Teaching

(1) The Story of the Bible

What God is saying to us through the whole Bible.

Beads & String Illustration

The theme of the Bible

the string that runs through all the beads

The Bible is the story of God's plan to bless people from all nations through the offspring of Abraham, who is Jesus Christ.

Let's run through that statement:

The Bible is the story
It is One Story, from Genesis - Revelation. This is the string that holds the beads together.

of God's plan to bless people
God has been planning good for us since he first made people. We, all people, have all chosen God's curse (disapproval, shame, rejection, punishment), but instead of that, God wants to bless people (approval, honor, acceptance, life).

from all nations
Since Genesis 3, we see God's deep concern for all peoples (every tribe, tongue, nation, family)

through the offspring of Abraham
Ever wondered why the Old Testament is all about the Jewish people and why they are called the "chosen people"? We'll see this theme unfold as we go through the Old Testament into the New Testament.

who is Jesus Christ
The OT focuses our hope on the Messiah, who is revealed in the NT to be Jesus. Because Jesus took our sins, our shame, our death-penalty, our illnesses, we can receive all the good that God can give us.

RECAP

The Bible is the story of God's plan to bless people from all nations through the offspring of Abraham, who is Jesus Christ.

BOTTOM LINE:
God wants to bless us with life, which means that He wants a restored relationship between Him and us. He wants to be with you forever. And he has made the way for that to happen, by sending Jesus to live, die, rise again, and one day return to the earth.

Tonight, I hope that you:

realize that the Bible has a main theme
see that God wants to do good to you through Jesus
desire to make God's main theme into your own personal life theme

Survey of key passages that show this theme

God blessed people, IMMEDIATELY after creating them.

Genesis 1:26–28
[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

[27] So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

People chose disobedience and God's curse.

Genesis 2:15-17
[15] The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. [16] And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (ESV)

Genesis 3:6-8
[6] So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. [7] Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

[8] And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (ESV)

God promised salvation immediately after people sinned.

Genesis 3:14-15
[14] The LORD God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
[15] I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” (ESV)

God chose Abraham & will bless the nations through him and his offspring.

Genesis 12:1-3
[1] Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. [2] And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (ESV)

Genesis 17:7
[7] And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. [8] And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” (ESV)

God gave many promises of a coming Savior.

For example:

Psalm 110:1

[1] The LORD says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.” (ESV)

Jesus saw the whole Old Testament pointing to Him.

Luke 24:25-27
[25] And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! [26] Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” [27] And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (ESV)

John 5:39-40
[39] You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, [40] yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. [41] I do not receive glory from people. (ESV)

Jesus is the "offspring of the woman" (as in Genesis 3:15).

Galatians 4:4–7
[4] But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. [6] And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” [7] So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (ESV)

Jesus is the "offspring of Abraham" (as in Genesis 17:7).

Galatians 3:16
[16] Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. (ESV)

Galatians 3:13-14
[13] Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—[14] so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (ESV)

Jesus is the only way to God. He will be either the savior or judge of each person.

Acts 4:8-12
[8] Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, [9] if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, [10] let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. [11] This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. [12] And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (ESV)

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
[5] This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—[6] since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, [7] and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels [8] in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, [10] when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. (ESV)

Jesus is praised in heaven because he purchased people from every tribe, tongue...

Revelation 5:9-10
[9] And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
[10] and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.” (ESV)

Here's where life is headed for people who trust in Jesus: God will come to earth to be with those who believe in Jesus, forever.

Revelation 21:1-4
[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (ESV)

(2) Bible Study & Discussion

PASSAGE 1: Genesis 1:26-31
[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

[27] So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

[28] And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” [29] And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. [30] And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. [31] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (ESV)

Study skill: making observations

On your own: Make 5-10 observations about this passage. i.e. "God makes plans before he acts." "Both men and women are made in God's image." etc
With someone next to you: share which of your observations is particularly impactful for you and why?

Key concept: Being made in God's image

An image of a person reminds us of the person. i.e. A statue of George Washington is meant to remind people of the real George Washington.
Discuss in your group:
Have you ever thought that you (and every person) were created to remind people of God? How could this truth change the way we view ourselves or other people?
How does this passage help us to value both the male gender and the female gender?

What we learn about God

Based on the things God chose to do in creating, blessing and providing for people, what can we learn about God's character and values?

PASSAGE 2: Galatians 3:13-14
[13] Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—[14] so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (ESV)

Read these verses a few times.
God was so committed to doing good to people like you and me, that he was willing to let his Son be cursed for us. How does that thought affect you?
Who in your life might need to hear about God's love for them? How might you tell them about Jesus' death on the cross in a way they could connect with?

(3) Prayer

Pray with 1 other person. Talk with God about what you learned today and how it impacts your life.

(4) Upcoming NavNites:

Genesis - Why Abraham, of all people?

Exodus - What the Passover was all about

Numbers - What God showed Balaam

Judges & Samuel - We need a king...of a certain kind

Kings - Human kings failed, and so did Israel

Isaiah - Why Israel was exiled, but there's still hope

Ruth - God's faithfulness to bring us the Messiah

Psalms - David's songs: connect us to God and point us to Christ

Chronicles - How the Jewish people wrapped up the Old Testament

Matthew - Jesus brought in the kingdom, but not like we thought

Acts - How the Gospel of Jesus got to the nations

Wrap-up & Recap: Why Jesus matters