Life: If It Only Came With Instructions

Morning Worship Service - 1/15/06

“Where Do We Start and Why?”

I. Review

- Alright folks, as we get back into our new series together this morning, I want to begin by having you get involved by answering some very basic questions. So, please feel free and answer these questions right out loud, and the more the merrier.

            þ Do we live in a fast paced world, yes or no?

            þ Is it difficult to sometimes know how to slow our lives down or keep up with things    so that we don’t become overwhelmed and defeated, yes or no?

            þ Are there times in our lives where we just need some instructions in order to know     how to live them for Christ in such a world as the this one, yes or no?

            þ Do we have an instructional manual for life, yes or no?

            þ What is it?   >>> THE BIBLE

- Folks, two weeks ago we began this series entitled “Life: If It Only Came With Instructions” and in our first week together our goal was pretty simple and that was to just introduce us to the instructional manual that each and every person has for their lives.

( You see, whether we realize it or not, or believe in it or not, we all have an instructional manual for our lives - an instructional manual designed to slow our lives down and guide us and lead us in the very best direction possible for our lives.

( And in this series we said that we are going to make no apologies for the fact that we are going to boldly state that life’s instructional book is the BIBLE - THE WORD OF GOD!!

#Found within the pages of this book are all the instructions that we need in order to gain a clear purpose for living and to guarantee the correct handling of all of life’s issues.

# And from our study two weeks ago we learned that without a doubt, these are the best instructions that you and I can have for life - better than any world renown counselor, better even than Dr. Phill, better than any best selling self help book in Barnes and Noble.

- Within this book are the best instructions available for life, and the reason that I can stand here and say that with such confidence this morning is because of the great authority that this book is founded upon, along with the great evidence or facts that come with the authority.

( The last time we were together we learned that the “Authority” that this book is founded upon is GOD HIMSELF.

                        T We are told that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God”.

                        T Which means that God was in control of the writing of this book.

                        T GOD IS THE AUTHOR

( In addition to learning about this authority, we also considered some facts or evidence to build on this authority. And we did that by looking at a short biographical sketch of the author of this book. We found that sketch over in Deuteronomy 32

                        (READ Deuteronomy 32:3-4)

T Folks, this morning we simply don’t have the time to rehearse each of the words used here to describe God, but let me assure you that each word is very special, and based on these words describing God, we know that the instructions of God are

                                    # TOTALLY RELIABLE,

                                    # COMPLETELY IN ACCORD WITH FACT AND TRUTH,

                                    # THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY,

                                    # TOTALLY DEPENDABLE,

                                    # IN COMPLETE CONFORMITY TO THAT WHICH IS RIGHT,

                                    # UNABLE TO LEAD US AWAY FROM THAT WHICH IS RIGHT.

- You see folks, this book truly is the most authoritative and therefore the best instructional book that we can have for life. It even tells us that it’s sole mission for existence is to be lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

- So you see folks, before we can consider any of the instructions found within this book, we first have to be convinced of its authority and therefore give it the highest place of authority in our lives. Only then can it be truly effective in our lives.

II. Introduction

- Now while we have taken the time to present the evidence as to what makes this book so authoritative and so beneficial for our lives, there’s just one problem that some people have with this instructional manual.

- If you have a copy of this instructional manual in your hands this morning, I want you to do me a favor. I want you to take it and turn to the very last page of the last book - the book of Revelation.

         ( Once you get there, someone tell me the page number you find on that particular page             (if your copy has page numbers).

            (Ask several people by name to tell me what their page number is)

            ( The copy of the instructional manual that I have this morning has page # 1,190

- You see folks, the problem that some people can have with this instructional manual is that they sometimes can just look at it and easily become overwhelmed with its size, content, and amount of information.

- Over 1,000 pages of instructions is a lot and can definitely be overwhelming to the point that you don’t even know where to begin.

( If you flip through the pages and just glance at certain sections you will quickly notice that not everything in this book is written in the exact same way. There are different styles from narratives, to poetry, to proverbs, to prophecy.

( You will also notice that some sections of this book are more easily understandable than others.

( So, just knowing where to begin can be tricky, and therefore a legitimate concern.

- Well, for this particular study we are going to try and help alleviate that concern and give you a focus, or a place to begin, by focusing our attention on one particular section of this instructional manual.

- And to give you an idea as to where we will be focusing our attention, I would encourage you to turn over to Matthew chapter 17.

II. The Instructional Manual

A. Where to Begin

(READ Matthew 17:1-5)

- What we have here is really one of the most amazing accounts recorded for us in all of the Bible. Bible scholars have come to entitle this scene and place as, “The Mount of Transfiguration.”

- Now within the first four verses we have several significant things taking place, which eventually we will get to, but for right now, I want to jump ahead and focus our attention on verse 5.

- And in that verse, we are told that God, the author of this instructional manual, gives us the instruction to hear or listen to His Son, Jesus Christ

(READ Matthew 17:5)

- Folks, if God, who we know to be totally reliable and dependable, and unable to lead us away from that which is right, instructs us to listen and hear what His Son, Jesus Christ has to say.

- Therefore, based on God’s authority, reliability and dependability  that we have considered, I would say that it would be a good idea for us to do it.

( Now, before we just plow ahead here this morning, let me first explain something about God’s instruction to listen to or hear Christ.

( The term hear or listen means more than just listening to and hearing what someone has to say. Based on the context that this bit of instruction is found, and who is giving it, to listen to and hear Christ means to not only hear what Christ has to say, but also believe what he says to be true, and then finally follow what it is that he actually says.

(Illustration: When my father gave me some instruction on what he wanted me to do, and if I did not follow through and complete the instruction he would often ask me if I heard what it is that he asked me to do. My lack of action proved to my father that I really didn’t listen to him.)

( God wants us to hear Christ, which means we not just listen to him, but we also believe Christ, and follow Christ’s instructions.

- Now, if you are sitting here this morning, and you are still thinking to yourself that you  have an option as to whether or not listening to Christ is really the best thing for your life, and therefore whether or not you have an option to follow God’s instructions, let me take you back to a passage in the book of Deuteronomy.

(READ Deuteronomy 18:17-19)

Ø First of all, as you read this passage let me point out that when you see the term LORD (all capitalized) it is referring to the proper name for the God of Israel - that name being Yahweh.

( I bring that up because I want you to know who is speaking here - IT’S GOD, the same person speaking in Matthew 17.

Ù The second thing I want to point out about this passage is who it is that God is talking about.

( God is talking about raising up a prophet like Moses. This phrase used in verse 18 is really a prophecy concerning the coming of Christ.

( And the reason we know that this phrase is referring to Christ is because of the singular pronoun being used, which emphasizes the ultimate prophet, Jesus Christ

Ú The third thing I want to point our about this passage is what God says he is going to do with this prophet.

            (READ Deuteronomy 18:18)

( Folks, if you were a prophet living during the times that this passage was written, you had a great job. Your job was to relay messages from God to the people God intended the message to be delivered to.

( And here we are told that God was going to send his messages to all of mankind through Christ.

( Christ was going to be given God’s full instructions, which makes him the ultimate prophet.

Û The final thing I want to point out about this passage, and the reason that I brought you here to begin with, is the warning given to us here by God.

            (READ Deuteronomy 18:19)

( God clearly warns us that whoever does not hear, believe and follow Christ and his instructions, God will require that of them.

( Now the term require is being used here in the legal sense of this Hebrew word, which basically means to seek divine judgement.

( So folks, before we think that we have an option as to whether or not listening to Christ is really the best option for our lives, know that if we don’t listen to him, God warns us that we will be held accountable to him for that and he will judge us accordingly.

( And if you want to know what that judgement may entail, turn over with me to John 3

                        (READ John 3:31-36)

( Folks, not listening to Christ, which means hearing, believing, and consistently living out his instructions, brings about the wrath of God in our lives.

( And from what we can understand about the wrath of God, we know that it is not just a momentary, emotional, and often out of control kind of anger, but instead it is a settled, determined, controlled indignation.

( Now I am not sure about you, but I would rather not have the wrath of God in my life - which is the outcome of not hearing, believing and consistently living out the instructions of Christ.

- So YES, this book is rather large and can be overwhelming to us at times. However, based on God’s instructions to us we are going to be narrowing the focus of our study of this instructional manual down to the teachings and instructions of Christ.

( And basically all of these teachings and instructions can be found within the first four books of the New Testament.

( So, in light of this being our focus, let me give you a little bit of advice if you are sitting here this morning and for your own personal reading of this book you are not sure where to begin, especially as we begin a new year - why not start with the same four books we are going to be considering together on Sunday mornings.

B. Reasons to Focus On Christ’s Teachings and Instructions

Reason #1

- Now throughout our morning, I have not only been trying to focus our attention on one section of this instructional manual, but along with that I have been trying to give us a reason why this one section should be our focus.

- You see, not only does God, the author of this book and the one who cannot lead us away from truth, instruct us to listen to His Son; but because He gave us this instruction, He also gave us a warning along with it. Therefore, we have more than enough reason to make Christ’s teachings and instructions found in the first four books of the New Testament section of this instructional manual, the primary focus of our attention.

- God tells us to hear His Son, therefore we should do it.

- Next week, I would like for us to consider two other reasons to make Christ’s teachings and instructions a primary focus in our lives and study.

II. Conclusion

- And in saying that, let me just please ask you to hang in there with me for another week.

( This study has been described as a study that will help us gain instruction for life that will help us handle some of life’s tough issues, and yet to this point we have yet to consider any instructions and any life issues.

( However, before we just jumped right into the instructions, I just firmly believed that we needed to take some time and lay some ground work.

T Ground work that presented the truths as to why this is such an authoritative and beneficial instructional book

T And ground word that presented the truths as to why Christ’s instructions are so very important to focus in on.

- Without this ground word, we really have no basis to listen to, believe, or follow through with anything that this book tells us to do. This book will be no different than any other book, so why should we listen to this one.

- The other thing that could happen without having this groundwork laid out for us is the fact that as we  focus in on some of Christ’s teachings and instructions, we are going to come across some things that might step on our toes a little - He might instruct us to do something that may not be the easiest of things for us to follow through on.

( And it is during those instructions, that if we aren’t truly convinced that this book is the ultimate authority in our lives, and Christ’s teachings are commanded by God to listen to and obey, than we will be very tempted to set certain instructions off to the side.

( As a result, we turn God’s instructional book into a buffet line where we pick from the stuff that we like, but don’t even come close to trying or even touching the things that we don’t like.

þ So folks, as we begin to wrap up the introduction of this series, let me ask you how convinced you are that this book and specifically Christ’s teachings needs to be an ultimate authority in your life?

            ( God commands and warns us that it should be that

            ( And since Christ himself is deity, it also stands on its own authority

- If you aren’t convinced that this book and Christ’s teachings are the ultimate authority, than let me encourage you to take care of that soon before we start looking at his different teachings and instructions for our lives.