Where are we going as a Society ?
Society
The following notes are from the sermon given by Pastor Robert Taylor at Santa Barbara Seventh-day Adventist Christian church on Sabbath, 1 June 2013.
Day of Abuse
Disasters
Earthquakes
Floods
Hurricanes
Tornados
What are we to make of all of the natural disasters that are in the headlines just about every single day now?
Humanity itself is strikingly different than it was just 30 years ago. Abuse of God’s creation has resulted in:
Break Down of Human Relationships
Domestic Violence
Wars
Did you know that right now there are over one million refugees from the crisis in Syria? Where are we going as human beings?
There is also Biblical Abuse among Christian People. Many are not properly using Scripture as it is written or twist the meaning of what is actually stated in print. Am I guilty of Biblical Abuse?
We seldom hear of victims of Biblical Abuse. Look at all the different Christian denominations. It is impossible for them all to be right. These denominations may be sincere but are they mishandling Scripture?
There are gifted pastors, teachers and personalities that mishandle Scripture. We as Seventh-day Adventist Christians can also be guilty of Biblical Abuse.
The problem of Biblical Abuse is not from a lack of Bibles. It is how we handle the Word of God. We must look at our Interpretation and Understanding of Scripture.
During the time of Jesus Christ earthly ministry, it was often the Scribes and Pharisees that mishandled the Word of God. These were some of the most knowledgeable people in that time. They memorized Scripture but mishandled God’s Word.
Matthew 9:10-13
Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Matthew 12:3-8
But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Matthew 15:1-14
Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
Pharisees had let traditions get in the way of the Truth. Just because someone has a big following doesn’t mean they preach the Word with Truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Acts 17:11
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
The Five W’s are What-Who-Why-Where-When
What – Never Forget What You Are Handling – Holy Bible
Who – Who Has the Authority ?
Why – Ask Yourself the Same Kind of Questions as the Disciples Asked Jesus to Fully Understand What Jesus Preached and Meant for Us to Understand.
Where – Think About Where You Are In Your Walk with Jesus.
When – Focus On The Word When You Study. Designate a Special Time to Study and Grow with Jesus and His Saving Grace.
Search the Scriptures as the Holy Bible is God’s Word to You and to Me. Look for the Truth that is in Jesus. Dwell on the same things that Jesus did. Our very being will be affected. You will have an incredible experience you must not miss!