A "Different" Book
II Peter 1:15-21
Millions of people all over the world today will date letters and documents without giving a thought as to the meaning of the year 2002.
a. Why is this the year 2002 and not some other year such as 6002 or 3031?
b. The answer is Jesus Christ!
c. The calendar announces every year how long it has been since His miraculous birth.
d. "BC" and "AD"
e. It is interesting that whether a person believes in Jesus or not, every time he writes down the year, he personally announces that Jesus visited our world as a man.
If time is measured from the birth of Jesus do we not have to agree that He must be the most influential man ever to live?
Open your Bible noticed the title page says, "Holy Bible."
f. "Bible" simply means book.
g. "Holy" means different.
h. Why is different?
The Bible is different because:
It is the only book written by God.
II Pet. 1:21
II Tim. 3:16
"God breathed"
God’s words not man’s.
It tells us about eternity.
Temporal world and an eternal world.
Time exists in the temporal (hours, day’s months and years).
But time is temporary, because man is temporary.
Time had a beginning and time will one day end.
Man begins with birth and ends with death.
But in contrast to the temporal world where man lives, God lives in an eternal world.
Psa. 90:2
God lives in a different realm known as eternity.
God is eternal because He is without beginning and end.
Gen. 1:1 and II Pet. 3:10
Time is an island surrounded by an ocean of eternity.
When time is destroyed all that is left is eternity. Where will you spend it?
It tells us about Jesus.
All of time is dated from His birth and time will end with His coming. Human history is really His story.
The Bible may seem like a large book but it is not really.
We simply need to understand how it is divided.
BC (Old Testament – 39 books)
AD (Old Testament – 27 books)
Old Testament begins with Genesis or "The Beginnings" (Why Jesus had to come into the world).
Before Jesus could be sent, God prepared a special nation of people through whom Jesus could be born.
This nation would be holy or different.
Devoted to His purpose.
Abraham – Ten Commandments
History, prophesies, poetry; how God spent thousands of years getting the world ready ("Jesus is coming").
The theme of the first four books of the New Testament – "Jesus has come."
The Gospels tell of His birth, His life, and His death.
"Immanuel" – God with us.
To prove He was the Son of God, He performed many miracles. (Jn. 20:30-31)
Jn. 10:18
Acts through Revelation – "Jesus is coming again!"
Acts 1:11
Now all of history is moving to that moment when Christ comes back.
When Jesus returns He will judge the human race.
His first visit to earth was to save us from our sins; His second visit will be to judge us for our sins.
Jn. 12:48
It tells us what we must do for Jesus to save us from sins.
The most important question ever asked is in Acts 2.
II Thess. 1:7-8
I Cor. 15:3-4
Rom. 6:17-18
Rom. 6:3-4
My appeal to you is to study this different book.
This evening you may choose to obey this book and become a member of the family of God. That choice is the most important choice that you will ever make.
Jim Pharr
Lenoir, NC