June 7, 2012

1Mastering “…the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”June 7, 2012

BIBLICAL

LTS

HOPE

2Mastering “…the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

Believe or Know?

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of Elohim; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of Elohim.”

1st John 5:13


Is the Bible True?• What does Scripture say?

“All scripture is given by inspiration of Elohim, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

2nd Timothy 3:16


Is the Bible True?• What does Scripture say?

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of Elohim spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

2nd Peter 1:20-21


Is the Bible True?• What did Yeshua say?

“…the scripture cannot be broken;”John 10:35

“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Matthew 5:18



“Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:25-27



– He used Scripture as a weapon against Satan in Matthew 4– He constantly referenced the Bible’s authority by saying “it is

written”


Is the Bible True?• What does modern academia say?

– The book of Ecclesiastes is referenced (and is in fact recommended reading) in many leading university English courses as positing moral and ethical behavior, and, the book itself is representative as a moral and ethical model of literature

– This is supported even by unbelievers


Is the Bible True?• The Bible affects us

– Martin Luther – “My conscience has been taken captive by the Word of God.”

– My salvation– My studies


Is the Bible True?• 66 books, over 40 authors, over 1,500 years

– All the writers were different from each other– Rich, poor, young, old, priests, prophets, tax collector, doctor,

tentmaker, fisherman– All wrote about the same God– All messages are in agreement

• The Qur’an was entirely written by one man• The Book of Mormon was entirely written by one man


Is the Bible True?• What does history say?

– Let’s take Luke as an example of history:– His details about the following Roman officials are all confirmed

by ancient Roman historical records and archeology• Sergio Paulus of Cyprus• Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia• Herod the Great• Pontius Pilate• King Agrippa



– Even unbelievers have confirmed existence of Biblical leaders and cities such as• King David• King Solomon• The Philistines• The city of Ephesus• The city of Philippi• The city of Thessalonica



– The Ebla tablets, a collection of 17,000 tablets, found in 1968 and dated to the year 2,500 B.C., mention the cities of• Sodom• Gomorrah• Admah• Zeboiim• Zoar (story of Lot and grace)



– The Mari tablets, a collection of 25,000 tablets believed to be written in 1,900 B.C., mention the names of• Abraham• Jacob• Nahor• Dan• Levi• Benjamin• Ishmael


Is the Bible True?• What do Bible prophecies say?

– Yeshua fulfilled numerous prophecies• Isaiah 53• Micah 5:2• Daniel 9:25-27• Jeremiah 23:5-6• Psalm 16:8-11


Is the Bible True?• What do Bible prophecies say?

– In these passages we are told the exact time of Yeshua’s coming, the place of His birth, the family into which He would be born, the condition of His family at the time of His birth, how He would be received by His people, the method and details of His death, how He would be buried, and His resurrection


Is the Bible True?• What about Bible preservation?

– The oldest book in the Bible (Job) is about 3,500 years old– Yet the Bible doesn’t change, even faced with thousands of years– Scrolls found in the 1940s, written around 100 B.C., were

compared to the next most ancient scrolls (the Masoretic texts, written around 900 A.D.) and there were virtually no significant differences


Is the Bible True?• What about Bible preservation?

– There are about 25,000 ancient manuscripts of the New Testament dating as early as 120 A.D. (about 30 years after the latest writing)• Homer’s Illiad – 643 ancient manuscripts dating as early as 500

years after its writing• The works of Sophocles – 193 manuscripts• Aristotle – 49 manuscripts• Plato’s Tetralogies – 7 manuscripts


Is the Bible True?• What about the persecution endured by the writers?

– They witnessed the events surrounding Yeshua’s death, burial, and resurrection, and stuck to their stories to their own detriment

– If the events were false, what author would hold its credibility to his own death?• Matthew was killed by a sword in Ethiopia (Matthew 26:52)• Mark was dragged through the streets of Alexandria• Luke was hanged on an olive tree• John was banished to prison in Patmos (amid other tortures)


Is the Bible True?• What about the persecution endured by the writers?

– They witnessed the events surrounding Yeshua’s death, burial, and resurrection, and stuck to their stories to their own detriment

– If the events were false, what author would hold its credibility to his own death?• Peter was crucified upside down• Jude was shot with arrows• Paul was beheaded in Rome by Emperor Nero


Is the Bible True?• The Bible changes lives

– Prostitutes are reformed– Drunkards are sobered– Drug abusers are cleaned– The prideful become humble– The weak become strong– Many, many other changes


Hope• There are several key words and concepts in Scripture like

faith, hope, love, joy, grace, peace, pleasing efei, etc., that you will come across as you read Scripture– The problem is that they are merely vague concepts for most

people


Hope• Definition of Hope

– Is it wishy washy maybe?– Is it a kind of unsure optimism?– The modern idea of hope is “to wish for, to expect, but without

certainty of the fulfillment; to desire very much, but with no real assurance of getting your desire”


Hope• Definition of Hope

– In Scripture, according to the Hebrew and Greek words translated to “hope” in English, and according to Biblical usage, hope is

an indication of certainty!


Hope• Hope in Scripture means “a strong and confident

expectation”• It may refer to the activity of hoping or to the object hoped

for– It stresses two things:

• Futurity• Invisibility


Hope

“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

Romans 8:24-25


Hope• In terms of that which is hoped for, hope is synonymous

with salvation and its blessings as promised in Scripture– This is true even with what we have already received; we can see

results but it still takes faith and hope– The justifying work of efei– The imputation of Yeshua’s righteousness to our account– The indwelling of the Holy Spirit


Hope

We believe these things, and in the testimony of efei in the Word, and we

hope for the results in our lives


A Description of Hope• Hope in Scripture is active, directive, and life sustaining

– It is not an escape from reality or from problems (say Amen here)– It doesn’t leave us idle and wasting time– If we believe in efei and His gifts, it will engage us in gear!


Hope Has Results• It changes how we see ourselves:

“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;”

2nd Peter 1:13

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”

1st Peter 2:11


Hope Has Results• It changes what we value:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Matthew 6:19-21


Hope Has Results• It affects what we do with our lives: talents, time,

treasures:– Let’s read Titus 2:1-13– Let’s read 1st John 3:1-3


Hope Has Rewards and Blessings• It gives us joy and peace:

“Now the Elohim of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Romans 15:13

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of Elohim.”

Romans 5:2


Hope Has Rewards and Blessings• It gives us protection:

“Behold, the eye of efei is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;”

Psalm 33:18


Hope Has Rewards and Blessings• It gives us strength, courage, and boldness:

“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in efei.”

Psalm 31:24


Hope Has Rewards and Blessings• It gives us endurance, comfort, confidence in the face of

death:

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

1st Thessalonians 4:13


Hope Has Rewards and Blessings• It gives us confidence in ministry:

“For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living Elohim, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”

1st Timothy 4:10


The Origin of Hope• Warnings regarding false hope:

“Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget Elohim; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.”

Job 8:11-15



“An horse is a vain thing (hope) for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.”

Psalm 33:17

“Happy is he that hath the Elohim of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in efei his Elohim:”

Psalm 146:5



“The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.”

Proverbs 10:28

“When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.”

Proverbs 11:7



“So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward (hope), and thy expectation shall not be cut off.”

Proverbs 24:14


The Origin of Hope• The means and basis of the only true hope:

“Behold, the eye of efei is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;”

Psalm 33:18

“My soul, wait thou only upon Elohim; for my expectation is from him.”

Psalm 62:5


The Origin of Hope• The means and basis of the only true hope:


Romans 15:13


The Origin of Hope• If you are without Messiah, you are without hope:“That at that time ye were without Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Elohim in the world:”

Ephesians 2:12

“Paul, an apostle of Yeshua Messiah by the commandment of Elohim our Saviour, and Lord Yeshua Messiah , which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from Elohim our Father and Yeshua Messiah our Lord.”

1st Timothy 1:1-2


The Origin of Hope• Hope depends on knowing the Word of Elohim:“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

Romans 15:4

“For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of Elohim in truth:”

Colossians 1:5-6


The Origin of Hope• Hope depends on knowing and resting in God’s Grace:

“Now our Lord Yeshua Messiah himself, and Elohim, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.”

2nd Thessalonians 2:16-17


The Origin of Hope• Hope depends on the Spirit-filled life:


Romans 15:13

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Yeshua Messiah;”

1st Peter 1:13


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June 7, 2012