May 27, 2018

You and the Offended Other

35 minutes

Jesus calls us to take the initiative to make peace, just as He did with us! Matthew 5:9, Colossians 1:20

Transcript

Introduction and offering:

Did you notice the new Bibles? There are about 1000 of them in the room—enough for everyone to have one, or to share with a neighbor. This has been several months in the making. Instead of us putting all the Scriptures up on the screen, we are going to help you find them in the Bible. We’ll still occasionally put Scriptures on the screen, but most of the time we want to help you find them in the Bible. Here’s why: we want to increase your Biblical literacy. We want to help you become more familiar and comfortable with the Bible.

Using a paper Bible helps you see the context. You see where the passage falls in the big story, and what’s immediately around it. You don’t see that on your phone, or digital device, or the big screens.

Using a paper Bible teaches you to navigate the Bible. The Bible can be intimidating. It’s over 1000 pages! It’s 66 books in one! Where is everything and how does it all fit together? You learn that better in a paper Bible. You may not learn it all in a digital device or on the big screens.

Using a paper Bible makes all of us Bible students, not just the speaker. Last fall, I was at a conference and heard Pastor Larry Osborne explain why they didn’t put the Scriptures up on the big screen and why they used paper Bibles instead. He shared a new thought for me. When a new person sees everyone with a Bible open and following along, he thinks, “Oh, reading the Bible is normal. Everyone does it. Everyone knows where to look.” But if he/she sees the verses only on the big screen, then he thinks, “The pastor is the expert; he knows the Bible; the rest of us don’t.” In other words, it democratizes Bible reading and knowledge. It makes “experts” of all of us, not just the pastor.

So here we go! This means that it will take us a few moments longer to get to a passage, but that’s ok. And to help you find the passages, we will put the reference on the big screen with the page number! One last thing: please don’t take these home—leave them on your seat when we’re done. If you really want one, we bought extras and you can buy them at the Welcome Center for $10. Ok—let’s get started! Turn to Matthew 5:9 (p. 830).

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