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Daily Radio Bible Podcast
The Daily Radio Bible Podcast takes listeners through the Bible in one year with Hunter Barnes. Listen on Spotify Google Podcast or Apple Podcasts
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Transcription begins here:
The Scriptures teach us and give us hope, and encouragement. I typically spend a little time at the start of each podcast referencing the role that the scriptures play in our lives. And I do this because there's a danger of Christians worshipping their Bible, rather than worshiping God. The Bible is not the Savior of the world Jesus is. I mentioned this at the beginning of today's podcast. And here, Paul gives us a description of some of what the Bible is doing in the life of the Christian. In verse four and five, he says this, such things were written in the Scriptures long ago, to teach us and the scriptures give us hope, and encouragement, as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled. Verse 5, may God who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Well, there you have it. Paul specifically gives a description of some of what the Bible is doing for us. It teaches us, It gives us hope and encouragement. And more specifically, in verse 5, he says, may God who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other. So it is God who gives us this hope and encouragement. The Bible is teaching us this. The Bible is directing us to the one who is our hope and our true encouragement. What is Paul waiting patiently for? Well, let's look back at the previous chapter, chapter 14, verses 17 through 18. Paul is praying for Christians in his church, to come to a greater understanding of the gospel, that followers of Christ would grow to understand that the gospel is not a matter of food and drink, but of the Spirit, and love and joy in the spirit. Romans 14:17 - 18 says for the kingdom is not a matter of what we eat and drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God and others will approve of you, too. They were getting lost in their religion. And they were missing the point. And they were arguing and hurting each other over religious practice and culture. They are missing the point, they are missing Christ. Paul sees that his churches need to grow up. But growing up takes time. And Paul's not getting discouraged, in the meantime. He's praying. And he's encouraging these churches to let the scriptures turn their hearts to Christ. And Christ will show and teach and demonstrate what the kingdom of God is truly like. It's far bigger than religious questions, cultural questions, like what do we eat or drink, or the meaning or observance of certain days, rather than others? No, the kingdom life we are invited into is about a good life, filled with peace and joy and confidence. It's about being healed. It's about serving others. It's about loving our neighbors, loving our enemies, and that life is reflected out into the world. And it looks like Jesus, because he is the point. And it's the Spirit of God living in you that is making that even possible. And Paul is letting the Bible teach him to be patient, to have hope to be encouraged. May God teach us today? May God give us hope today, and encouragement today. And may God give us a vision of the kingdom that is far greater than anything we have right now. There is more for all of us to behold. And the best is yet to be revealed. And the prayer of my own heart today is that I will see it and that I will be patient and that I will have hope and that I will have courage. That's the prayer that I have. For my soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family for my wife, my daughters, my son That's the pair that I have for you. Me happy so
You are loved!
