Peter Barnes | 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Psalm 119:9-11; Matthew 4:1-11; 22:34-40
SERMON NOTES
THE NEED FOR A CREED
1 Cor.15:3-4; Ps.119:9-11; Matt.4:1-11; 22:34-40
Apparently there are about 780,000 words in the Bible.
1. We need to summarise the Bible.
All doors need a key, and the Bible is a door that needs a key – even a few keys.
(a) the law. The law gives us God’s commands. Jesus summarises them for us – Matt.22:34-40.
(b) the gospel. The gospel tells us what God has done. Paul summarises that for us – 1 Cor.15:3-4.
2. We need to memorise parts of the Bible.
– Ps.119:9-11; Matt.4:1-11.
– Richard Wurmbrand spent fourteen years in prison in two lots, without a Bible. He tried to remember it.
– David Livingstone knew Psalm 119 off by heart. Learning is not just about looking up things via google.
Augustine: ‘Say it on your beds; ponder it in the streets; do not forget it during meals; and even when your body sleeps, keep watch over it in your heart.’
3. We need to know as much of the whole Bible as we can.
– Acts 20:27. See Acts 8:30-38 as an example. We need to be able to summarise the Bible; we need to memorise as much as we can; and we need to absorb as much of it as we can.