, it is so important to have that fundamental idea of knowing where our faith comes from. Let’s begin by talking about having the right source and the right doctrine, as our fundamental guide. When you think about the word doctrine, it’s a big word, or a word we don't use a whole lot, but it just simply means teaching. The Greek word didasko, just simply meant teaching. So, when we talk about doctrine, we’re talking about following the right teaching.

Let's begin by asking, whose doctrine and whose teaching does the Bible encourage us to follow? In Scripture there are three sources of doctrine specifically mentioned, but only one of those is approved by God. The major fundamental source of doctrine is that of Christ and of God. John said, in 2 John 9, “Whoever transgresses,” listen now, “and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God. He abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” Whose doctrine, teaching, must I abide in to have God as my father? God's doctrine. Titus 2:10, “It is the doctrine of God that records godliness and creates the spiritual life that God wants us to have.” We want to emphasize and put our focus on the teaching of Christ and the teaching of God, as the fundamental source in our doctrine.

But as we mention, there are two other sources and these are sources that one needs to be aware of. For example, in the Scripture there is mentioned the doctrines of demons, which in reality, was a departure of the faith. 1 Timothy 4:1, the Bible says, “The Spirit expressly says that the latter times some will depart from the faith.” What you mean Paul? “Giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, forbidding to marry, commanding abstain from food, which God created to be received with

thanksgiving by those who know and love the truth.” What is this doctrine of demons? It's false doctrine. It's doctrine that emanates from the depths of hell. It is trying to sway people away from God & the truth, and align them with the devil and his teaching. So, the idea there is false doctrine or doctrines of men that do not bring about Godliness.

Then there's a third doctrine that's mentioned. It’s this doctrine that we especially want to encourage people to be on the watch for. There is also mention in Scripture the doctrine of men, and we absolutely must be aware of that. In Mark chapter 7, we find a great example. As well as in Matthew 15:9, Jesus said of the religious elite who were putting their trust in the doctrines of men, Jesus said, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about these people saying, they draw near to me with her mouth, honor me with their lips, but their heart is it far from me.” now listen, “in vain do they worship me teaching as doctrine, the commandments of men.”

When we think about doctrine, it's not what a commentary says that matters; it's not what men say that matters; it’s not what the popular opinion says that matters; it's not any of those things that originate with men; our doctrine, to have good doctrine and to stay true to the Scripture, must be based off of the word and the will of our Heavenly Father.

Let’s ask another question. Once we consider that the source must come from God, what type of doctrine then are Christians encouraged in Scripture to look for? Friend the Bible teaches that we need sound doctrine. 1 Timothy 1:10, Paul encouraged Timothy to, “give heed to sound doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:3, upon the heels of saying, “Preach the word, be instant in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering and teaching, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.” What is that idea of sound doctrine really mean? When we say ‘sound doctrine’ that really doesn't carry the connotation may be that it originally did. The word sound means healthy. It means well. It means solid. It means a pure is the idea. We’re talking about healthy doctrine. We’re talking about that which promotes spiritual health and growth. I want sound doctrine. What is that sound doctrine? How do we have true sound doctrine? If our teaching comes from God in the Bible, it will promote spiritual well-being. The Scripture says that God's word is, “A living and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword able to pierce even to division of soul and spirit joint tomorrow it's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Sound doctrine is based on the words of this book. “God's word is able to build us up and give us an inheritance among all those who are sanctified, Acts 20:32.” This book, God's word, is the power of God unto salvation. And thus, when we think about the right doctrine, we want to be sound. We want it to be well. We want it to be healthy doctrine that comes from God and his message of salvation, not from the ideas and teachings of men.

We then ask the question, where do we get this doctrine? As we've alluded to, that doctrine is going to come from the Bible. I want you listen to the words of Jesus in John chapter 7:17, as he spoke about doctrine. Jesus said of the doctrine that, “It is not

my own, if anyone desires to do my will, he shall know, concerning the doctrine, whether I speak of only my own authority or from God.”

When we talk about the source of doctrine, that doctrine emanates from the throne of heaven, from God himself, from Jesus Christ, who is our Savior, that's where we get that that doctrine. Now someone says, ‘Okay, well that's all good and well, but you are you saying God speaking to me? Christ is speaking to me today?’ Only as he has told us in Scripture. Where does our doctrine come from, if it comes from God? It's found in the pages of the Bible. That's how God speaks to us today. How do we know that? Listen to the words of Hebrews 1:1. The Scripture records, “God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past, to the fathers by the prophets,” listen now, “has in these last days spoken to us by his son.” How is God speaking to me and you today? He's speaking through Jesus Christ. Where are the words of Christ at? They’re found in the pages of the word of God. Do you member that passage in 2 Timothy 3:16- 17? Paul is writing to the church and through Timothy speaking to the church in Ephesus, and he reminds them of their source of authority being the Bible from God. He says these words, the Bible says, “All Scripture,” not some, not a few, not most, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” That means God breathed, “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, thoroughly equipped unto every good work.”

As we think about our Bible, and as we think about how important it is that we get our doctrine from God, from Jesus Christ, from the Holy Spirit, the only way I can do that is right here in the pages of this book. “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit,” 2 Peter 1:19-21. Jesus promised his apostles that the spirit was going to come upon them and they were going to be guided into all truth, John 16:13. We open to Acts 2, “And the spirit did come upon those men they began to preach and speak by the power and spirit of God.” And what they said and wrote which we have today in the Bible comes from God and is the absolute source we need to trust on this matter.

Now, as we think about doctrine, please understand there is a sense in which in the Lord's church, God's elders do have doctrine in matters of fulfilling the word of God, and in matters of expediency, and elders have the responsibility to labor in doctrine. Meaning that they're going to study; they're going to teach. 1 Timothy 5:17 says that, “Elders are worthy of double honor especially those who labor in word and doctrine.” So when we think about elders, they have a big responsibility in shepherding the flock and making sure that it's taught and fed as it ought to be. Acts 20: 27 and following, elders have the responsibility of keeping the flock pure by convicting and exhorting those who contradict true doctrine. Titus 1:9, they're told to stop the mouths of those who are contradictory good doctrine. Elders do play a role in this. They are to study and to teach and to make opportunities where people can learn God's doctrine in the Lord's church. And they are to stand up and oppose those who do not teach the doctrine of God as they ought to teach.

But you know, as we think about that good doctrine in the Lord's church and especially as it relates to teaching and preaching, Bible class teachers from every level starting at the youngest all the way up, gospel preachers have a great responsibility as it relates to doctrine. A good evangelists and teacher must follow the doctrine of Christ closely. 1 Timothy 4:6 Paul said, “Give attention to doctrine, to reading, to exhortation until I come.” Part of the teacher’s work is to focus on the doctrine of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You know, I understand there's a place for an application, there's a great place for application, understand there's place for illustration there's no doubt about that, but we want people to leave when they’ve come; we want them to leave with their bucket full of the word of God and what does the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ says. Part of the work of a good teacher is he must make sure his doctrine is in a life with the harmony of the Scriptures. The Bible says Paul said that, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway, 1 Corinthians 9: 27.

We also want to emphasize this idea, a good teacher, preacher, and evangelist must preach sound doctrine. Paul said in Titus 2:1 to Titus, a young evangelist, “As for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine.” 1 Peter 4:11 the Bible says, “If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.” “Preach the word,” 2 Timothy 4:2. Bible class teachers, preachers, evangelist, we’re not in the business of saying what society wants us to say. We’re not in the business of reading up on the latest commentary and divulging that. That’s not what we're about. We’re about saying what God says, preaching the gospel, and only emphasizing from Scripture what God wants to be emphasized and taught according to the Bible.

It is sad that we live in a day and age where there is a mass amount of false doctrine that's being taught. And listen very carefully, that false doctrine breaks our heart. And it breaks the heart of God, because those who buy into it listen to it, and live it and die in that state; they're not living according to the teaching of Christ. 2 John 9 says, “They do not have God as their father.” And so, we must be aware of any doctrine that places man's teaching and ideas above God. Remember again Matthew 15:9, “They draw near to me with their mouth, they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” But why Jesus? “In vain do they worship me teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.”

When we think about false doctrine, we need to be wary of those who teach other ideas that are not found in the Scripture. Paul mentioned the idea of fables and endless genealogies and that a suchlike would, bring false doctrines that we need to avoid. You know there are things in Scripture that God tells us clearly on, and we need to follow those. The idea of fables or somebody’s got an idea about this or that, or whatever it may be, let’s just stick to the Bible, and let’s not get caught up in all the other stuff goes on in our world today. In fact, Scripture teaches that the false doctrine that's out there has the ability to sear one’s soul. The Bible says of those doctrines of demons in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, “That some had their conscience seared with a hot iron.” That

searing makes it hard for the word of God to get in, into their life, and affect them spiritually as God wants them to. And so, false doctrine, it hardens one's heart against the truth and makes it difficult for the word of God to penetrate that, and really be what God wants it to be. Hebrews 13:9 mentions it this way, Paul says, or the writer of Hebrews says that, “there are strange various and strange doctrines.”

I think we live in a world today where we can see that's the case. There are a lot of strange doctrines, a lot of strange doctrines about salvation that you don't find in the Bible. Saying the sinner’s prayer, did you know that is not even in the Bible? Where is that sinner’s prayer that you've heard likely and I've heard? People say, ‘you need to say the sinners prayer,’ and then they'll say something like this, ‘dear Jesus I accept you in my heart, I now ask you to come into my life and help me to live for you,’ whatever maybe. Where is that at in the Bible? Friend, that's a strange doctrine, meaning it's not in the pages of the Bible. It's foreign to the teaching of the New Testament. Another strange doctrine that we have in our world today simply relates to the church. And it says, concerning the church, that you can just go out and choose the church of your choice, and God's can be happy with you. Is that really what God has taught in the Scripture? Friend, I think as you read the Bible, you can see that's a strange doctrine. God never teaches that. In fact, Jesus said, “I'll build my church,” Ephesians chapter 1 verses 21 through 23. Jesus taught that the church belong to him, Matthew 16:13-18. The Bible teaches, “There is but one church, one body,” Ephesians 4:4. God adds one to the church when he obeys the gospel, Acts 2:47.

Now I want to take just a moment, and I want to emphasize the importance of Christian doctrine, good Christian doctrine, and why that is so important, such a high value. It ought to be such a high value in my life and yours. Do you realize that we can't know God's will without knowing the doctrine? I want to direct your attention to the words of Jesus again. They’re found in the gospel of John 7:17. Remember we can't know God without knowing his doctrine. John 7:17 Jesus said, “If anyone wills,” and the idea there is to want, “If anyone wants to do his will, he shall know concerning the doctrine whether I speak of God, or whether I speak on my own authority.” If you want to do God's will, you've got a make sure you're following the doctrine of Christ. And so I can't do God's will, without first knowing the doctrine. Some people say, ‘well give me Jesus, but always commands and all these various ideas, I don't need all that.’ Friend, you can't know God and Christ and be a Christian, without the teaching or the doctrine of Christ. You can’t be free from sin without it. John 8:32, Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” “Buy the truth and sell it not,” the proverb writer said in Proverbs 23:23.

Then we emphasize the importance of God's doctrine, Christ’s doctrine, because that doctrine has the power and the ability to set me free from sin. I want to direct your attention to Romans 6:17-18. As we think about the importance of Christ’s doctrine, God's doctrine, in making sure that we’re free from sin. Listen to these words, Romans 6 beginning in verse 17, Paul says, “But God be thanked that though you were the slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which we’re

delivered, and having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteous.” In this context, what is it that set them free? They were slaves of sin, what set them free? “God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart, that form of doctrine which was delivered to you.” The doctrine of Christ has the power to free me from sin. What's that mean? “All have sinned and fallen short of the word of God,” Romans 3:23. “The wages of that sin is death,” Romans 6:23. But the Bible says, the gospel, the doctrine of Christ, the good news of Christ, it's God's power to save.

We emphasize as we did earlier in the lesson, you cannot, why is the doctrine of Christ so important? You cannot have God as your father without following the doctor of Christ. Now, that's pretty stern and that's pretty serious. And I want you to see that for yourself from the Scripture. Notice 2 John verse 9, look at what the Bible says on this idea of making sure, if I'm going to have God as my father, I've got to follow the doctrine of Christ. 2 John 9 says this, the Bible begins by saying in verse 9, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the father and the son.” So, if I'm to abide in the doctrine of Christ, in the teaching of Christ, I've got to have God to do that. To have God as my father, I've got to abide in his teaching and make sure that teaching is what God wants me to follow.

We also mention this; it is the doctrine of Christ that produces godliness in my life. 1 Timothy 6:3, “The doctrine of Christ, which records or promotes godliness.” How do I become a godly person? How do I really live as God wants me to live? How do I honor the father in my everyday life? By following the doctrine of Christ. You know, the Bible teaches in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven.” How am I to be that light? By following the doctrine and the teaching of Christ.

Now with this doctrine, I also have a certain amount of responsibility to it and to God. New Testament doctrine is something each Christian must learn and follow all his life. You know, when we talk about responsibility to him and accountability, we’re talking about my relationship toward it. We've seen what doctrine can do for us. What's my relationship to doctrine? I've got a make it my aim, as a child of God, to want to learn and follow that doctrine all my life. Acts 2:42, of the early church, it is said, “They continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and in prayers.” That early church, early group of Christians made it their aim to follow the doctrine given to the apostles by the Holy Spirit. Friend, that needs to be my desire and yours, to search the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so.

And then, as we think about part of our responsibility to this doctrine, the Christian is to adorn the doctrine of Christ in his life. Titus 2:10 mentions this in a beautiful fashion. “I am to adorn the doctrine of Christ,” which literally means, I am to put on as a beautiful outer garment; I'm to put on the doctrine of Christ every day. How do I do that? How do you wear a doctrine? By every day letting its principles be lived in your life and seeing of others seeing Christ living in us. This is just a beautiful way of saying,

being the type of example we all to be by following Christ. Matthew 5:16, as we mentioned, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see our example and glorify your father who is in heaven.” Acts 4:3, of the early Christians, James and Peter, there Peter and John, they realized they had been with Jesus. Why? They were adorning the doctrine of Christ in their life.

And then, if I want to have the correct relationship with doctrine, I must study and give attention to that doctrine and do my best to teach it to others. You can't sit on this doctrine. You can't be the Lord silent partner, as it relates to the doctrine of Christ. God wants His people to freely and passionately speak about the gospel. “Go into all the world,” Jesus said Mark 16:15. “Him we preach, warning every man, teaching every man, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus,” Colossians 1:24.

As we think about the doctrine of Christ today, friend we want you to consider seriously this doctrine in your life. We want to consider it in ours. We want everyone to simply give heart and heed to the teaching and the doctrine of Christ. But ultimately that teaching is the good news of Jesus. And here's that wonderful news, of Jesus it was said, “You shall call his name Jesus, he will save his people from their sins,” Matthew 1:19 -21. Have you obeyed the doctrine of Christ? Have you heard the word about Christ, Romans 10:17? Do you believe Jesus is the son of God Savior of the world, John 8:24? Would you be willing to turn from sin and repent, Acts 3:19? Confessing the beautiful name of Jesus, would you be immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins, Mark chapter 16:16? If you've never obeyed the doctrine of Christ, friend we love you, God loves you, we encourage you today become a Christian. Submit to the doctrine of Christ.

Study Questions for: “Doctrine”

1. According to 2 John 9, if we abide in the doctrine, who do we have?

2. In Titus 2:10, what does it say we should do with the doctrine?

3. What did Jesus say of the people who follow commandments of men, in Mark 15:9?

4. What does Paul encourage Timothy to do in 1Timothy 1:10?

5. What is God’s word able to do, according to Acts 20:32?

6. According to Hebrews1:1, how does God speak to us today?

7. Where does the scripture come from, according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17?

8. What does Paul say to give attention to in 1 Timothy 4:6?

9. What should we speak of according to 1 Peter 4:11?

10. According to Mark 16:15, what does God want us to do with this doctrine?

The Disciples of Christ said, “Lord teach us to pray,” Luke 11:1.

Welcome to our study on the beautiful subject of prayer. We'll be thinking about some of the fundamentals of prayer; specifically: the how, the what, and the when of prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” As we think about the how, the who, and the what of prayer, we realize that Christians must know and must be convicted of the importance of prayer and need for it in their life. This is why Paul taught us to pray without ceasing. Never let there be a time in your life when you can't pray to God. And we can surely see that in the life of Jesus.

Do you remember Matthew 14:23? Jesus had been teaching the multitudes. Jesus sent the multitudes away. He went up by Himself on the mountain to pray. Jesus needed prayer in His life. Matthew 26:53, even in that great moment of struggle in the garden Jesus said, “Do you not think that I cannot now pray to my Father and receive 12 legions of angels to help?” Jesus understood the power and need of prayer.

If we can be convinced of a correct understanding of what prayer is and how it should be used, it'll help us to utilize that power in our own lives.

We begin by asking, what does the Bible say on the subject of prayer? Let's talk about some of the prerequisites that are necessary for one to pray as God wants him to. For example one must be taught how to pray scripturally. It's not the case that I can just get up and pray any old way that I want to, or say anything I want to, or do anything I want to in prayer. You've got to be to be taught from the Bible by God how to pray correctly. Luke 11:1 clearly teaches this. Jesus' disciples had heard John's disciples pray. John had taught his disciples, and so the Disciples of Christ came to Him. They said, “Lord teach us to pray as John also told his disciples to pray.”

Wouldn't you have loved to sat at the feet of Jesus and learn how to pray? Friend isn't that what we find in the Bible? We can hear Jesus pray. We can see what Jesus taught His disciples, and what God's taught us to pray. And I can learn how to pray the way God wants me to. In so doing, I will pray in a way that will honor and magnify Almighty God.

As part of the prerequisites to prayer, let's also realize I've got to pray, if I'm going to pray correctly, I need to pray with a firm belief and commitment in God's ability to help, Mark 11:24, Matthew 21:22. We know God knows what we need. We're taught to pray in faith with no doubt. We're to seek, we're to knock, we're to ask, and we're to be convicted that God can help us. This is why James said in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach it will be given to him, but let him ask in faith with no doubting.” Why? “He who doubts is like a wave of the sea tossed and driven by the wind.” If I'm going to pray correctly, I need to have a commitment, a firm conviction, God does hear. God does know, and because of my faith in God and the evidence of Him, I know God wants me to pray and wants to help in my time of need.

We're not talking about someone saying, ‘Well I hope God does this, or if I pray God might care,’ or the wishful thinking, or best guess or any doubt involved in that. We all pray in view of the Lord's will but when we pray, we need to pray with conviction and commitment that God wants to help us accomplish His will on this earth.

Then another prerequisite that is so important to prayer is we need to pray according to the will of God.

I want you to notice what the Scripture says in 1 John 5 about this idea. 1 John 5:15 specifically addresses the Christian praying in view of the will of God, and as God would want him to pray. Here's what that verse says, “and if we know He hears us whatever we ask, we know we have the petitions we've asked of Him if,” verse 14 says, “If we ask according to His will.” What's the will of God Taught to us in the Bible? It's what we as Christians have the mindset of doing. It's what Jesus said in Matthew 27:46 and Matthew 26:39, “Not my will but thine be done.” We hear Christians say sometimes, ‘if the things we pray for are according to Your will; we pray that Your will accomplish those; if not, we pray that You'll defeat us in the things that are not.’

Friend we want to have the mindset, ‘if this is your will.’ All that we pray is contingent upon ultimately the will of God being done first, and His ultimate plan being accomplished.

Then as another prerequisite, we want to have a humble attitude when we pray. Luke 14:11 the Bible says, “Whoever humbles himself he’ll be exalted, whoever exalts himself he’ll be humbled.”

Now let me ask you this question: do you ever see anybody in the Bible who prayed with a haughty, self-righteous, ungodly attitude? Well sure we do! You remember Luke 18? Listen to the story of the two men who went up to the temple to pray. One had a great attitude, and the other he felt like God needed him on his side. Listen to Luke 18:10. The Scripture records, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector,” now watch this Pharisee, “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God I thank you I'm not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess.’” Can you imagine a man praying like that? Imagine someone bowing their head and saying, ‘God thank you that you've made me better than everybody else. Thank you that you didn't make me like this tax collector, and by the way let me tell you why you need me: I pray, I fast, and I give, look at what I do. Thank you for not making like everybody else, and thank you that I am who I am.’

What a haughty self-righteous man! What about the tax collector? The story goes on to tell us, the tax collector wouldn't even look up to heaven. He beat his breast, and he said ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’

Jesus in essence said, ‘which of those two do you think God heard? Not the one who was glad he was better nobody else and thought he was righteous, but the one who knew he wasn't and needed God.’

Friend let's not let pray with the haughty, self-righteous, pious attitude. We need to pray in humility of heart. We need to recognize, and you me, when we've done all those things commanded us say, ‘I am an unprofitable servant; I've only done that which was my duty to do,’ Luke 17:11.

Now we mention another prerequisite, another how to prayer and it's this, we need to make sure that we don't pray like the hypocrites. Matthew 6:5-7, Jesus condemned the hypocrites when He said, “They stand on the street corners, they pray these long prayers, they have to be wearing the right garments, they have to be in the right place, and have to make sure everybody's watching them.” Jesus said, “They go halfway around the world to make a disciple, then they make him twice as much the son of hell as themselves.”

What was wrong with those people? They wanted the glory; they wanted to be looked up as the spiritual elite. They wanted everybody to say, ‘Wow look at that man pray; He must be close to God.’ They weren't giving God the glory in their prayer. They were trying to receive glory from their prayer.

When we pray, we don't have to use the big words, not saying that's in and of itself wrong, but we don't have to do it for everybody to look at us. I don't have to pray a long prayer, so everybody can think ‘wow he really knows how to talk to God.’ I don't have to use big words, big religious words, so people can say ‘oh he's really smart in praying to God.’ Or we don't have to do it in the right place and say so people can look at us, and say ‘look at him he must be a spiritual person.’

If our mindset is to have people look at us when we pray, have people think highly of us when we pray, friend we've missed the whole purpose of what prayer is all about. Remember what Jesus said in contrast to those hypocrites? Jesus said, “And you when you pray, don't stand out on a street corner and do like they did instead,” He said, “go into your upper room when you're in your upper room, shut the door, go into your closet,” in essence, “as it were and when you pray, pray in secret to your

Father in secret. He blesses those who pray that way.”

Our prayers need to have a sense of humility and a sense of knowing that God hears based on who we really are. Like the tax collector, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” that's the attitude that we as Christians need to have.

Then as we think about a prerequisite to prayer, part of the ‘how’ we need to recognize prayer should always be offered in the name of Christ. John 14:13-14 Jesus said, “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6, “There is one God one mediator between man and God the man Christ Jesus Himself.” Who is the mediator? Christ. Who do we pray through? Christ. Whose name and authority do we pray in? The name and the authority of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Christians don't close the prayer in Jesus' name because that's what we've done for a thousand years 2000 years. We do that because that's how God, that's how Christ has taught us to pray scripturally in the Bible, to honor Him; and to show Him as our mediator as our dependence is given upon Him in every way.

You know as we think about part of the ‘how’ of prayer, we also need to realize that scriptural prayer, prayer that honors God, is a prayer that is thought about, prayer that is given with the spirit and understanding. We often apply this to singing, but the verse also applies it to prayer. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:15, “I will pray with the spirit, and I'll pray with the understanding, I'll sing with the spirit, and I'll sing with the understanding.” What's that mean? If I'm going to pray with the spirit and sing with the spirit, my person is involved in that. My emotion, it’s heartfelt, my intellect is involved in that as well. So I'll pray with the spirit and with the understanding. That means that our prayers don't need to be just verbiage that we've always heard. So, we say it as well. It doesn't need be some wrote words that somebody said, and we kind of like those one time, and so, we work it into our prayer.

No matter what prayer needs come from the heart. Prayer needs to be thought about. When I pray, and this is a struggle that we all have at times, when we pray we need to stay focused. We need to really think about what we're saying. We need to communicate with God. We need to do our best not to let our mind and our heart wander in times like those. That's real prayer and singing with the spirit and with the understanding.

Let's also realize this, as part of the ‘how’ in praying correctly, I must pray, I must pray in such a way that not only honors and glorifies God, but to pray correctly I need to be right with God and with my brother. To have prayer be what God wants it to be, I've got to be in a relationship with God. Again we mention the verse in Psalm 66:18. “God heareth not the prayer of sinners.” John 9:31 and Psalm 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” Proverbs 28:9, “He turns His ear away from hearing the law the Lord doesn't hear that man's prayer.” “His face is set against those who do evil,” 1 Peter 3:12.

So for prayer to be what is designed to be, for it to be effective for God to hear it, I've got to be in a relationship with the Father. To talk to the Father, I've got to be a child of the Father. I've got to be a son or daughter of God.

Then as a Christian and as part of the requirements for prayer, not only do I have to make sure I'm in a right relationship with God, trying to walk in the light, trying to do what God wants me to; I need to also look at my relationship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Not only must I love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, I've got to love my neighbor as myself. How's my relationship with other Christians? Is there anybody who I've offended or sinned against that I've not made right? Let me show you the words of Jesus. Let me share with you the words of Christ as it related that this in Mark 11. Listen to what Jesus says in verse 25. Jesus said, “And whenever you stand pray if you have anything against anyone forgive him that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses, but if you do not forgive neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your trespasses.”

If I stand to pray and I realize I've got a fault with somebody, somebody's got a fault with me, I need to be ready and willing to forgive, if that person is willing to repent. You know you see the example of somebody is at the altar, and they realize their brother has a fault with them. They leave their sacrifice at the altar. Make it right with your brother, and then come worship God. There's the idea of prayer is dependable on my relationship with God being right, and my relationship with others also be what God wants it to be.

Now let's speak a little more specifically about maybe a practical

plan. How does God want me to pray? What's a plan for prayer as found in the Scripture? We can be rest assured by knowing that God has taught us how to have a good practical plan, an everyday approach for prayer. Prayer according to the pattern of Jesus ought to be one of the first things we do when the foot hits the floor every morning. The Bible says of Jesus in Mark 1:35, “In the morning a great while before daylight He departed, went to a solitary place, and prayed.” Think about this. First thing in the morning, a great while before daylight. Jesus likely got up early. It was one of His first thoughts in the morning. Jesus got away from the rat race of life, and He took time to pray to God. Could you think of a better way to start your day than with prayer?

Secondly prayer ought to be made especially for parents. If you don't have this habit, you've got to work very difficult, very hard at it. Parents ought to teach their children to make a good habit out of prayer. Friend there's nothing wrong with having a good habit of prayer. Daniel had that. Daniel 6:10 listen to this, “As was his custom from early days from childhood, Daniel prayed three times that day with his window open toward Jerusalem.” Who taught Daniel that custom? Likely his parents. It was a habit. Daniel had a habit of praying three times every day. It was a part of his life like brushing his teeth, like eating cereal in the morning, whatever it may be, like combing your hair, or taking a shower. Daniel had a good habit of prayer.

A person needs to develop that kind of habit in his own life. Prayer to really follow the plan God wants it to be, it ought to be a private time between you and God. ‘Go into your upper room, when you're there close the door pray to your Father.’ It ought to be a time just between a man and God. A time when a man can get down on his hands and knees and communicate with the Father to pray in thanksgiving, to pray in adoration, to pray asking God for certain things, whatever it may be; we each need that time to communicate directly and personally with Almighty God.

You know, a biblical plan that we find is morning, noon, and evening. Listen to the words of Psalm 55. I want you to notice a plan that the psalmist set forth in Psalm 55:17. The psalmist said these words about his own plan for prayer. He said in Psalm 55:17, “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray and cry aloud and He shall hear my voice.” Evening, morning, and noon, there was a plan. He had a set time. He wanted to do that. As long as it's with the spirit and understanding, there's nothing wrong

with having a set pattern when we pray.

When we talk to God, Friend let's realize this, prayer really ought to be kind of a constant in our life. I'm not saying everything we do is a prayer. I'm not saying from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed you're always in prayer, but there ought never to be a time when we can't pray. Acts 2:42, “They continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship breaking of bread and in prayers.” “Pray without ceasing,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

So in our life, let's make sure that there's never a point when we're too proud or haughty or to discourage to get down and ask God for His help, His Thanksgiving in times when we live our life.

Then we want to offer kind of maybe a prescribed method of prayer, prescribed way from Scripture of things that we specifically ought to mention in prayer. What should I pray for when I pray? Have you ever thought about that? What does the Bible say specifically that a Christian ought to pray for? Here are some of those things.

We ought to first pray for the lost. Jesus said, ‘pray the Lord of hosts that He'll send laborers into his harvest.’ When we pray, we want to pray for those who never obeyed the gospel. Do we really believe and realize that the majority of this earth's population is going down the path that's going to lead to eternal destruction? If so and if Jesus taught us to pray for the lost, friend that ought to be something that's a regular part of our prayer.

Secondly as we think about what to pray for, we ought to pray to overcome sin and Satan in our own life. “Men ought always to pray and never lose heart or get discouraged.” Jesus taught us in Matthew 6, ‘to pray that our trespasses would be forgiven as we forgive those who've sinned against us.’ Again the idea that we want to pray to overcome sin and overcome Satan, ‘Deliver us not or lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one,’ Matthew 6:6-12.

We also as Christians want to pray for forgiveness of sin. None of us are perfect. The Bible teaches us clearly that, “there is none righteous no not one,” Romans 3:1-10. As Christians when we pray, we need to have the attitude and the mindset that if we have unwittingly, unknowingly violated the will of God, if we're trying to walk in the light, and we have unknowingly

violated the will of God, and we need to pray that God will forgive us. And if we know specifically for sure that there's sin in our life, Peter taught Simon, “pray the evil thought of your heart might be forgiven you,” Acts 8:22-24. And repenting of those sins surely we need to have the attitude, ‘I'm going to pray to God and ask him for help in overcoming this.’

Then as Christians, the Bible teaches that prayer should be offered for those who are sick and those who are suffering. ‘If any among you sick let him call for the elders the church, let them pray over him.’ Prayer has the ability to help those who're suffering, to help those who are sick. ‘May the God of all comfort you in your trouble,’ Paul would say in 2 Corinthians 1:3.

As Christians we also want to pray for those who are living in error. It's sad, but there are at times those who do fall away from the truth. There are those who fall away from living faithfully as God wants them to do. I cannot replace prayer with going to talk to them, but both ought to work together in encouraging them and teaching them. I ought to pray for them as well. 1 John 5:16 clearly teaches we pray for those who are in error. And we want to pray that they'll come back to the truth and obey the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

But friend I'll assure you this is something that we all need to pray for. Don't we need to pray for wisdom? ‘If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God.’ Why? ‘Who gives to all liberally and without reproach.’ I need to pray for the ability. And here is what wisdom is, wisdom differs, is different from facts in that facts are the knowledge. Wisdom is the ability to take that knowledge and plug it into my life. Tomorrow I need the ability to understand how have the wisdom to know how to put God's truth, insert God's truth into my daily life. Friend surely we want to pray for the wisdom to know how to do that.

I want to pray for the necessities of life. Philippians 4:6-9, we're to pray for those needs. James 4:3-4, the things that we need we ought to ask for those things. I want to pray, and friends listen carefully, there's nothing wrong with praying before one eats. 1 Timothy 4:4-5, ‘our food is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.’ God said it's okay to eat it so that's why. Secondly it's set apart by prayer there's nothing wrong with praying before a person eats. In fact, the Scripture does teach that is something that the

child of God ought to do.

We want to mention specifically in the day and age especially in which we live, we want to mention one other thing. 1 Timothy 2:1-3 Paul said, “I desire therefore that men pray for kings all who are in authority that we might lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” What ought we to pray for? We ought to pray for our world leaders. We ought to pray for our national leaders. We ought to pray for our elected leaders. We ought to pray for our government, and more than anything, we ought to pray that they'll start doing, if they're not, they'll start doing the will of God that this country can be one nation under God, and that God's will and the word of God will be that which we really guide our life and our country by.

So, these are things practically every day that a Christian ought to pray for.

Friend we hope that this lesson has been an encouragement to every one of us to really utilize the power of prayer.

Remember, “The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man overcomes much.” Let's use prayer, for prayer has powerful results.

Study Questions for: “Prayer: Lesson 3”

1. What did the disciples ask Christ for in Luke 11:1?

2. What should we ask God for according to James 1:5?

3. How should we ask God for things in prayer according to 1 John 5?

4. In Matthew 27:46 and Matthew 26:39, Jesus prayed for what?

5. What kind of attitude should we have according to Luke 14:11?

6. In Luke 18, which man approached God correctly? Why?

7. According to John 14:13-14, how should we ask for things in prayer?

8. Who is the mediator between man and God according to 1 Timothy 2:5-6?

9. According to Proverbs 28:9, who does God turn his ear away from?

10. What was the psalmist prayer plan in Psalm 55?

To the church in Ephesus, as it related to their worship, the apostle Paul said,

“Speaking to one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making

melody in your hearts to the Lord,” Ephesians 5:19.

Welcome to our study of fundamentals of the faith. Today we think about the

fundamental subject as it relates to worship and Christian singing. What does God want

in singing? What does God want in music? Does God want of a large band? Does He

want lights and a show and fog and smoke and all that stuff? Is God looking for an

organ or piano or somebody who plays a guitar? What about singing as we read in the

Bible? And more importantly, what does the Scripture say? Romans 4:3.

Today, we're going to be thinking about the fundamental subject of singing and

whether or not God asked for mechanical instruments of music in the New Testament.

Friend from the outset, we want to recognize that our authority in worship today is from

the words of the New Testament. The New Testament clearly teaches we must do that

which God has asked us to do and that which is authorized in the New Testament.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on

earth.” From the outset, we asked the question: who is it that has all authority as it

relates to worship and as it relates to singing today? The answer is: Jesus Christ.

Whatever Christ wants us to do, that's what we must do. We must follow His words and

His guidance because He, not me and you, not somebody in some other part of the

world, not some religious leader somewhere, Christ has all authority. He is the head of

the church, Ephesians 1:22-23. That head has not been decapitated. He is reining from

heaven itself, Psalm 119:89 and Hebrews 1:3-4.

As we think about following Christ's teaching and following His authority in

worship, there was a great statement made that I hope you'll think about with me from

John 2:5. Jesus' mother, when she realizes Jesus is going to perform the miracle of

turning the water to wine, she looks at the servants. She says, “Whatever He, Jesus

says, to you do it.” As we think about worship, as we think about living for Christ, could you find a better motto than that? “Whatever,” if He has all authority and He's head of the church, whatever Jesus says to us, we want to do that. Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” In word, what I speak. Indeed, in my actions. Everything I do must be done in the name of which means by the authority of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There's a passage I want to remind you of, as we think about Bible authority that is so important. And I want you notice this one with me. It comes from 1 Corinthians 4. Paul has been teaching the church in Corinth to put their trust in God and to follow his word. God will eventually give the increase. Notice 1 Corinthians 4:6, Paul uses this to kind of illustrate we say and says, “Now these things brethren I figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sake,” and here's the lesson, “though that you may learn in us,” don't miss this “not to think beyond what's written.”

As we think today about a subject that may be new, maybe an idea you've not heard, maybe is even idea that you have some questions about, here's all that we ask: let's let Jesus be the final authority. Let's take Christ at His word. Let's put our faith in Him. Remember 1 Corinthians 4:6, “Don't think beyond what's written.” Somebody says, ‘well the Bible doesn't say not to.’ No, I don't think beyond what's written. If God has defined how He wants us to worship, within the pages of this book, let's stay within the pages of God's revealed will. That's the safe way. Revelation 22:18-19 the Scripture says, “We’re not to add to nor take away from the word of God.” If God asked us what to do, that's what He wants us to do. He doesn't want us to go beyond that. He doesn't want us to take away from what He said. He doesn't want us to add to or put our ideas in it. Proverbs 30:6 the writer said, “Do not add to God's word lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”

Now as we think today about this idea of Bible authority, it's also essential for us to realize that God's law in the New Testament is our authority today. In the Bible there are two major divisions. There is the Old Testament, which is Genesis through Malachi, and then there is the New Testament, which is Matthew through Revelation. Which law are Christians going to be judged by today? As I read the Bible, Colossians 2:14 and Ephesians 2:14, clearly teaches that the Old Testament law, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, was nailed to the cross. And that that wall was broken down between Jew and Gentile. Thus the old law, Romans 7:1-4, which said, ‘do not murder, do not commit adultery, and do not covet.’ Romans 7:1-4, Christians are dead, the Bible says, to that law. That law was written to the people of Israel. It is a law that I cannot break, nor can I keep, because it's not written nor does it apply to me.

For example, I'm a citizen of the United States of America. Can I break or keep the laws of Canada right here living in the United States? Nope, those laws don't apply to me. I'm not a citizen of Canada, and their laws have no effect or bearing on me while I'm right here in the United States. Friend, the same is true for Christianity. I'm not living in Old Testament Israel's time. I'm not under that law. I'm not following the teaching of

Moses. But here's what the Bible does say, the Bible clearly teaches our authority is the New Testament. Do you remember John 12:48? Listen again to the words of Christ. Jesus said, “He who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges him.” What is it? “The word that I've spoken will judge him in the last day.” Beginning with the words of Christ and following that through the New Testament to the very last revealed word in the book of Revelation, that's the law Christians are under today. It's the perfect law of liberty, James 1:25. As we think about following God's law just in basic principle, let's realize that God has always expected His people to do what He says without adding to without taking away. God just simply wants us to obey His will.

Now let me give you a couple of examples of that, just in general, from the Bible. The principle that God wants us to follow His law regardless of who He’s speaking to, is seen throughout the ages. Leviticus 10 might be an example. I want you to notice what happens in this context. Leviticus 10:1-2, we learn the basic principle of following exactly what God says. The Bible says beginning in verse 1, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer put fire in it, put incense on it and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.” The Bible says, “So fire went out from the presence of the Lord and they and the Lord devoured them and they died before the Lord that day.” What exactly happened in this context? They offered a strange, or some versions will say an unauthorized fire, which God had not commanded them. Well God had asked for it, but they thought we might do it anyway. How would, how did God feel about that? You'll recognize very well God was not happy with that. Fire rained down from heaven and devoured those two men. Why? They did something God had not commanded, that which was not asked for, that which was not authorized. The basic principle I learn is, God wants men and women, under the law they're living under, to do what He says.

Let me give you another example. You read in 2 Samuel 6 the events that go on there with David bringing the ark back. In 2 Samuel 6 you've got two men, Uzzah and Ahio, driving the ark. They're bringing that ark back on a new cart. And as they reach a place called Nachon's Threshing Floor, the ark hits what we might think of as a pothole in essence, a bump in the road. The ark looks like it's going to tip over and so Uzzah, because he loves God, and he recognizes the importance of the Ark, he reaches out to stabilize it. The moment he touches that Ark, he drops dead. Trying to do the right thing it looks like, trying to protect the Ark. He drops dead right there. David doesn't know why. The people really aren't sure why. He begins to get a little angry. What's going on here? Why did this happen? We thought this is what God wanted us to do. And then we get the rest of the story, which again illustrates that God wants men and women to follow exactly what he says. You'll notice from 1 Chronicles 15, there is an update on why these events happened to Uzzah. Listen to the Scripture in 1 Chronicles 15:13, concerning the event where Uzzah touched the ark. David said, “For because you did not do it the first time the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order. So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel and the children of the Levites bore the Ark of God on their shoulders. By its poles,” listen now, “as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.” What went wrong in 2 Samuel 6? There

wasn't to be a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio had no right to bring that back. God had told His people way back in the book of Numbers, ‘there are rings on the side of the ark, and you run poles through that you don't ever touch it, you run poles through it.’ Then the Levites were to bear the ark by those poles placed on for the Levites shoulders, a one on each side. David said, and these are the words. I want you to listen real carefully to, ‘God's wrath broke out against us, listen now, ‘because we did not consult Him about the proper order.’

Things always go south, as it relates to Bible authority, when we stop consulting God, and put men's ideas, men's feelings, what some religious leader somewhere says, is the best thing we ought to do. We spent a great deal of time talking about Bible authority because it's such a fundamental idea to understanding how to receive God's message, and how it is God wants us to respect His authority. God wants me in the New Testament, just simply to do what He says. Don't add to. Don't take away. Don't say, ‘well it seems like we ought to do this or this would make a lot of people happier.’ Just do what He says. John 2, ‘What Jesus says to you, do it,’ John 2:5.

Let's think for a few moments about what the New Testament does say concerning singing. As we think about how does the New Testament, what does Jesus say, what do His disciples teach, the Holy Spirit teach, in the New Testament about singing? Acts 16:25, we learn what Paul and Silas were doing. The Bible says, “But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them.” What were these Christians doing? They were singing hymns to God, very simple, very plain. That's what we find in their example. Another passage, Romans 15:9. We have these words recorded about singing in the New Testament. The Scripture says in verse 9, “and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written for this reason, I'll confess to you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.” So Paul and Silas were singing. Here God says they're to sing to your name in the Scriptures. So far, we see singing.

Then we come to 1 Corinthians 14:15 and we learn a great lesson about singing here. The Bible says, “I will sing with the spirit and I'll sing with the understanding.” How am I to do that? What am I to do? First of all, I'm to sing. How do I do that? With the, that's my interbeing, that's my emotion, that's heartfelt generated by love, motivated by appreciation for God with thankfulness. I'll sing with the spirit and with understanding. Am I to just mouth some words that I have no clue what they mean? Of course not! I'm to sing with the spirit and with the understanding. Now two passages especially that we want to direct your attention to. Look in Ephesians 5:19? What else do we know about singing as it relates to the corporate worship in the assembly of the saints? Look in Ephesians 5:19. The Bible says, “We're to be speaking to one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Well what specifically are we to do? Speak to one another. We're to teach and admonish one another. We're to sing and make melody where? Not on a piano, not on organ, not on a guitar, not a big rock band, not with smoke and lights and fog, that's not what God asked for. ‘Sing and make melody in your heart,’ goes hand-in-hand with 1 Corinthians 14:15. I'll sing with the spirit. And I'll sing with the understanding. What is it God wants

me to use to make melody? The heart. Do I use the voice to speak? There's no doubt you do. But our heart, it's not some wrote words that we say, that we have no clue we just utter, we don't know what they mean; true singing is motivated from the heart. We sing and make melody out of appreciation from our heart to God, who's asked us to do that.

You'll notice speaking, singing, making melody in your heart, no mention anywhere so far of mechanical instruments of music. Look in Colossians 3. And I want you to notice what Paul says to the church in Colossae here. Colossians 3:16, the apostle Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” What does Paul tell the church in Colossae to do? To teach, to admonish one another. Well Paul, how do you want us to do that? Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing, and making melody in your heart, teaching one another and doing that again unto the Lord. We're to teach, sing, speak Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs; those are the content of what we may use. We may sing one of the Psalms found in the Old Testament, hymns that some have written based on Scripture, spiritual related songs all of those will be acceptable to God and their content. But, we do that again by teaching, with the voice by admonishing. And we speak one unto another, the reciprocal idea of all singing together is surely found in these words.

Another passage that we find in the New Testament, and we want to emphasize these, Hebrews 2:12. The Bible records these words, God is seen as saying, “I will declare your name to my brethren,” listen now, “in the midst of the assembly, and I will sing praise to you.” James 5:13, “if anyone's happy let him sing psalms.” Matthew 26:30, Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn and went out. Now we ask you this, if we have thought about the verses in the New Testament related to singing for Christians in the church, here on earth, here's what we've seen: sing, speak to one, another teach one another, admonish one another, sing and make melody in your heart. All over and over again, the idea is that of singing. It's not playing. It's not picking. It's not blowing on some kind of instrument, a flute or playing on a harp. You don't find that in the Bible. God's asked me and you to use our voice, to use the heart to make melody unto Him that which is supreme to anything that man himself might make.

This is a very important part of worship. John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” If I'm to worship God in spirit and based on truth, can I worship God with a mechanical instrument of music? When that's not what God asked me to do for the law I'm living under in the New Testament day and age? Friend as we think about, why it is the case that Christians do not use instrumental music today, we want to again remind you of these principles. Why don't we use mechanical instruments of music today? There's no authority for it God has told us what to use and there's no guidance in the New Testament ever given on using mechanical instruments of music. Colossians 3:17, we do all by the authority of Christ. What has Christ authorized us to do? We don't add to nor do we take away from the words found in the New Testament. Can you use a mechanical instrument without

adding something to the teaching of the New Testament? They're not found in there. They're not mentioned specifically in Scripture. Thus, you would have to be adding to do that. Let me mention this as well, even many, by many we mean a good host, even many denominational leaders recognize that instruments of music mechanical instruments of music, were not authorized by Almighty God.

Now let me give you just a few that would say this. For example, those would be and going all the way back in in history. Pope Vitalianus himself was the first to introduce them, but even then they weren't accepted for over 1200 years. Thomas Aquinas wrote, as he spoke to the Roman Catholic Church, he wrote ‘the church does not use musical instruments such as the harp or the lyre when praising God in case she should seem to fall back into Judaism, for musical instruments usually move the soul more to pleasure than to create moral goodness.’ As far back as the year 416, the Council of Carthage addressed the issue of instruments of music and declared on the Lords Day let all instruments of music be silenced. You can look at leaders like a Charles Spurgeon, you can look at leaders like those who established many religious groups today, John Wesley, Martin Luther, and many of those will say instruments of music weren't authorized by God himself.

As we think about this let's realize that instruments, they don't teach and they don't admonish with words as we are taught. As we learn today, that's not something God has authorized in the Scripture. Now friend, while we do think about using our voices in song to God and that being which God is authorized us to use. Since that is the case, let me mention a few things that are so important to do that effectively and to do that in a way that God is pleased with it.

If singing is what God's authorized, I have to participate in singing. You can't sit there like the proverbial lump on the log. You can't sit there and just listen to let everybody else do the singing. This is a command of God, for his people. If I'm going to worship God correctly, I must sing. I've got to use my voice and with everyone else, bring praise to God. Sing to one another, speak to one another, those are not suggestions or good ideas. That's something we've all got to do to be pleasing to God. If we're going to worship in song correctly, sing out. But some will say, ‘I don't that I don't have the best voice.’ We may not be opera singer, but friend that's not necessarily what God's looking for. If I'm to make melody in my heart, not only does my voice play a part, but I've got to think through that and be using my mind as well. That goes up as a sweet smelling savor unto the Lord, according to Hebrews 13:7-18. If I'm going to sing in a way that is pleasing to God, as we just mentioned, we've got to think about and meditate on the words of the song. ‘Sing with the spirit and the understanding.’ You know, when we sing songs, beautiful songs, like “The Old Rugged Cross,” what are you thinking about? Lunch? What are you thinking about? What you're going to do that evening? No! I want to be thinking about what Jesus did for me. When I sing songs like, “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be,” I want to think about the beauty of that place in and how that motivates me to want to go there, and how thankful to God I am for a plan of salvation that that makes it possible.

Then we mention this, to really be effectively singing, we encourage you to sing as though this is your chance to teach somebody. Colossians 3:16, ‘teaching and admonishing one another.’ Do you realize, when you're singing other people are listening as well as they sing? We have the opportunity, through that song, through that medium, to teach and admonish one another. As they hear the words of that song, as we blend our voices together, as the unison of that great message goes up in praise to God, the words cannot be overlooked. How powerful they are! What a great opportunity that is to teach and encourage others.

Today a fundamental message and a fundamental lesson is, in the New Testament God wants us to sing one to another. I understand that under the old law God had used instruments. And you find that in the Old Testament. But friend, listen carefully, we've seen clearly work that law's been nailed to the cross. We’re going to be judged by the words of Christ. We’re living in the New Testament age. And God's told us, ‘sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord.’

Maybe you were raised using a mechanical instrument, maybe that's what you've done all your life, maybe that just seems natural in some ways, friend we just simply ask you today, does the New Testament authorize that practice? Is that something God has asked us specifically to do? And if not, the words of Jesus' mother Mary, “Whatever Jesus says to you,” we've got to be willing to “do that.”

Our encouragement and our hope today is that each of us will turn our attention to the word of God, be guided by it, and that we'll truly worship God in spirit and truth as He's commanded.

Study Questions for: “Fundamentals of the Faith: Music”

1. Where should we make melodies according to Ephesians 5:19?

2. According to Ephesians 5:19, how should we speak to one another?

3. Who has the authority according to Matthew 28:18?

4. Who is the head of the church according to Ephesians 1:22-23?

5. What did Jesus’ mother tell the servants to do in John 2:5?

6. How should we do things in word or deed according to Colossians 3:17?

7. Should we think beyond what is written according to 1 Corinthians 4:6?

8. What must we NOT do according to Revelation 22:18-19?

9. According to John 12:48, what will judge us?

10. According to James 5:13, what should we do if we are happy?

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man overcomes much,” James 5:16.

We welcome to our study of prayer. The disciples said to Jesus, ‘Lord teach us to pray.’ We're going to be thinking about in this series of lessons, the beautiful subject of prayer. We encourage you to get your Bible, and stay tuned as we study this wonderful subject together.

As we think about prayer we begin by asking, what is prayer? Is prayer just wishful thinking? Is prayer just some hopeful idea? Is it a maybe? Is it a guess? Is there doubt involved in that? What exactly is prayer to the child of God?

When you think about prayer, there are some interesting ideas that go along with that. Prayer gives the child of God great strength. Jesus said in Luke 18:1, “Men ought to pray always and never lose heart.” In fact it was Leonard Ravenhill who once said, ‘If weak in prayer, we are weak everywhere.’ Prayer has a certain amount of strength that it gives to the child of God. How true it is that we need prayer in our life.

Prayer is also a necessity. It's something that the child of God cannot go day-to-day without having in his life. Like breathing, like eating and drinking, prayer ought to be second nature to the child of God. Francois Fenelon said this, "Of all the duties enjoined by Christianity, none is more essential and yet more neglected than prayer." We all talk about prayer; we think about it; we sing about prayer; we know that the Scripture says, ‘We

can come boldly to the throne of grace that we might find grace and mercy to help in time of need.’ But, do we really make prayer an active part of our life, or is prayer something we just kind of neglect at times?

I believe it was Corrie ten Boom who once said, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” Do we really utilize the power of prayer as found in Scripture, or is it something we just lean up on when bad times come?

We can use prayer at any time. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we ought to, ‘Pray without ceasing.’ Prayer needs to be more than just a last resort for the child of God.

Let's let the Bible and the language of the New Testament define what prayer is. If we were to look up the word prayer in the dictionary, Webster would define it this way: prayer is to address God with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving. It is the communication between God and His children to express their praise, to express their thanksgiving, and no doubt to find help in time of need.

And while that's a textbook definition of prayer, the Greek language does help us a little with this subject. The Greek word proseuchomai, proseuchomai is the word that's most common used for prayer. And really it's a combination of two words. The word 'pros' literally means to express one's desire or longing toward in the direction of. When we talk about prayer from the original language, it's the expressing of one's desire with a direct purpose toward Almighty God. Our desire, our longing is expressed through the avenue of prayer directly to God. It's our way of showing our praise and thanksgiving to Him. Another Greek word that is used to describe prayer is 'erotao.' This word is defined: to ask or to make one's request.

When we think about prayer in this aspect, we're making our request toward God. We're asking Him for help. We're letting our cares fall upon Him, as 1 Peter 5:7 teaches.

But then there's a third word that we emphasize from the Greek language, and this is the word 'parakaleo.' This word paints a beautiful picture of the idea of prayer. In fact the word means: to call to one's aid or to entreat, to ask for help. A perfect example of this is found in Matthew

26:53. Notice what Jesus here said. Jesus used this word when He said, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father and He will provide Me with more than 12 legions of angels?” When you look at prayer from this viewpoint, it's asking God to come to our side, to come to our aid. We know Hebrews 2:16-18 says that we can find grace to help in time of need and that Christ is able to aid those who are in need. This picture of prayer is that we’re petitioning the throne of God, and God's forces are coming to the aid of His children. What a beautiful picture these ideas paint of prayer.

As we give an introduction to the idea of prayer, let's also realize that prayer is not just a figment of somebody's imagination. Prayer is not just wishful thinking. It's not talking to the sky we might say. In prayer there is real power, strength, and praise that is given to and received from Almighty God. Christians believe prayer is real, because the Scripture says so. Matthew 6:9 in the disciples' prayer, Jesus taught them ‘Pray our Father who is in heaven.’ Jesus didn't think prayer was a figment of somebody's imagination or a hoax or a trick. Jesus believed prayer was real communication with Almighty God. James 5:16 tells us it's real, “For the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man,” here's how it's real, “overcomes much.” Prayer has real results. It has real power, and the child of God can take true faith in that. Isaiah 38:5 God said, “I've heard your prayer and your supplication.” 1 Kings 9:3 speaking to the king there God said, “Your prayer and your supplication that you've made before Me,” in essence “I have heard.”

We know God heareth not the prayer of the ungodly, implied from that is He hears the prayer of the righteous, Acts 10:31 and John 9. And so, when we think about prayer let's realize, prayer is real, that it's something Christians can take comfort and encouragement in. Now someone says, ‘well how do we know prayer is real?’

Let me offer just a few ways that one can know from experience and from the things that happen that prayer is real. For example the Bible teaches us to pray for those who are sick. "If anyone's sick let them call for the elders the church, let them pray over him,” James 5:13-16. We know that prayer is real, because it helps those who are in need to get better, to overcome sickness, and to overcome the struggles, and the diseases that they may have. Prayer is real, because it has real power in evangelism. Matthew 9:36-38 Jesus, He looked out upon the multitudes, and He said to

His disciples, “Truly the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few,” and listen to this, “pray the Lord of hosts He'll send laborers into His vineyard or His harvest.”

Prayer has powerful results in reaching the lost. How many of us have prayed for someone who was lost, who never obeyed the gospel, whose heart was hardened, and God through the power of prayer and the word and those who were working with it, began to work on their heart?

Prayer is also real because we know it helps us in overcoming our troubles. Do you remember 1 Peter 5:7? Peter says, “Cast all your cares upon Him, the Lord, He cares for you.” When we find ourselves in trouble and in difficulty and in turmoil and difficulty of heart, how do we overcome that? “Cast all your anxieties or cares upon Him, He cares for us.” A Christian can pray and know that the burden and the weight that he is carrying, God is more than able and willing to help with that. Remember again Luke 18:1, Jesus said, “Men ought to pray always and never lose heart.”

When we get discouraged and we go down on her hands and knees to the Father in prayer, there is strength, there is help, and there is power to be attained through Almighty God. But you know we also know prayer is real because we believe in our faith in Almighty God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” One who truly has faith in God's word, we're not talking about a leap into the dark, we’re talking about faith in the inspiration of the Bible, faith in the evidence that shouts to us there is a God, faith in that creates a faith in God's word and faith in God, and prayer go hand-in-hand. This is why James would say, ‘If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all liberally without reproach and it will be given to him, but let him ask in faith with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea tossed to and fro and driven by the wind.’

When we ask in faith, we can have confidence; we can know God is more than able and willing to help His people. And so in understanding what prayer is, it also helps us to understand the reality of prayer. When a man bows his head, when a person gets down on his hands and knees at night, he's not just talking to the air. He's communicating with the creator of the universe, who spoke and all things came into existence, who sent His son to die for the sins of the world, and who ultimately wants to help His people go to heaven.

Now as we think about prayer, let's also realize we’re not talking about naturalism. And by that we mean this, we're not just saying that the things that are naturally going to happen are going to happen anyway. When we talk about prayer, we’re talking about God intervening and helping in someone's life. The naturalist approach to life just simply says that that we are completely governed by the laws of nature, which cannot be changed. What's going to happen is going to happen, and there's nothing we can do to change that. Friend, this is where prayer has power. If things are going to happen no matter what, what's the purpose in praying? Christians realize the Bible teaches that prayer has the ability to change the outcome, to change the course, to supplicate the will of God, and as a result intervene. God intervene on man's behalf. If such is the case that whatever's going to happen is going to happen anyway, then when Dan Barker said in "Losing Faith" that if the answer to prayers are merely what God's will is all along, then why pray?

We believe that prayer has the ability to change things. Prayer has the power to move the hand of God in the direction of and for the comfort and help of His people. And while we don't live in the age of miracles, we understand that we’re not living in a day and age where God's going to raise the dead or put the lame person's arm back together, that happened in the First century. We do believe God intercedes in human affairs. Ambrose Pierce said it this way, ‘In the devil's dictionary he defines prayer as to ask that the laws of the universe be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessed unworthy.’ We're speaking on behalf of God. God through His word speaks to us.

As we think about prayer, when we pray we’re asking God to intercede, to do something on the behalf of His children. And to make sure that as God's children, we are indeed striving to do His will and put first things first. So when we pray for somebody to get well, what are we asking? Are we asking God to just let things naturally work out the way the going to? No, we're asking God to intervene through means, providential means, through the means that He is more than able to use.

We’re asking God to help in this matter. It is different from miracles in that miracles were designed to specifically confirm the word. That word has been confirmed today. We know that God's word, the Bible, is true but prayer and the working of God in Providence, is different in that God through His own means and time whatever that may be. I don't have to

know, to realize, and understand and believe in the power of prayer whatever that may be. I know that God is more than able to work and to help in times like those.

As we think about the idea of prayer, let's also realize that God does answer all prayers that are heard, and we say it this way for a purpose. The Bible does teach that God does not hear certain prayers. I want you to; for example, look with me in Psalm 66:18. The Bible teaches that someone who's living in sin, God does not hear their prayer. The Scripture says, ‘if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.’ Now watch verse 19, ‘but certainly,’ David said ‘God has heard me, He has attended to the voice of my prayer.’ Is it the case that everybody who prays God hears? Not necessarily. The Bible teaches if ‘we regard iniquity in our heart,’ what's that mean? If I know I've got sin in my life, I'm living in sin, and I'm blatantly ignoring the will of God in doing what I want instead of what the will of God wants me to do, the psalmist clearly said if ‘I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.’

God does not acknowledge; God does not bless the prayer of someone who's living in sin. But to those whom God does hear their prayers David said Psalm 66:19, “I know He's heard my prayer.” To those who are trying to walk in the light, 1 John 1:7, God answers their prayers. God does not ignore the prayers He hears. The Bible pictures God as attentive to our needs, as listening to our prayers, and as ready to help those who are his children. Let me give an example 1 Peter 3 pictures God beautifully listening to and ready to help those who pray to Him. Listen to 1 Peter 3:12 the Bible says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,” watch this now “His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” What's the picture of God? His eyes are open. He's attentive. His ear’s, they’re ready to hear their prayers.

When we think of God, God's a God who's ready to hear, who's ready to help in time of need. This is what we find again in 1 Peter 5:7. The Bible word there is 'to hurl', literally took to the cast to throw, “cast all your cares anxieties upon Him.” Why? Listen to this beautiful wordage, “He cares for you.” What's the result of God caring for you? I can cast my cares upon Him. He cares for me. The anxieties, the troubles, the difficulties we have, we can know and have confidence in the fact that God hears and that He is willing to answer those prayers and help His people who are in need.

When we think about prayer that God answers, you know there's been a lot of damage done with the old country music song that Garth Brooks sang: "Unanswered Prayers". ‘I thank God for unanswered prayers.’ You know for the child of God that's really not correct language. Here’s what I mean by that, when we say ‘unanswered prayer’ likely what we mean is, I prayed and the outcome was not what I wanted. But friend that doesn't mean God didn't answer the prayer. If I asked, if I seek, if I pray to God, and whatever it is I may be praying, just because the end result is not what I thought it ought to be doesn't mean God didn't answer.

Let me illustrate. The answer to prayer can come in several forms. Let's say that we're praying for somebody who's sick, and we’re asking God to heal that person, and God hears our prayers. Friend whether we like it or not the answer may at times be no. It may not be in that person's best interest. It may not be for their spiritual outcome. It may not be best for the longevity of their life for that person to get well. Although God heard our prayer, God knew what was best in His infinite wisdom. His answer and He did answer it, may be no. And you know that's the hard part. Sometimes I've got to realize my will may not be God's will. This is why Jesus prayed, “Not my will but thine be done.” Did God hear His prayer? Sure did! God answer that prayer in the immediate sense which Jesus wanted it answered. Then ‘if it's possible Father, let this cup pass from Me.’ What was the answer? No, it's not possible. Jesus knew that in the moment that he saw and felt the struggle and the difficulty and temptation. God heard His prayer, but God's will interceded and overcame at that time.

And then there may be another answer, the answer may be ‘not right now.’ Not just, ‘no’, but ‘not right now in my own time, in my own way.’ The timing of working things out for the furtherment of His kingdom, for the betterment of His children, and for the overall purpose of salvation is dependent upon God's time not ours. And so we may pray, and God may say the time's not right. ‘Not right now’ may at times be the answer.

Sometimes when we pray, it may be that things need to work out differently than what we realize. Then sometimes, the answer maybe yes, and we can positively identify certain times when that happens. That's why we say God answered my prayer.

Friend if we're walking in the light and we’re a child of God, God answers our prayer every time. But the answer may not always be what we

want it to be. When I look at my own life, when you look at yours, can't we really see times when we're glad that God was in control of that? Let me illustrate. Let's say that a man prays to take a different job, whatever that job may be. He prays to God and the answer is no to that job. As life passes, as years pass some other door opens up and it works out for his betterment, the betterment of his family, the betterment of the kingdom, and the end result that person looks at that scenario; and he looks back and said how thankful to God I am that God knew better than I did. That other job may not have really been what he needed, may not have helped him develop spiritually, and may not have been best for his family, best for the church.

When we pray, let's have the attitude, ‘not my will but thine be done.’ Let's realize just because God doesn't say yes, doesn't mean He doesn't answer. And thank God that God doesn't answer everything we want the way we want, because sometimes we don't always see things God's way.

What do we know about prayer? Friend we know positively that prayer is a very valuable asset for the child of God. Jesus used prayer multiple times throughout His ministry to praise God, to ask for help, to overcome the struggles in the garden, and to honor the Almighty plan that God had set forth.

But then we also see prayer like in the lives of Paul and Peter when they prayed in time of difficulty. We can to gain strength from prayer to overcome and be victorious in this life. We’re not just praying that things are going to naturally work out the way they are. We’re asking God to help, and we’re prefacing that with the Lord's will.

Friend ultimately as 1 Peter 3:12 says, “The eyes of the Lord, they're on the righteous. His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” One thing we've certainly seen today is that God does not hear the prayer of those who are living in sin. His face is against those doing evil. ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.’ Friend that alone ought to encourage and motivate one to make sure he is in a right relationship with God, so that he can access and have the power of prayer.

We ask you today, are you a child of God? Are you sure that you're in a relationship with God knowing that God is able to hear your prayer? Friend if you've never obeyed the gospel, more than anything God loves you and wants you to become His child. And we do as well.

The Scripture says God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth, 1 Timothy 2:4. The Bible says that ‘the Lord's not slow concerning His promises as some men count slowness, but He is long-suffering toward us not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ Friend, ‘God so loved you and He so loved me that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’

Do you really believe that Jesus is God's son? Do you believe it enough that you're willing to repent of things in your life that are not according to the will of God, turn from sin, and turn to God? Jesus said, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish,” Luke 13:3. Would you confess the beautiful name of Jesus as the son of God and Savior of the world? The Bible says in Romans 10:10, “With the heart, with the mind one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Having heard God's word, believed in Jesus, repented of your sin, and confessed His beautiful name; would you be immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins? In Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, when they realized they'd killed their Messiah they were lost in sin. They cried out, ‘Men and brethren what shall we do?’ Here is the answer, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.’

Have you obeyed the gospel? If not friend, then God does not hear your prayer, if one's regarding iniquity in his heart. But He can, and you can become a child of God. You can have access to one of the greatest powers all the world, the power of prayer that has the power to overcome. If you're not a child of God, friend we urge you become one today. And if we are, let's utilize prayer. It truly has powerful results.

Study Questions for: “Prayer: Lesson 1”

1. According to James 5:16, what overcomes much?

2. What does Jesus tell me to do in Luke 18:1?

3. How shall we pray according to 1 Thessalonians 5:17?

4. In Matthew 26:53, what did Jesus have the ability to do?

5. According to Hebrews 2:16-18, what can we find to help in time of need?

6. According to Matthew 6:9, who did Jesus teach them to pray to?

7. In Isaiah 38:5, who heard the prayer?

8. According to James 5:13, who should we pray for?

9. What shall we do with our trouble according to 1 Peter 5:7? Why?

10. According to Psalm 66:18, whose prayer does God not hear?

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST

SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUS

TEACH US TO PRAY SERIES

“Introduction to Prayer: Lesson 1”

Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Ben Bailey.

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man overcomes much,” James 5:16.

We welcome to our study of prayer. The disciples said to Jesus, ‘Lord teach us to pray.’ We're going to be thinking about in this series of lessons, the beautiful subject of prayer. We encourage you to get your Bible, and stay tuned as we study this wonderful subject together.

As we think about prayer we begin by asking, what is prayer? Is prayer just wishful thinking? Is prayer just some hopeful idea? Is it a maybe? Is it a guess? Is there doubt involved in that? What exactly is prayer to the child of God?

When you think about prayer, there are some interesting ideas that go along with that. Prayer gives the child of God great strength. Jesus said in Luke 18:1, “Men ought to pray always and never lose heart.” In fact it was Leonard Ravenhill who once said, ‘If weak in prayer, we are weak everywhere.’ Prayer has a certain amount of strength that it gives to the child of God. How true it is that we need prayer in our life.

Prayer is also a necessity. It's something that the child of God cannot go day-to-day without having in his life. Like breathing, like eating and drinking, prayer ought to be second nature to the child of God. Francois Fenelon said this, "Of all the duties enjoined by Christianity, none is more essential and yet more neglected than prayer." We all talk about prayer; we think about it; we sing about prayer; we know that the Scripture says, ‘We

can come boldly to the throne of grace that we might find grace and mercy to help in time of need.’ But, do we really make prayer an active part of our life, or is prayer something we just kind of neglect at times?

I believe it was Corrie ten Boom who once said, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” Do we really utilize the power of prayer as found in Scripture, or is it something we just lean up on when bad times come?

We can use prayer at any time. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we ought to, ‘Pray without ceasing.’ Prayer needs to be more than just a last resort for the child of God.

Let's let the Bible and the language of the New Testament define what prayer is. If we were to look up the word prayer in the dictionary, Webster would define it this way: prayer is to address God with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving. It is the communication between God and His children to express their praise, to express their thanksgiving, and no doubt to find help in time of need.

And while that's a textbook definition of prayer, the Greek language does help us a little with this subject. The Greek word proseuchomai, proseuchomai is the word that's most common used for prayer. And really it's a combination of two words. The word 'pros' literally means to express one's desire or longing toward in the direction of. When we talk about prayer from the original language, it's the expressing of one's desire with a direct purpose toward Almighty God. Our desire, our longing is expressed through the avenue of prayer directly to God. It's our way of showing our praise and thanksgiving to Him. Another Greek word that is used to describe prayer is 'erotao.' This word is defined: to ask or to make one's request.

When we think about prayer in this aspect, we're making our request toward God. We're asking Him for help. We're letting our cares fall upon Him, as 1 Peter 5:7 teaches.

But then there's a third word that we emphasize from the Greek language, and this is the word 'parakaleo.' This word paints a beautiful picture of the idea of prayer. In fact the word means: to call to one's aid or to entreat, to ask for help. A perfect example of this is found in Matthew

26:53. Notice what Jesus here said. Jesus used this word when He said, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father and He will provide Me with more than 12 legions of angels?” When you look at prayer from this viewpoint, it's asking God to come to our side, to come to our aid. We know Hebrews 2:16-18 says that we can find grace to help in time of need and that Christ is able to aid those who are in need. This picture of prayer is that we’re petitioning the throne of God, and God's forces are coming to the aid of His children. What a beautiful picture these ideas paint of prayer.

As we give an introduction to the idea of prayer, let's also realize that prayer is not just a figment of somebody's imagination. Prayer is not just wishful thinking. It's not talking to the sky we might say. In prayer there is real power, strength, and praise that is given to and received from Almighty God. Christians believe prayer is real, because the Scripture says so. Matthew 6:9 in the disciples' prayer, Jesus taught them ‘Pray our Father who is in heaven.’ Jesus didn't think prayer was a figment of somebody's imagination or a hoax or a trick. Jesus believed prayer was real communication with Almighty God. James 5:16 tells us it's real, “For the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man,” here's how it's real, “overcomes much.” Prayer has real results. It has real power, and the child of God can take true faith in that. Isaiah 38:5 God said, “I've heard your prayer and your supplication.” 1 Kings 9:3 speaking to the king there God said, “Your prayer and your supplication that you've made before Me,” in essence “I have heard.”

We know God heareth not the prayer of the ungodly, implied from that is He hears the prayer of the righteous, Acts 10:31 and John 9. And so, when we think about prayer let's realize, prayer is real, that it's something Christians can take comfort and encouragement in. Now someone says, ‘well how do we know prayer is real?’

Let me offer just a few ways that one can know from experience and from the things that happen that prayer is real. For example the Bible teaches us to pray for those who are sick. "If anyone's sick let them call for the elders the church, let them pray over him,” James 5:13-16. We know that prayer is real, because it helps those who are in need to get better, to overcome sickness, and to overcome the struggles, and the diseases that they may have. Prayer is real, because it has real power in evangelism. Matthew 9:36-38 Jesus, He looked out upon the multitudes, and He said to

His disciples, “Truly the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few,” and listen to this, “pray the Lord of hosts He'll send laborers into His vineyard or His harvest.”

Prayer has powerful results in reaching the lost. How many of us have prayed for someone who was lost, who never obeyed the gospel, whose heart was hardened, and God through the power of prayer and the word and those who were working with it, began to work on their heart?

Prayer is also real because we know it helps us in overcoming our troubles. Do you remember 1 Peter 5:7? Peter says, “Cast all your cares upon Him, the Lord, He cares for you.” When we find ourselves in trouble and in difficulty and in turmoil and difficulty of heart, how do we overcome that? “Cast all your anxieties or cares upon Him, He cares for us.” A Christian can pray and know that the burden and the weight that he is carrying, God is more than able and willing to help with that. Remember again Luke 18:1, Jesus said, “Men ought to pray always and never lose heart.”

When we get discouraged and we go down on her hands and knees to the Father in prayer, there is strength, there is help, and there is power to be attained through Almighty God. But you know we also know prayer is real because we believe in our faith in Almighty God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” One who truly has faith in God's word, we're not talking about a leap into the dark, we’re talking about faith in the inspiration of the Bible, faith in the evidence that shouts to us there is a God, faith in that creates a faith in God's word and faith in God, and prayer go hand-in-hand. This is why James would say, ‘If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all liberally without reproach and it will be given to him, but let him ask in faith with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea tossed to and fro and driven by the wind.’

When we ask in faith, we can have confidence; we can know God is more than able and willing to help His people. And so in understanding what prayer is, it also helps us to understand the reality of prayer. When a man bows his head, when a person gets down on his hands and knees at night, he's not just talking to the air. He's communicating with the creator of the universe, who spoke and all things came into existence, who sent His son to die for the sins of the world, and who ultimately wants to help His people go to heaven.

Now as we think about prayer, let's also realize we’re not talking about naturalism. And by that we mean this, we're not just saying that the things that are naturally going to happen are going to happen anyway. When we talk about prayer, we’re talking about God intervening and helping in someone's life. The naturalist approach to life just simply says that that we are completely governed by the laws of nature, which cannot be changed. What's going to happen is going to happen, and there's nothing we can do to change that. Friend, this is where prayer has power. If things are going to happen no matter what, what's the purpose in praying? Christians realize the Bible teaches that prayer has the ability to change the outcome, to change the course, to supplicate the will of God, and as a result intervene. God intervene on man's behalf. If such is the case that whatever's going to happen is going to happen anyway, then when Dan Barker said in "Losing Faith" that if the answer to prayers are merely what God's will is all along, then why pray?

We believe that prayer has the ability to change things. Prayer has the power to move the hand of God in the direction of and for the comfort and help of His people. And while we don't live in the age of miracles, we understand that we’re not living in a day and age where God's going to raise the dead or put the lame person's arm back together, that happened in the First century. We do believe God intercedes in human affairs. Ambrose Pierce said it this way, ‘In the devil's dictionary he defines prayer as to ask that the laws of the universe be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessed unworthy.’ We're speaking on behalf of God. God through His word speaks to us.

As we think about prayer, when we pray we’re asking God to intercede, to do something on the behalf of His children. And to make sure that as God's children, we are indeed striving to do His will and put first things first. So when we pray for somebody to get well, what are we asking? Are we asking God to just let things naturally work out the way the going to? No, we're asking God to intervene through means, providential means, through the means that He is more than able to use.

We’re asking God to help in this matter. It is different from miracles in that miracles were designed to specifically confirm the word. That word has been confirmed today. We know that God's word, the Bible, is true but prayer and the working of God in Providence, is different in that God through His own means and time whatever that may be. I don't have to

know, to realize, and understand and believe in the power of prayer whatever that may be. I know that God is more than able to work and to help in times like those.

As we think about the idea of prayer, let's also realize that God does answer all prayers that are heard, and we say it this way for a purpose. The Bible does teach that God does not hear certain prayers. I want you to; for example, look with me in Psalm 66:18. The Bible teaches that someone who's living in sin, God does not hear their prayer. The Scripture says, ‘if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.’ Now watch verse 19, ‘but certainly,’ David said ‘God has heard me, He has attended to the voice of my prayer.’ Is it the case that everybody who prays God hears? Not necessarily. The Bible teaches if ‘we regard iniquity in our heart,’ what's that mean? If I know I've got sin in my life, I'm living in sin, and I'm blatantly ignoring the will of God in doing what I want instead of what the will of God wants me to do, the psalmist clearly said if ‘I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.’

God does not acknowledge; God does not bless the prayer of someone who's living in sin. But to those whom God does hear their prayers David said Psalm 66:19, “I know He's heard my prayer.” To those who are trying to walk in the light, 1 John 1:7, God answers their prayers. God does not ignore the prayers He hears. The Bible pictures God as attentive to our needs, as listening to our prayers, and as ready to help those who are his children. Let me give an example 1 Peter 3 pictures God beautifully listening to and ready to help those who pray to Him. Listen to 1 Peter 3:12 the Bible says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,” watch this now “His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” What's the picture of God? His eyes are open. He's attentive. His ear’s, they’re ready to hear their prayers.

When we think of God, God's a God who's ready to hear, who's ready to help in time of need. This is what we find again in 1 Peter 5:7. The Bible word there is 'to hurl', literally took to the cast to throw, “cast all your cares anxieties upon Him.” Why? Listen to this beautiful wordage, “He cares for you.” What's the result of God caring for you? I can cast my cares upon Him. He cares for me. The anxieties, the troubles, the difficulties we have, we can know and have confidence in the fact that God hears and that He is willing to answer those prayers and help His people who are in need.

When we think about prayer that God answers, you know there's been a lot of damage done with the old country music song that Garth Brooks sang: "Unanswered Prayers". ‘I thank God for unanswered prayers.’ You know for the child of God that's really not correct language. Here’s what I mean by that, when we say ‘unanswered prayer’ likely what we mean is, I prayed and the outcome was not what I wanted. But friend that doesn't mean God didn't answer the prayer. If I asked, if I seek, if I pray to God, and whatever it is I may be praying, just because the end result is not what I thought it ought to be doesn't mean God didn't answer.

Let me illustrate. The answer to prayer can come in several forms. Let's say that we're praying for somebody who's sick, and we’re asking God to heal that person, and God hears our prayers. Friend whether we like it or not the answer may at times be no. It may not be in that person's best interest. It may not be for their spiritual outcome. It may not be best for the longevity of their life for that person to get well. Although God heard our prayer, God knew what was best in His infinite wisdom. His answer and He did answer it, may be no. And you know that's the hard part. Sometimes I've got to realize my will may not be God's will. This is why Jesus prayed, “Not my will but thine be done.” Did God hear His prayer? Sure did! God answer that prayer in the immediate sense which Jesus wanted it answered. Then ‘if it's possible Father, let this cup pass from Me.’ What was the answer? No, it's not possible. Jesus knew that in the moment that he saw and felt the struggle and the difficulty and temptation. God heard His prayer, but God's will interceded and overcame at that time.

And then there may be another answer, the answer may be ‘not right now.’ Not just, ‘no’, but ‘not right now in my own time, in my own way.’ The timing of working things out for the furtherment of His kingdom, for the betterment of His children, and for the overall purpose of salvation is dependent upon God's time not ours. And so we may pray, and God may say the time's not right. ‘Not right now’ may at times be the answer.

Sometimes when we pray, it may be that things need to work out differently than what we realize. Then sometimes, the answer maybe yes, and we can positively identify certain times when that happens. That's why we say God answered my prayer.

Friend if we're walking in the light and we’re a child of God, God answers our prayer every time. But the answer may not always be what we

want it to be. When I look at my own life, when you look at yours, can't we really see times when we're glad that God was in control of that? Let me illustrate. Let's say that a man prays to take a different job, whatever that job may be. He prays to God and the answer is no to that job. As life passes, as years pass some other door opens up and it works out for his betterment, the betterment of his family, the betterment of the kingdom, and the end result that person looks at that scenario; and he looks back and said how thankful to God I am that God knew better than I did. That other job may not have really been what he needed, may not have helped him develop spiritually, and may not have been best for his family, best for the church.

When we pray, let's have the attitude, ‘not my will but thine be done.’ Let's realize just because God doesn't say yes, doesn't mean He doesn't answer. And thank God that God doesn't answer everything we want the way we want, because sometimes we don't always see things God's way.

What do we know about prayer? Friend we know positively that prayer is a very valuable asset for the child of God. Jesus used prayer multiple times throughout His ministry to praise God, to ask for help, to overcome the struggles in the garden, and to honor the Almighty plan that God had set forth.

But then we also see prayer like in the lives of Paul and Peter when they prayed in time of difficulty. We can to gain strength from prayer to overcome and be victorious in this life. We’re not just praying that things are going to naturally work out the way they are. We’re asking God to help, and we’re prefacing that with the Lord's will.

Friend ultimately as 1 Peter 3:12 says, “The eyes of the Lord, they're on the righteous. His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” One thing we've certainly seen today is that God does not hear the prayer of those who are living in sin. His face is against those doing evil. ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.’ Friend that alone ought to encourage and motivate one to make sure he is in a right relationship with God, so that he can access and have the power of prayer.

We ask you today, are you a child of God? Are you sure that you're in a relationship with God knowing that God is able to hear your prayer? Friend if you've never obeyed the gospel, more than anything God loves you and wants you to become His child. And we do as well.

The Scripture says God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth, 1 Timothy 2:4. The Bible says that ‘the Lord's not slow concerning His promises as some men count slowness, but He is long-suffering toward us not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ Friend, ‘God so loved you and He so loved me that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’

Do you really believe that Jesus is God's son? Do you believe it enough that you're willing to repent of things in your life that are not according to the will of God, turn from sin, and turn to God? Jesus said, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish,” Luke 13:3. Would you confess the beautiful name of Jesus as the son of God and Savior of the world? The Bible says in Romans 10:10, “With the heart, with the mind one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Having heard God's word, believed in Jesus, repented of your sin, and confessed His beautiful name; would you be immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins? In Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, when they realized they'd killed their Messiah they were lost in sin. They cried out, ‘Men and brethren what shall we do?’ Here is the answer, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.’

Have you obeyed the gospel? If not friend, then God does not hear your prayer, if one's regarding iniquity in his heart. But He can, and you can become a child of God. You can have access to one of the greatest powers all the world, the power of prayer that has the power to overcome. If you're not a child of God, friend we urge you become one today. And if we are, let's utilize prayer. It truly has powerful results.

Study Questions for: “Prayer: Lesson 1”

1. According to James 5:16, what overcomes much?

2. What does Jesus tell me to do in Luke 18:1?

3. How shall we pray according to 1 Thessalonians 5:17?

4. In Matthew 26:53, what did Jesus have the ability to do?

5. According to Hebrews 2:16-18, what can we find to help in time of need?

6. According to Matthew 6:9, who did Jesus teach them to pray to?

7. In Isaiah 38:5, who heard the prayer?

8. According to James 5:13, who should we pray for?

9. What shall we do with our trouble according to 1 Peter 5:7? Why?

10. According to Psalm 66:18, whose prayer does God not hear?

Of all the questions that are asked in Scripture, none is more important than this one, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30-31. Of all the fundamental studies that we might look at, none could be more fundamental than knowing what one must do to be saved and to ultimately live in that place called Heaven.

Let's begin thinking about that supremely important question, “What must I do to be saved?” This is asked at least two other times in the New Testament. When the Jews realize in Acts chapter 2, that they had killed their own Messiah, they turned to Peter and the rest disciples, and they say, “Men and brethren what shall we do?” Peter told them exactly what to do to be saved. This also came up in Paul's life, who was formerly Saul. In Acts 9:4-6, the Lord confronts Saul on the on the road to Tarsus, on the road to Damascus there, Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus and Saul, ‘Who are you Lord?’ “I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” ‘Lord, what would you have me to do?’

Let's think about what is it God says a person must do to be saved. I'm I want you listen real carefully, we're speaking on these things, because it is such an important subject. I want you to know our motive in doing this, more than anything, we want you, we want to go to Heaven, and we want all who hear this lesson to go to Heaven. Our motivation is out of love. The Bible says God wants all men to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth. I'll assure you at the gospel of Christ and in the Lord's church, the church of Christ; we want men and women simply to go to Heaven. Our motive is simply to say, what the Bible says. I know full well there a lot of ideas from men about salvation. Friend, it's not man who's going to save me and you. It's not man's doctrine. No human being has ever, outside Lord Jesus Christ; no person can make the sacrifice for your soul. God did that. So, what matters is, ‘What does the Scripture say?’ Romans 4:3.

Then let’s turn our attention to the plan of salvation. What is God's plan of salvation for a person to be saved? Naturally he must hear what he needs to do to be saved. The Scripture teaches that hearing God's word is an essential part to salvation. Romans 10:17 the Bible says, “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” That passage teaches us to have faith. I've got to hear God's word, but this is essential in salvation, because faith is essential. Do you remember Hebrews 11:6? “Without faith it's impossible please God, for he that comes to God must believe he is

and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Now think about this with me. If faith is essential, and it is, whatever way I get faith is essential to salvation. How do you get faith? “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Now, when we say hearing the word of God, what does that really mean? It means that I accept, and I understand this book is God. The Bible is God's voice, final voice, on salvation, that it's all I need to get to Heaven. 2 Peter 1:3, “God is given to us all things for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us.”

When we talk about salvation, this is the book you need. This is God's word. What man says, what man thinks, what people have written, this is what I will be judged by. Jesus in John 12:48, “He who rejects me does not receive my word has that which judges him. The word that I've spoken will judge him in the last day.” Practically speaking, here's what it means in a practical sense, when we talk about hearing the word of God. It means that I must listen very carefully to the word of God. Luke 8:18, “Take heed how you hear.” Mark 4:24, “Take heed what you hear.” And then of course, Mark 9:7, God said, “This my beloved sons, whom I’m well pleased, hear him.” I want to let God's voice be the voice that I hear. And regardless of what anybody else teaches, all that matters is, “What does the Scripture say?” Romans 4:3.And so, are we listening carefully to the word of God? Are we recognizing its authority, as the final authority?

We would be amiss if we didn’t mention this, hearing means I have to prove what I hear is true to the will of God. Let me give you the best example I can think of. I want you to look in your Bible with me in Acts 17:11. As I think about, ‘Ok, what is Bible hearing? What does it mean to really hear the word of God? And is there an example of that in Scripture?’ The Bible says in Acts 17:11, “These the Bereans, who were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily, to find out whether these things were so.” Now you’ve got to set the scene in your mind. Use your imagination as you think about what's going on here. Paul goes into Berea, and he knocks on the door. He says, ‘I know you’ve heard some things about me. I’ve transformed my life. I'm here to tell you about Christ.’ Do they shut the door in his face? Do they say no we’re not interested? No, they received the word with all readiness. Meaning, they were alert and eager to hear if it was a message from God. And so they said, ‘Paul come on in, sit down.’ They sat down. Paul sat down. And Paul began to teach about Christ. What’d they do next? Did they immediately by what Paul said lock, stock, and barrel? No, they said, ‘Paul we appreciate you coming today. We've heard what you had to say. We've taken notes.’ And then listen, Acts 17:11, “They searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Friend, this is so pivotal, especially in our day and age today, to understanding God's will. With the variety and all the many flavors out there that people promote about salvation, what matters is, am I willing in hearing the gospel to searched the Scripture for myself and make sure it's true to the will of God?

Now let's look at a second part in God's plan of salvation. I must believe in Jesus

Christ. Do you remember Hebrews 11:6? “Without faith it's impossible please God, for he that comes to him must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.” Can I please God without faith? What is faith? It's commitment. It's belief. It's trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us the importance of believing. In John 8:24 Jesus said, “Unless you believe that I'm he you’ll surely die in your sins.” Must a person be committed to, a 100% committed to, the idea that Jesus is the Savior? Absolutely! In Acts chapter 8, as Philip and Ethiopian eunuch are in the chariot traveling down the road back to Egypt, he’s heard the gospel, or Ethiopia, hears the gospel. And in the water, he knows, what it in the distance he sees water. He knows what he needs to do. “Here is water what hinders me?” “If you believe with all your heart you may,” Acts 8:37.

Are we saying belief is something you to earn salvation? Don’t misunderstand here. No different than hearing the word of God, repenting of sin, confessing, or being baptized, belief is a requirement. But it’s not something I do to earn salvation. Is it a work? Yes, it is a work from God for man. But not a work of merit where I can say, ‘I believe; now I deserve it.’ John 6:29 Jesus said, “This is the work of God that you believe on him whom He sent.” And so, is it a condition set forth from God? Absolutely.

There's a verse that I want to point out here. There a lot of people that say in our world today, and it’s so sad, a lot of people say all you've got to do to be saved initially is believe in Jesus. I hear it; you hear it. I know people that say it and you know people that say it too. ‘You want to be saved? Just believe in Christ and you'll be saved.’ Friend, don't get me wrong, belief is essential .But does the Bible say faith only saves? Did you know that the only time ‘faith only’ is used in the Bible; it says it does not save. That's right, a host of people in this world are teaching, all you got a do to be saved is have faith only. And the doctrine of faith only is very prominent today. But the only time it's used in Scripture, God says, “Faith only will not save.” Let me show you from your own Bible. Look in James 2. I want you to notice verse 24 with me. What does the Scripture say here? The Bible says, “You see then, the man is justified by works,” now notice this, “and you see then that man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”

The only time in Scripture, the words faith and only are paired together, God says they will not save. And so, yes belief is essential. Yes, it's a condition set forth from God, but alone, Bible teaches it won't save. If I just stop there, I've stop short of what the Scripture says I must do to be saved.

That leads us right into the third condition God sets forth. If a person is going to be saved, must he repent of past sin? Let's ask it this way, if I'm going to be a child of God and a Christian and live like God wants me to, can I keep living in sin? If somebody’s a bank robber, or a drunk, or a murderer, to become a child of God must they stop doing that? Well anybody with common sense says, sure. You can’t keep living like that and be a child of God. That’s what Jesus said. Luke 3:8, Jesus said, “Repent or perish.” Luke chapter 13:1-3, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

But what is repentance? Here's a real easy way to remember repentance. Repentance is a changed will that leads to a changed way. Or put in another way, repentance is a changed way of thinking that leads to a changed way of acting. That’s all repentance is. When I repent, I change the way I think, and I change the way I act. Matthew 21:28-30, Jesus told an illustration of a father and two sons. He said to his first son, ‘Son go work in my field today.’ The son said he would but never did. Then he said to the second son, ‘Son go work in my field today.’ He said he wouldn't, later regretted it, and went and worked in the father’s field. Jesus said, “Which of those two did the will of the father?” The one who said he would and never did? Or the one who said he wouldn’t and changed his mind and changed his action? Well you know which one, the one who changed his way of thinking and changed his way of acting, repented, and went and worked in his father’s field.

Jesus again emphasized the importance of repentance. Certain people came to him, and they’re looking at people who they think God's divine wrath has been exhibited upon, they say ‘Lord what about these Galileans who had their blood mingle with their sacrifice?’ meaning at the time sacrifice, they were killed. ‘Weren't they worse sinners than anybody else? Or what about these people who were walking down the road, this group of people walking down the road, and out of nowhere that a tower falls on them and crushes them, weren't they worse sinners than everybody else?’ You know how Jesus answered both those questions? “I tell you no but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Acts 3:19 says, “Repent and turn again that your sins may be blotted out that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 2:38, Peter preached in the very first gospel sermon, “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.”

Friend, it's also important for us to mention that while we think about repentance, and repentance does have a sense of sorrow, please understand that sorrow alone is not real repentance. Here’s what we mean by that, 2 Corinthians 7:10, the Scripture says, “Godly sorrow produces repentance”, and now listen to that again, “Godly sorrow produces repentance.” The Scripture does not say, Godly sorrow equates with repentance, is repentance. Rather when I'm sorrow, in a Godly way, I want to do what God wants me to do and change my way. That sorrow leads me to repent which is to change my thinking and change my way of acting. Sometimes we see maybe in the media, or things like that, somebody gets caught doing something. And they had this growth, great emotional outpouring, but then they go back and do what they were doing. Is just having an emotional response repentance? Godly sorrow leads to repentance, but it does not say it in of itself, is repentance.

Now let's talk about a fourth condition that God sets forth in this fundamental study, on what must I do to be saved. The fourth condition God sets forth is we must confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Where do we find that the Scripture? We will look at a couple of passages. Romans chapter 10:10 says, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Now

sometimes we talk about confession, because of some false ideas that are popular world today, people hear this idea of confession, and they think they need to go get a cubicle and tell somebody their sin. Now that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re not going with the idea of getting a cubicle, in some box, and telling somebody across the screen of the window from you, your sin is foreign to the teaching New Testament. When we say confession is a part of salvation, what are we to confess? Well that second passage I mentioned tells us. Listen to Matthew 10:32-33. Jesus said, “Whoever confesses,” and here's the content, “whoever confesses me before men, him will I also confess before my Father, who is in heaven whoever does not confess me before men neither will I confess him before my Father who is in Heaven.” What am I to confess with my mouth? That Jesus is the Christ, the son of God and the Savior of the world. Two times that happens. 1 Timothy 6:12-13 Paul said of Timothy, “He made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” And then again, Acts 8, Philip told the eth Philip told Ethiopian eunuch, ‘If you believe with all your heart you may be baptized.’ And he said, ‘I believe Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God.’

We now come to that fifth condition God sets forth about salvation. What is it? The Scriptures teach that for a person to be saved, he must be immersed in water for the remission of sins. Let’s talk about a couple of things related to that. And again, friend all we ask of you today is, check your Bible and see. You see if these things are true to the Bible. If they are, obey them because God said them. What is baptism? You look up a dictionary meaning of baptism and it may give you a two of three different ideas. Some dictionary meanings will say baptism is pouring, sprinkling, or immersion. Well I'm not looking to the dictionary today to learn what to do to be saved. I’m looking to God's answer in the Bible. What how does the Scripture defined baptism? In the Scripture baptism is only defined as immersion. Now let me give you some examples of that. Mark 1:9-11, Jesus is here baptized by John. The Bible says this, at Jesus baptism the Bible says, “And coming up out of the water, the spirit descended upon him like a dove.” Question: to come up out of water, what must you first do? Go down into water, immersion. John 3:23, John was baptizing in Aemon, near Salim, because there was much water there. How much water does it take to sprinkled or poured little on somebody’s head? Not much. John could have done that anywhere, just take a little water with him. How much water does it take to immerse, put a full-grown adult completely under the water? Much water. Couple of other examples found in Acts 8:37-40, you have got example of Philip and Ethiopian eunuch. The Bible says they stop the chariot. He is traveling back to Ethiopia, a dry parched land, they stop the chariot. They both get down out of the chariot. They both go into the water. He baptizes him, and they come up out of the water. Why’d they both get up out of the chariot? Why’d they have to both get in the water? If sprinkling or pouring had worked, they could have sent a servant to go down the water. Why did everybody get in water and everybody come out? Why’d they stop the chariot? Again the idea is immersion. Now here's the clearest passage of all. Romans 6:1-4 teaches that baptism is likened to a burial. We're buried with Christ in baptism. And so, Paul uses the illustration of a burial. What happens at a burial? They don't do this; they don't set the body on the ground and sprinkle a little dirt

on it. They don't take a cup or two and pour a little dirt on it. What happens in a burial with the body? That hole is dug, that body is encased in the ground, dirt on the bottom dirt on every side, and then it's covered up. It's completely into enclosed in the ground. And thus, Paul used the illustration of a burial to represent baptism. That teaches us that it is a complete immersion in water.

What is the purpose of baptism? I understand and I know full well that a lot of people teach baptism is a good thing you should do. Baptism’s something you do after you’re saved. Baptism, you should do it like Jesus, just to follow Jesus. But so many people will say, baptism: not essential to salvation. Friend, I want you listen carefully just to what the Bible says. We want you to see for yourself from the Scripture that the Bible teaches you are not saved before baptism. Baptism is essential to salvation. What passages teach that? Probably the clearest to teach baptism is essential to salvation, is found in the gospel of Mark 16:16. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, he who does not believe shall be condemned.” If you don't believe, are you a candidate to be baptized? Of course not. So if don't believe you’re already in a condemned state, but think about what Jesus did say. Did Jesus say, ‘he who believes will be saved?’ That’s not what he said. Did Jesus say, ‘he who is baptized will be saved?’ Not what he said. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”

Does your Bible say that? Does your Bible say, ‘He who believes and is baptized will be saved’? Second passage I'd like to direct your attention to is found in the gospel of John. I want you look at John 3. I want you notice what Jesus says beginning in verse 3. Jesus answered Nicodemus and said to him, “Most assuredly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can a man be born when he's old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?’ Listen to this, Jesus answered, “Most assuredly I say I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” You know, sometimes people say baptism’s not essential, you don’t have to be baptized go to Heaven. What’d Jesus say? “Unless,” if and only if, “one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Now are those the only two passages in the Bible? No, they're not. They’re others that teach this exact same idea. Would you look in your Bible in Acts chapter 2:38? Again, we want you to see for yourself. Look in Acts chapter 2. I want you to notice what the Scripture says in the very first gospel sermon preached Acts 2:38. They just asked Peter and rest disciples, ‘Men and brethren what must we do?’ and here's the answer, Peter said to them, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” What's baptism for? What's its purpose? Why be baptized? It is for the remission of sins. Acts 22:16 Ananias came to Saul and he said, ‘Saul Saul why tarries thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on the name the Lord.’

Friend just consider with me for just a moment, does the Bible teach sin separates me from God? It absolutely does. Isaiah 59: 1-2, “Sin separates us from God.” If I can know when the moment in time occurs, the moment salvation when sin is removed, I can know when I'm in a safe state with God. ‘Arise, be baptized, wash away your sins calling on the name the Lord.’

Now probably one of the clearest of all is found in 1 Peter 3:21. Peter says this, and you can't get any clearer than this, “Baptism, there is a light figure in which does save us, baptism.” Or as the new King James says, “Baptism does now also save us.” Not that we were built of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God. When God says be baptized, I answer with a good conscience by doing what God says. And so does Peter say, you look in your Bible and see, does the Holy Spirit say baptism saves us? If it says that in your Bible, then friend I'm responsible and you're responsible just simply to do what the Bible says. Are we saying there is something mystical or magical in the waters of baptism? That's not the idea. If it were in the water, I lived in the water all the time. Wouldn’t you? But it's not the water; it’s not the mystical magical idea. It's the answer of a good heart toward God, good consciences when God says do it and I do it, I've been obedient to the will of God. I've done what he says. Have I earned salvation? That's not the idea. The Bible says in Luke 17:10, “and you when you done all those things commanded you say, I'm an unprofitable servant, I've only done that which was my duty to do.” Must I obey God? Sure. Have I earned salvation? Of course not. If I'm saved, it will be by the grace of God. But grace and faith go hand-in-hand, ‘by grace are you saved through faith.’

We encourage you today, if you've never obeyed the gospel. We love you, God loves you, and won’t you obey the gospel today and become a Christian?

Study Questions for: “Fundamentals of the Faith: Salvation”

1. What important question is asked in Acts 16:30-31?

2. According to Romans 10:17, what comes by hearing?

3. What must we have to please God according to Hebrews 11:6?

4. What will judge us according to John 12:48?

5. According to Mark 4:24, what must we do with what we hear?

6. What did they search daily in Acts 17:11?

7. What is man justified by according to James 2:24?

8. According to Luke 3:8, repent or what?

9. Romans 6:1-4 compares baptism to what?

10. What must we do to see the Kingdom of God according to John 3:3?

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man overcomes much,” James 5:16.

We welcome to our study of prayer. The disciples said to Jesus, ‘Lord teach us to pray.’ We're going to be thinking about in this series of lessons, the beautiful subject of prayer. We encourage you to get your Bible, and stay tuned as we study this wonderful subject together.

As we think about prayer we begin by asking, what is prayer? Is prayer just wishful thinking? Is prayer just some hopeful idea? Is it a maybe? Is it a guess? Is there doubt involved in that? What exactly is prayer to the child of God?

When you think about prayer, there are some interesting ideas that go along with that. Prayer gives the child of God great strength. Jesus said in Luke 18:1, “Men ought to pray always and never lose heart.” In fact it was Leonard Ravenhill who once said, ‘If weak in prayer, we are weak everywhere.’ Prayer has a certain amount of strength that it gives to the child of God. How true it is that we need prayer in our life.

Prayer is also a necessity. It's something that the child of God cannot go day-to-day without having in his life. Like breathing, like eating and drinking, prayer ought to be second nature to the child of God. Francois Fenelon said this, "Of all the duties enjoined by Christianity, none is more essential and yet more neglected than prayer." We all talk about prayer; we think about it; we sing about prayer; we know that the Scripture says, ‘We

can come boldly to the throne of grace that we might find grace and mercy to help in time of need.’ But, do we really make prayer an active part of our life, or is prayer something we just kind of neglect at times?

I believe it was Corrie ten Boom who once said, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” Do we really utilize the power of prayer as found in Scripture, or is it something we just lean up on when bad times come?

We can use prayer at any time. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we ought to, ‘Pray without ceasing.’ Prayer needs to be more than just a last resort for the child of God.

Let's let the Bible and the language of the New Testament define what prayer is. If we were to look up the word prayer in the dictionary, Webster would define it this way: prayer is to address God with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving. It is the communication between God and His children to express their praise, to express their thanksgiving, and no doubt to find help in time of need.

And while that's a textbook definition of prayer, the Greek language does help us a little with this subject. The Greek word proseuchomai, proseuchomai is the word that's most common used for prayer. And really it's a combination of two words. The word 'pros' literally means to express one's desire or longing toward in the direction of. When we talk about prayer from the original language, it's the expressing of one's desire with a direct purpose toward Almighty God. Our desire, our longing is expressed through the avenue of prayer directly to God. It's our way of showing our praise and thanksgiving to Him. Another Greek word that is used to describe prayer is 'erotao.' This word is defined: to ask or to make one's request.

When we think about prayer in this aspect, we're making our request toward God. We're asking Him for help. We're letting our cares fall upon Him, as 1 Peter 5:7 teaches.

But then there's a third word that we emphasize from the Greek language, and this is the word 'parakaleo.' This word paints a beautiful picture of the idea of prayer. In fact the word means: to call to one's aid or to entreat, to ask for help. A perfect example of this is found in Matthew

26:53. Notice what Jesus here said. Jesus used this word when He said, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father and He will provide Me with more than 12 legions of angels?” When you look at prayer from this viewpoint, it's asking God to come to our side, to come to our aid. We know Hebrews 2:16-18 says that we can find grace to help in time of need and that Christ is able to aid those who are in need. This picture of prayer is that we’re petitioning the throne of God, and God's forces are coming to the aid of His children. What a beautiful picture these ideas paint of prayer.

As we give an introduction to the idea of prayer, let's also realize that prayer is not just a figment of somebody's imagination. Prayer is not just wishful thinking. It's not talking to the sky we might say. In prayer there is real power, strength, and praise that is given to and received from Almighty God. Christians believe prayer is real, because the Scripture says so. Matthew 6:9 in the disciples' prayer, Jesus taught them ‘Pray our Father who is in heaven.’ Jesus didn't think prayer was a figment of somebody's imagination or a hoax or a trick. Jesus believed prayer was real communication with Almighty God. James 5:16 tells us it's real, “For the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man,” here's how it's real, “overcomes much.” Prayer has real results. It has real power, and the child of God can take true faith in that. Isaiah 38:5 God said, “I've heard your prayer and your supplication.” 1 Kings 9:3 speaking to the king there God said, “Your prayer and your supplication that you've made before Me,” in essence “I have heard.”

We know God heareth not the prayer of the ungodly, implied from that is He hears the prayer of the righteous, Acts 10:31 and John 9. And so, when we think about prayer let's realize, prayer is real, that it's something Christians can take comfort and encouragement in. Now someone says, ‘well how do we know prayer is real?’

Let me offer just a few ways that one can know from experience and from the things that happen that prayer is real. For example the Bible teaches us to pray for those who are sick. "If anyone's sick let them call for the elders the church, let them pray over him,” James 5:13-16. We know that prayer is real, because it helps those who are in need to get better, to overcome sickness, and to overcome the struggles, and the diseases that they may have. Prayer is real, because it has real power in evangelism. Matthew 9:36-38 Jesus, He looked out upon the multitudes, and He said to

His disciples, “Truly the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few,” and listen to this, “pray the Lord of hosts He'll send laborers into His vineyard or His harvest.”

Prayer has powerful results in reaching the lost. How many of us have prayed for someone who was lost, who never obeyed the gospel, whose heart was hardened, and God through the power of prayer and the word and those who were working with it, began to work on their heart?

Prayer is also real because we know it helps us in overcoming our troubles. Do you remember 1 Peter 5:7? Peter says, “Cast all your cares upon Him, the Lord, He cares for you.” When we find ourselves in trouble and in difficulty and in turmoil and difficulty of heart, how do we overcome that? “Cast all your anxieties or cares upon Him, He cares for us.” A Christian can pray and know that the burden and the weight that he is carrying, God is more than able and willing to help with that. Remember again Luke 18:1, Jesus said, “Men ought to pray always and never lose heart.”

When we get discouraged and we go down on her hands and knees to the Father in prayer, there is strength, there is help, and there is power to be attained through Almighty God. But you know we also know prayer is real because we believe in our faith in Almighty God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” One who truly has faith in God's word, we're not talking about a leap into the dark, we’re talking about faith in the inspiration of the Bible, faith in the evidence that shouts to us there is a God, faith in that creates a faith in God's word and faith in God, and prayer go hand-in-hand. This is why James would say, ‘If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all liberally without reproach and it will be given to him, but let him ask in faith with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea tossed to and fro and driven by the wind.’

When we ask in faith, we can have confidence; we can know God is more than able and willing to help His people. And so in understanding what prayer is, it also helps us to understand the reality of prayer. When a man bows his head, when a person gets down on his hands and knees at night, he's not just talking to the air. He's communicating with the creator of the universe, who spoke and all things came into existence, who sent His son to die for the sins of the world, and who ultimately wants to help His people go to heaven.

Now as we think about prayer, let's also realize we’re not talking about naturalism. And by that we mean this, we're not just saying that the things that are naturally going to happen are going to happen anyway. When we talk about prayer, we’re talking about God intervening and helping in someone's life. The naturalist approach to life just simply says that that we are completely governed by the laws of nature, which cannot be changed. What's going to happen is going to happen, and there's nothing we can do to change that. Friend, this is where prayer has power. If things are going to happen no matter what, what's the purpose in praying? Christians realize the Bible teaches that prayer has the ability to change the outcome, to change the course, to supplicate the will of God, and as a result intervene. God intervene on man's behalf. If such is the case that whatever's going to happen is going to happen anyway, then when Dan Barker said in "Losing Faith" that if the answer to prayers are merely what God's will is all along, then why pray?

We believe that prayer has the ability to change things. Prayer has the power to move the hand of God in the direction of and for the comfort and help of His people. And while we don't live in the age of miracles, we understand that we’re not living in a day and age where God's going to raise the dead or put the lame person's arm back together, that happened in the First century. We do believe God intercedes in human affairs. Ambrose Pierce said it this way, ‘In the devil's dictionary he defines prayer as to ask that the laws of the universe be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessed unworthy.’ We're speaking on behalf of God. God through His word speaks to us.

As we think about prayer, when we pray we’re asking God to intercede, to do something on the behalf of His children. And to make sure that as God's children, we are indeed striving to do His will and put first things first. So when we pray for somebody to get well, what are we asking? Are we asking God to just let things naturally work out the way the going to? No, we're asking God to intervene through means, providential means, through the means that He is more than able to use.

We’re asking God to help in this matter. It is different from miracles in that miracles were designed to specifically confirm the word. That word has been confirmed today. We know that God's word, the Bible, is true but prayer and the working of God in Providence, is different in that God through His own means and time whatever that may be. I don't have to

know, to realize, and understand and believe in the power of prayer whatever that may be. I know that God is more than able to work and to help in times like those.

As we think about the idea of prayer, let's also realize that God does answer all prayers that are heard, and we say it this way for a purpose. The Bible does teach that God does not hear certain prayers. I want you to; for example, look with me in Psalm 66:18. The Bible teaches that someone who's living in sin, God does not hear their prayer. The Scripture says, ‘if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.’ Now watch verse 19, ‘but certainly,’ David said ‘God has heard me, He has attended to the voice of my prayer.’ Is it the case that everybody who prays God hears? Not necessarily. The Bible teaches if ‘we regard iniquity in our heart,’ what's that mean? If I know I've got sin in my life, I'm living in sin, and I'm blatantly ignoring the will of God in doing what I want instead of what the will of God wants me to do, the psalmist clearly said if ‘I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.’

God does not acknowledge; God does not bless the prayer of someone who's living in sin. But to those whom God does hear their prayers David said Psalm 66:19, “I know He's heard my prayer.” To those who are trying to walk in the light, 1 John 1:7, God answers their prayers. God does not ignore the prayers He hears. The Bible pictures God as attentive to our needs, as listening to our prayers, and as ready to help those who are his children. Let me give an example 1 Peter 3 pictures God beautifully listening to and ready to help those who pray to Him. Listen to 1 Peter 3:12 the Bible says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,” watch this now “His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” What's the picture of God? His eyes are open. He's attentive. His ear’s, they’re ready to hear their prayers.

When we think of God, God's a God who's ready to hear, who's ready to help in time of need. This is what we find again in 1 Peter 5:7. The Bible word there is 'to hurl', literally took to the cast to throw, “cast all your cares anxieties upon Him.” Why? Listen to this beautiful wordage, “He cares for you.” What's the result of God caring for you? I can cast my cares upon Him. He cares for me. The anxieties, the troubles, the difficulties we have, we can know and have confidence in the fact that God hears and that He is willing to answer those prayers and help His people who are in need.

When we think about prayer that God answers, you know there's been a lot of damage done with the old country music song that Garth Brooks sang: "Unanswered Prayers". ‘I thank God for unanswered prayers.’ You know for the child of God that's really not correct language. Here’s what I mean by that, when we say ‘unanswered prayer’ likely what we mean is, I prayed and the outcome was not what I wanted. But friend that doesn't mean God didn't answer the prayer. If I asked, if I seek, if I pray to God, and whatever it is I may be praying, just because the end result is not what I thought it ought to be doesn't mean God didn't answer.

Let me illustrate. The answer to prayer can come in several forms. Let's say that we're praying for somebody who's sick, and we’re asking God to heal that person, and God hears our prayers. Friend whether we like it or not the answer may at times be no. It may not be in that person's best interest. It may not be for their spiritual outcome. It may not be best for the longevity of their life for that person to get well. Although God heard our prayer, God knew what was best in His infinite wisdom. His answer and He did answer it, may be no. And you know that's the hard part. Sometimes I've got to realize my will may not be God's will. This is why Jesus prayed, “Not my will but thine be done.” Did God hear His prayer? Sure did! God answer that prayer in the immediate sense which Jesus wanted it answered. Then ‘if it's possible Father, let this cup pass from Me.’ What was the answer? No, it's not possible. Jesus knew that in the moment that he saw and felt the struggle and the difficulty and temptation. God heard His prayer, but God's will interceded and overcame at that time.

And then there may be another answer, the answer may be ‘not right now.’ Not just, ‘no’, but ‘not right now in my own time, in my own way.’ The timing of working things out for the furtherment of His kingdom, for the betterment of His children, and for the overall purpose of salvation is dependent upon God's time not ours. And so we may pray, and God may say the time's not right. ‘Not right now’ may at times be the answer.

Sometimes when we pray, it may be that things need to work out differently than what we realize. Then sometimes, the answer maybe yes, and we can positively identify certain times when that happens. That's why we say God answered my prayer.

Friend if we're walking in the light and we’re a child of God, God answers our prayer every time. But the answer may not always be what we

want it to be. When I look at my own life, when you look at yours, can't we really see times when we're glad that God was in control of that? Let me illustrate. Let's say that a man prays to take a different job, whatever that job may be. He prays to God and the answer is no to that job. As life passes, as years pass some other door opens up and it works out for his betterment, the betterment of his family, the betterment of the kingdom, and the end result that person looks at that scenario; and he looks back and said how thankful to God I am that God knew better than I did. That other job may not have really been what he needed, may not have helped him develop spiritually, and may not have been best for his family, best for the church.

When we pray, let's have the attitude, ‘not my will but thine be done.’ Let's realize just because God doesn't say yes, doesn't mean He doesn't answer. And thank God that God doesn't answer everything we want the way we want, because sometimes we don't always see things God's way.

What do we know about prayer? Friend we know positively that prayer is a very valuable asset for the child of God. Jesus used prayer multiple times throughout His ministry to praise God, to ask for help, to overcome the struggles in the garden, and to honor the Almighty plan that God had set forth.

But then we also see prayer like in the lives of Paul and Peter when they prayed in time of difficulty. We can to gain strength from prayer to overcome and be victorious in this life. We’re not just praying that things are going to naturally work out the way they are. We’re asking God to help, and we’re prefacing that with the Lord's will.

Friend ultimately as 1 Peter 3:12 says, “The eyes of the Lord, they're on the righteous. His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” One thing we've certainly seen today is that God does not hear the prayer of those who are living in sin. His face is against those doing evil. ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.’ Friend that alone ought to encourage and motivate one to make sure he is in a right relationship with God, so that he can access and have the power of prayer.

We ask you today, are you a child of God? Are you sure that you're in a relationship with God knowing that God is able to hear your prayer? Friend if you've never obeyed the gospel, more than anything God loves you and wants you to become His child. And we do as well.

The Scripture says God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth, 1 Timothy 2:4. The Bible says that ‘the Lord's not slow concerning His promises as some men count slowness, but He is long-suffering toward us not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ Friend, ‘God so loved you and He so loved me that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’

Do you really believe that Jesus is God's son? Do you believe it enough that you're willing to repent of things in your life that are not according to the will of God, turn from sin, and turn to God? Jesus said, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish,” Luke 13:3. Would you confess the beautiful name of Jesus as the son of God and Savior of the world? The Bible says in Romans 10:10, “With the heart, with the mind one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Having heard God's word, believed in Jesus, repented of your sin, and confessed His beautiful name; would you be immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins? In Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, when they realized they'd killed their Messiah they were lost in sin. They cried out, ‘Men and brethren what shall we do?’ Here is the answer, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.’

Have you obeyed the gospel? If not friend, then God does not hear your prayer, if one's regarding iniquity in his heart. But He can, and you can become a child of God. You can have access to one of the greatest powers all the world, the power of prayer that has the power to overcome. If you're not a child of God, friend we urge you become one today. And if we are, let's utilize prayer. It truly has powerful results.

Study Questions for: “Prayer: Lesson 1”

1. According to James 5:16, what overcomes much?

2. What does Jesus tell me to do in Luke 18:1?

3. How shall we pray according to 1 Thessalonians 5:17?

4. In Matthew 26:53, what did Jesus have the ability to do?

5. According to Hebrews 2:16-18, what can we find to help in time of need?

6. According to Matthew 6:9, who did Jesus teach them to pray to?

7. In Isaiah 38:5, who heard the prayer?

8. According to James 5:13, who should we pray for?

9. What shall we do with our trouble according to 1 Peter 5:7? Why?

10. According to Psalm 66:18, whose prayer does God not hear?

“Fundamentals of the Faith: Bible”

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable,” 2 Timothy 3:16.

Welcome to our study of fundamentals of the faith. Of all the lessons we can think about that are extremely important and play a fundamental role in the Christian’s faith, the Bible's inspiration is at the top of that list. My understanding that this book is from God, is so critical to having the type of faith that pleases God and that brings honor to Him every day.

As we think about Bible inspiration, the Bible does claim it is from God. The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:37, “If any man thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual,” Paul said, “Let him acknowledge the things which I write to you, they are the commandments of God.” Paul's writing, John's writing, Mark’s writing, James’ writing, the Bible as a whole, whose book is it? The Bible teaches it is from God.

Throughout history great men of renown have shown the importance of the Bible with their words and their actions and even some of their statements. I just want to mention a few of these, to show you that throughout history, the Bible has been so important to the world. For example, Napoleon, great conqueror, said this, ‘The Bible is no mere book but a living creature with a power that conquers all that oppose it.’ What a great statement about the all-encompassing power of God's word from a conqueror himself. Then we think about W. H. Stewart, who made this statement, he said, ‘The whole hope of human progress is suspended on the ever-growing influence of the Bible.’ When we think about progress today and so many focuses on science and technology and that being the progress and medically, that’s going to lead us in the right direction. Mr. Stewart was right; our progress depends on our ever-growing knowledge and influence of the word of God. And I think of the statement of Sir Isaac Newton who said this, ‘There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible then in any profane history.’ Is the Bible authentic? Is it from God? Can I put my hope and trust in the word of God and really live as God wants me to live every day? Can I be sure this is the right way? This is what George Washington said, “It’s impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” The only way our nation can think succeed is if we truly are one nation under God and based on the Bible. Daniel Webster, a noted dictionary writer, said, ‘I've read it through many times, and I pity the man who cannot find in it a rich supply of thoughts, rule, and conduct.’ It was that general in the Civil War, who made one the great statements, Robert E Lee said this, ‘In all my perplexities and the

stresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.’ I understand as well as you, those are human statements, those are not from God. It shows throughout history, even American history, world history, the important role God's word has played.

Let’s now direct our attention, in this study on fundamentals of the faith, let's think about: is this book, does it claim, to be the word of God? Many people just think of the Bible as a good book of moral or religious suggestions. Are there good moral stories here, a lot of religious suggestions? Yes. But, is it really the word of God? Many people stop short at that. Evolution and humanism, which are being taught so much today in our schools, through our media, on TV programs that you hear, they cause people to wonder: is the Bible really from God? The Bible doesn't teach that, here's what science says. So, it pits God against man's scientific ideas. Which is true? Is the Bible really inspired? There is so much religious skepticism that creates confusion today. Some believe this, some believe that. There are a whole host of ideas, and there's a lot of confusion in the religious world. Is the Bible really true, with all this confusion? I'll assure you, God's not the author of confusion, 1 Corinthians 14: 37-40. Then, if the Bible is not inspired realize this everything that I doing you do as a Christian is in vain. This is how critical it is, if this book is not from God, I may as well close it, put it in the back shelf, and go live and do as I want to do. If it's not from God, everything we’re doing is pretty much in vain. So, this is an extremely important subject, as we think about our faith and the fundamental of what we really believe about God and about Christianity.

Let's now direct our attention to several passages in Scripture that do teach this book is from God. I want to direct your attention to 2 Timothy chapter 3. I want you notice what the Bible says in verses 16 and 17 about the inspiration of the Bible that we hold in our hands and that we draw near to our heart. Paul writes to the young evangelist Timothy, as he encourages him to do the work of God in Ephesus, he says, “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.” What does 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teach us about inspiration? It teaches us the completeness of inspiration.

How much Scripture is inspired of God? All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, every verse is inspired by Almighty God and is the product of his breath. What do we mean when we say inspiration then? I understand all of it is. But what is inspiration? Are we saying that the Bible is inspired like Shakespeare was inspired to write a play? No, that’s not the idea. When we say inspired, the literal Greek word means God breathed out. Theopneustos, God exhaled and on his breath that came out of his mouth, was the word of God. And so, we’re talking about the literal breath of God, God's breath, the Holy Spirit being the part that brought that to men and women today being the force that gave us the Bible. David said in 2 Samuel 23:2, “His word was on my tongue.” That’s what we’re talking about. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable and it makes one complete thoroughly equipped for every good work. We see the scope of inspiration being all the Bible. We see the force behind it being God. The Bible being inspired is complete. It’s

everything I need to get to heaven. You know what is great about the Bible? This book has everything you and I need, everything we need, to please God and get to heaven. Do you believe that? 2 Peter 1:3, “All Scripture not only is given by inspiration of God,” but Peter said, “that it within the pages of the Bible we have everything God is given to us everything for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us.” I’ve got everything I need to please God and get to heaven.

Then I want to mention to you another passage that teaches the Bible is indeed inspired. I want you look in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. I want you notice verse number 13, this is a wonderful passage where Paul is illustrating the power and the beauty of God and giving man His Revelation. 1 Corinthians 2:13, here's what Paul says to the church at Corinth, “These things we also speak,” notice now, “not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” What do we learn about Bible inspiration here? God revealed the Bible not in pictures, God didn’t send us a picture book or movie show, not in ideas where man could take that idea and put in his own word, God spoke in words. God gave us His writing, His word; in the very words He wanted us to have it. These are words which the Holy Spirit teaches. God used the Holy Spirit, third person, the Godhead that we often think of, as the force to get his word to men and women today. When John Mark or when Luke sat down with pen to write the epistles they wrote, whose word was that? The Holy Spirit teaches second Peter 1:19, “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” So when we think about the Bible being inspired, it's the product of Almighty God in the words that God himself wanted us to have.

Another passage I want to mention is found in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. Direct your attention to verse number 13. As we think about Bible inspiration, this is one of those great passages that teach us the fullness of God's word and its truth. The Bible says, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which also effectively works in you who believe.” When you heard this word, you welcomed it rightly, not as our word, Paul said, but as it is in truth. What is in truth? The word of God which also effectively works in you. When I read the pages of the Bible, what am I reading? I’m not reading men's ideas. I’m not reading first century opinions. I’m not reading what somebody sent out a poll and produced of populous on that, that’s not what I’m reading. I'm reading the word of God. Remember again 1 Corinthians 14:37, the Scripture proclaims that Paul speaking, “If any man thinks himself be a prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge things which I write to you these are commands of God.” Not Paul's ideas, not Paul's opinions, not John, or Mark, or James, or Luke, whoever’s, these are the words of God. That's what the Bible claims as far as inspiration.

Now if we were to define inspiration, get maybe a little better handle on the idea of inspiration in Scripture, how could we describe that to help us understand it? Well the word inspiration, as we mean, is a compound word in the Greek Bible. It is the word theopneustos, but in our English language, we divide up into two words the Greek word

‘theos’, is the word for God, and the word ‘pneuma’ literally means to breathe out. When we talk about the Bible as being inspired, literally that compound word means, God exhaled. God breathed out and the product on his breath was the Bible. When we talk about defining inspiration, we're talking about the Bible being infallible. The Bible is not made up of errors. The Bible is not a book of things that are hit and miss, right and wrong, here and there, you can pick and choose. The Bible is infallible, and that's what the Scripture proclaims. John 17:17 Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth.” Friend if truth is true, and it is, it's also infallible. James 1:25, James said to Christians, “We have the perfect law of liberty.” Again, the idea of complete, perfect, not lacking anything, is what the Scripture proclaims. Psalm 119:160 says this, “The entirety of your word is true, your law is truth and every one of your righteous judgments endures forever.” How much of the Bible is true? The entirety. What's that mean? Genesis 1:1, Revelation 22:21 and everything in between is true. Psalm 19:7, “How I love your law O Lord, the law of the Lord is perfect in every way,” the psalmist will say.

Again, the Bible proclaims that not only did it come out of the breath of God, but it is infallible. It is without error. When we talk about inspiration, we’re also caring the idea of it being verbal. That is that again, God didn't send a picture show, God didn't send the drawing, God didn’t send an art book, God didn’t just throw out some ideas and say go put them in your words, the very words of the Bible God used the medium of language in words. And those words make up the content of the word of God. Again 1 Corinthians 2:13, “We speak not in words, which man speaks, but words which the Holy Spirit teaches.” That's the idea, God spoke in words. 2 Samuel 23: 2, “His word was on my tongue.” God said to Jeremiah, “My word I've put in your mouth.” He said, “Jeremiah go and preach that word.”

So as we think about the Bible, God revealed his message in words. Those words are important. In fact, not only the words are important, but every letter in the words are important. Let me give you an example, in Galatians 3, where there is a big discussion between the Jews and Christ and the Christians there in first century about who's the seed of Abraham. Jesus, or the writer the Holy Spirit, goes back to the old argument in Genesis 12. He says, “He does not say ‘and to seeds as of many’ but ‘seed and to your seed with Christ.’” What’s this old argument based on? One letter in one word. Not seeds plural and your seed singular, who is Christ. The very words and the very letters of those words are important in our understanding.

The Bible is indeed inspired by God. Another idea that we combine with Bible inspiration is that it is full, complete that it has everything we need for life and godliness. Again here are some passages that teach that. 2 Peter 1:3, “As his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue.” Question: can you have more than all? That's a silly question. All is all. It is complete; it’s full. God has given to us all things. Peter, what do you mean by all things? ‘For life and godliness,’ I have all things to live the best life. I have all things to be a Godly person. Where at? Through knowledge, of Him who called

us by glory and virtue. Found within the pages of God's wisdom and knowledge, in the Bible. John 16:13, Jesus promised his disciples would later become the apostles. He said, “When He the spirit of truth has come, He'll guide you into,” listen again, “all truth” Again you can’t have more than all. If the Holy Spirit came, and he did, in Acts chapter 2, He guided those men and women into all truth, and we have that in the pages of the Bible today.

How can I be sure? Let’s say that someone says, ‘okay, I understand the claim, I know that the Bible says it, but how can I be sure that the Bible is really of the word of God? How can we be sure of that?’ Let me give you several ideas, several proofs that will help us with that. You can do some research on your own on these as well. You can find that very easily in researching that. Several of the proofs for inspiration are the uniqueness of Scripture. There are a multiplicity of writers writing over 1500 years, all coming from different backgrounds, different time periods, speaking different languages, being of different trades, and backgrounds, not most of them not knowing each other, and the Bible perfectly harmonizes on every subject. Now think about this. How could, could men today write one book, on one subject that completely harmonized? Take for example a medical book. Imagine you were to gather the top medical doctors in the world and ask them to write a certain medical practice. You know how many opinions you’re going to get? You’re going to get a lot. Would they harmonize? Not all of them. Every book, every writer, uniquely harmonizes through God. That in of itself is proof of inspiration.

Then a second proof would be prophecy. For example, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah prophesied 750 years before it happen that a virgin would give birth to a son. “You'll call his name Immanuel,” which is translated ‘God with us.’ A virgin giving birth to a son? That's unheard of! How could Isaiah have known these 750 years before? Did it happen? You open to Matthew 1, exactly like Isaiah 7 said, “Mary, who is a virgin, gives birth to a son. He is identified as Immanuel, ‘God with us’, Savior of the world.” Those minute details, which go against the grain of everything that we know biologically, reproductively, how did Isaiah know that? God told him. Psalm 22, the crucifixion of Christ. 1000 years before Christ is crucified, Psalm 22 occurs and in detail. In fact it is quoted from multiple times in Matthew 27 in detail. All the things that were said in Psalm 22 came to fruition 1000 years later. You could look at hundreds of passages where such is the case.

Another great proof is that of scientific foreknowledge. The Bible is not a study book; it is not a science textbook. But are there are things in there that the creator the world included to show us it's scientifically accurate? You bet it is. You can think of some of these. In Psalm 8, the psalmist mentions paths of the sea. People now know that the sea does indeed have paths. Vitamin K, the clotting factor mentioned the book of Leviticus, when circumcision happen on the eighth day, it's at its highest level. Medically, scientifically, biologically, those things go hand-in-hand. You can determine that the Bible is from Almighty God and that we absolutely must follow its teaching.

Let’s make practical application to this. If I say, and if I realize, this book is from God, that it's God's word, what does that mean practically speaking? First, it means everything a Christian does must have God’s stamp of approval on it. His stamp of approval is so important and understanding that. Colossians 3:17 teaches this, “Whatever you do in word or in deed, do all the name the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the father through Him.” If I want to please God, I've got to do it by the authority of Christ. Where do I find the authority of Christ? In the Bible, where God has spoken to us in these last days by his son (Hebrews 1:1). Practically speaking, the Scriptures teach us, if this is the word of God, I have no right to add to nor take away from it. Deuteronomy 4:2 says it in the Old Testament at the close of the New Testament, Revelation 22:18 -19 says, “Do not add to nor take away from the words of this book.” God says, “Lest the prophecies, the woes, the condemnations be added up on you.” Does God want me to edit his book? Does God need me to help them with it? God doesn’t want me to add to or take away. Proverbs 30:6, “Do not add to his word, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.” What is it God really wants? If the Bible's inspired, God simply wants me and you to follow it.

I want to mention to you passage in 1 Corinthians 4. I want you to notice what Paul says. He uses an illustration to show the need to follow God's word. 1 Corinthians 4:6, Paul says this, “Now these things brethren I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sake, that you may learn in us,” don't miss this, “not to think beyond what's written that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.” What does the Scripture say about staying true to the Bible? Don't think beyond what's written. That's pretty plain, that’s simple, and that’s so helpful. God wants me to keep my thinking spiritually, biblically about God, about salvation, about heaven, about how to live within the pages of that book. Listen very carefully, now hope you understand the way we’re saying this, how wonderful it is to have the Bible. 1 John 5:13-16, John says, “These things I’ve written you, believe in the name the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in his name.” The Bible, being God's word, it's a joy to have this. How? Because if I read this book, if I study, if I live by it, if I let my life be governed by it, I can know, listen carefully, I can know that I'm safe and that I'm right with God. You cannot have a greater joy in the entire world than that. Practically speaking, when we talk about the inspiration of the Bible, we need to live it.

Let's not be hypocritical. Let's live the Bible every day. Let's walk in the footsteps of Jesus, 1 Peter 2:21. Let's, “Let our light shine for Christ,” Matthew 5:16. And then practically speaking, let's love. The psalmist said in Psalm 119, “How I love your law, it’s my meditation all the day.” Do we love the Bible? Does it really have a place of honor in our lives? Do we really cherish its precepts, its teaching, and the God who gave it to us?

Then practically, let's let others know about it. If I believe this Bible, this book, is the very word of God, I want to share that. I want to really do what Jesus said. Matthew 28:18, Jesus as he descended back before he was sent to the father, he tells his disciples that they are to, “Go into all the world, all nations, baptizing them in the Father and Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things. I command you go all nations go into all the world that world.” That world begins with my friends, my neighbors, my family; everybody who we know is not a Christian.

As God's children, let's live by the Bible. Let's let it govern our lives each and every day. As I live by the Bible, I'm living the way God wants me to live. Let's love it. Let’s study it. Let’s read it. Let’s really let it be the influence and the emphasis in our life that changes things. Let’s let others know about God's saving power. God sent His son to the world to die for mankind. If people hear that message, they're willing to believe in Jesus, change their lives, and repent, confess the beautiful name of Christ before men, and be immersed in water, Acts 2:38 says they can be forgiven of sins. We encourage you today. Let's let God's book, the Bible, be our guide.

Study Questions for: “Fundamentals of the Faith: Bible”

1. According to 2 Timothy 3:16, where does the inspiration of the Bible come from?

2. What should we use scripture for according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17?

3. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us we have what from scripture?

4. According to Psalm 19:17, the law of the Lord is what?

5. According to Colossians 3:17, how should we do all things?

6. According to Proverbs 30:6 should we add to the Bible?

7. How should we feel about God’s law according to Psalm 119?

8. In 1 Peter 1:19, what were the Holy men of God moved by?

9. According to 1 Thessalonians 2:13, what should we thank God for?

10. What did Jesus pray for in John 17:17?