The Bible Message …

1. The Bible Message … … in 30 minutes All quotations from the English Standard Version

2. The Bible Message • Foundations Bible; God; Spirit • The focus Jesus Christ • You and me Sin, evil • Our destiny Oblivion, immortality • The plan Great and precious promises • Our world Israel, the Kingdom • Our response The way to the Kingdom

3. Foundations - The Bible • The revelation of God’s purpose • Given through chosen men • By His Spirit • Infallible • Authoritative

4. Foundations - The Bible • “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Heb 1:1-2) • “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2Ti 3:16-17)

5. Foundations - God • Creator and sustainer of all things • Unapproachable glory • All powerful and all wise • A God of • Love • Mercy • Holiness • Righteousness • Truth • A unity

6. Foundations - God • “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Ge 1:1) • “… the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1Ti 6:15­16) • “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” (1Ti 2:5)

7. Foundations - The Holy Spirit • Spirit - the power of God • Sustaining • Everywhere • Revealing and fulfilling his will • Holy Spirit • The Spirit when used for any special purpose • Prophecy • The conception of Jesus

8. Foundations - The Holy Spirit • “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Ge 1:2) • “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” (Ps 139:7-8) • “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4)

9. Foundations - The Holy Spirit • “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2Pe1:21) • “And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy - the Son of God.”” (Lu1:35) • “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Ac2:2-4) • “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,” (1Co6:19)

10. The Focus - Jesus Christ • The only begotten Son of God • Born of Mary • Shared our human nature • Sinless • The perfect sacrifice • Resurrected • High Priest and Mediator • Destined to return

11. The Focus - Jesus Christ • “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Mt 1:20-21) • “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,” (Ga 4:4) • “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Joh 3:16) • “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Ro 5:8)

12. The Focus - Jesus Christ • “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Co 5:21) • “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” (Ac 2:24) • “We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.” (Ro 6:9) • “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,” (Heb 3:1)

13. The Focus - Jesus Christ • “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Ac 1:11) • “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Php 3:20) • “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:” (2Ti 4:1)

14. You and me • Mortal • Sinful • The cause of sin

15. You and me • “then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Ge 2:7) • “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Ge 3:19) • “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Ro 5:12)

16. You and me • “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mr 7:21­23) • “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (Jas 1:14­15)

17. You and me • “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1Jo 3:8) • “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,” (Heb 2:14)

18. Our destiny • Death is an unconscious sleep • Immortality is God’s gift • God’s Kingdom on earth • The responsible raised and judged

19. Our destiny • “For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?” (Ps 6:5) • “When his breath departs he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.” (Ps 146:4) • “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.” (Ec 9:10) • “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Da 12:2)

20. Our destiny • “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Mt 5:5) • “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” (Joh 6:44) • “but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” (Lu 20:35­36)

21. Our destiny • “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2Co 5:10) • “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,” (2Th 1:7­9)

22. The plan • God has made promises • Sin to be overcome • Blessings through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob • Promises to David • The promise of the Kingdom

23. The plan • “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2Pe 1:3­4) • “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Ge 3:15)

24. The plan • “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Ge 12:1­3) • “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,” (Mt 8:11)

25. The plan • “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” (Heb 11:39­40) • “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Lu 1:32­33) • “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Mt 1:1)

26. Our world • Salvation is from the Jews • Israel to be restored to God • Jerusalem will be Christ’s capital • God’s Kingdom will replace all nations • Sin and death will be abolished • God will be all in all • This Kingdom is the Gospel message

27. Our world • “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.” (Joh 4:22) • “They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Lu 21:24) • “Thus says the LORD of hosts: behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” (Zec 8:7­8)

28. Our world • “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore;” (Mic 4:1­3)

29. Our world • “So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” (Ac 1:6­7) • “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,” (Da 2:44)

30. Our world • “Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” … When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.” (1Co 15:24­28) • “And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.” (Zec 14:9)

31. Our world • “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,” (Mr 1:14) • “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Ac 8:12) • “And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.” (Ac 19:8)

32. Our response • Accept God’s invitation to be in the Kingdom • Accept Jesus as Saviour and Lord • Repentance • Baptism • Live a new life

33. Our response • “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Lu 12:32) • “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mr 1:15) • “The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2Pe 3:9) • “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Ac 2:38)

34. Our response • “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1Co 6:11) • “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt 22:37­40) • “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Ga 6:10)

35. Our response • “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Php 4:6­8)

36. Our response • “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”” (Lu 22:19­20) • “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb 10:25) • “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2Ti 4:2)

37. The Bible Message • Bold, consistent, broad and profound • A God who loves his creation • A world broken by sin and subject to death • Jesus sent to bring us back to God • The Bible message is a message of hope • Forgiveness • A new life • A new world • Eternal life

38. The Bible Message “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40)