April 3, 2025 • 28 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
This is Getting to Know Your Bible, a program dedicated
to the proclaiming of the good News of Jesus Christ.
Here's Billy Lambert.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hello, I'm Billy Lambert. I am the regular speaker on
Getting to Know Your Bible, and I want to welcome
you today. This may be the very first time that
you have seen this telecast. I want you to know
that the thing that we emphasize on getting to Know
your Bible is a word of God. The Bible is
(00:46):
the greatest book that has ever been written. Many years ago,
there were those that wrote books that thought they would
replace the Bible. That's what Thomas Paine thought when he
wrote The Age of Reason. But the Bible continues to
live after century. Jesus said, heaven and earth shall pass away,
but my Word shall not pass away. So on getting
(01:07):
to Know your Bible, we're teaching from the timeless Word
of God. The Bible is God's book, the greatest book
that has ever been written. And today we're going to
be opening up the pages of the Word of God
and delivering a message to you from God's book. Today
we're going to be seeing a one of our classics
(01:29):
that is a production of one of our telecasts from
time in the past, and we want you to stay tuned.
We're going to be offering a free Bible Correspondence course
today and we will see information on the screen as to.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
How you can receive that course.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
And so we want to pause at this.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Time to help you in your study of the Bible.
We want to send you this Bible Correspondence course. This
course is non denominational, it's based on the Bible, it's
conducted by mail, and it's free to receive this course.
Right to Getting to Know your Bible. Po Box three
one four, Summerdale, Alabama three six five eight zero or
(02:09):
call toll free one eight seven seven seven one one
five two one four.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
You remember a number of years ago a show on
television called Mission Impossible, and the characters on that show
would try to do things and it seemed almost impossible
to accomplish. And later I think there were some movies
by that title. Sometimes we feel like in life that
we are on a mission impossible. You know, there are
(02:44):
some things in life that we expect, and sometimes when
we expect those things, it's it's an impossible expectation. Today,
we want to talk about that. We want to talk
talk about expecting the impossible. I'm going to be reading
(03:05):
now from Matthew chapter seven, beginning of verse fifteen. Beware
of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them
by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes
(03:25):
or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears
good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A
good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad
tree bear good fruit. And every tree that does not
(03:47):
bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
And by their fruits you shall know them. Sometimes we
expect things to happen that are impossible. The end this reading,
(04:09):
Jesus is talking about fruit and trees. And notice that
Jesus said it is impossible to expect good fruit off
of a bad tree, and it's impossible to expect bad
fruit off of a good tree.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
And a good.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Tree only bears good fruit. A bad tree bears bad fruit.
That's just common sense, isn't it. And it would be
impossible to expect a good tree to bear bad fruit,
(04:55):
And it would be impossible to expect a bad tree
to bear good fruit. You say, well, how will you
know the difference, Well, it's by the fruit they bear
that you know whether or not they are a good
tree are a bad tree. Sometimes we expect things to
(05:19):
happen that it's impossible for those things to happen. And
we want to think about some two or three things
on our telecash today that are impossible under certain circumstances.
For example, it is impossible to expect knowledge without study.
(05:44):
It is impossible to expect to have knowledge without study.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Now we need knowledge.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
And when I speak of knowledge, I'm speaking of the
Word of God. A lack of it can be disastrous.
For example, it is said in the Book of Hosi
chapter four and verse six, my people are destroyed for
a lack of knowledge. So a lack of knowledge is disastrous.
(06:16):
A lack of knowledge can destroy. In Romans chapter ten,
Paul was speaking of those who had zeal, but they
had no knowledge. And so it is important that we
be zealous for God, but we need a working knowledge
(06:39):
of his word.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
The fact is it takes knowledge to save people.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
In One Timothy, chapter two and verse four, the Bible
says that God would have all men to be saved
and come to a knowledge of the truth. We need
to have a knowledge of it.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Now.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
To expect to have that knowledge of the truth without
study is to expect the impossible. No one has ever
been saved until they studied the Bible. And John six
and forty five Jesus said, they shall all.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Be taught of God.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Everyone Therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father,
cometh unto me.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
And so in order that we might grow.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
As Christians, we need to continue to study and expand
our knowledge of the Bible. We're to grow in grace
and knowledge Tewo Peter three eighteen. And so we're to
study the Bible that we might grow spiritually as new
born babes. We're to desire the sincere milk of the Word,
(07:54):
that we might grow by that word. Now, to expect
to grow without studying the Bible is to expect the impossible.
And to expect to come to a saving knowledge of
the truth without a study of the Word.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Of God is to expect the impossible.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
It is said that eighty eight percent of the households
in America on a Bible, thirty seven of the percent
of them read it at least once a week or more.
Thirty seven percent of the people who own a Bible
in America read it at least once a week or more.
(08:39):
There were two researchers, George Gallop and Jim Castilly, and
they said a quote, Americans revere the Bible, but by
and large they don't read it. That's alarming. They revere
(08:59):
the Bible. They may wave it around, you know, but
they don't read it. And because they don't read it,
they have become a nation of Biblical illiterates.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
That's a very serious charge.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
We have the Bible in our homes, we have bibles,
may be in your office, but are we reading the Bible.
According to research, sixty percent of Americans cannot name but
five of the ten commandments. Eighty two percent of those
(09:39):
that were surveyed believe that this is found in the Bible,
that this is a Bible verse. God helps those who
help themselves. But friends, that's just not in the Bible.
And twelve percent of adults believe that Joan of Art
was the wife of Noah. Now, and then there were
(10:03):
those who believe that the Sermon on the Mount was
preached by Billy Graham. And then there were some high
school seniors, a big percentage of high school seniors who
believe that Sodom and Gomorrow was husband and wife, and
maybe like Dan in Borsheba, and of course dan in
(10:26):
Bersheba were places and not husband and wife. And so
that illustrates that we just don't have the knowledge of
the Bible we need.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Do we believe it? Yes? Do we accept it? In America?
Speaker 2 (10:40):
By and large we accept the Bible in America in
spite of the fact some would like to do away
with it. But the vast majority of people say, I
believe the Bible. But to expect to have a knowledge
of it without studying the Bible is.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
To expect them possible.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
In Acts seventeen and eleven, we read about people who
who studied the scriptures. These were more noble than those
of Thessalonaika in that they received the Word with all
readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily. Whether those
things were sold. Now, three things I'd point out about
(11:23):
that passage. These people searched the scriptures. They searched the scriptures.
How long has it been since.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
You search the scriptures?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
You hear a preachers say something on television, or maybe
you hear your preacher say something in the poolpit where
you may attend a church, and you just accepted, or
do you search the scriptures? Do you search the scriptures? Secondly,
they searched the scriptures every day. They were reading the
(11:59):
Bible daily. Now the scriptures, of course, what was likely
the Old Testament scriptures that they had, because the New
Testaments in the process of being revealed. But they were
searching the scriptures they had. And third thing we observe
is the reason they were searching the scriptures every day,
(12:20):
and that was to see if those things they were
being taught were true. You see, we need to put
Bible teaching to the acid test. And the acid test
it is the Bible. Does it pass the Bible test?
For example, a man may tell you that all you
(12:41):
have to do in order to be saved is just
call on the name of the Lord. Just call on
the name of the Lord. Well, does that pass the
Bible test?
Speaker 3 (12:54):
You know?
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Jesus said, not everyone that says Lord Lord will enter
the Kingdom of Heaven. But the person and that will
enter the kingdom. According to Jesus in Matthew seven twenty one,
are those that do his will.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
So it's not enough.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
So a person who would say that all you have
to do call on the name of the Lord, or
you put your hand on the television screen and you
put it on my hand and I'm going to pray,
and you just to accept.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
The Lord in your heart. Does that pass the Bible test?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Well, you know, the only way you'll ever know whether
or not that passes the Bible test is to search
the scriptures to study it for yourself. And of course,
when you do, you may learn that there are things
that are taught in the New Testament that would contradict
(13:44):
that idea that men have about salvation. So it's impossible
to expect to have a knowledge of the Bible without
your studying it. And then it is impossible to be
in the family of God without being born again.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
And God has a family, doesn't he?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
And one Timothy three point fifteen, Paul said, but if
I tear along that you may know how that you
ought to behave yourself in the house of God, which
is the Church of the Living God. God has a house,
a household, a family, and that family is also called
the church.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
And God's family.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Is composed of those who have been born into that family.
And God is the father of that family. When we
address him as his children, we say, our Father, who
art in heaven, how it be your name? God is
our father. And the Father's family is destined for glorious things.
(15:02):
It's destined to glory. In First Thessalonians four, beginning in
the thirteenth verse, Paul wrote, I would not have you
to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are sleep, that
you sorrow, not even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
(15:22):
even so also of them which sleep in Jesus, will God.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Bring with him.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
And then Paul is talking about when Jesus Christ comes back.
He said, the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with
a ship and with the verse of the archangel and
the trumpet of God.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
And the dead in.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Christ shall rise first. And then we which are alive
and remain under the coming of the Lord, shall not
prevent or precede those who are asleep. But then we're
being caught up together with them in the air to
meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we
ever be.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
With the Lord.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
And in verse eighteen says comfort one another with these words.
You see, we're destined to glory. Jesus said, I prepare
a place for you. If I prepare a place for you,
I will come again and receive you unto myself. So
God does have a family, and God is the father
(16:20):
of that family. And what a marvelous blessing it is
to know that you're in God's family. Listen to first John,
chapter three and verse number one. Oh, what manner of
love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should
be called the children of God. What a privilege, what
(16:43):
a blessing to know that you're in the family of
God and that we are God's children.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
I don't know of a thing that's any greater than that,
do you.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
You might be the President of the United States, you
might be a US senator, you might be a multi billionaire,
but that's nothing. That's nothing compared to being a child
of God. And when you are a child of God,
you have become a recipient of blessings that only God
(17:20):
can give. Listen to Paul in the first chapter of
Ephesians and in the third verse, blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. In Christ.
(17:41):
You see, if you're in the family of God, you
have become a recipient of all of those blessings that
are in heavenly places. And according to Hebrews chapter four,
in verse sixteen, you can approach the throne of God
in boldness, and you can ask for help in time
(18:03):
of need. See, we are so blessed when you are
in the family of God. And not only that, according
to Paul in Romans eighth chapter, beginning in verse fourteen
and down about verse seventeen, that when you are in
God's family, you have now become an air of God.
(18:26):
That is your subject to receive an inheritance from your father,
and that inheritance is an eternal inheritance. I suppose that
many of us would get excited if we learned that
we were the heir of some person who died that
was a wealthy person. There's a program on television called
(18:50):
Strange Inheritance, and they talk about things that people have inherited,
and most of the things that people have inherited that
they talk about at least.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Things of great value. Well, you could.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Inherit everything there is in this world from some wealthy individual,
all the wealthy people of the world.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
But that's nothing.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
That's just a drop in the bucket compared to the
inheritance that God is going to have for all of us,
that we will inherit ever lasting life. Oh, what a
blessing it is to know that you are in the
family of God. Now, the question remaining is this if
(19:32):
all of that being the case, that is that God
has a family, and that God's family is destined to
great things and the glorious things, and that if you're
in that family, you have all of these blessings and
favors and benefits, one being that you're subject to receive
an eternal inheritance. The question we want to raise right
(19:55):
now is this, how one get into God's family? How
do you get into the family of God. Well, someone says, well,
I think, brother Lambada, all you have to do is
just you accept Jesus in your heart. You shall let
(20:16):
him come into your heart, ask him to come into
your heart. Someone says, I think all you have to
do is you go down to some service somewhere and
you go down to the front and you kneel down
and you pray, and you pray and pray until you
feel like you've gotten through and the Lord.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Has come into your heart.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Or someone else may say, well, brother Lamba, there's not
anything you can do. Either one of God's elect or
non elect, either saved or you're not saved, not anything
you can do about it.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Well, that just none of those ideas.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Square what the Bible says. How do we become a
member of God's family? And the answer simply is you
must be born again, And that's found in the third
chapter of John's Gospel, in verse number three, you must
(21:17):
be born again. Now, in the early part of that chapter,
there was a man by the name of Nicodemus. He
came to Jesus by night, and Nicodemus said, Rabbi, which
means teacher, we know you're a man come from God,
because no man can do the miracles that you are
doing unless God is with him.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
And then Jesus just overlooked that.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
You know, a lot of of us who are preachers
might be a little puffed up by having someone say
that to us, you know, but Jesus was not that
way at all. Jesus knew what Nicodemus needed. You see,
back in John chapter two, in the last couple of
passages of that chapter. Jesus didn't need for someone to
(22:09):
tell him what was in a man, because he already
knew what was in a man. Jesus knew Nicodemus needed
the father, and he needed to be in God's family.
He needed to be born again. He knew that, and
so Jesus responded when Nicodemus told him, your teacher come
(22:31):
from God, Jesus said it verily, verily, which simply means truly, truly,
I say unto you. Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Now what does
it mean to see the Kingdom of God? Well, that's
not talking about a visual site, a literal seeing. He's
(22:54):
talking about enjoying the pleasures, the benefits, and the real
war lords of knowing that you are in the Kingdom
of God, that you have been born again. So, but
in order to see the kingdom, Jesus said, you must
be born again. And then Nicodemus asked, how can a
(23:16):
man be born when he is old? Can he enter
the second time into his mother's womb and be born again?
Is that what you're talking about? You see, Jesus had
in mind a spiritual birth. Jesus did not have in
mind a fleshly birth. But Nicodemus is thinking on a
(23:39):
fleshly level. And so he asked, do you have to
be go back into your mother's womb and be born again?
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Now? How will you answer that?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
In John chapter three and verse number five, listen to
how Jesus answered the question of how a person is
born again? Remember down in verse seven, Jesus said, you must.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Be born again.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
He didn't say this is a good suggestion. It's imperative
that you be born again. Verily, verily, I said to you.
Except a man be born of water and of the spirit,
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Someone says, well,
(24:22):
what does water mean in John three and five? Well,
in John three and five, water means the same thing
that it does in Acts, Chapter ten, verses forty seven
and forty eight. And there Peter said, can any man
forbid water? That these should not be baptized, which have
(24:46):
received the Holy Spirit as well as we, And he
commanded them to be baptized. Well, in what were they baptized?
They were baptizing water, because he said, can you forbid water?
That they should not be baptized, and then he can
baptize them. So he's talking about a water baptism. And
(25:06):
in John three and five, that's exactly what Jesus is
talking about, to be born of water and of the spirit.
It takes water for a person to be baptized. In
one Peter three twenty one the like figure whereunto even
baptism doth allsoul.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
Now save us.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Not the putting away of the fifth of the flesh,
but the answer of a good conscience toward God by
the resurrection.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
And so a person who is born again is born
of water and of the spirit. Some says, what does
that mean, Well, the Holy Spirit is the one who
has revealed the Gospel plan of salvation in John sixteen
and verse thirteen high bit. When he the Spirit of truth,
is come, he shall guide you in all truth. And
he shall not speak of himself. Whatsoever he hereth, that
(25:59):
shall he speak. I've often believed, long believe that the
Bible is the best commentary on itself, and I believe
that there's some passages in the New Testament that are
a divine commentary on John three to five. That is,
they tell us what it means. For example, in Galatians
(26:22):
chapter three, verses twenty six and twenty seven, is such
a commentary. For you're all the children of God? How
by faith? Where in Christ Jesus? Children of God? By
faith in Christ Jesus? But then how does one get
(26:46):
into Christ Jesus. Paul in Galatians three twenty seven said,
for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ,
did put on Christ? Jesus said like this, he that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Friends, to expect
(27:07):
to be in God's family without obeying the gospel by
believing on Christ, repenting of your sins, confessing faith in Christ,
by being baptized into Christ is just to expect the impossible.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
I encourage you to do it today. Obey Christ. Today.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I'd like to give you a personal invitation to visit
the Church of Christ in your community. If you're not
certain where it's located, call us. We'll help you find it.
I want to thank you.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
For watching today.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Please call for the Bible Correspondence course, and until we
meet again, May the Lord bless you and keep you
is my prayer.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Getting to know your Bible has been presented by Churches
of Christ, if you have a question about the church,
or if you would like the location of a Church
of Christ near you, or to receive the free Bible
course right too Getting to Know your Bible he obox
one four Summerdale, Alabama three six five eight zero or
call one eight seven seven seven one one five two.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
One four
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Join us next time forgetting to Know your Bible.
This is Getting to Know Your Bible, a program dedicated
to the proclaiming of the good News of Jesus Christ.
Here's Billy Lambert.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hello, I'm Billy Lambert. I am the regular speaker on
Getting to Know Your Bible, and I want to welcome
you today. This may be the very first time that
you have seen this telecast. I want you to know
that the thing that we emphasize on getting to Know
your Bible is a word of God. The Bible is
(00:46):
the greatest book that has ever been written. Many years ago,
there were those that wrote books that thought they would
replace the Bible. That's what Thomas Paine thought when he
wrote The Age of Reason. But the Bible continues to
live after century. Jesus said, heaven and earth shall pass away,
but my Word shall not pass away. So on getting
(01:07):
to Know your Bible, we're teaching from the timeless Word
of God. The Bible is God's book, the greatest book
that has ever been written. And today we're going to
be opening up the pages of the Word of God
and delivering a message to you from God's book. Today
we're going to be seeing a one of our classics
(01:29):
that is a production of one of our telecasts from
time in the past, and we want you to stay tuned.
We're going to be offering a free Bible Correspondence course
today and we will see information on the screen as to.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
How you can receive that course.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
And so we want to pause at this.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Time to help you in your study of the Bible.
We want to send you this Bible Correspondence course. This
course is non denominational, it's based on the Bible, it's
conducted by mail, and it's free to receive this course.
Right to Getting to Know your Bible. Po Box three
one four, Summerdale, Alabama three six five eight zero or
(02:09):
call toll free one eight seven seven seven one one
five two one four.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
You remember a number of years ago a show on
television called Mission Impossible, and the characters on that show
would try to do things and it seemed almost impossible
to accomplish. And later I think there were some movies
by that title. Sometimes we feel like in life that
we are on a mission impossible. You know, there are
(02:44):
some things in life that we expect, and sometimes when
we expect those things, it's it's an impossible expectation. Today,
we want to talk about that. We want to talk
talk about expecting the impossible. I'm going to be reading
(03:05):
now from Matthew chapter seven, beginning of verse fifteen. Beware
of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them
by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes
(03:25):
or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears
good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A
good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad
tree bear good fruit. And every tree that does not
(03:47):
bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
And by their fruits you shall know them. Sometimes we
expect things to happen that are impossible. The end this reading,
(04:09):
Jesus is talking about fruit and trees. And notice that
Jesus said it is impossible to expect good fruit off
of a bad tree, and it's impossible to expect bad
fruit off of a good tree.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
And a good.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Tree only bears good fruit. A bad tree bears bad fruit.
That's just common sense, isn't it. And it would be
impossible to expect a good tree to bear bad fruit,
(04:55):
And it would be impossible to expect a bad tree
to bear good fruit. You say, well, how will you
know the difference, Well, it's by the fruit they bear
that you know whether or not they are a good
tree are a bad tree. Sometimes we expect things to
(05:19):
happen that it's impossible for those things to happen. And
we want to think about some two or three things
on our telecash today that are impossible under certain circumstances.
For example, it is impossible to expect knowledge without study.
(05:44):
It is impossible to expect to have knowledge without study.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Now we need knowledge.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
And when I speak of knowledge, I'm speaking of the
Word of God. A lack of it can be disastrous.
For example, it is said in the Book of Hosi
chapter four and verse six, my people are destroyed for
a lack of knowledge. So a lack of knowledge is disastrous.
(06:16):
A lack of knowledge can destroy. In Romans chapter ten,
Paul was speaking of those who had zeal, but they
had no knowledge. And so it is important that we
be zealous for God, but we need a working knowledge
(06:39):
of his word.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
The fact is it takes knowledge to save people.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
In One Timothy, chapter two and verse four, the Bible
says that God would have all men to be saved
and come to a knowledge of the truth. We need
to have a knowledge of it.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Now.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
To expect to have that knowledge of the truth without
study is to expect the impossible. No one has ever
been saved until they studied the Bible. And John six
and forty five Jesus said, they shall all.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Be taught of God.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Everyone Therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father,
cometh unto me.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
And so in order that we might grow.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
As Christians, we need to continue to study and expand
our knowledge of the Bible. We're to grow in grace
and knowledge Tewo Peter three eighteen. And so we're to
study the Bible that we might grow spiritually as new
born babes. We're to desire the sincere milk of the Word,
(07:54):
that we might grow by that word. Now, to expect
to grow without studying the Bible is to expect the impossible.
And to expect to come to a saving knowledge of
the truth without a study of the Word.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Of God is to expect the impossible.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
It is said that eighty eight percent of the households
in America on a Bible, thirty seven of the percent
of them read it at least once a week or more.
Thirty seven percent of the people who own a Bible
in America read it at least once a week or more.
(08:39):
There were two researchers, George Gallop and Jim Castilly, and
they said a quote, Americans revere the Bible, but by
and large they don't read it. That's alarming. They revere
(08:59):
the Bible. They may wave it around, you know, but
they don't read it. And because they don't read it,
they have become a nation of Biblical illiterates.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
That's a very serious charge.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
We have the Bible in our homes, we have bibles,
may be in your office, but are we reading the Bible.
According to research, sixty percent of Americans cannot name but
five of the ten commandments. Eighty two percent of those
(09:39):
that were surveyed believe that this is found in the Bible,
that this is a Bible verse. God helps those who
help themselves. But friends, that's just not in the Bible.
And twelve percent of adults believe that Joan of Art
was the wife of Noah. Now, and then there were
(10:03):
those who believe that the Sermon on the Mount was
preached by Billy Graham. And then there were some high
school seniors, a big percentage of high school seniors who
believe that Sodom and Gomorrow was husband and wife, and
maybe like Dan in Borsheba, and of course dan in
(10:26):
Bersheba were places and not husband and wife. And so
that illustrates that we just don't have the knowledge of
the Bible we need.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Do we believe it? Yes? Do we accept it? In America?
Speaker 2 (10:40):
By and large we accept the Bible in America in
spite of the fact some would like to do away
with it. But the vast majority of people say, I
believe the Bible. But to expect to have a knowledge
of it without studying the Bible is.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
To expect them possible.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
In Acts seventeen and eleven, we read about people who
who studied the scriptures. These were more noble than those
of Thessalonaika in that they received the Word with all
readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily. Whether those
things were sold. Now, three things I'd point out about
(11:23):
that passage. These people searched the scriptures. They searched the scriptures.
How long has it been since.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
You search the scriptures?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
You hear a preachers say something on television, or maybe
you hear your preacher say something in the poolpit where
you may attend a church, and you just accepted, or
do you search the scriptures? Do you search the scriptures? Secondly,
they searched the scriptures every day. They were reading the
(11:59):
Bible daily. Now the scriptures, of course, what was likely
the Old Testament scriptures that they had, because the New
Testaments in the process of being revealed. But they were
searching the scriptures they had. And third thing we observe
is the reason they were searching the scriptures every day,
(12:20):
and that was to see if those things they were
being taught were true. You see, we need to put
Bible teaching to the acid test. And the acid test
it is the Bible. Does it pass the Bible test?
For example, a man may tell you that all you
(12:41):
have to do in order to be saved is just
call on the name of the Lord. Just call on
the name of the Lord. Well, does that pass the
Bible test?
Speaker 3 (12:54):
You know?
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Jesus said, not everyone that says Lord Lord will enter
the Kingdom of Heaven. But the person and that will
enter the kingdom. According to Jesus in Matthew seven twenty one,
are those that do his will.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
So it's not enough.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
So a person who would say that all you have
to do call on the name of the Lord, or
you put your hand on the television screen and you
put it on my hand and I'm going to pray,
and you just to accept.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
The Lord in your heart. Does that pass the Bible test?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Well, you know, the only way you'll ever know whether
or not that passes the Bible test is to search
the scriptures to study it for yourself. And of course,
when you do, you may learn that there are things
that are taught in the New Testament that would contradict
(13:44):
that idea that men have about salvation. So it's impossible
to expect to have a knowledge of the Bible without
your studying it. And then it is impossible to be
in the family of God without being born again.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
And God has a family, doesn't he?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
And one Timothy three point fifteen, Paul said, but if
I tear along that you may know how that you
ought to behave yourself in the house of God, which
is the Church of the Living God. God has a house,
a household, a family, and that family is also called
the church.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
And God's family.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Is composed of those who have been born into that family.
And God is the father of that family. When we
address him as his children, we say, our Father, who
art in heaven, how it be your name? God is
our father. And the Father's family is destined for glorious things.
(15:02):
It's destined to glory. In First Thessalonians four, beginning in
the thirteenth verse, Paul wrote, I would not have you
to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are sleep, that
you sorrow, not even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
(15:22):
even so also of them which sleep in Jesus, will God.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Bring with him.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
And then Paul is talking about when Jesus Christ comes back.
He said, the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with
a ship and with the verse of the archangel and
the trumpet of God.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
And the dead in.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Christ shall rise first. And then we which are alive
and remain under the coming of the Lord, shall not
prevent or precede those who are asleep. But then we're
being caught up together with them in the air to
meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we
ever be.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
With the Lord.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
And in verse eighteen says comfort one another with these words.
You see, we're destined to glory. Jesus said, I prepare
a place for you. If I prepare a place for you,
I will come again and receive you unto myself. So
God does have a family, and God is the father
(16:20):
of that family. And what a marvelous blessing it is
to know that you're in God's family. Listen to first John,
chapter three and verse number one. Oh, what manner of
love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should
be called the children of God. What a privilege, what
(16:43):
a blessing to know that you're in the family of
God and that we are God's children.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
I don't know of a thing that's any greater than that,
do you.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
You might be the President of the United States, you
might be a US senator, you might be a multi billionaire,
but that's nothing. That's nothing compared to being a child
of God. And when you are a child of God,
you have become a recipient of blessings that only God
(17:20):
can give. Listen to Paul in the first chapter of
Ephesians and in the third verse, blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. In Christ.
(17:41):
You see, if you're in the family of God, you
have become a recipient of all of those blessings that
are in heavenly places. And according to Hebrews chapter four,
in verse sixteen, you can approach the throne of God
in boldness, and you can ask for help in time
(18:03):
of need. See, we are so blessed when you are
in the family of God. And not only that, according
to Paul in Romans eighth chapter, beginning in verse fourteen
and down about verse seventeen, that when you are in
God's family, you have now become an air of God.
(18:26):
That is your subject to receive an inheritance from your father,
and that inheritance is an eternal inheritance. I suppose that
many of us would get excited if we learned that
we were the heir of some person who died that
was a wealthy person. There's a program on television called
(18:50):
Strange Inheritance, and they talk about things that people have inherited,
and most of the things that people have inherited that
they talk about at least.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Things of great value. Well, you could.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Inherit everything there is in this world from some wealthy individual,
all the wealthy people of the world.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
But that's nothing.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
That's just a drop in the bucket compared to the
inheritance that God is going to have for all of us,
that we will inherit ever lasting life. Oh, what a
blessing it is to know that you are in the
family of God. Now, the question remaining is this if
(19:32):
all of that being the case, that is that God
has a family, and that God's family is destined to
great things and the glorious things, and that if you're
in that family, you have all of these blessings and
favors and benefits, one being that you're subject to receive
an eternal inheritance. The question we want to raise right
(19:55):
now is this, how one get into God's family? How
do you get into the family of God. Well, someone says, well,
I think, brother Lambada, all you have to do is
just you accept Jesus in your heart. You shall let
(20:16):
him come into your heart, ask him to come into
your heart. Someone says, I think all you have to
do is you go down to some service somewhere and
you go down to the front and you kneel down
and you pray, and you pray and pray until you
feel like you've gotten through and the Lord.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Has come into your heart.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Or someone else may say, well, brother Lamba, there's not
anything you can do. Either one of God's elect or
non elect, either saved or you're not saved, not anything
you can do about it.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Well, that just none of those ideas.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Square what the Bible says. How do we become a
member of God's family? And the answer simply is you
must be born again, And that's found in the third
chapter of John's Gospel, in verse number three, you must
(21:17):
be born again. Now, in the early part of that chapter,
there was a man by the name of Nicodemus. He
came to Jesus by night, and Nicodemus said, Rabbi, which
means teacher, we know you're a man come from God,
because no man can do the miracles that you are
doing unless God is with him.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
And then Jesus just overlooked that.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
You know, a lot of of us who are preachers
might be a little puffed up by having someone say
that to us, you know, but Jesus was not that
way at all. Jesus knew what Nicodemus needed. You see,
back in John chapter two, in the last couple of
passages of that chapter. Jesus didn't need for someone to
(22:09):
tell him what was in a man, because he already
knew what was in a man. Jesus knew Nicodemus needed
the father, and he needed to be in God's family.
He needed to be born again. He knew that, and
so Jesus responded when Nicodemus told him, your teacher come
(22:31):
from God, Jesus said it verily, verily, which simply means truly, truly,
I say unto you. Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Now what does
it mean to see the Kingdom of God? Well, that's
not talking about a visual site, a literal seeing. He's
(22:54):
talking about enjoying the pleasures, the benefits, and the real
war lords of knowing that you are in the Kingdom
of God, that you have been born again. So, but
in order to see the kingdom, Jesus said, you must
be born again. And then Nicodemus asked, how can a
(23:16):
man be born when he is old? Can he enter
the second time into his mother's womb and be born again?
Is that what you're talking about? You see, Jesus had
in mind a spiritual birth. Jesus did not have in
mind a fleshly birth. But Nicodemus is thinking on a
(23:39):
fleshly level. And so he asked, do you have to
be go back into your mother's womb and be born again?
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Now? How will you answer that?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
In John chapter three and verse number five, listen to
how Jesus answered the question of how a person is
born again? Remember down in verse seven, Jesus said, you must.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Be born again.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
He didn't say this is a good suggestion. It's imperative
that you be born again. Verily, verily, I said to you.
Except a man be born of water and of the spirit,
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Someone says, well,
(24:22):
what does water mean in John three and five? Well,
in John three and five, water means the same thing
that it does in Acts, Chapter ten, verses forty seven
and forty eight. And there Peter said, can any man
forbid water? That these should not be baptized, which have
(24:46):
received the Holy Spirit as well as we, And he
commanded them to be baptized. Well, in what were they baptized?
They were baptizing water, because he said, can you forbid water?
That they should not be baptized, and then he can
baptize them. So he's talking about a water baptism. And
(25:06):
in John three and five, that's exactly what Jesus is
talking about, to be born of water and of the spirit.
It takes water for a person to be baptized. In
one Peter three twenty one the like figure whereunto even
baptism doth allsoul.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
Now save us.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Not the putting away of the fifth of the flesh,
but the answer of a good conscience toward God by
the resurrection.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
And so a person who is born again is born
of water and of the spirit. Some says, what does
that mean, Well, the Holy Spirit is the one who
has revealed the Gospel plan of salvation in John sixteen
and verse thirteen high bit. When he the Spirit of truth,
is come, he shall guide you in all truth. And
he shall not speak of himself. Whatsoever he hereth, that
(25:59):
shall he speak. I've often believed, long believe that the
Bible is the best commentary on itself, and I believe
that there's some passages in the New Testament that are
a divine commentary on John three to five. That is,
they tell us what it means. For example, in Galatians
(26:22):
chapter three, verses twenty six and twenty seven, is such
a commentary. For you're all the children of God? How
by faith? Where in Christ Jesus? Children of God? By
faith in Christ Jesus? But then how does one get
(26:46):
into Christ Jesus. Paul in Galatians three twenty seven said,
for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ,
did put on Christ? Jesus said like this, he that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Friends, to expect
(27:07):
to be in God's family without obeying the gospel by
believing on Christ, repenting of your sins, confessing faith in Christ,
by being baptized into Christ is just to expect the impossible.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
I encourage you to do it today. Obey Christ. Today.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I'd like to give you a personal invitation to visit
the Church of Christ in your community. If you're not
certain where it's located, call us. We'll help you find it.
I want to thank you.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
For watching today.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Please call for the Bible Correspondence course, and until we
meet again, May the Lord bless you and keep you
is my prayer.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Getting to know your Bible has been presented by Churches
of Christ, if you have a question about the church,
or if you would like the location of a Church
of Christ near you, or to receive the free Bible
course right too Getting to Know your Bible he obox
one four Summerdale, Alabama three six five eight zero or
call one eight seven seven seven one one five two.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
One four
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Join us next time forgetting to Know your Bible.
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