100:00:00,260 –> 00:00:08,580It was in the beginning that God created them male and female. This was God’s idea.200:00:08,580 –> 00:00:19,340The first sexual thought in the universe was in the mind of God. And the first300:00:19,340 –> 00:00:25,660sexual thought in the universe was absolutely pure. Welcome to Open the400:00:25,660 –> 00:00:29,680Bible with pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. Glad you could be with us today and500:00:29,760 –> 00:00:33,540Colin I think, it won’t have occurred to many people that the first thought about600:00:33,540 –> 00:00:38,160sex in the universe was God’s. God made them male and female and what a700:00:38,160 –> 00:00:42,360marvelous thing that he did. You know I suppose in our culture a lot of people800:00:42,360 –> 00:00:47,340have thoughts about sexuality that somehow this is a sort of murky900:00:47,340 –> 00:00:53,279area, and the reality is you know too often we’ve made it a murky area. I find1000:00:53,279 –> 00:00:58,080it tragic just to see the extent to which you know kids in high school and1100:00:58,200 –> 00:01:03,320this dance and that dance and the degree of experimentation that goes on and the1200:01:03,320 –> 00:01:09,019degree of wounding that comes out of it and the lost sense of a vision for1300:01:09,019 –> 00:01:14,980what it is to seek to live a pure life and to place this wonderful gift where1400:01:14,980 –> 00:01:22,419God placed it within the unique, secure, faithful, loving, bonds of a marriage. But1500:01:22,419 –> 00:01:29,680where it is there it is a marvelous pure, beautiful, and lovely gift and I think1600:01:29,680 –> 00:01:34,699for us to see that and to proclaim that and to call people to see the joy of it1700:01:34,699 –> 00:01:39,160and the richness of it is something very important and something straight out of1800:01:39,160 –> 00:01:42,779the Bible. It’s good for us to hear that and many parents struggle to1900:01:42,779 –> 00:01:46,739communicate that to their children when they’re at an appropriate age of course.2000:01:46,739 –> 00:01:51,500I think many will find today’s message really helpful in that regard. So with2100:01:51,500 –> 00:01:56,059the message Your Struggle For Purity, here is Colin. Please open your Bibles2200:01:56,059 –> 00:02:02,180at Exodus and Chapter 20 and verse 14 we come today to the seventh commandment2300:02:02,180 –> 00:02:10,179where God says to us, you shall not commit adultery.2400:02:10,179 –> 00:02:14,179During the last week, some folks asked me what the sermon was going to be about2500:02:14,179 –> 00:02:21,139today I told them the subject and they said it sounds like a pretty good Sunday2600:02:21,300 –> 00:02:30,699to skip church so I’m really glad you’re here. I wondered if anyone would come.2700:02:30,699 –> 00:02:35,740I want you to know right from the outset today that I am very aware of how2800:02:35,740 –> 00:02:43,300sensitive and how painful an issue sometimes this is for many people.2900:02:43,300 –> 00:02:48,740It’s surely an area in which there is pressure on us all.3000:02:49,399 –> 00:02:55,699Remember Jesus described his generation as being an adulterous generation.3100:02:55,699 –> 00:02:59,419Remember Jesus used that phrase, a wicked and adulterous generation.3200:02:59,419 –> 00:03:05,179That’s how he described his own times. An adulterous generation of course is a3300:03:05,179 –> 00:03:11,020generation that has become confused in attitude and disordered in behavior in3400:03:11,020 –> 00:03:16,860the whole area of sex, and there is no doubt whatsoever that we live in an3500:03:16,860 –> 00:03:23,259adulterous generation. It’s one of the sadnesses is it not that our country3600:03:23,259 –> 00:03:31,179built on such principles to honor the Lord has become the primary3700:03:31,179 –> 00:03:38,539producer for the whole world of pornography. And we live in a setting at3800:03:38,539 –> 00:03:44,179the beginning of the 21st century where it is extremely difficult to be pure in3900:03:44,279 –> 00:03:50,139your mind, and in your heart, and in our behavior. We’ve called the series4000:03:50,139 –> 00:03:54,660Unlocking your 10 greatest struggles and we’re using the image remember of4100:03:54,660 –> 00:04:00,440climbing a cliff face and when it comes to this struggle some of us are on the4200:04:00,440 –> 00:04:04,279cliff face and we feel like we’re gonna fall we’re not quite sure how to move4300:04:04,279 –> 00:04:08,839forward and if you’re stuck on the cliff face the last thing in the world that4400:04:08,839 –> 00:04:13,800you need is someone shouting at you. We’re not going to do that today. What4500:04:13,820 –> 00:04:17,739you do need is someone who can show you where you can put your foot or where you4600:04:17,739 –> 00:04:21,059can put your hand so that you’re not going to fall off but you are going to4700:04:21,059 –> 00:04:27,700keep as we were reminded earlier pressing on. So I want to speak in a way4800:04:27,700 –> 00:04:33,779that will be encouraging on this issue today and to show where the door of hope4900:04:33,779 –> 00:04:39,100is to be found. And then I am also conscious of course that we have a5000:04:39,100 –> 00:04:42,839growing number of children in the congregation and that is a wonderful5100:04:43,000 –> 00:04:47,679thing that we want to encourage every Sunday so I will try and speak in a way5200:04:47,679 –> 00:04:55,140that is clear but also a way that is discreet. Now, talking of children, the5300:04:55,140 –> 00:05:00,279best message that I have ever heard bar none on the Seventh Commandment, I heard5400:05:00,279 –> 00:05:05,160downstairs in the Fellowship Hall on a Sunday morning when I was not in the5500:05:05,160 –> 00:05:10,380pulpit, I was free to visit some of the classes and it so happened, two years ago5600:05:10,519 –> 00:05:14,459they were doing the Ten Commandments in Sunday school and I heard the Sunday5700:05:14,459 –> 00:05:18,260school teacher tell the story that I noted down and I’ve adapted it a little5800:05:18,260 –> 00:05:22,820bit but it remains in my mind the clearest depiction of what the Seventh5900:05:22,820 –> 00:05:26,000Commandment is all about that I have ever heard. So, I don’t often tell6000:05:26,000 –> 00:05:30,619children’s stories from the pulpit but is it alright if I tell one today?6100:05:30,619 –> 00:05:37,459Okay, you can settle back. This is a story about a little boy called Sam and about6200:05:37,540 –> 00:05:43,320his friend who was called Johnny. Now, one day Sam’s mother asked him what he would6300:05:43,320 –> 00:05:46,880like to do for his birthday. Well, he said, Sam, I’d like to have a6400:05:46,880 –> 00:05:51,959party, then I’d like to have a sleepover, and then the next day I want to go6500:05:51,959 –> 00:05:57,079fishing with my dad. Mom said, well that’s great, who’d you want to come to your6600:05:57,079 –> 00:06:00,239party? He said, I just want one person to come6700:06:00,239 –> 00:06:05,380Johnny, he’s my best friend I want Johnny to come for the party Johnny to stay for6800:06:05,380 –> 00:06:09,140the sleepover I want Johnny to come on the fishing trip with dad as well okay6900:06:09,140 –> 00:06:16,019said his mum if that’s what you want so the next day Sam asked Johnny if he7000:06:16,019 –> 00:06:21,299would come to the party which was going to be on Friday boys and girls which day7100:06:21,299 –> 00:06:25,899was it going to be on Friday wait got it I just want to make sure you’re with me7200:06:25,899 –> 00:06:30,619now okay Johnny said Sam I want you to come to my7300:06:30,619 –> 00:06:34,640party we’re gonna have a sleepover then it’s gonna be fishing it’s just gonna be7400:06:34,739 –> 00:06:40,059the two of us it’s on Friday and it’s gonna be awesome well Johnny was really7500:06:40,059 –> 00:06:44,920excited cuz Sam was his best friend and Johnny really like going to Sam’s house7600:06:44,920 –> 00:06:50,899for a sleepover it’ll be great he said to Sam you will definitely come said Sam7700:06:50,899 –> 00:06:56,079because you’re the only person I’ve invited to the party7800:06:56,600 –> 00:07:04,760I’ll definitely come said Johnny I promise. Well a few days later before the7900:07:04,760 –> 00:07:10,739party another boy in the class whose name was Luke talked to Johnny Hey8000:07:10,739 –> 00:07:15,660Johnny said I’m having a party he said it’s gonna be marvelous it’s gonna be at8100:07:15,660 –> 00:07:22,019Chuckie Cheese’s. Marvelous and Chuckie Cheese’s was Johnny’s favorite8200:07:22,019 –> 00:07:25,579place and when he asked who was going to the party found that a whole group of8300:07:25,640 –> 00:07:28,859his friends were going to be at Luke’s party and he said it’s going to be8400:07:28,859 –> 00:07:32,059marvelous oh yeah he said it’d be wonderful. After the party we’re all8500:07:32,059 –> 00:07:36,540gonna have a sleepover and it’s gonna be intense.8600:07:37,179 –> 00:07:41,980When’s the party said Johnny it’s going to be on you guessed it8700:07:41,980 –> 00:07:49,700Friday. Ah Johnny didn’t know what to do. He loved Chuckie Cheese’s and all his8800:07:50,299 –> 00:07:55,980going to Luke’s party but he promised that he would go to Sam’s. A few minutes8900:07:55,980 –> 00:08:01,779later he saw Sam in the playground he said Sam I’m not sure if I’m going to be9000:08:01,779 –> 00:08:09,799able to come to your party. I know it said Sam well Luke’s9100:08:09,799 –> 00:08:16,100having a party and I’d really like to go to that one9200:08:16,179 –> 00:08:21,040well Sam didn’t say a thing he didn’t know what to say9300:08:21,040 –> 00:08:27,739but later he came home and he cried and he cried and he cried9400:08:27,980 –> 00:08:34,059Johnny told me was coming to my party he said to his mum he said it was my best9500:08:34,059 –> 00:08:43,580friend he promised he’d come and then after a while Sam got angry I don’t9600:08:43,580 –> 00:08:49,059care if Johnny doesn’t come to my party he said I hate him and he’s never going9700:08:49,059 –> 00:08:55,679to be my best friend again well Johnny wasn’t very happy when he went home9800:08:55,679 –> 00:08:59,000either he had been invited to two parties and he knew he had to make up9900:08:59,000 –> 00:09:03,679his mind he promised to go to Sam’s they wanted to go to Luke’s what was he10000:09:03,679 –> 00:09:09,340gonna do so he decided to ask his dad he said I’ve got a bit of a problem10100:09:10,340 –> 00:09:15,280I promised to go to Sam’s party but now I’ve been invited to go to Luke’s party10200:09:15,280 –> 00:09:18,799and I want to go to that one too and Luke’s party said is a chuck-e-cheese10300:09:18,799 –> 00:09:24,679and then they’re gonna have a sleepover and it’s going to be intense but the10400:09:24,679 –> 00:09:27,380thing is dad I told Sam I’d come to his party10500:09:27,380 –> 00:09:30,840I I promised10600:09:31,419 –> 00:09:35,820Mmm said his dad you know dad sometimes do that don’t they10700:09:35,880 –> 00:09:47,539mmm so you made a promise and then you got to better offer this is a big10800:09:47,539 –> 00:09:58,739decision his dad said to Johnny and then he said this Johnny what if I got a10900:09:58,739 –> 00:10:04,119better offer for a wife you know he said there are really a lot11000:10:04,679 –> 00:10:08,500of very smart women who work in my office and some of them are pretty11100:10:08,500 –> 00:10:17,840friendly you can’t do that said Johnny you made a promise to mom11200:10:17,840 –> 00:10:24,599that’s right said his dad and that’s why it’s really important11300:10:24,599 –> 00:10:31,000that we learn to keep our promises even when we’re young so the next morning11400:10:31,380 –> 00:10:36,719phone’d Sam, Sam I’m sorry said I upset you about talking about Luke’s Party I11500:10:36,719 –> 00:10:41,400should never have done that if you still want me to come to your party I really11600:10:41,400 –> 00:10:47,659want to come well Johnny had a blast at Sam’s party and so did Sam in fact they11700:10:47,659 –> 00:10:51,380had so much fun that Johnny didn’t even think about Chuck E Cheese’s or Luke’s11800:10:51,380 –> 00:10:56,000party or the tents and the next morning when they went out fishing they caught a11900:10:56,140 –> 00:11:04,340fish so big that it took both of them to pull it in well a few days later Johnny12000:11:04,340 –> 00:11:09,479got a note in the mail from Sam and it said dear Johnny thanks for making my12100:11:09,479 –> 00:11:15,580party the best I’ve ever had and it was the best party Johnny had ever been to12200:11:15,580 –> 00:11:18,760as well Johnny smiled to himself he felt good12300:11:18,760 –> 00:11:27,419inside and he was so glad that he’d kept his promise. Now that’s what the12400:11:27,419 –> 00:11:32,460Seventh Commandment is all about. It’s about keeping your promise and at the12500:11:32,460 –> 00:11:36,400simplest level that we can understand as children the importance of keeping a12600:11:36,400 –> 00:11:43,219promise even when we’re young that story is also a very profound parable you know12700:11:43,219 –> 00:11:48,859all of its dimensions or our adult understanding of the Seventh12800:11:48,859 –> 00:11:53,840Commandment and all that it says to us. You’re listening to Open the Bible with12900:11:53,840 –> 00:11:58,159Pastor Colin Smith, on a message called Your Struggle for Purity, part of our13000:11:58,159 –> 00:12:02,559series the 10 Greatest Struggles of your Life, and if you’ve missed any of the13100:12:02,559 –> 00:12:05,780series or if you want to go back and listen again come to our website13200:12:05,780 –> 00:12:12,900openthebible.org.uk back to the message now here’s Colin. Now Jesus of course13300:12:13,039 –> 00:12:17,059made it clear that the seventh commandment is about keeping your13400:12:17,059 –> 00:12:22,539promise. Not just in what you do but also in what you think. Remember his13500:12:22,539 –> 00:12:26,799words in Matthew chapter 5 where he explains the seventh Commandment he said13600:12:26,799 –> 00:12:30,580heard that it was said do not commit adultery, but I tell you that13700:12:30,580 –> 00:12:35,780anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her13800:12:35,780 –> 00:12:42,299in his heart. So the words of Jesus make it clear that this issue of purity13900:12:42,359 –> 00:12:48,659goes even to our thoughts. And since it involves our thoughts as well as our14000:12:48,659 –> 00:12:54,419actions, there can be no doubt surely that this speaks to one of the ten14100:12:54,419 –> 00:13:00,559greatest struggles of our lives. Now in the time that we have I want to do two14200:13:00,559 –> 00:13:05,619things very simply. The first is to give a Biblical framework for understanding14300:13:05,619 –> 00:13:09,380our sexuality. And I want to do that in three simple statements that are very14400:13:09,380 –> 00:13:13,479very important. But it’s important for us to grasp a Biblical framework for this14500:13:13,479 –> 00:13:19,400important issue. And then secondly I want us to identify two issues in which we14600:13:19,400 –> 00:13:25,539need practical help in moving forward to overcome in the struggle. So first of all14700:13:25,539 –> 00:13:29,299then the Biblical framework in three statements. Here’s the first, God has14800:13:29,299 –> 00:13:36,140given us the good gift of our sexuality. God has given us the good gift of our14900:13:36,219 –> 00:13:40,760sexuality and I want to emphasize that phrase, the good gift. It was in the15000:13:40,760 –> 00:13:46,460beginning that God created them male and female. This was God’s idea. This is15100:13:46,460 –> 00:13:56,419wonderful. Think of what that means the first sexual thought in the universe was15200:13:56,419 –> 00:14:05,520in the mind of God. And the first sexual thought in the universe was absolutely15300:14:05,520 –> 00:14:13,840pure. In the creative genius of God he conceives this marvellous way in which15400:14:13,840 –> 00:14:18,359he will create not just humanity but male and female. He creates the woman15500:14:18,359 –> 00:14:23,119from the man, he then brings the woman to the man in the first marriage and in15600:14:23,119 –> 00:14:28,760that first marriage there is not just a union there is a reunion, a completion15700:14:28,760 –> 00:14:35,460for both. It goes back to the very nature of their creation. it’s a wonderful15800:14:35,460 –> 00:14:42,000thing the beautiful thing for us to grasp. Now I say this because this is15900:14:42,000 –> 00:14:45,080very important especially for those who may have been brought up with a16000:14:45,080 –> 00:14:50,299negative view of these things. We read this morning earlier from the book of16100:14:50,299 –> 00:14:56,059Hebrews that says that the marriage bed is to be kept pure and the reason of16200:14:56,059 –> 00:15:03,460course that it is to be kept pure is that it is pure and some need to help16300:15:03,539 –> 00:15:07,940from the scriptures of really seeing that God has made this wonderful and16400:15:07,940 –> 00:15:14,679beautiful and pure gift within the bonds of marriage. The Bible has a very16500:15:14,679 –> 00:15:19,000wonderful phrase to describe the partnership of a man and a woman in16600:15:19,000 –> 00:15:23,200marriage. You remember from Genesis chapter 2 and verse 24 it’s quoted by16700:15:23,200 –> 00:15:25,760the Lord Jesus also in the New Testament.16800:15:25,760 –> 00:15:29,880A man God says will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and16900:15:29,880 –> 00:15:40,059they will become one flesh. A beautiful phrase. They will become one flesh now17000:15:40,059 –> 00:15:45,659becoming one flesh obviously involves the union of two bodies in marriage but17100:15:45,659 –> 00:15:49,400it involves much more than the union of two bodies it is the joining together of17200:15:49,400 –> 00:15:55,179two minds and two hearts and two wills two souls two spirits it is the joining17300:15:55,260 –> 00:16:04,539in a beautiful union two lives in partnership together. To try and give an17400:16:04,539 –> 00:16:09,619illustration of this. Those who know a little bit of theology will be familiar17500:16:09,619 –> 00:16:13,200with the words justification and sanctification. In fact I think most of17600:16:13,200 –> 00:16:16,380us here should know these words because we use them often. They’re Bible words17700:16:16,380 –> 00:16:21,320justification and sanctification, you say where is Nelsie going with this, I17800:16:21,320 –> 00:16:24,619promise you hang on, you never knew theology was going to be so interesting17900:16:24,640 –> 00:16:29,960these two words justification and sanctification justification remember18000:16:29,960 –> 00:16:37,280is a decisive event in which you are forever bonded to Christ. Sanctification18100:16:37,280 –> 00:16:44,840is an ongoing process by which you grow in your relationship with him. Now when18200:16:44,840 –> 00:16:51,440we come to this phrase one flesh, it’s a little bit like both of these. When the18300:16:51,440 –> 00:16:54,739Bible talks about the man and the woman becoming one flesh within the bond of18400:16:54,739 –> 00:17:00,799marriage, it is both a decisive event in which you are bound forever to the one18500:17:00,799 –> 00:17:06,800to whom you have given your pledge, but it is also a lifelong process of growing18600:17:06,800 –> 00:17:15,579together increasingly in body and mind and soul and spirit. And God has blended18700:17:15,579 –> 00:17:18,439these things together, just like justification, sanctification should18800:17:18,439 –> 00:17:22,339never be separated in the Christian life, so these dimensions of what it means to18900:17:22,339 –> 00:17:27,400be one flesh should never be separated in marriage. You see, a lot of marriages19000:17:27,400 –> 00:17:34,760run into difficulty, it seems, because some husbands are very interested in19100:17:34,760 –> 00:17:40,660being one in body but not always as interested as they ought to be about19200:17:40,660 –> 00:17:47,500being one in mind and soul and spirit. am I saying that right?19300:17:47,500 –> 00:17:53,439And some wives are very interested in being one in mind and spirit and soul19400:17:53,439 –> 00:18:00,380but don’t have a lot of interest in being one in body. Now, God has brought19500:18:00,380 –> 00:18:03,520these two things together and what God has joined together should never be19600:18:03,520 –> 00:18:08,260separated. The Church of England has a beautiful phrase that’s used in the19700:18:08,540 –> 00:18:12,359the marriage service in its liturgy. After the vows have been made by a couple, the19800:18:12,359 –> 00:18:16,760pastor will say these words over the couple. He will say as a prayer to God,19900:18:16,760 –> 00:18:24,520Strengthen the union of their hearts by the union of their bodies. That’s20000:18:24,520 –> 00:18:28,479beautiful. Strengthen the union of their hearts by20100:18:28,479 –> 00:18:32,140the union of their bodies. These two things together, part of what it means to20200:18:32,939 –> 00:18:39,000what God has joined together let no man or woman separate. That’s the first20300:18:39,000 –> 00:18:43,380thing. God has given us the good gift of sexuality and some of us need to be20400:18:43,380 –> 00:18:49,160refreshed from the Scriptures about the goodness of it. Second we all live with20500:18:49,160 –> 00:18:54,219the pressure of a fallen sexuality. The entrance of sin into the world has20600:18:54,219 –> 00:18:59,780affected every area of our lives. The effects vary, but all of us live with the20700:19:00,380 –> 00:19:05,180effects of a fallen sexuality. That means that we’re tempted to take God’s good20800:19:05,180 –> 00:19:10,939gift and to use it wrongly, to use it not as a means of expressing20900:19:10,939 –> 00:19:19,140love within marriage but as a means of finding release or of fulfillment.21000:19:19,140 –> 00:19:23,020The proper place of sexual union the Bible makes clear is within a loving and a21100:19:23,020 –> 00:19:28,619lifelong marriage, a partnership of one man and one woman. But if we take God’s21200:19:28,619 –> 00:19:36,060wonderful gift outside of marriage with another person or if we seek to use it21300:19:36,060 –> 00:19:44,939on our own, then we abuse God’s gift because we lose sight of its purpose.21400:19:44,939 –> 00:19:49,839I came across a brilliant analogy to illustrate this point that I will21500:19:49,839 –> 00:19:53,900certainly never forget. I hope it will be the same for you also. Perhaps I21600:19:53,900 –> 00:20:02,099can best summarize the illustration in this way. Sex on your own is the21700:20:02,099 –> 00:20:09,739spiritual equivalent of glue sniffing. Now think about that. The purpose of glue21800:20:09,739 –> 00:20:17,199is to bind two things together, and when glue is used for that purpose it is a21900:20:17,199 –> 00:20:23,819wonderful, wonderful thing. But if a person goes off on their own and uses22000:20:23,819 –> 00:20:29,880glue to get a kick, or to get high, they are perverting its purpose and doing22100:20:29,880 –> 00:20:37,020damage to themselves. That’s not what it’s for and if you use it like that you22200:20:37,020 –> 00:20:43,560do damage to yourself. Now that is why the whole issue of pornography in our22300:20:43,640 –> 00:20:49,020society is so serious. We have come to see in our society sex as a means of22400:20:49,020 –> 00:20:55,839release, rather than an expression of love. And because increasingly we are22500:20:55,839 –> 00:21:02,520pumped with this kind of an approach, it debilitates often within marriage, and22600:21:02,520 –> 00:21:10,459it causes so often us to think in terms before and outside of marriage that ruin22700:21:10,459 –> 00:21:17,199our very capacity to be good at expressing the heart of love. When we see22800:21:17,199 –> 00:21:24,500sex as an outlet for tension rather than as the glue to bond together, God’s gift22900:21:24,500 –> 00:21:29,979gets abused, and that can happen both inside and outside marriage. Of course,23000:21:29,979 –> 00:21:34,560Ronald Wallace, a very insightful writer makes this comment that I find very, very23100:21:34,599 –> 00:21:41,319helpful. He says, instead of serving true love, sex used in this way becomes23200:21:41,319 –> 00:21:48,199harnessed to self-centeredness. It thus tends to destroy the possibility of the23300:21:48,199 –> 00:21:54,180very relationship it was designed to further. When you abuse it, it tends to23400:21:54,180 –> 00:21:58,560destroy the very possibility of the relationship that it was designed to23500:21:58,560 –> 00:22:05,239further. Pornography is adultery in the mind, and perhaps the biggest issue with23600:22:05,239 –> 00:22:15,119it is that it reduces your capacity to love. So this is our tension. God has23700:22:15,119 –> 00:22:20,219given us the gift of sexuality but we all live with the pressure of a fallen23800:22:20,219 –> 00:22:24,119sexuality. You’ve been listening to Pastor Colin Smith on Open the Bible23900:22:24,140 –> 00:22:28,839a message called Your Struggle for Purity part of our series, The Ten24000:22:28,839 –> 00:22:33,560Greatest Struggles of Your Life, and next time we’ll look at how forgiveness and24100:22:33,560 –> 00:22:38,520healing can be found. If you ever miss one of our messages you can always catch24200:22:38,520 –> 00:22:44,060up or go back and listen again online at our website openthebible.org.uk24300:22:44,060 –> 00:22:49,459or on any of the main podcast sites, search for Open the Bible UK. Open24400:22:49,459 –> 00:22:53,859the Bible is supported entirely by our listeners and if you already give to24500:22:53,979 –> 00:22:58,359support the work of Open the Bible we want to say a huge thank you. If it’s24600:22:58,359 –> 00:23:02,400something you’ve been considering doing, if you’re able to begin a new direct24700:23:02,400 –> 00:23:06,880debit to the work of Open the Bible this month in the amount of £5 per24800:23:06,880 –> 00:23:12,359month or more or a one-off gift of £50 or more, we’d love to thank you by24900:23:12,359 –> 00:23:16,939sending you a copy of Pastor Colin Smith’s new book, Drive Through the Bible.25000:23:16,939 –> 00:23:22,719Colin who did you write this book for? Where do you begin? And so people pick up25100:23:23,180 –> 00:23:26,060bits and pieces and the story from here a story from there,25200:23:26,060 –> 00:23:30,160but sometimes even after years in the Christian life people don’t feel like25300:23:30,160 –> 00:23:34,400they have a grasp of the whole. And then of course every year, praise God, there25400:23:34,400 –> 00:23:38,739are people coming new to faith and this is an entirely new book for them. And25500:23:38,739 –> 00:23:43,560where do you begin in a book that is so vast? Well, Drive Through the Bible25600:23:43,560 –> 00:23:50,000really is a marvellous place to begin, to get the whole story, the big picture, of25700:23:50,020 –> 00:23:55,680what the Bible is really all about, and I just love saying that the whole Bible is25800:23:55,680 –> 00:23:58,939one story, it begins in a garden, ends in a city, and all the way through it’s25900:23:58,939 –> 00:24:02,479about the Lord Jesus Christ. Drive Through the Bible will take you through26000:24:02,479 –> 00:24:06,800the story so that you feel that you have a sense of what the Bible is all about26100:24:06,800 –> 00:24:12,500and why Jesus Christ is the centre, who He is and what He is accomplished and26200:24:12,500 –> 00:24:16,959what He’s able to do in our lives today. So this is not simply a sort of learning26300:24:17,540 –> 00:24:21,300exercise. This is an introduction to the Lord Jesus Christ all the way through26400:24:21,300 –> 00:24:25,140scripture, and I think whether someone’s been a Christian for a long time or26500:24:25,140 –> 00:24:29,699whether someone is new to the scriptures and just wants to get a handle on what26600:24:29,699 –> 00:24:32,459the Bible is all about, Drive Through the Bible is going to be a26700:24:32,459 –> 00:24:36,060place to begin, and I hope it will be a blessing to many people.26800:24:36,060 –> 00:24:39,900We’d love to send you a copy of Pastor Colin’s new book, Drive Through the Bible,26900:24:39,900 –> 00:24:45,780along with a lovely Open the Bible tote bag and bookmark. If you are able27000:24:45,900 –> 00:24:50,280to begin a new direct debit to the work of Open the Bible this month in the27100:24:50,280 –> 00:24:55,300amount of five pounds per month or more, or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more,27200:24:55,300 –> 00:25:00,459full terms and conditions, and to give online, come to our website27300:25:00,459 –> 00:25:05,859openthebible.org.uk. For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin27400:25:05,859 –> 00:25:09,780Smith, I’m David Pick, and I hope you’ll be able to join us again next time on27500:25:09,780 –> 00:25:11,979Open the Bible.27600:25:16,199 –> 00:25:21,219When you hear about sexual purity, do you feel you’re staring into the face of27700:25:21,219 –> 00:25:28,760failure? Find out where the door of hope is, next time on Open the Bible.