STRANGE IDEAS FROM THE BIBLE
INTRODUCTION:
1. 1Cor.1:25-31; Acts 17:34 only a few believed.
2. The Bible never contradicts itself, but it contradicts some of man's most sure
and brightest ideas.
3. Men are so sure that they are right about what fulfills us, what makes us happy, what
we are all about, that when the Bible contradicts these ideas, it seems foolish in their
eyes.
4. Some of the teachings in the Bible which seem strange to the lost and dying world:
I. IF YOU WANT TO GO UP YOU GOTTA GO DOWN:
A. Down to humility (Jms. 4:10) otherwise you won't repent
B. Down into the waters of baptism (Acts 8:36ff)
C. Down in concern for worldly affairs and material goods (Mtt.6:33)
D. Down into the depths of sin, realizing you are lost! (Lk.15:11-32)
E. Down in anxiety, allowing the Lord to handle it (Phil.4:6-7).
II. IF YOU WANT TO BE SAVED,YOU MUST BELIEVE THE UNBELIEVABLE
A. 1Cor. 1:18-24
B. Sphagetti trees on British documentary in 1966.
C. The Jews required a sign: expected works alone to save them; Expected a sign
from God and then ignored the very substance of God, the Word, Himself
1) Matt 12:38-39 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying,
"Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39 But He answered and said to them,
"An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it
except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
2) Jno.1:10 - He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the
world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive
Him.
D. The Greeks sought wisdom: Humanistic, tried to figure it out on their own,
Depended on human wisdom, ignored the true light coming into the world.
E. The Gospel Doesn't Always Make Sense to People Today.
1) They can't figure out why we do what we do so they scoff;
2) Yet faith is crucial (Heb.11:6), not an unreasonable faith, but faith based on
evidence (Heb.11:1; Rom.10:17).
3) "Why are my sins not remitted when I bathe etc.?"
4) "If the Holy Spirit works through the word, every one who had a Bible, would
have the Spirit."
III. IF YOU WANT TO BE FREE, YOU MUST BECOME A SLAVE
1 Cor 7:22-23 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
A. Freedom comes from the inside; it does not depend on governments or social
systems, After the civil war many slaves refused to leave the plantations because
they were still bound in their minds.
B. There will always be those souls and minds who refuse to be bound, no
matter how hard they are oppressed (Prisoners of war etc.).
C. When we are slaves of righteousness, we are free from sin (Rom.6:16-18) Do you not
know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves
whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to
righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And
having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
1) We choose who our master will be;
2) We choose to be freed from the shackles of sin, guilt, despair, fear, and
hopelessness.
3) We voluntarily serve a master who will take us to Heaven to reign with Him.
D. True freedom is when you are free to serve whom you wish to (Jno.8:36) "Therefore
if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
IV. IF YOU WANT TO POSSESS YOU MUST GIVE AWAY (Lk.6:38)
A. Three men in church;
B. You can't reap if you don't sow (2Cor.9:6-7) But this I say: He who sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity;
for God loves a cheerful giver.
C. Put your treasure in Heaven (Mtt.6:19-21; Lk.12:16-21)
D. God gives back more than we give away (Lk.6:38)
E. Malachi 3:10- He is waiting to pour out the blessings! Bring all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the
LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for
you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
F. He sees beyond the gift to the heart (Lk.21:1-4) And He looked up and saw the rich
putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting
in two mites. 3 So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more
than all; 4 "for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but
she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."
V. IF YOU WANT TO BE GREAT YOU MUST BECOME A SERVANT
A. A wealthy man was bragging about what a big, expensive, casket he was going to
have.
B. Matt. 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers
of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over
them. 26 "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great
among you, let him be your servant. 27 "And whoever desires to be first among you,
let him be your slave-- 28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
C. Christ is the supreme example of this concept (Phil.2:5-8; Jno.13)
D. Life is easier and more productive as a servant (There is less competition at the
bottom of the ladder of success, especially if you are holding the ladder for
others to climb!); As a servant we don't have to worry about our position. There
is less pressure on one who serves than on one who leads.
E. They say it's lonely at the top, stay at the bottom and serve where you will have
plenty of company and be loved!
F. God's praise is better than man's praise: Jesus was exalted because He served
(Phil.2:9); Others will lift us up (Lk.14:10); God will lift us up (Jms.4:10)
VI. IF YOU WANT VICTORY OVER YOUR ENEMIES, HELP THEM:
A. Romans 12: 19-21- If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with
all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it
is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore "If your
enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will
heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good.
B. We destroy our enemies by making them your friends.
C. Don't oppose but have a conciliatory attitude (Rom. 12:18)
D. He won't fight against one who blesses him.
E. We are often the best weapon our enemy has; when we react with anger to
persecution, opposition, and gossip. To act hurt and upset is to give the enemy
his joy and power.
F. Act upon your integrity rather than reacting to the enemy's jabs.
G. Quit having enemies (You decide) They all need a Savior just as you did!
H. Especially among our brethren We are all in the same boat, let's stop beating each
other with the paddles and start rowing together.
VII. IF YOU WANT TO LIVE YOU MUST DIE (Rom.6:1-11)
A. A plant can't grow until the seed dies (1Cor.15:36); True in both the plant and
spiritual worlds. (Rom.6:5) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His
death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
B. You must die to sin before you can live to God (Rom.6:10)
C. Baptism is the burial of the old man of sin so the new man can emerge
(Rom.6:4). The old and the new cannot live in the same body at the
same time. Baptism is a death, burial and resurrection.
CONCLUSION:
1. How about you?
2. If you want to be saved you must believe the unbelievable!
3. If you want to free you must become a slave of righteousness!
4. If you want to possess you have to give away!
5. If you want to be great, you must become a servant!
6. If you want victory over your enemies, help them.
7. If you want to live, you have to die.