TODAY'S THEME VERSE: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them."   Matt. 5:17

HARD SAYING FOR THE WEEK:

How can verses like Joshua 8:1, 10:7, and 11:6-8 be consistent with what Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:38-39? How could God both condone war in the OT and condemn those who retaliate against another person? Isn't this inconsistent and doesn't this prove that the Bible is not true in at least some places?

Personal retaliation is different than retaliation and enforcement of the law which is the responsibility of government officials (Rom. 13:3-4). Should we go to war? What does God's word say about it?

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY

1.    Who was Jesus?  Give me some of the names used for Jesus in St. John's Gospel.

The Light of the World, The Word of God, the Bread of Life, the Son of Man, the Son of God, Teacher, etc.

2.    What did the living Word of God have to say about God's Word? Did He trust it?   Did He think we should take it for what it's worth and live by it?  OF COURSE!       BUT, tell me how do you know that? Where does it say it?

      Let's look at a few passages this morning where Jesus is talking about the Word of       God, the Law. Answer the following questions for each passage:

      a.      What does Jesus say about the Bible (God's Word, the Law)?

      b.      What can we learn from these verses as we live our lives today?

      Matthew 4:4, 7, 10

      God's Word is all we need to beat the devil at temptation. We can learn to do       just what Jesus did here, have Scripture be so much a part of our lives, that       we will not succomb to the temptation of the devil and we will be victorious.

      Matthew 5:17 (theme verse for the day)

      Jesus came to fulfill the law. The Bible is full of Him and points to His       coming. The OT is true by Jesus' implication that He came to complete what was talked about then. What we can learn is that OT and NT are true and fit       together to give us a complete picture of God and what He has done for us.

      Matthew 22:37-40

      The Law and the Prophets were assumed by Jesus to be true. He says that       they all hang on two commandments-- Love God with everything and love       your neighbor as yourself. We can learn that Jesus thought God's law and   what the prophets said was true and it simply had to do with love-- love for   God and others.

      Luke 10:26-28

      He asks the person asking him the questions what is written in it. How does       that person understand it? This says to me that Jesus was concerned about       how others understood or didn't understand the law. In light of the fact that       this man was probably testing him, Jesus took the law, something that they       had in common to answer a "pesty" question. Jesus again here assumes the   law to be right by his comments in v. 28. When the man answers, he tells him       he has answered correctly, and that he will live if he does this. We can learn       this-- the use of God's Word when being tested by the world is not a bad       idea.       To do so will bring an answer that cannot be shaken, and God will       silence the mouths of the fools with his Word.

      John 17:17

      As we are in this world, struggling and needed to trust in God to save us as       believers from the evils of this world, Jesus prays an interesting thing-- make       them holy in this world by the truth. It is the truth that makes us holy. What is the truth? God's Word, according to Jesus. What do I learn from this?       Jesus wants us to be holy, to be sanctified. Other places (Rom. 15:16) the   Bible says that God's Spirit makes us holy. He does it though, by means of       the Word of God. It is the tool that God uses to make us like himself. Jesus       trusts it enough to call it the Truth. We should trust it that much too.

      Revelation 22:7

      Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Jesus says he    is coming soon! You want to know how to get ready for his coming? Keep the   words of the prophecy of this book! Certainly it's important to understand       the Revelation of John, but to understand that, you've got to understand the   entire rest of this book! Jesus is making the claim here that you must do the       prophecy to enter eternal life with him. Do it, just do it and you will live. So,   what's your excuse? Why aren't you trusting Him? Did you ever consider       this-- if you don't trust him today, he won't trust you to save you at the end   of the age? Think about and take God's Word seriously.