Reading the BIble (James 2:8-19)
Gary McManus, 02/27/2023Part of the DCC Basics series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
February 26, 2023 The First Sunday in Lent James 2:8-19
A look back at America’s Top Ten Fears,
Chapman University. We noted that Americans cannot even agree about what they are afraid of.
In all top ten fears of Americans, none have more than 60 percent of America afraid. Five of the top ten American fears contain death. DCC has been surrounded by death.
Last time we talked about Christian viewpoints about death. Death can be tragic. Death can come as a friend. One more thought about death from a Bible viewpoint. John 14:2-3, John 20:19, John 20:26. The Apostle Paul intended comfort when he told the churches in Thessalonica about death (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
Today is not about my past but I remember the hope I had for American Christianity while at Seminary. Since, we are praying to find the next Lead Pastor, perhaps I had better outline some basics about DCC’s beliefs: Faith and God’s Word, the Bible.
The word faith has two meanings.
Faith is belief and faith is also the word for the content of the things that we believe.
Believe in Jesus? Good. What is it we believe about Jesus? The word faith is used for both of those expressions.
Then, there was this podcast (Pastor doesn’t do podcasts.) But the podcast is Pastor’s problem, not yours.
What American Christians are lacking in their Christian faith is an appreciation of the Bible.
Americans' membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time (2021).
The number of Americans who do not read the Bible at all went up 10% to 35%. . .1 in three Americans does not read the Bible at all.
Pastor McManus says:
--Read the version of the Bible that you will actually read. Don’t have a favorite version of the Bible that you don’t read!
--Don’t just be a Bible believing church, be a Bible READING church.
Appreciate that we are modern people. We are scientific people. The Bible is 2,000 years old and some of the Bible twice as old and more. We are not going to be able to pick up the Bible and read anything that will connect with us as modern scientific Americans.
Some children do not know where food comes from.
Tell children we are God’s flock, I’m afraid to ask the children what they think that means.
None of America’s top ten fears are found in the Bible in a way that we would recognize. Even John’s Gospel Chapter 14:2-3 is about death but the word death is not in those verses. (1 Thessalonians 4 is also about death and the word is not there.)
The churches of America should tell Americans that the Bible is primarily a spiritual book.
The Bible is a terrible geography book.
The Bible is not a good Math book.
Bricks? Metallurgy? No microscopes. No telescopes.
Read the Bible, and remember what we read the Bible for—spiritual purposes.
Spirits? Ancient peoples saw spirits everywhere. We do not. Once we read the Bible for spiritual purposes. . .THEN we can apply it to everyday life. Examples: John 6:51, John 8:12, John 10:7, John 15:1-8.
Jesus is talking about God and God’s relationship to us THROUGH Jesus. And the KEY to these words:
“This is to my Father’s glory”.
Jesus, CEO?! [Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership]
Is the most important thing what you believe? Or is the most important thing how closely behind Jesus you follow? Amen.
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