Foundations of Truth

Guest (Male): Welcome to Foundations of Truth, the Bible teaching ministry of Pastor Timothy Mann and Providence Church, Ormond Beach, Florida. Providence Church is a local assembly of followers of Jesus Christ dedicated to helping people become committed and mature followers of Jesus Christ. Now, here's Pastor Tim, teaching the word.

Dr. Timothy Mann: The Bible is a big book. 66 books, 66 individual books written by 40 human writers in three languages over 1,500 years. Over 1,100 chapters, over 31,000 verses, over 800,000 words. Would it really be possible to tell the story of the Bible, the account of the Bible, in one message? Well, that's my goal. We need to know what the Bible is really about. A lot of people are confused about the Bible. We need to know what the Bible is really about. It is history, but it is His story. And your story can be part of His story. It already is.

So tune in really well because we're going to start in Genesis and we're going to end in Revelation and see if we can cover the whole book in one message. Here is the story of the Bible told in six acts or scenes.

Act 1: God creates everything. Genesis 1:1, the Bible says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." In six days, God made everything. On the seventh day, He rested. That's Genesis chapter 1. Genesis chapter 2 tells us about Adam and Eve. God created Adam, the first man, out of the dust of the ground, not as a one-celled tadpole, out of the dust of the ground and placed him in the paradise of Eden.

Then He fashioned Eve, his wife, from a rib taken from Adam's side. And He presented Eve to Adam, who was very pleased indeed, and the two became one flesh. They were naked and they were not ashamed because they were innocent. That's Act 1.

Guest (Male): Act 2: Man rebels against God. Satan in the form of a beautiful serpent, very different from the form of a serpent today, appears to Eve and deceives her. She eats the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, gives it to her husband Adam, and he eats, even though the Creator had commanded them not to eat of it.

Eve ate the fruit because she was deceived by the serpent. Adam was not deceived as Eve was. He knew it was wrong but ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil anyway. And therefore, God holds him accountable.

The Bible says in Romans chapter 5, verse 12, sin entered the world through one man. That would be Adam. And this was the decisive moment, the great turning point. Nothing from that point forward will ever be the same. Suddenly, they were ashamed. They tried to cover their nakedness. Innocence is gone forever.

When confronted by the Creator, when confronted by God, Adam makes excuses. We've been doing that ever since. "God, who told you that you were naked?" Adam's line is, "The woman You gave me, it's her fault." First, he blames Eve, then he blames God. Eve blames the serpent. Judgment comes quickly.

They are cast out of this paradise called Eden. They are separated from God and they begin to die. God curses the earth. And yet, God clothed them with garments of skin from animals that He killed, a sign of His grace—the first picture of the innocent dying for the guilty.

Now they're on their own. The world becomes a very unfriendly place. Their son Cain kills his brother Abel, murders him. Civilization spreads. Large cities form. Death is everywhere. That's Genesis chapters 4 and 5. Things go from bad to worse.

In Genesis chapter 6, God intervened. The entire earth had grown corrupt and full of evil. God calls Noah, who builds an ark. When the global catastrophic flood comes, covering the whole earth and bursting forth from the deep, only eight people are saved.

Thus, do we learn of judgment and grace. The geography and the climate of the earth changes from what it was prior to this catastrophic event, this flood. Now the human line narrows to Noah and his family. After the flood, the three sons of Noah and their wives spread out and they begin to multiply.

Generations come and go. Life expectancy dramatically shortens from what it was before the flood. Eventually, mankind builds a tower to express their enormous arrogance. God sends the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel, and people scatter across the face of the earth. That's Act 2.

Act 3: God initiates redemption. Something enormously important happens in Genesis chapter 12. In Genesis chapter 12, God calls Abraham. He's a prosperous, middle-aged pagan businessman in the Ur of the Chaldees. God calls, he responds, and he becomes the outstanding example of faith in the Bible.

In reality, we could divide the whole Old Testament this way. Genesis chapter 1 through Genesis chapter 11, God creates the human race. Genesis chapter 12 all the way through the end of the Old Testament, Malachi 4, God creates the Hebrew race. Abraham and Sarah have a promised son, Isaac. Isaac has a son, Jacob. Jacob has many sons, the most important being Joseph.

Joseph ends up serving through a long, twisting line, Joseph ends up serving Pharaoh in Egypt. His family ultimately follows him there. They number 70 people. God blesses them until one day, a day comes when a Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph. For 400 years, the people suffered in bondage as slaves in Egypt until God raised up a deliverer named Moses.

Moses goes before Pharaoh and says, "Let my people go." When the Pharaoh says no, God sends ten plagues. The last one was the death of the firstborn. So Moses leads the Jews out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and into the desert. At Mount Sinai, God gives the law, starting with the Ten Commandments. You can read that in Exodus chapter 20.

At Kadesh Barnea, that location, they send out 12 men to spy out the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. It was a land said to be flowing with milk and honey. But because there were giants in the land compared to them, ten of the spies said, "No, we can't go."

Because the people did not believe God's promise, they wandered in the wilderness desert for 40 years, an entire generation. After Moses dies, then God raised up another leader, Joshua. He leads the people to conquer the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. They divided the land up for the 12 tribes of the Jews.

Then comes the very wild period of the judges, where every man did what was right in his own eyes. You might have heard of some of them: Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, Samson. The story of Ruth belongs in this period. God led His people by prophets and priests and judges. But the people wanted a king.

So God gave them Saul, who started well but ended bad. Then came David, whose victory over Goliath made the women sing his praises. But later, David's reign would be marked with his sin with Bathsheba and the responsibility that he had for the death of her husband—he had him killed.

Then came Solomon, David's son, the king who asked God for wisdom. He built the magnificent temple in Jerusalem, but he married foreign women who turned his heart away from God. That's 1 Kings chapter 11. Meanwhile, the priests offered sacrifices day after day, year after year.

A figurative and sometimes almost literal river of blood flowed from the altar in the temple in Jerusalem. High priests came and went. After Solomon's death, the nation split into two parts. The northern ten tribes were led by a long string of evil kings. They were actually taken into captivity in the year 722 BC by the Assyrians and never returned.

The southern two tribes had a few good kings, a lot of bad ones. They lasted until the year 586 BC, when the Babylonians took them into captivity. The prophets brought God's message of warning and hope. Isaiah spoke of a suffering servant. Jeremiah wept for his people. Daniel explained the handwriting on the wall.

The people of God languished in exile for 70 long years in Babylon. It was a hard, humiliating time for the Jews. Finally, God raised up two key men. The first was Zerubbabel, who led a small group back to Jerusalem at the end of the 70 years. Then in the year 445 BC, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls around Jerusalem.

Sometime after that, Malachi the prophet gave his message from the Lord. The Old Testament closes with a sense of longing and expectation. Promises had been made, the prophets had spoken, the people were waiting. What would God do?

Act 4: God accomplishes redemption. In a most unlikely way, in a most unlikely place, when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, the Savior, the Redeemer. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, He was born of the virgin named Mary, and it's not just any baby, but as the Old Testament prophesied, the seed of the woman, the son of David, the one whose name is, as Isaiah said, Immanuel, which means God with us.

Shepherds glorified Him, angels announced Him, the wise men brought Him gifts. The angel told Joseph in Matthew 1:21, "Call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." That is what the name Jesus means. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

He was baptized by John the Baptizer. He was tempted by the devil. He was misunderstood by the religious leaders, feared by some, hated by others. But the common people heard Him gladly. He was full of grace and truth. He was the fullness of God in bodily form.

The Bible says He went around doing good. He caused the blind to see, He made the deaf to hear, He cast out demons, He healed the sick, and He raised the dead. He invites all of the weary to come to Him for rest. He teaches God's law, He embodies God's love, and He fulfills God's promises.

He preaches to the masses, He speaks in parables, He is a friend of sinners everywhere. He repeatedly tells the 12 disciples that He will be betrayed into the hands of sinful men who will beat Him and crucify Him. He tells them that after three days, He will rise from the dead. He tells them that this is the will of God for the forgiveness of sins, for the salvation of sinners, for a new covenant.

They do not understand. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prays in agony. Judas betrays Him, Peter denies Him, the disciples abandon Him. Herod mocks Him, the soldiers beat Him, Pilate condemns Him to death. He is crucified between two criminals.

He cries out, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And then, "It is finished." And finally, "Into Your hands, I commit My spirit." Then He breathed His last breath. He was buried in a borrowed tomb. One day He was dead. Two days He was dead. But on the third day, but on the third day, they rolled the stone away.

The two women came to the tomb to anoint His body. They found the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. The angel said to them, according to Luke chapter 24, verses 5 and 6, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen."

The word began to spread, "He's alive!" Over 40 days, Jesus appeared to His disciples many times. He showed Himself risen and alive to over 500 eyewitnesses. His message is: "God is glorified, I am alive, redemption is accomplished, salvation is available. Go and tell everybody!" That's His message. And then He ascended into heaven.

Act 5: God gives birth to the church. For ten days, the 120 followers waited and prayed. That's Acts chapter 1, you can read about it. On the day of Pentecost, which is a Jewish festival, the Holy Spirit came in great power with the sound of a rushing wind, with tongues of fire.

The disciples speak in foreign languages they did not know. Peter preaches, and 3,000 repent of their sins, believe in Jesus, and are saved in one day. The New Testament church is born in Jerusalem and grows amid much opposition.

The message spreads throughout Judea and Samaria and then to Galilee. It moves across the Roman Empire as Peter and Paul and the other disciples preach the good news. The church faces growing opposition and rising heresy. There are troubles on every hand.

James writes, Peter writes, Paul writes, John writes. The New Testament is completed. So the word of the Lord spread, the disciples multiplied, and the church grew. Even in the face of intense opposition, the first Christians proclaimed this message: "Jesus is Lord. He is risen from the dead."

They said to anyone who would listen, "If you will repent and believe the gospel, Jesus will give you power over sin, over hell, over death, over the world, over the flesh, and the devil. Jesus Christ is Lord!"

Act 6: God completes redemption. If you go all the way to the end of the New Testament to the book of Revelation, there we find pictured the final act of history, the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.

The Revelation begins this way: it says this, "The revelation from Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place." If it was soon, ladies and gentlemen, 2,000 years ago, how much longer can it be? Jesus Christ is coming again.

I don't know about you, but to me, that's an amazing thought. It's magnificent, it is thrilling, it's unbelievable. Acts chapter 1, verse 11, the Bible says that this same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.

This same Jesus—not someone like Jesus, not a group of Jesus scholars, but Jesus Himself—is coming again. Coming soon to New York City, coming soon to Calcutta, coming soon to Beijing, coming soon to Montreal, coming soon to Cape Town, coming soon to Sydney, coming soon to Ormond Beach. Coming soon to a city, a town, a village, a street, a home near you.

Jesus is coming soon. Listen, when He comes, listen, when He comes the second time, it will not be as Savior, it will be as judge. It will be as judge. He came the first time as the Lamb of God. He comes again as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

When Christ finally appears the second time, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, whether they want to or not. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 16 and 17, the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we forever be with the Lord. Hey, the best is yet to come! The best is yet to come.

No wonder the Bible ends with these words: "He who testifies these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. Amen." Ladies and gentlemen, that is the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, that is the Bible.

God creates man, man rebels against God, God initiates redemption, God accomplishes redemption, God gives birth to the church, and God completes redemption. If we imagine this morning, and we can, if we imagine the Bible as a great sanctuary like this, and every book in the Bible as a seat in the sanctuary, then we can say wherever you go in the Bible, you've got a great view because you see Jesus everywhere.

In Genesis, He's the seed of the woman. In Exodus, He's the Passover Lamb. In Leviticus, He's the scapegoat. In Numbers, He's the serpent lifted up in the wilderness. In Deuteronomy, He's the cities of refuge. In Joshua, He's the scarlet thread on Rahab's house. In Judges, He's the perfect judge. In Ruth, He's the kinsman-redeemer.

In 1 Samuel, He's the trusted prophet. In 2 Samuel, He's the true son of David. In 1 Kings, He's the promise keeper. In 2 Kings, He's the jealous God. In 1 Chronicles, He's our reigning king. In 2 Chronicles, He's our deliverer. In Ezra, He's the faithful scribe. In Nehemiah, He's the rebuilder of broken walls. In Esther, He's Mordecai at the gate.

In Job, He's my redeemer who lives today. In Psalms, He is the Lord who is my shepherd. In Proverbs, He's our wisdom. In Ecclesiastes, He's our true satisfaction. In Song of Solomon, He's the beautiful bridegroom. In Isaiah, He's the suffering servant. In Jeremiah, He's the righteous branch. In Lamentations, He's the weeping prophet. In Ezekiel, He's the son of man.

In Daniel, He's the fourth man in the furnace. In Hosea, He's the faithful husband. In Joel, He's the one who restores. In Amos, He's the burden-bearer. In Obadiah, He's the mighty judge. In Jonah, He's the foreign missionary. In Micah, He's our peace. In Nahum, He's the avenger. In Habakkuk, He's the Lord in His holy temple. In Zephaniah, He's the Lord mighty to save.

In Haggai, He's the Lord of hosts. In Zechariah, He's the fountain of cleansing. In Malachi, He's the sun of righteousness. In Matthew, He's the promised Messiah. In Mark, He's the faithful servant. In Luke, He's the friend of sinners. In John, He's the Son of God. In Acts, He's the ascended Lord. In Romans, He's the justifier.

In 1 Corinthians, He's our righteousness. In 2 Corinthians, He's the God of all comfort. In Galatians, He's the redeemer from the curse of the law. In Ephesians, He's the head of the church. In Philippians, He's the all-sufficient Christ. In Colossians, He's the fullness of God.

In 1 Thessalonians, He's the Lord coming down from heaven. In 2 Thessalonians, He's the judge coming with blazing fire. In 1 Timothy, He's our mediator. In 2 Timothy, He's our master. In Titus, He's the blessed hope. In Philemon, He's the one who paid our debt. In Hebrews, He's our great high priest.

In James, He's the judge standing at the door. In 1 Peter, He's the chief shepherd. In 2 Peter, He's the morning star. In 1 John, He's the word of life. In 2 John, He's the son of the Father. In 3 John, He's the truth. In Jude, He's the Lord coming with countless thousands of His saints. In Revelation, He's the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Listen, He's the theme of the Bible. The whole book is about Jesus. The entire book is about Jesus. If you know the Bible but you don't really know Jesus, you've missed the whole point. Because the entire thing is all about Christ, from Genesis to Revelation.

As Handel said, "Of His kingdom there will be no end. He shall reign forever and ever. King of kings and Lord of lords. Hallelujah, amen." That's His story. And your story is part of that. He died in the place of sinners as a substitute on the cross. He rose from the dead to give eternal life for those who would truly trust in Him.

He is coming back for those who love and trust Him, and He will judge those who reject Him and rebel. He will roll back the curse and make all things new. If you have never done so, will you turn from your sin and give your life to Jesus today as your Savior and Lord? Will you do that?

Guest (Male): You've been listening to Foundations of Truth, the Bible teaching ministry of Pastor Timothy Mann at Providence Church, Ormond Beach. You're invited to join us on Sundays at 11:51 West Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach. For service times, Bible fellowship groups, and more information on activities at Providence Church, go online to theprovidencechurch.org.