We are working through a sermon series helping to define who we are as a church, and who we want to be. Guided by the Spirit through the Scriptures, we have identified a number of descriptors or labels that will help sharpen our focus and clarify our thoughts. Our goal is to see ourselves as God sees us, as revealed in the Bible, to understand and embrace more who we currently are, and to know more clearly what we aspire to be. We’ve used the following phrase:
Hebron is a biblically-based, Christ-centered community of disciples, a Reformed, (classically) evangelical church in the Presbyterian tradition, worshipping, growing, and serving Christ in the East Hills of Pittsburgh.
All these phrases and terms might be somewhat self-evident; yet I think it will help us again to describe what each means and how they arise from the Scripture.
Going backwards for a moment—last week we talked about being a “biblical” church. One characteristic I highlighted was that we believe the Bible identifies itself as “the Word of God”—not a witness to the Word or a human tool to better understand God, but His very Word to us, His Church. And, if it is His Word, it carries His weight and His authority. While I didn’t take time to prove this statement, I mentioned some resources that would help clarify why we think the Bible speaks of itself as God’s Word, and why we think we can and must trust that. Some suggested readings:
- FF Bruce wrote “The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?” This is a modern classic, also perhaps the most scholarly of my suggestions. Bruce demonstrates that we can rely on the New Testament as faithful, and therefore God’s Word.
- Lee Strobel wrote “The Case for Christ.” It is well-written, engaging and the author lays out the case for reasonably believing in Christ, through interviews with scholars and professionals.
- Josh McDowell wrote “Evidence that Demands a Verdict.” This is truly a classic, dogmatic and straightforward piece. He does an excellent job of identifying all the avenues of thought one should take in this discussion.
- Paul Little wrote “Know Why You Believe.” These are the basic apologetics. The book gives short, readable sections on each of the key questions, including the authority of the Bible.
- Gregory Koukl, wrote “Tactics.” This is a more contemporary version of the previous two works. It covers similar ground with a bit more “bite” than others.
- William Craig wrote “Reasonable Faith.” It is a textbook on apologetics from a prominent philosophy scholar. It is not as easy to read, and assumes some familiarity with philosophic thought, nevertheless a solid presentation of the faith, including the reliability of Scripture.
These are just a sampling of what is available—some better, some worse. My guess is that many of you have your favorite book or author on apologetics. And, of course, there are many, many videos out there, again, some good, some less so.
The goal in all of this is to strengthen our faith, recognizing that God Himself has spoken to us, and by His grace, we have His Word.
For the coming week, we will be looking at what it means that we are “Christ-centered.” Read Colossians 1:15-18, Matthew 6:33 and Galatians 2:20.
- In Colossians, how do we know this text is speaking of Jesus? He is not mentioned by name… Is there any other being who might fit the bill?
- Being “firstborn” does not refer to the order of birth, but of status. What might you guess the status of the “firstborn” is compared to the rest of the family?
- Look at all the comprehensive terms used in this text: “all things” are mentioned numerous times—what is the author’s point? What does he envision Jesus as being master of?
- In Matthew 6:33, how does Jesus emphasize His preeminence, His supremacy?
- The prominence of Jesus should lead to a changed life for us. What evidence of that new life is evident in Paul’s writings in Galatians 2:20? To what extent have you embraced this vision of life?
By Henry Knapp