Enjoying the Journey

(Deuteronomy 32:2) Doctrine is not for professional theologians and academic minds. It is simply our beliefs and teachings, taken directly from the Word of God. Study the Scriptures and settle what you believe from the Bible. (0939250212) ----more----  God's Doctrine and Our Opinions Libraries and bookstores are absolutely filled with men's opinions. Radio, television, talk news, all of it, totally filled with everybody's ideas about what they think is right. But I wonder How often we stop to say, what does God think? Did you know that God's thoughts are revealed in His Word? And if you want to know what God thinks about something, then ask yourself this question, what does the Bible say? The Importance of Doctrine We're beginning this series of what the Bible says. And I've started here by just laying a little foundation about the importance of what we call doctrine. That's a word that some people stay away from today. Let me just tell you, doctrine is not a dirty word. Not at all. In fact, it's God's word. Biblical References to Doctrine Did you know that the word doctrine is found 51 times in 50 verses of your Bible? Let me show you a couple of them today. You may want to get a good concordance and look them all up for yourself and walk through them and meditate on them. I've done that. And it's a rich, refreshing way to study that Bible word. But let me show you the first one. The first one is Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse number 2. Now remember, the first time a word is used in the Word of God, it has great significance. It's the law of first mention. Because the first time it's given, it really gives a pattern to follow. It gives an opening truth, if you will, that the Lord will consistently go back to. Doctrine as Refreshing Rain In Deuteronomy 32, we read these words, "My doctrine shall drop as the rain. My speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass." There are two or three things that really strike me even as I read that verse. One is, that God connects doctrine to rain. We think of doctrine as being some really heavy thing. But I want to say to you, really, God says, my doctrine is refreshing. My doctrine is a blessing to you. It drops down as the rain, it distills as the dew. Think of the gentleness of dew and then not only what it is as it comes down, but what it produces, it brings about the tender herb. It brings showers upon the grass. I believe that every good thing that grows in our life grows out of the truth. And until we understand the importance of doctrine, we will never become the people that God wants us to be. Now that's Deuteronomy 32 too. Let me read the verse before it and the verse after it. Verse 1 of Deuteronomy 32 says, "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak. And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech shall distill as the dew, As the small rain upon the tender herb, And as the showers upon the grass, Because I will publish the name of the Lord. Ascribe ye greatness unto our God."  Doctrine and Worship The very first time the word doctrine is used in scripture, it is connected to worship. We don't study to know. We study to worship. We don't study to simply have facts. We study to know the God of truth. We come to Bible doctrine and we say, Dear Lord, we want to know you better. We want to know what you have to say to us. Oh God, speak to us and show us yourself. That's the great message of Deuteronomy chapter 32, and that's the great purpose of doctrine.  False Teachings and Doctrines The last mention of the word doctrine is found in Revelation 2, in the church age, in the letters to the seven churches, and it says in Revelation 2 24, But I say unto you and unto the rest in Thyatira, As many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden. So here we have the exact opposite. Here we have. A reference to false teaching. There's always going to be truth and error. There's always going to be this battle this warfare between the God of truth and the old liar, the deceiver, the serpent, the devil. Always. That's what we're watching in our world today. That's what's going on on school campuses. That's what's going on in the news. That's what's going on In government, there's always this conflict and struggle between what is true and what is not. And in the end, we must go back to this, what does the Bible say? I said to you that the word doctrine is found 51 times in Scripture, but the plural word, doctrines, is used 5 times. And did you know that the 5 times it's used in the New Testament, it is always in the negative. It's never a reference to truth. It's always a reference to error. Now, that's very significant. For example, Matthew 15:9 Jesus says, "In vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Or how about Hebrews 13:9, "Be not carried away with divers and strange doctrines, for it's a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein." God reserves the plural for men's ideas But he reserves the singular for his own truth. Why is that? Because men have lots of disconnected ideas. They teach lots of varied things and call them truth. But God has one body of truth and it's all connected. And it's all important. I have the Bible in my hand right now. The Word of God. Friend, I need it all. I don't need part of it. I need every bit of it. I don't want to fall short of Scripture. And I don't want to go beyond Scripture. I just want to know what the Bible is.  The Myths About Doctrine Now there are basically two great myths when it comes to doctrine. I've heard both of them and so have you. Number one, some people say we stay away from doctrine because doctrine is divisive. As a matter of fact, I hear even some churches advertise, Come to our church. We don't talk about doctrine. We talk about real life things. I think, excuse me, that's a very ignorant thing to say. Because the word doctrine literally means our beliefs and teachings. So what those people are saying is, Come to our church. We don't believe or teach anything. Why would you go to a church that doesn't believe or teach anything? No, doctrine is real life. It's truth that is to be applied to the way we live every day. Doctrine is not divisive. It simply divides truth from error. It does divide. Oh yes, it divides believers from unbelievers. It divides the obedient from the disobedient. It divides the humble from the proud. It does divide, but it is not divisive. In other words, The truth is not what stirs up the problem. What stirs up problems are the responses of people to the truth. It's not loving to say everything goes. Anything and everything can be truth. Love always has to measure up to the truth. The God of love is a God of truth. So the first great myth is that doctrine is divisive. I say to you that doctrine comes from a God of unity and our hearts are only made one. And our minds are only singularly fixed on what is right when we come in line with what the Bible says. The second myth is this. Doctrine is dry. I hear that from time to time. People say, people can't handle all this doctrinal teaching. I even hear people brag sometimes. I'm no theologian. You should be. Theology is the study of God. You should be a real student of God. Doctrine is not dry. The speaker may be dry, I've been dry, and you've been dry, but the Word of God is perennially fresh. And as we study the Word of God, we should do it with enthusiasm. And when we share it with others, we should do it with a spirit of We're at excitement that we have the truth of God and we have the joy and privilege of sharing it with other people. A Call to Study Doctrine All men have some truth, the truth of creation and of conscience, but all of them don't receive it alike. And see, it's how you respond to the truth that's important. We're not searching for the truth, we're searching in it. We've come to find out what the Bible says. So we can bring our lives in line with it, and we can pass it along to someone else. Outro Repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe. We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our library of Bible teaching resources, including book by book studies of Scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content, and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening, and we hope you'll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey.

(2 Timothy 3:13-17) In an age of deception God's people must know what they believe - and why! We must be ready to share with others, not what we think, but what God thinks. It is time to know and make known what the Bible says. (0938250211) ----more----   The Purpose and Profit of the Bible Everywhere I go, it seems that the favorite verse of people today seems to be 2 Timothy 3 and verse number 13, where the Bible says, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." I hear everybody quoting that verse and talking about how bad things have gotten and the pitiful condition of churches and communities and culture, and there's no doubt that's true. But I want to remind you that verse does not stand alone. That text has a context. As a matter of fact, immediately after the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, those words, "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived," he says in the very next verse, 2 Timothy 3:14, "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them." In other words, yes, there are negatives all around us, but on the positive side, we're supposed to continue in the truth. Yes, this is an age of deception, all the more reason for us to take a strong stand on the truth. Yes, there is a spirit of Antichrist at work in our world that's trying to deceive people. But friends, just because the spirit of the deceiver is at work does not mean that the Holy Spirit has stopped his work. Oh, the spirit of truth is alive and well. He's at work in me today. He's at work in you today. He's at work through the Word today. And that's why God's people need to know what the Bible says. Listen to the verse again, 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 14, "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned. And has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. " Learning the Bible The three great principles, the three great truths in that verse. Number one, you have to learn the word. He said, if you're going to live it, if you're going to teach it and preach it to others, you have to learn it. So we must learn what God says. Assurance of the Bible Then, you must develop some assurance about what you're learning. He not only says you've learned it, he said you've been assured of these things. You must develop some deep personal conviction that the Word of God truly is that, the Word of God. It is the revelation of God Himself. It is the truth. And I trust and pray that you're developing a deeper and deeper conviction and confidence in the Word of God. This is the very Word of Truth. And you can trust a God who never lies. As a matter of fact, he says at the end of the verse, "Knowing of whom thou hast learned them." What's that a reference to? He goes on in verse 15 to say, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." He's saying that faith that was laid for you in childhood. That simple truth that you were willing to accept in your youth, don't ever get away from that. No matter how complicated the world may get, no matter how complex the problems may be, always go back again and again to the simplicity that is in Jesus Christ. Only Christ, only the Word of Truth can cut through the mess and the mayhem of our world and of our lives. Only the Lord can do that. So never forget. Where you learned it and who you learned it from. Timothy had a godly mother and a holy grandmother. Do you remember Lois and Eunice? Never forget those people who gave you this heritage. Never forget the people who taught you the truth. Perhaps there's some hint here as well of Paul reminding Timothy of what he personally had taught him in his youth. You remember how Timothy joined Paul when he was just a very young man. Paul is saying, don't ever forget the things that you were taught early on in your life. Don't ever get moved off the foundation of your faith. So number one, you must learn what the Bible says. Then you must be assured of what the Bible says. Continue in the Bible And then, you must continue in what the Bible says, but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. Look, we're living in a world of quitters. Even when it comes to faith, even when it comes to ministry, even when it comes to, to so called Christians, we're living in a world of people that just are giving up on the Lord, giving up on the truth, giving up on the church. Don't be one of those people. You be one of those people that continue. I want to cross the finish line of glory. Not coasting in heaven, but with a pedal to the metal. I want to finish strong. I want to finish well. Is that what you want for your life? And you're going to have to make up your mind today that you're going to continue in what the Bible says. The Sufficiency of Scripture At the end of this very same chapter, he goes on to say these words, 2 Timothy 3 verse 16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." In other words, we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture. It is enough. God has not told you everything He knows, but He's told you everything you need to know. We have all things that pertain to life and godliness. In the Word of God, God gives you all the truth you need to live a victorious life. The Bible says here that Scripture makes us wise unto salvation. That's where you have to begin, by knowing the Lord as your personal Savior. You can't understand the Word of God if you don't know the God of the Word. So if you're not a believer, let's start here with the most basic thing, God loves you. Jesus Christ died for your sins. He was buried and rose from the dead. He wants to come live in your life and He wants you to live with Him eternally. He wants to give you today everlasting life. Would you put your faith in the Lord Jesus right now? Would you look to him in simple childlike faith and call on him and say, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. At first, you must be saved. But then, we don't end there. That's just the beginning. (Visit enjoyingthejourney.org/gospel to learn more.) The Purpose of the Bible after Salvation The Bible says once the scripture makes us wise in a salvation, then it goes on to profit us in these ways: doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction. Now, notice the divine order here. Doctrine is the foundation. It's what we believe. That's what the word doctrine means. Our beliefs. So you've got to start with what you believe. Honestly, what you believe is going to affect how you behave. We might say it this way, your doctrine affects your deportment. Your life grows out of what you truly believe in your heart. So he begins with doctrine. Then he says, for reproof, That's to show us where we're wrong. Then he says for correction, that's to show us how to get right. Then he says for instruction in righteousness, that's telling us how to stay right. But notice, before he deals with the practicality of our individual life, before he deals with us personally. And the way we live every day, he begins with doctrine. That's why we're beginning this brand new series on what the Bible says. Why? Because only by learning what the Bible says can we learn truly what God wants. When you come to study the Bible, you shouldn't come to, to learn things. Some people study the Bible almost like they're getting ready for Bible trivia, and that's very dangerous because you can know things without knowing God. In fact, the Apostle Paul said, knowledge puffeth up. You can get full of knowledge and just be full of yourself instead of full of God. A Personal Prayer for Understanding the Bible When we approach the Scriptures, we must come to the Word of God saying, Lord, reveal yourself to me. Lord, I want to know you. And if you'll come with that spirit, that hunger, that thirst, that heart, then God will begin to reveal his truth to you. And you must begin by knowing what the Bible says with doctrine. It's really not so much about formula as it is about desire. Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Jesus says you'll be filled. David said, As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Moses said, Show me now thy way that I may know thee. I want to challenge you today to begin this study of what the Bible says with a simple prayer. A personal prayer from your heart. Dear Lord, show me yourself. Dear Lord, help me know God better. Help me to know the God of truth so that I'll have the foundation to become the person that God saved me to be. This is the only way to truly understand what the Bible says. Repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe.  Outro We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our library of Bible teaching resources, including book by book studies of Scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the Biblical content, and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening, and we hope you'll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey.

(Acts 17:1-34) Our generation has more information available than ever, and yet there seems to be such a lack of truth. Every question must be brought to the Giver of truth! Today we look at three treatments of truth. How do we treat the truth? (0937250210) ----more---- Finding Truth in the Information Age This generation is a generation that has more information than any generation in history. We have more access to facts and to stories and to news at our fingertips than our grandparents ever could have imagined. This is an age where people know much and yet have more questions than they've ever had. Isn't it ironic that we have so much information, and yet there seems to be such a dearth of truth. Our age is an age of questions. People are asking so many things. And knowing the answers to the questions, or at least where to find the answers to the questions, is absolutely vital for a believer. One of the worst answers you can give to someone when they start asking serious questions about spiritual truth, and eternity, and God is to answer this way, or even to say, "Someone else said." It'd be much better to say the Bible, which is the word of God teaches. So in the end, we must come back to this. What does the Bible say? What does God have to say about it?  The Foundation of Our Study We're beginning a brand new series of studies today on what the Bible says about a whole host of doctrinal issues and current issues. I'm very excited about this series, and I want to tell you right up front that before we give our opinion on anything, we must first lay the Bible foundation. We must begin with what thus saith the Lord. And then the application can grow out of that. Now though this is somewhat a topical series, I want you to know that we're going to deal with it. In a way that is expository. I mean by that, we're going to dig into the Word of God. We're going to let God speak for Himself. And today, I want to lay a little foundation for this series on what the Bible says by talking to you about three treatments of the truth. Three Treatments of the Truth: Thessalonica In Acts chapter number 17, the Apostle Paul is preaching, he's teaching the truth, and it's recorded for us that he's in three distinct cities. Now these three cities represent really three receptions or responses to the truth. In Acts chapter 17, beginning in verse number 1, he comes to a city known as Thessalonica. Thessalonica, of course, will be famous in history to Christians because there are two books of our New Testament written to the church at Thessalonica. And the Bible says in verse two that Paul, as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead. And that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ. What a wonderful verse. In other words, he got right to the heart of the matter, and the heart of all of it is the person and work of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ is not who he says he is, nothing else matters. What you believe about the living word is directly connected to what you believe about the written word. Their response in verse 4 says, And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort. And gathered a company, set all the city on an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people. They literally are going to bring such persecution that the believers in Thessalonica have to sneak Paul and his missionary team out of town, undercover of darkness to spare their life. So in Thessalonica, you have a group of people who believe, but you have a large segment of people that not only do not believe, they don't want anybody else to hear the truth. I call them the Thessalonican thieves. Because they wanted to steal the truth from others. In our current day, we have a lot of Thessalonican thieves. Not only do they not want to believe, not only are they not willing to obey the word of God, they don't want anybody else to have it either. And so they speak against God, and they speak against the truth. It's almost comical, if it wasn't so sad, that many of those who profess they don't even believe in God spend a whole lot of energy and time Trying to prove he does not exist. And arguing against his existence. If he doesn't believe that there is a God, what difference does it make? Why even argue against it? The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. And you're gonna deal with Thessalonican thieves in this generation. who are trying to steal the seed of truth out of the hearts and minds of people. Let's go to the end of the chapter, because I want to finish our study today with the second church, not the third. Three Treatments of the Truth: Athens The third church that's found in Acts 17 is the beginning of the church, at least, in Athens. You'll remember that Athens was a very secular city. It was a culture that was filled with false religion. As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul stands up on Mars Hill in Acts chapter 17 and verse 22, and he says, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. That sounds like our world, doesn't it? Full of superstition. Full of people who profess to be spiritual, but they don't even know the spirit of truth. And then in verse 23, the Apostle Paul says, For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. Oh, what a beautiful truth. He goes right on to preach to them the God that they needed to know. I would tell you that our world today is searching for the unknown God. Aren't you glad you know him? And if you know him, it's your responsibility to make him known. He begins with the Creator, and he comes all the way up to Christ. And the Bible says in verse 32, And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. And others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them, howbeit certain men claimed unto him and believed. Among the witch was Dionysius, the Areopagite. And a woman named Damaris and others with them. Are you noticing a pattern? That in every place where truth is given, some people receive and some do not. I call these people in Athens the Athenian Academia. And I'll tell you why. Because the Bible says here in Acts chapter 17 that they spend all of their time in either to tell or to hear some new thing. Oh, I believe novelty is the scourge of our day. Everybody wants something new. And the truth is not new. It may be heard for the first time, it is perennially fresh, but it's not new. It's eternal. It's connected to the God of truth who has always been. So you've got the Thessalonican thieves who are trying to steal truth away from others and then you've got the Athenian academia. Who just want to talk about it. They want to reason and philosophize and argue and debate, but they never arrive anywhere. Three Treatments of the Truth: Berea And then we come to the church, the city that's sandwiched between the two, and that's Berea. The Bible says in verse number 10 of Acts 17, And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica. And that they receive the word with all readiness of mind and search the scriptures daily, whether those things were so we've got the festival, ni and Thieves who want to steal the truth from others because they don't believe we have the Athenian academia who make it all intellectual and they want to reason and talk about lots of things. But many of them never came to the knowledge of the truth because they really weren't searching for answers. They just enjoyed talking about the questions. But here we have the great response. We have what we call the Berean believers. They wanted to receive the truth. They wanted to know the truth. I wonder, do you want to know the truth? If you do, you must do exactly what they did in Berea. You must search the scriptures daily.  Seeking and Sharing the Truth That's really what this broadcast is all about. Encouraging people to study the Word of God. To find out what the Bible says. For In the words of Acts 17 verse 11, whether those things were so you see only when you've settled that in your own heart and mind. Can you speak with confidence when others ask you questions? I wonder today, do you really want to know the truth? And when you hear it, how will you respond to it? For a Christian, your faith should not be full of question marks. It should be full of periods and exclamation points, repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe. Greg: More Resources  We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our library of Bible teaching resources, including book by book studies of Scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content, and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening, and we hope you'll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey.

(Mark 1:4, 15) While repentance is necessary for our salvation, it is equally essential for our sanctification. A Christian who fails to regularly confess his sin to the Lord resultantly fails to grow in his walk with Him. Your faith can be measured by your repentance.  (0936250208) 

(1 Timothy 6:5-12) Modern Christianity says, "Gain is godliness." Whereas biblical Christianity says, "Godliness is gain." Join us as we conclude our study of stewardship with some key truths to remember.  (0935250207) 

(Luke 16:1-12, 19-31) You cannot fully understand biblical stewardship without looking at it through the lens of eternity. Eternity clarifies many circumstances and purifies our motives. Put your life in the perspective of eternity. (0934250206) 

(Luke 10:23-24) Truth is the Christian's most valuable treasure. It is a treasure to be cherished and shared. Learn from today's episode how to receive truth, rejoice in it, and relay it to others.  (0933250205) 

(2 Corinthians 12:7-10) Stewardship encompasses both positive and negative aspects. Since God is sovereign, we can conclude that even trials are gifts from Him. Instead of trying to change your trials, steward them! (0932250204) 

(Proverbs 22:1) Every man is given two names: the one he is born with and the one he earns. We all are gifted by God both the opportunity and obligation to develop our reputation. How are you stewarding your testimony? (0931250203) 

(Mark 1:1-5) Many times we say we want to hear from God but do not ready our hearts to hear from God. When the Word of God declared, our hearts should be prepared. Join Scott Pauley for this first message from Mark 1. (0930250201)