Open 286 RR 753 A Book that Understands Us Close 286 During World War I, a young man, Emile Cailliet, found himself sitting in the trenches, dodging enemy fire, and trying to reconcile his world view with what he saw going on around him. He was trying to find some source of meaning to counter what looked like the complete absurdity of existence. In his heart he recognized that his view of the world was inadequate, and his mind, a naturally a philosophical one, longed for a book that would understand him. In his experience he knew of no such book. He found that anything we make, anything we produce, simply cannot meet our deepest needs; in the end it is no bigger than we are. Emile had been raised as an athiest and had never seen a Bible. After the war was over he went back to his philosophical studies, and made the decision to prepare such a book secretly for his personal use. Since he found no book that met his needs, he would make one. He spent long hours copying meaningful passages that spoke to him out of the great literature he read. His goal was to make for himself what he called a book that would understand him. It was his hope that these quotations, carefully indexed and numbered, would lead him from fear and anguish to release and jubilation. At last the day came to read the finished product. He sat down under a tree and began to read his anthology, but was disappointed to find that it held no abibilty to move him. It only reminded him of the context of the passages and his all the work he took in finding them. He later wrote, "The day came when I put the finishing touch to `the book that would understand me,' speak to my condition, and help me through life' happenings. A beautiful, sunny day it was. I went out, sat under a tree, and opened my precious anthology. As I went on reading, however, a growing disappointment came over me. Instead of speaking to my condition, the various passages reminded me of their context, of the circumstances of my labor over their selection. Then I knew that the whole undertaking would not work, simply because it was of my own making. It carried no strength of persuasion. In a dejected mood, I put the little book back in my pocket."' He closed the book. Almost at that exact moment, Cailliet's Christian wife had, almost without knowing what she was doing, obtained a French Bible from an aging pastor. She brought it to him apologetically, for he had forbidden all discussion of religion in their home. But he was not listening to her apology. He grabbed it eagerly "A Bible, you say? Where is it? Show me," Having never even seen a Bible before, he read and read and read throughout the night, full of awe and wonder, finding at last the Book that would understand him-that understood him because, as he said, "its pages were animated by the Presence of the Living God. . . . To this God I prayed that night, and the God who answered was the same God of whom it was spoken in the Book. And he began to read. Here is his description of what followed: "I opened it and 'chanced' upon the Beatitudes! I read, and read, and read-now aloud with an indescribable warmth surging within. ... And suddenly the realization dawned upon me: This was the Book that would understand me! I continued to read deeply into the night, mostly from the Gospels. And lo and behold, as I looked through them, the One of whom they spoke, the One who spoke and acted in them, became alive to me. ... While it seemed absurd to speak of a book understanding a man, this could be said of the Bible because its pages were animated by the presence of the living God and the power of his mighty acts. To this God I prayed that night, and the God who answered was the same God of whom it was spoken in the Book." In that Book he heard a word that was indeed living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrated his soul and he was changed, permanently. That is how this once-atheistic French philosopher became a Christian and eventually came to teach that Book at Princeton. Last time we looked at the importance, no, necessity of the Holy Spirit in the Christian walk. Now here is the problem. There have been many people throughout time who have felt that the Holy Spirit was leading them to do one thing or another, and there was confusion or differences in the direction that they were moving. And while in some ways the Holy Spirit will be expereinced differently by each person, God will not contradict Himself. To remedy this situation, the Holy Spirit has led men to write down something that can be touched, relied on, which is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We know that as the Bible, a collection of 66 books by numerous authors, written over 1500 years, which unswervingly reveals God and His will to each succeeding generation. Even with the Written Word, we have many versions of Christianity. Imagine what it would be without the Word. Jesus laid out the importance in: John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Now there are two truths about the Holy Spirit that we find in the Word. First, the Holy Spirit does not come to testify of Himself. The reason that we should seek the Spirit of God is so that we may know more about Jesus Christ. Jesus told his disciples that the Spirit would testify of Him (Jesus). Second, the Holy Scriptures are a concrete, material gift from the Godhead through the Spirit, that began with that moving on mud to make a world, and after sin, continued that creation in a tangible, visible way to give us a written Word. Now, I cannot prove anything to you today in a scientific way. I am not so deluded. There is only one way that you will believe the Scriptures. If that happens it is because the Holy Spirit led you to believe. First you are given a measure of faith (Holy Spirit). Then you are led to exercise that faith, or hope, by turning to the Word. Only then will you begin to expereince the truth of God's Word. Then, and only then will you begin to expereince the real truth of God's Word. It is from this point that we move today, to examine some of what Scripture says about itself. The Word has authority. 2 Peter 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Do you believe this? The Word has power. 2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Do you believe this? The Word has strength. John 10:35 ....(and the Scripture cannot be broken), Do you believe this? The Word is truth. Daniel 10:21 "But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. Do you believe this? The Word has seen the future. John 7:42 "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?" John 19:36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced." Do you believe this? The Word can see your heart. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Do you believe this? The Word will lead us where we should go. Ps 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. Do you believe this? The Word tells us of our Savior. Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. John 5:39 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. Do you believe this? The Book that understands you is waiting for you to read it. The God who wrote this Book is waiting for you, wanting you, to discover Him. Another story, another time. A man named Martin Luther was seeking and searching. In his quest to find a book that knew him, he read the scriptures, studied them for years, but the more he studied the more he found what he feared most: A God who was a condemning judge who had nothing but doom for him. He reflected the attitude of much of the church at that time. He gave up a law career, moved into a monestary, punished his body and afflicted his soul to find relief. But without success. Then finally Holy Spirit beat down the misunderstandings that he had held onto and directed him to see the Redeemer in scripture. He was led to see that the righteousness that was necessary for him to have had been provided by his Savior. It was then that Luther became a Christian. Christ had his heart, and mind, and love. It was a new expereince, and led him to see the necessity of providing the Word of God for everyone to read for themselves. Do we have any concept of the importance of this today? Do we appreciate that we have this word because of generations of people who were willing to die to preserve it? Is it as important as _______ ? I'll let you fill in the blank, because you know what should be there. Generations ago, a prominant Christian suggested that people spend just 15 minutes a day reading the Bible, doing it slowly, so as to take in the words, and use those words to reach beyond to the Speaker. Trying to get the heart and will in contact with God so that they could find strength. Letting God speak through those words to correct or comfort. Finding the meaning for that particular time. Fifteen minutes was suggested so that it would not become a common time or become just ordinary reading. He concluded by saying that after 40 years this was one of the greatest strenngths of his life. How do you feel about your Bible? Chaim Potok wrote about a Jewish celebration: "The little synagogue was crowded and tumultuous with joy. I remembe the white-bearded Torah reader dancing with one of the heavy scrolls as if he had miraculously shed his years. My father and uncle danced for what seemed to me to be an interminable length of time, circling about one another with their Torah scrolls, advancing upon one another; backing off, singing. Saul and Alex and I danced too. I relinquished my Torah to someone in the crowd, then stood around watching the dancing. It grew warm inside the small room and I went through the crowd and out the rear door to the back porch. "The noise inside the synagogue poured out into the night, an undulating, swelling and receding and thinning and growing sound. The joy of dancing with the Torah, holding it close to you, the words of God to Moses at Sinai. I wondered if Gentiles ever danced with their Bible. `Hey, Tony [he said aloud to an almost-forgotten Gentile friend]. Do you ever dance with your Bible?' John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Do you believe? What are you going to do about it?