Reprograming your IGPS
Introduction
· Sometimes it leads us to drive into a lake
· Sometimes it leads us the wrong way down a one way street.
· Sometimes it simply leads us to a street to nowhere.
A. GPS (Global Positioning System) we rely on more and more, yet not always gets us where we want to go and how we want to go. Often results are annoying, sometimes results can be deadly
1. 2009 The GPS in Alicia Sanchez’s rented jeep Cherokee took her on the wrong road that left her lost in Death Valley. 5 days later she was rescued, but her 6 year old died from heat and dehydration
2. 2015 Francisco and Regina Múrmura were in Brazil driving to meet their daughter for dinner. Their GPS misdirected them ending up in one of the dangerous slums called Favela run by armed gangs. The Mumura’s car was attacked, riddled with 20 bullets, Killing Regina.
3. Stories described by safety experts as “Death by GPS” and should serve as a warning not to put too much trust in technology
B. Each have an internal GPS, a map, compass that guides our lives --what we do, how we think, what we value - Conscience, World View
1. Information for that GPS comes from all different sources. Our upbringing, our culture, what we read, watch and listen to. Sometimes (often?) works well, other times leads to disaster
C. What informs your IGPS and how reliable is it?
Transition: Starting a series entitled Becoming People of the Cross
A. Drawn from Matthew 16:24-26
Reprograming your IGPS
1. Cross is not only the means by which we are saved, but also the way by which were are to live
2. People of the cross choose to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, their crucified savior; “dying to self”, relinquishing control of one’s life, and following Jesus fully and whole-heartedly as Lord.
a. Mother died, sister executor. Mom was dead she had no authority. Same way we’ve died and handed over control to Christ
b. Gal. 2:20
3. Sounds radical and extreme, normal Christianity
a. Regular Army - Army Rangers. Regular Navy - Navy Seals.
b. Does not describe Christian Rangers/Seals. - Normal Christianity. If anyone
B. People of the cross walk with others in growing Dependence upon Devotion to and Delight in Jesus Christ resulting in greater conformity to His Character and commitment to His Cause
Beginning today and going for following 6 weeks look at Seven Life signs of people of the cross. First one How God wants to reprogram our internal GPS
People of the cross affirm the authority of the Bible as God’s Inspired Word; faithfully studying and humbly living out its life transforming truth.
Process our experience and view of Bible
A. A relic from the past that is irrelevant and unwelcome in today’s modern and “enlightened” world.
1. Must understand for many in our culture that is view.
a. Huffington Post article about the use of the Bible
Reprograming your IGPS
· Bigoted and outdated teachings in the Bible have no place in our enlightened society.
· Its content is seriously out of touch with modern American values
· Teachings are a most meddlesome inconvenience
· Must be delegitimized.
2. Must recognize part our fault. Bible used to justify all sorts of bad things
a. Violent inquisitions, Barbaric Crusades Nationalistic wars
b. Racism and slavery
c. Demeaning of women (Augustine only purpose for woman is procreation; pastor today women too gullible.
d. Our own individual to follow what it clearly says
B. A confusing book that is hard to navigate and understand.
1. Try to read it names can’t pronounce, places never heard of. Just confusing
C. A book of rules that lays out the “do’s and don’ts” we are expected to follow.
1. Does the Bible contain “law”’; things to do and not do? Yes
2. If that’s all it is, not good. Bible as a path to knowing the law giver.
3. I don't love this Book because it has a leather cover and golden edges. I don't love it as a 'Holy Book.' I love it because it is God's Book. Through it, the Creator of the universe has told us who he is, how to come to him through Christ, who we are, and what all reality is. Without the Bible we wouldn't have anything… If the God had created the earth and then remained silent, we wouldn't know who he is. But the Bible reveals God; that's why I love it." ( Francis Schaeffer)
Reprograming your IGPS
Transition: Whatever experience, every survey I’ve seen has sounded the alarm that most Christians are dangerously illiterate when it comes to the Bible. Critical issue.
Authority is grounded in the belief Inspired by God
A. To say the Bible is inspired by God is not
1. The Bible is inspiring (hopefully it is
2. Inspired as a writer might have been inspired to write a book about suffering after having battled cancer.
a. How that object/experience impacted me. Authenticity/authority because it is true about what I felt or experienced
3. God “dictated” to the biblical writers what to write.
a. One sees the uniqueness of each writer come through --- language, writing style etc.
B. To say that God sovereignly and supernaturally moved the authors to write and directed what they wrote to insure that what was written was true and communicated that which He intended.
1. 2 Timothy 3:16 - God breathed --
2. 2 Peter 1:20-21 “Carried along” ship’s sails catching wind
C. God’s word
1. Eternal (no expiration day)
a. Psalm 119:89-90
2. Effective
a. Psalm 119:93, 104
Reprograming your IGPS
3. A Delight
a. Psalm 119:92, 103
What we do with the Bible.
A. Faithfully Study it.
1. Prayerfully
2. Regularly (different settings; individual, group, etc.)
3. Communally (with others
4. Correctly (i.e. following appropriate rules of interpretation)
5. Thoroughly
a. Short devotionally, other times more in-depth
6. Meditatively
a. 119:97
b. Difference between dipping tea bag in water and setting it in to steep. Let Bible “brew in the brain.”
7. Memorizingly. Those who do see in whole new way
David Grohl (6 years old) AhHa Moment. With mom in car. Carly Simon’s Your So Vain. Carly sang high, mom sang low. “Harmony!” After that I no longer just heard music, I listened to music.”
" Transition: 2 Timothy 3 And useful for …..
People of the cross affirm the authority of the Bible as God’s Inspired Word; faithfully studying and humbly living out its life transforming truth
A. James 1:22-25
Reprograming your IGPS
B. What sort of transformation:
1. Transformation of the mind: Correct beliefs, values and priorities
a. Now we need to understand that what simply occupies our mind very largely governs what we do. It sets the emotional tone out of which our actions flow, and it projects the possible courses of action available to us…The deepest revelation of our character is what we choose to dwell on in thought, what constantly occupies our mind. (Dallas Willard)
b. Romans 12:1-2
2. Transformation of the heart; Loving God and Loving People
a. Just as a compass needle points north, the human needle points up…. to ego. (Bill Hybels)
3. Transformation of the will: A resolve to live life, and respond to life in a way that honors and pleases God.
C. Reading and Studying and Living out God’s word feed one another
1. The more I want to live a way please to God, the more I want to read. More I read more I want and am able to live,.
2. Eugene Peterson At age 35 began running and soon graduated to running marathons. By then I was subscribing to and reading three running magazines! Then I pulled a muscle and couldn't run for a couple of months. Those magazines were still all over the house, but I never opened one. The moment I resumed running, though, I started reading again.
That's when I realized that my reading was an extension of something I was a part of. I was reading for companionship and affirmation of the experience of running.
Reprograming your IGPS
I learned a few things along the way, but mostly it was to deepen my world of running. If I wasn't running, there was nothing to deepen.
The parallel with reading Scripture is striking. If I'm not living in active response to the living God, reading about his creation/salvation/holiness won't hold my interest for long.
B Book of Eli, D. Washington mythical character in a post apoc. Believes he’s been given that task by God to preserve the last known copy of the bible. In spite of all his efforts, he ends up giving it to a vicious thug who believes it has some miraculous power. Afterwards, Eli’s female companion Solara says. I didn't think you'd ever give up the book, I thought it was too important to you
Eli responds, : It was, I was carrying and reading it every day, got so caught up in protecting it, I forgot to live by what I'd learnt from it
May that not be so with us.
People of the cross affirm the authority of the Bible as God’s Inspired Word; faithfully studying and humbly living out its life transforming truth.
Questions for April 30th, Reprograming you IGPS
1. I’ve included at the end an article entitled, “The Crisis of Biblical Illiteracy” You might want to start out by talking about this. You can either give the reasons mentioned in the article and ask for comments and/or additions, or simply ask about why this is and supplement with the article. Also, in this or any study you can start by asking, “What was most challenging to you?” or “What questions/concerns did the sermon raise for you?”
2. The sermon mentioned that some people view the Bible as either 1. An obsolete relic, 2. A riddle book, 3. A law book. Can you identify with any of these barriers? What would help people get beyond them? (You might pursue the third one as I think that is one we don’t easily see, yet struggle with.
3. Read through the passage from The Psalms that was read on Sunday (Psalm 119:89-104. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being “completely expresses my life” to 1 “totally foreign”) how does your feelings about Scripture matches the psalmist? Why? What would need to change to bump that number up?
4. Read 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20-21. What does it/doesn’t mean when we talk about the Bible being inspired? Why is this important? What doubts or questions do you have about this?
5. What is your current practice of Bible study in any given week? What have you found helpful in your own study of God’s word that others might benefit from?
6. What are some of your biggest struggles? Looking at the 7 bullet points under “faithfully study” which one needs the most work? What next step do you want to take to strengthen your study and obedience to God’s Word?
The Crisis of Biblical Illiteracy
by Kenneth Berding
Stacey Irvine ate almost nothing but chicken nuggets for 15 years. She never tasted fruits or vegetables. She occasionally supplemented her diet with French fries. One day her tongue started to swell and she couldn’t catch her breath. She was rushed to the hospital, her airway was forced open, and they stuck an IV in her arm to start pumping in the nutrients she needed. After saving her life, the medical staff sent her home, but not before they warned her that she needed to change her diet or prepare herself for an early death.
I’ve heard people call it a famine. A famine of knowing the Bible. During a famine people waste away for lack of sustenance. Some people die. Those who remain need nourishment; they need to be revived. And if they have any hope of remaining alive over time, their life situation has to change in conspicuous ways.
During normal famines people don’t have access to the food they need. But Stacey Irvine could have eaten anything she wanted. She had resources, opportunity and presumably all the encouragement she needed to eat well. Can you imagine what would happen if all of us decided to follow her example and discontinued eating all but non-nutritious foodstuff? If we happened to beat the odds and live, we undoubtedly would suffer in the long run from nutrition-related chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
Like Stacey Irvine, we’re killing ourselves. It’s surely not for lack of resources; nevertheless, we are in fact starving ourselves to death.
Christians used to be known as “people of one book.” Sure, they read, studied and shared other books. But the book they cared about more than all others combined was the Bible. They memorized it, meditated on it, talked about it and taught it to others. We don’t do that anymore, and in a very real sense we’re starving ourselves to death.
A Famine Of Bible Knowledge
Does this sound overly alarmist to you? People who have studied the trends don’t think so.
Wheaton College professor Timothy Larsen comments that “it has been demonstrated that biblical literacy has continued to decline. … Gallup polls have tracked this descent to a current ‘record low.’”
In “The 9 Most Important Issues Facing the Evangelical Church,” theologian Michael Vlach cites “Biblical Illiteracy in the Church” as his final concern. He agrees with George Barna’s assessment that “the Christian body in America is immersed in a crisis of biblical illiteracy.”
New Testament scholar David Nienhuis summarizes his understanding of the situation in an article titled “The Problem of Evangelical Biblical Illiteracy: A View from the Classroom”: