Biblically Centered ( God's Word the Solid Foundation)

BIBLICALLY-CENTERED

 (God’s Word the Solid Foundation)

Introduction: James E. White quotes an old phrase, “Which hills are you prepared to die on? Meaning, which stands are you going to take no matter what the cost?  For what are you ready to die? Your answer will determine your core values.” What is a core value? It is a principle that guides an organization's internal conduct as well as its relationship with the external world.

            Every organization or company in the corporate world operates by a set of core values. Churches should be no different. Three years ago, while I was searching for a ministry opportunity, I looked at various Church's websites to know their beliefs and core values.

            When I looked at Hope Church's beliefs, and core values, I said to my self this is the church I would like to pastor, so I applied, and the rest is history. Before my arrival here, a team of people may have prayerfully identified six core values that would guide their internal conduct and help them in their relationship with the outside world.

            These are our hills that we should be willing to die on. For the next six weeks, we will look at our Core Values and what they mean to us as a church. The first Core Value: “We are a Biblically- Centered Church.” In preparation for this series, I asked a group of people in our church to help me. Some gave me brilliant ideas, and I will be using some of them.

            Throughout this sermon series on Core Values, we will be asking, questions like why this Core Value is essential for us? How are we practically implementing this value in our personal lives and the life of Hope Church? I title this message: God’s Word the Solid Foundation.

            Biblically-Centered: “The Word of God is our ultimate authority. Mature followers of Jesus Christ must know how to read, interpret, and teach Scripture. The time one is in the Scriptures directly impacts their relationship with God and the ability to obey His commands.”

            What do we mean by being biblically-centered? Which means we take God’s word as our ultimate authority. We are building our lives on God’s word, which is our solid foundation. If you have followed my sermons, you may have noticed; they are Biblically sound. We encourage the members of Hope Church to become lifelong learners of God’s word.

            In a time where the gospel is being watered down, and strange theologies are cropping up to confuse believers, it so crucial that we remain Biblically-Centered. I want to share a few reasons why we are to build our lives on the solid foundation of God’s Word. And talk about what would that look like practically in our day to day lives. So, Let’s get started.

I LIVING BY GOD’S WORD MAKES US SPIRITUALLY MATURE

            For a new believer in Christ, God’s word is like pure milk that provides all that they need to grow strong in their faith and become spiritually mature. I Peter 2:2, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.” Like newborn babies crave for milk for their nourishment, every new believer and the seasoned believer must desire spiritual milk, daily. That makes you strong.

            What made Peter stress on this essential truth? He heard the teachings of Christ, where once he said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Jesus, through His word, becomes our Daily Bread.

            As a young believer, I read and reread the Bible cover to cover several times. Even after so many times of reading, God’s word never fails to amuse me. It is like a Gold mine. The more you learn from God’s word and apply it in your daily life, the more you will grow spiritually.

            How has been your Bible reading off late? Is it part of your Spiritual discipline? Have you read through the entire Bible from cover to cover even once? There is no condemnation in Christ. You can pick up the Bible today and start reading it, and you can complete it in one year.

II.  GOD’S WORD KEEPS US BALANCED

            In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warned his disciples to be careful about false prophets and messiahs, saying, “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.” Their intent is to deceive people, including, if possible, even God’s chosen well-seasoned saints. Be aware of false prophets.

            As per the predictions, there are so many false prophets these days going around and deceiving believers with their well-crafted sermons, and through performing miracles. As the Bible says, they are like wolves in sheep's clothing. How do we discern them so that we can stay away from them? How can we know whether they are telling the truth or a bunch of lies?

            To discern truth from error and remain spiritually balanced, we need to know the whole counsel of God from the entire word of God. The in-depth knowledge of God’s word can help us avoid all extremes. For example, there are some Christians who say; you should not take any medicines when you get sick, but only pray and trust God for healing. That is extreme!

            Yes, I believe God can perform miracles even today, but at the same time, He could use the wisdom He has given to the scientists and the doctors to cure our diseases.  There are several scriptures speak of using medical treatments such as applying bandages ( Is 1:6),  Good Samaritan’s use of oil and wine to soothe the wounds (Luke 10:34), Paul advising Timothy to take some wine for his sick stomach ( I Timothy 5:23), and Jesus was accompanied by a doctor named Luke, (Colossians 4:14). There is nothing wrong with going to doctors and use medicine.

            However, we should not forget the fact that God is our primary healer, not the doctors. When we are sick, we can always ask God to heal us, but he does not promise that He will answer the way we still want. But one thing we can be assured of is that the Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.” Ps 145:13. God’s word keeps us balanced.

III. GOD’S WORD THE SOLID FOUNDATION

            In our passage, we read a familiar story that we have heard since we were in Sunday school. Jesus told of two people who were set out to build houses. One built a house that stood through seasons, storms, and floods, whereas the other person’s home came crashing down.        What was the difference? It was the foundation. The first one built his house on a solid rock foundation, where is the other one on a shallow, shaky foundation of sand. Jesus referred to the first one as a wise man and the second one as foolish. What made the first one wise and the other foolish? Listen to Jesus’ analysis.  “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, but anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish.”

            What teachings was Jesus referring to here? When we read the context, we will notice that he was referring to His teachings on the mountainside, also known as the sermon on the mount. Jesus taught His disciples and the crowd about, being the Salt and Light. The Law.

            Anger & Adultery. Divorce & Vows. Revenge & Loving our enemies and giving to the needy. Prayer & Fasting. Money & Possessions. How not to judge others. Effective Prayer. The Golden rule & the Narrow Gate. False prophets & True Disciples.  In closing these teachings, he talked about building our life on the solid foundation of His Word.

            I encourage you to read about these teachings when you go home. It is not enough to know them intellectually, but more importantly, we follow them. How do we become Bible-centered Christians?  I suggest the following. At Hope Church, we encourage personal, and independent reading of scriptures to know the truth for ourselves first hand, like the Bereans in the book of Acts 17:11. We offer Sunday morning Bible times wherein groups of people explore the teachings of the Bible. Our Mid-Week Connect groups are where we focus on specific Biblical topics. Above all, we want everyone to go out and do the Word.

IV WHAT DOES BIBLICALLY-CENTERED PRACTICALLY MEAN?

            When we are living biblically-centered lives, we are not merely listeners of God’s word, but we are the doers of God’s word. In other words, we are living by God’s principles. Biblically-Centered Christians do things differently than the rest of the world because they are guided and motivated by a higher set of values and standards. For example, in this world, for many, it is no big deal to lie, steal, or commit adultery. But if you know the truth about them from the Bible, and have determined to live godly, then you will stay away from them. 

             We are being Biblically-Centered, practically means that we will speak and stand up for the truth even when it hurts.  We will love our neighbors and strangers as Christ has loved us and accepted us. We will pray for our enemies and forgive those who hurt us. We will love and respect our spouses and raise our children in fear of the Lord. We will use our resources wisely. 

            I understand it is not always easy to live that way; we may fall away from the truth and do things that are not pleasing to God. The word of God tells us that even when we are faithless, He will remain faithful.  We learn from the scriptures that, “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.” Proverbs 24:16. According to I John 1:9, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

            Dear friends at Hope Church, being Biblically-Centered, is one of our values, and we are not ashamed of it. I see many of you are already living biblically-centered lives. For those who are not and struggling to stay afloat in this world, my encouragement is that you will build your life on the Solid Foundation of God’s word. In closing, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” Eph 2:13-14. Amen!