Sunday – July 7, 2013 “For God So Loved the World”

July 7, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

For God So Loved the World from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

We have seen how many people can reject the Bible as the Word of God. We have seen some treat the entire Bible as a fairy tale; a fairy tale made up by men to curtail the fun of others, causing them to have a joyless life. We have seen some treat parts of the Bible as true in a general sense, but untrue for specific situations or cases. We have seen some say the Bible is true, but then make translations or interpretations that even language experts who do not believe the Biblical agree are not the best way to translate specific words or in many cases are out-and-out false translations or interpretations.
Join Elder Thom Rachford in this study of some of the most familiar and often most misquoted passages of the Gospel of John


Word On Worship – July 7, 2013 Download / Print

John 3:16-18
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. – NASB

We have seen how many people can reject the Bible as the Word of God. We have seen some treat the entire Bible as a fairy tale; a fairy tale made up by men to curtail the fun of others, causing them to have a joyless life. We have seen some treat parts of the Bible as true in a general sense, but untrue for specific situations or cases. We have seen some say the Bible is true, but then make translations or interpretations that even language experts who do not believe the Biblical agree are not the best way to translate specific words or in many cases are out-and-out false translations or interpretations.

Despite how people want to view or interpret the meaning of scriptures, more evidence exists for the accuracy of most Bible translations than any other book of ancient times. Let’s look at the Bible, applying the same standards for accuracy that would be applied to any historical book. The extremely large numbers of ancient copies, in which the texts agree, speak to the accuracy of the Bible. The extreme care in translating GOD’s word, not man’s word, caused translations to be more carefully made than other books, again insuring the accuracy from the original text. The nearness of the dates of the existing manuscripts to the time of recorded events help insure accuracy of the recorded text. The endurance of generation after generation of those who desire to read and study the Bible speaks to it accuracy and truth. And lastly, the millions upon millions of changed lives of those who follow the truth of the Bible prove its accuracy.

These standards make the Bible the most valuable book in the world. However the value is only realized when one studies, believes and applies what the Bible says. Otherwise, it is of no value. It is like a penniless person holding a check for a million dollars but never cashing it. One’s life does not change even though one has the thing that will change it at one’s fingertips.

Do you want to know where you are going in life? Do you want to know if you should go right or left at the fork in the path? How can you know which path to take in the dark? Do you want to see where your feet are going so you can avoid stubbing your toes on rocks on the road or falling into a hole? How can you see when the bridge ahead is so rickety that it will collapse the minute you step on it? God’s word is the answer. Psalm 119:105 says God’s word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. A lighted path shows you the only true route while illuminating your destination and a lamp allows you to safely avoid any obstacles you may encounter along the way.

That lamp and light, The Bible, is true and accurate and valuable beyond measure for those who will read, meditate or seriously consider what it says, and then follow what it says for it is the Word of the living God.