150. Beginner Bible Course: Top 10 New Testament take-aways from my students

EPISODE 150:  TOP 10 TAKE-AWAYS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

At the end of my course, I put my students into groups and I say, you've got 15 minutes to come up with your top 10 takeaways from the new Testament. I'm going to now share with you those 10 takeaways from this year's class, eight of them directly from my students. And two, I'm going to throw in there as their teacher, as a student or seeker of the Bible, yours might be different and that's cool, but here are my students. Number one, the new Testament teaches us. God wants all his kids back, whether the gospels or the letters, Gentiles, Samaritans, demon, drenched, wild men in graveyards. God goes after them.

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He wants his kids back. We mentioned even the night before Jesus' death, the placement of Judas in the circle, in the upper room, Jesus giving Judas the bread, the special symbol of an intimate friendship. It's as if Jesus is even trying to get his betrayer back. We saw that in the old Testament and it's driven home in the new God wants all his kids back. Number two, Jesus was fully human and shockingly like us. We saw this, especially in episode 85, God had thousands of years to plan the advent of his Messiah, Emmanuel God with us.

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And he chooses a poor blue collar set of parents in a backwaters town. He makes Jesus garden variety calm, and he makes Jesus grow physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially to grow into his skin and then causes him to experience life like we do in almost every way we do. And he fills his life with human tragedy. Jesus was like us. And we're told why, so that he could understand what God's kids go through. Number three, Jesus claims to be God, you can't get out of the gospels or letters without seeing this Jesus' words claimed that his seven, I am statements of John, his favorite term, the son of man, that old Testament term for the Lord God and coming Messiah king.

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And his works claimed that forgiving sins against God embracing and receiving the worship of people we learned in episode 1 21, Jesus claims to be God, either had to be true or false. If they were true, he is the living Lord come to bring God's kids back. If it's false, he's a liar or a loony tunes. Jesus wanted us to make a choice. He didn't leave us any other option. Number four, Jesus shed blood changes the rules completely. He brought in a new covenant promised in the old Testament between God and his people in crying out on the cross.

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Tetanus it's paid in full. He demonstrated sin now was not just covered with it bandaid, but was forgiven that we were justified before God, just as if I'd never sinned. And once this once for all sacrifice has been made, the holy spirit moves in number five. Jesus resurrection is the single greatest event of human history. We learned in episodes one 18 and one 19. No other explanation for this make sense. Paul tells us in the letters, if Jesus was not raised physically bodily from the dead, we Christians who follow him follow a dead savior are the most pitiful people on earth.

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But if he has been raised, if he literally is, as he claimed to be the resurrection in the life and that all who live and believe in him will have eternal life. This is the greatest event of history. It turns Earth's graveyards into the greatest places of hope on our planet. Think about that. Number six, we are made right with God saved by going all in on Jesus. Jesus made this and Paul put several exclamation points on it. It's belief not chores that make us right with God, Jesus, multiple conversations with people in the gospels and that poster boy, the thief to his left or right on the cross, a thief who hadn't done a single chore for God, make it clear.

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We are made right with God justified by company fleet. All in, throw yourself at Jesus' trust in Jesus as both Messiah and Lord number seven, Jesus, didn't just come call 12 disciples to come follow him. He calls all Christ followers to be his apprentices. In episode 89, Jesus used the imagery of coming to a yoke to learn beside him. If you haven't listened to 89, please listen to it. He invites us beside him in an intimate daily apprenticeship to learn from him. As we learn in the yolk, we become salty and light bears.

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We take on the words and attitudes of Jesus. Paul expands this, particularly in his letter to the Ephesians, as we're in the yoke with Jesus, we are to gather in groups, clusters, God's wiggly people. The church together God's wiggly. People are salt and light in this world bringing the kingdom of Jesus to every dark corner of our planet. Number eight, following Jesus is difficult. Jesus promised his disciples that following him would be no Sunday school picnic. And Paul expanded on this greatly. Paul reminded us of our sin nature.

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Our flesh, he reminded us were carried along by the currents of this fallen world. And we have an enemy who's pushing us to doubt the goodness of God to disobey, to be carried along by this world. But throughout the letters we're called to become new creatures. We're told to put off the old nature and put on the new we're told to feed the new dog. The spirit dog though, the outcome is glorious. There's nothing easy about the process of following Jesus. You can't get out of the new Testament and not realize that GK Chesterton said this. Christianity has not been tried and found wanting it's been found difficult and left on tried the new Testament, asks followers of Jesus to put on their big boy and big girl pants and to press forward to become transformed new creatures, which leads us to number nine.

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The holy spirit is a game-changer. Jesus said this to his disciples, that it would be much better for the disciples. When he was gone, when having been a sacrifice for our sin, he left in the holy spirit came and the new Testament letters show how vividly true that is now forgiven by all in faith, in the once for all sacrifice, the holy spirit of God moves into believers hearts. We use the metaphor of a ring of keys. We use the metaphor of a ring of key is each room or compartment of our lives. Given over to the holy spirit to be led by the spirit to be filled with the spirit moment.

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By moment, as we take back these keys, which we can, we are called to hand them back to God, to not grieve the holy spirit or throw a wet blanket on his power and ability to transform us and those dark corners of our world, where we live before leaving Jesus said your human effort will accomplish exactly nothing. It is my spirit that gives life there in the yolk. It is the spirit that gives the power and direction for our lives. The spirit, the helper is the game changer. If you haven't listened to episode 1 23 on the helper, please do that.

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And number 10, it's not over this Jesus story is not over the night before he died. Jesus said, I go to prepare a place for you. And when that is finished, I will come again and take you onto myself. That where I am there, you may also be from the beginning of the old Testament. That was God's promise. I'll be your God. You'll be my people. And we'll be together. The new Testament promises, Jesus will come in like manner as he left. It sounds like he's coming to do Messiah part to that king thing and for sure to collect and be with his beloved kids.

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So that's it a simple cover to cover overview of the scripture in simple words and word pictures. I hope if you're a seeker or a student of the Bible, this has helped you take the next step. Just a couple of little housekeeping things before we part first. Thanks so much for tagging along second. At the end of my course, I asked my students what question is still caught in the, for of your soul. Something important. I haven't answered. You should see the great questions I get. I don't get these same students back at my school. Maybe I'll record a few podcasts to answer those questions.

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And maybe you listening who are not my students have similar questions. If you do. I invite you to email those questions. To me, email me at Bible word picks. That's P I C s@gmail.com. Or you may go to this podcast website, Bible word, pics.com again, pic CS, and send an email with your question. Maybe I'll answer your question in a future podcast. And last, if this has been helpful to you, would you consider sharing it with someone who may need a similar cover to cover survey in simple words and word pictures, just tell them to search word pictures, one word on any podcast app, or go to the website, Bible word, picks.com where they can find all 150 episodes plus transcripts summary notes, and even a few blog articles of interest.

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Thank you so much for letting me be your guide.