Open the Bible

Colin Smith: That is the great invitation of the Bible. We read these words in the New Testament: come and see. Look at what Jesus did. Listen to what Jesus said. Take an honest look at what he claims and at what he offers. You may not believe, but at least, would you, dear friend, be open to allow the possibility that what God has said in the Bible just might possibly be true?

Steve Hiller: Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I'm Steve Hiller, glad that you're listening today. Colin, this invitation, "come and see," you said is one of the greatest invitations in the Bible. But for the person who does not know Jesus, maybe they're aware that they don't know him and they're curious, but they hear this invitation "come and see" and they're like, what does that mean? How do I come and see? Where do I go look? I would love for you to just talk a little bit more about what you mean by this invitation to come and see.

Colin Smith: If the person you're describing, Steve, had lived 2,000 years ago in Israel and one of the disciples of Jesus had said "come and see," what that would have meant is come to some place where Jesus is and actually listen to what he says, look at what he's doing. He's performing miracles, and you can come and you can actually have a look for yourself. Now, obviously, no one listening to this program was living 2,000 years ago. So what does it mean for us today?

To come and see for us today means that we open the Bible. That's why we are Open the Bible. The way in which you take a look at who Jesus is and listen to what Jesus said is in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the four books at the beginning of the New Testament that are given to us for this precise reason.

John says at the end of the fourth Gospel that these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. So the invitation is for any person and for every person to come and to listen to what Jesus said, recorded for us in the Gospels, to see what Jesus has done, and to receive by faith what Jesus Christ offers to every person who believes in him.

There's level ground for all of us here in that any person can come and see, any person can come and listen, any person can come and receive. What you're going to discover if you do open your mind and heart to Jesus through the Word of God, you're going to discover that what he offers and what he's able to do in your life is absolutely unique and absolutely wonderful.

For example, Jesus said on one occasion, here's something that you'll see in the Bible for yourself if you'll open it and listen. I'm just reading from John chapter 7. Jesus said, "If anyone thirsts"—now, that's going to be a whole lot of people thirsting, looking for something in life that you have not found—"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." Well, there's one promise of Jesus, one word of Jesus that we can listen to, believe, and see that this is what he offers. Oh, there's a whole lot more to be discovered, and in the program, we're going to take a little look at some of that today.

Steve Hiller: Well, let's do that together as we continue our message, "God Will Bless Us." Here is Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Friends, what we have here is the remarkable story not only of how God wonderfully supplied food and thereby delivered on what he had promised, but also the equally wonderful story of how God overcame all the barriers that stood in the way of the people actually receiving this provision that God had made.

The first barrier, of course, was the selfishness of the lepers. Here are these men feasting and storing up money while people are dying in the city, until God awakened their conscience so that they said, "We are not doing right."

And now we have this second barrier, which is the unbelief of the king. I want you to notice how this barrier was overcome. One of the servants urged the king to send out horsemen to see if what the lepers had said was actually true. And thank God, the king agreed to investigate. Verse 14: "So they took two horsemen, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, 'Go and see.'"

This is very important. The king did not believe the Word of God, but unlike the captain, he at least allowed the possibility that it just might be true. He was open to investigate. He said, "Go and see."

And dear friends, that is the great invitation of the Bible. We read these words in the New Testament: come and see. Look at what Jesus did. Listen to what Jesus said. Take an honest look at what he claims and at what he offers. You may not believe, but at least, would you, dear friend, be open to allow the possibility that what God has said in the Bible just might possibly be true?

That was the salvation of the king in the end, as we're going to see. The servant said to him, "Now, what do you have to lose? What do you have to lose by making an honest investigation of this extraordinary good news that has just been proclaimed to you?" That was the argument of the servant, and the king was persuaded by it. He said, "Go and see." And these words actually led to the salvation of the entire city.

So the king sent out his horsemen. They went as far as the River Jordan. Verse 15: "And behold, all the way was littered with garments and equipment that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste, and the messengers returned and told the king." This was a day of the most extraordinary good news for the king and for all of the people. God had promised an abundance of food, and God delivered on what he had promised.

But there is a somber end to the story, and it relates to the captain who we met earlier, the captain who refused to believe. Remember, we saw in chapter 7 and verse 2 that the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, "If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" And Elisha, the man of God, said to him, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it."

There was a very big difference between the king and the captain. The king did not believe, but at least he was open to investigate, "Go and see." But you see, this captain's heart was closed. He refused to believe. "If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?"

Now, this captain on whose hand the king relied had been put in charge of the city gate. That meant that the gatekeepers would have reported to him. So when the king, having now believed the good news, gave the order that the gates of the city should be opened, the captain, of course, was there.

I want you to picture him there with his back to the gate, looking into the city. There are crowds and crowds of people who are hearing the good news that there is food freely available just outside the city walls, and they're gathering and they're coming towards the gate. Here's this captain, and he's trying to maintain order. He's shouting out instructions, and he's telling people, "Get in line, get in line," and nobody's listening.

As the gates open, the crowd surges forward. The captain falls backwards, and as the people rush through the gate, he is trampled to death. Elisha had said to the captain, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it." And we read in verse 17 that the captain died as the man of God had said when the king came down to him.

Steve Hiller: Certainly a somber place for us to pause today's teaching as we're going to continue to look at this story from the life of Elisha in just a moment. Our message is called "God Will Bless Us," and it's part of a larger series called *In God We Trust*. If you ever miss a program in our series, you can always come and listen online. Our website is openthebible.org. You can stream the program or you can download an MP3 for free. You can also listen if you have the Open the Bible app. You'll find that for free at your app store. It's a great way to listen to Pastor Colin's teaching on demand whenever it fits your schedule. Again, come and listen through our website openthebible.org.

Have you checked out the *Hike Through the Bible* podcast yet? It's a companion piece to Pastor Colin Smith's book, *Hike Through the Bible*, where in 50 podcast episodes you take a journey through the entire Bible story from Genesis to Revelation. Pastor Colin is camping out on 50 key themes of the Bible story, talking about that, teaching on it, and then discussing that with some friends. It'll help you understand the Bible better and help you love Jesus more. If you've not checked it out yet, I hope you'll look for *Hike Through the Bible* anywhere you get your podcasts, or you can watch it on our Open the Bible YouTube channel.

If you joined us a little bit later, we're in the book of 2 Kings chapter 7 as we continue our message "God Will Bless Us." Again, here's Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Now, the lepers' words, "This is a day of good news," are really at the heart of this story. This remarkable story points us very clearly to our Lord Jesus Christ. You remember that when he was born, the angel announced to the shepherds, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

The word "Gospel" that you'll hear often in church because it's often in the Bible, the word "Gospel" simply means good news. And here is the good news. The good news is that God has opened the window of heaven. He's sent his Son into the world. The Lord Jesus Christ has defeated the enemy of our souls, and he now freely offers an abundant and eternal life to all who will come and receive it from him.

And among us in this service today, there will be four different responses to this good news. Because I fear that some of us will be like the captain. We hear the good news, we're used to hearing it, but we simply refuse to believe it.

I have to say to you, dear friend today, that the Lord Jesus gave a very solemn picture of what the last day will be like. He said many, many will come from east and west. People will be coming from all over the world and they'll be sharing in a great feast, sitting down at table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. But outside there will be people like the captain. That is, people who have heard the good news as you, my dear friend, have heard it perhaps many times but refused to believe it. And Jesus said outside there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, because you heard, saw what could have been yours, but you refused to believe it and therefore you did not taste of this great feast.

Dear friend, you do not want to be among those who refuse to believe on the last day. So there really is a solemn warning in the story that you really need to hear. If you're refusing to believe, God is speaking to you today. Do you not hear him? He is warning you of the danger of persisting in your unbelief. So today if you hear his voice, dear friend, please do not harden your heart.

And then some of us will be like the king. That is, we hear the good news but we doubt it. I've been thinking a lot about this king. He did some good things in his life. I mean, remember, this is the king who set a great feast before his enemies. This king set a great feast before his enemies, but he found it very difficult to believe that God would set a great feast before him.

Why did he find that so difficult to believe? Why do you find it so difficult to believe that God would set a great feast before you? Well, I suspect it was because this king had also done some terrible things in his life. I mean, we've seen today he ordered the execution of the man of God, the prophet Elisha.

But his servants urged him to take a look and see. And that's what I want to urge of you today. Come and see the provision that God has made for you. Come and see the Son of God, who when soldiers nail him to a cross says, "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing." Come and see the mercy of God that is on offer to you, that you can receive it. It can be yours today.

This is a day of good news. There's forgiveness, there's reconciliation with God, there is a glorious eternal life in heaven that are possible for you. God wants you to have this life and for you to enjoy it. He tells you that this life is in his Son. Come and see. What do you have to lose?

And if like the king you have questions, and there are some here this morning you say, "Well, I've got serious questions." Well, if you have serious questions as the king had, then do what this king did. That is, go and investigate. Come and see, look for the answers.

There is no question that you're asking about the Christian faith that many other people have not asked before and have found answers to. If you will seek, you will find. If you will knock, the door will be opened to you. If you will ask, you will receive. If you will investigate, there will be hope for you.

And then there will be some of us who respond to the good news like the lepers. That is, we have heard the good news and we have believed it, but we are keeping it to ourselves. We're very busy. The reason we're so busy is that we're storing away treasures that God himself has given. We're eating and drinking and all that God has provided, and there's so little time left really for anything else.

The Word of God to us today is very simple: we are not doing what is right. Christ died that we should no longer live for ourselves. Dear friends, God has trusted to us—that is, to his children—the greatest good news this world has ever heard. What will the king say if we keep it to ourselves?

And so it's very clear, isn't it, that God is calling us through this story in the Bible to a very different response from the captain or the king or the lepers. We are to respond as the lepers did in the end: by sharing the good news that we have discovered with others.

Friends, with all that's within my soul, I am convinced that the greatest need and the greatest opportunity of our time is that those who have heard and believed the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ should share it with others. And here's the thing: you don't need to be a prophet like Elisha to do that. This is something that even a leper can do.

And you know what? If you think about this story, in this story it's something that *only* the lepers could have done. Because if these men had not been lepers, they wouldn't have been outside the city gate, and if they'd still been in the city, they would never have been allowed to leave. The only people to discover the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ are sinners like us. And the only people, therefore, who can share this good news are sinners like us who have come to believe. Brothers, sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, we dare not keep this good news to ourselves. And if all who hear this message today will share what we have discovered and believe with others, then a vast number of dying people will live.

Steve Hiller: What a great challenge for every person who knows Christ. A reminder that we have the hope, the good news of the Gospel, that we need to share with all. I hope that you've been encouraged to do that as you've been listening to today's message, "God Will Bless Us."

But maybe as you've been listening, you realize that you don't know Christ in the way that Pastor Colin's been talking about, and you've got questions about that. You'd like to know more or to talk with someone about beginning that kind of relationship with Jesus. I hope you'll contact us here at Open the Bible. Our toll-free number is 1-877-OPEN-365. We have staff members who would love to talk with you about beginning that relationship with Jesus. Again, that's at 1-877-673-6365.

Today's message, "God Will Bless Us," is the final in a series called *In God We Trust*, where we've been taking a look at a number of stories from the life of Elisha. If you've missed any of the programs in our series, you can always come and listen online. Our website is openthebible.org. There you can stream the program or download an MP3 for free. You can also order a copy of the entire series on CD. Ask about *In God We Trust* when you call us at 1-877-OPEN-365. That's 1-877-673-6365, or you'll find ordering information online at openthebible.org.

We're able to bring you Pastor Colin's teaching each day because of your financial generosity. And as you give a gift of any amount this month, we want to say thank you by sending you a copy of *Lincoln's Daily Devotional*. Colin, what is one thing that you'd like people to take away from this book?

Colin Smith: Opening the Bible is really very simple. I think some people have the idea, oh, I don't have time for studying the Bible, and it's all very difficult and all very complicated. Actually, it's beautifully simple. *Lincoln's Devotional* is really a good place to begin.

What this book does is it gives us a verse for every day of the year. Just a verse, sometimes it's two verses from the Bible, but it's very, very short. The idea is that you try and take in a simple and wonderful truth or promise from the Word of God and then just carry it in your heart and in your mind to be able to draw strength from it, to draw comfort and hope from it.

Each month in this devotional is organized around a theme of part of the experience of a believer's life. So one month you'll be looking at the temptations that a Christian faces. Another month you'll be reading verses from the Bible about the sorrows that a Christian will experience. Another month you'll be reading about the joys, and of course, you'll end up reading about the glorious hope and the great future that lies ahead of every believer. Very simple. A verse from the old King James version of the Bible and a short poem or a verse of a hymn that just reflects on it added. And that's there for you every day for a year. It's a great place to get started, or if you've got bogged down, it's a great way to be refreshed.

Steve Hiller: Well, we want to send you a copy of *Lincoln's Daily Devotional* as our way of saying thank you for your financial support this month. You can give online at openthebible.org or when you call 1-877-673-6365. That might be easier to remember as 1-877-OPEN-365. And again, the website is openthebible.org. For Pastor Colin Smith, I'm Steve Hiller. Thanks for listening and I hope you'll join us next time.

This program is a listener-supported program of Open the Bible. Who in your life needs to know the God of the Bible and might be willing to open the Bible with you if you ask them? Most people can think of someone, and many are finding that someone in their life is open to this invitation: "Would you be interested in opening the Bible with me?"

*Fly Through the Bible* is a short, simple, and shareable book that will help you open the Bible with a friend, a neighbor, or a loved one who needs to know Jesus. It's also freely available online. *Fly Through the Bible* has 15 short sections, each with five discussable questions that will open conversations around the Word of God. For more information, visit openthebible.org/fly. That's openthebible.org/fly.