Your Struggle with Authority, Part 1

Ephesians 1:15-23
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In this episode of Open the Bible, Pastor Colin Smith takes us on a thoughtful journey through the fifth commandment, exploring what it means to honour those in authority, even when they might not seem honourable. As always, Colin sheds light on the sometimes challenging dynamics of respecting and valuing the authority figures in our lives, from parents to teachers and beyond.

Join us as we delve into the complexities of relationships and authority, and learn how to embody the spirit of honour at various stages of life. Whether you’re a child, launching into adulthood, or caring for parents in their later years, discover the biblical principles of giving weight to those God places in your path.

100:00:00,500 –> 00:00:06,840The fifth commandment would be easy if it said honor your Father and Mother if200:00:06,840 –> 00:00:13,040they’re honorable, but it doesn’t actually say that as you’ll notice. God300:00:13,040 –> 00:00:17,320does not allow us the luxury of choosing who we will honor. He puts certain people400:00:17,320 –> 00:00:23,820in our way- your parents, your teachers, your boss, your president, sometimes they500:00:23,820 –> 00:00:27,520may be easy to honor sometimes they will be very difficult600:00:27,780 –> 00:00:32,580Welcome to open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick, glad you700:00:32,580 –> 00:00:36,020could be with us today. Colin, as we start can I ask you for a simple800:00:36,020 –> 00:00:41,320definition when God says we’re to honor those in authority what does that mean?900:00:41,320 –> 00:00:47,020Well it’s about respect. It’s about giving weight to what is said by someone1000:00:47,020 –> 00:00:53,099who is placed in our lives by God. It looks different at different stages of1100:00:53,160 –> 00:00:58,000life. Children are to obey their parents, in adult life we’re in a different1200:00:58,000 –> 00:01:02,619position, where we have financial independence and we’re matured in1300:01:02,619 –> 00:01:07,239our own lives. But we’re still to give weight to what those who know us well1400:01:07,239 –> 00:01:10,739are saying. And then in older age the situation becomes1500:01:10,739 –> 00:01:16,480different again. I think of some folks who have done wonderful, wonderful work1600:01:16,480 –> 00:01:20,500in honoring a father and mother by caring for them in later years, and so1700:01:20,500 –> 00:01:26,720expressing the spirit of Christ. So it is valuing those who God has given to us1800:01:26,720 –> 00:01:30,519and giving honour, as the Bible says, to whom honour is due. While the1900:01:30,519 –> 00:01:34,500commandment is to honour your father and mother, we can take it a step further and2000:01:34,500 –> 00:01:38,080say it’s actually about honoring those in authority. Yeah it’s about all2100:01:38,080 –> 00:01:42,339authority. One thing to say, you know, I have been greatly blessed in my life and2200:01:42,339 –> 00:01:48,199I think you have in yours as well. We were both born into happy homes. It2300:01:48,279 –> 00:01:54,400has not been in that sense difficult for folks like you and and I to to honour2400:01:54,400 –> 00:01:58,379father and mother because they are honourable people. I know that this is2500:01:58,379 –> 00:02:03,839difficult for many, many folks and particularly in in a culture in which2600:02:03,839 –> 00:02:10,279family has broken down in more and more cases. And then there is even more,2700:02:10,279 –> 00:02:16,419a distinctive call of Jesus Christ for us to be redemptive, to be redemptive in our2800:02:16,660 –> 00:02:22,320words, in our thoughts, in our behaviour. This is of huge, huge importance. I2900:02:22,320 –> 00:02:27,699remember some years ago when I was in India and just asking an Indian brother3000:02:27,699 –> 00:02:32,660what he thought about the Church in the West and he said you know the tragedy of3100:02:32,660 –> 00:02:37,240the Church in the West is that we’ve lost it when it comes to the family.3200:02:37,240 –> 00:02:42,639So for us to be redemptive in this area even when the situations in which we find3300:02:42,800 –> 00:02:47,039ourselves are very broken is something of huge importance and this commandment3400:02:47,039 –> 00:02:51,279therefore is worth thinking through carefully, what does it mean for me to3500:02:51,279 –> 00:02:55,639try and reflect the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in a difficult situation3600:02:55,639 –> 00:03:00,399and the Holy Spirit’s given to me for that. That’s what we’ll hear about in3700:03:00,399 –> 00:03:06,880today’s broadcast so join us if you can in Exodus 20 and verse 12, as we3800:03:07,119 –> 00:03:12,080begin the message Your Struggle with Authority here’s Colin. Now of course3900:03:12,080 –> 00:03:18,679it’s easy to talk generally about love. It’s dead easy to talk about loving the4000:03:18,679 –> 00:03:27,380world. What does that mean? It’s easy to talk about being a people, person. The4100:03:27,380 –> 00:03:31,679problem comes with the actual personalities that God puts next to you4200:03:31,679 –> 00:03:36,839and when you begin to boil down who these folks are, you realize that includes4300:03:36,839 –> 00:03:42,380your father and your mother and your brother and your sister and your teacher4400:03:42,380 –> 00:03:48,580and your boss and your business competitor and these folks and sometimes4500:03:48,580 –> 00:03:58,880a bit of a struggle to live above with Saints we love all yes that will be glory4600:03:59,580 –> 00:04:08,600to live below with Saints we know well that’s another story now it would be4700:04:08,600 –> 00:04:12,520relatively easy to love your neighbor if you could choose who your neighbor4800:04:12,520 –> 00:04:18,260will be but God doesn’t give you that luxury you don’t choose the people that4900:04:18,260 –> 00:04:23,100God places next to you in your life and of course that is the whole point of the5000:04:23,100 –> 00:04:26,679story of The Good Samaritan remember Jesus was speaking about the5100:04:27,559 –> 00:04:30,880someone correctly identified their meaning he said it’s all about loving5200:04:30,880 –> 00:04:34,279your neighbor as yourself loving God and then loving your neighbor and then the5300:04:34,339 –> 00:04:38,200question came to Jesus but who is my neighbor who is this person I’m to love5400:04:38,200 –> 00:04:43,779like myself and Jesus told the story you remember of The Good Samaritan and the5500:04:43,779 –> 00:04:49,640whole point of that story was that your neighbor is whoever God puts in your5600:04:49,640 –> 00:04:53,980path and that will include some folks who are5700:04:53,980 –> 00:05:00,119easy to love and it will also include some folks they’re really quite5800:05:00,119 –> 00:05:05,959difficult but the first folks that God puts in the path of your life are5900:05:05,959 –> 00:05:10,779obviously your father and your mother and that’s why it makes sense that the6000:05:10,779 –> 00:05:14,679second table of the lawExplaining to us what it means to love our neighbors6100:05:14,679 –> 00:05:19,079ourselves begins by talking about the relationship that we have with father6200:05:19,880 –> 00:05:24,660and mother. Now I’ve called this your struggle with authority because it’s6300:05:24,660 –> 00:05:29,279obviously the case that your father and your mother are the first authority6400:05:29,279 –> 00:05:35,100figures that God puts in your life and so the fifth commandment by category6500:05:35,100 –> 00:05:40,380opens up this whole issue of how we relate to people who in different6600:05:40,380 –> 00:05:45,540settings are in some kind of authority over us and of course your first6700:05:45,540 –> 00:05:48,339experience my first experience of a person in6800:05:48,339 –> 00:05:55,079authority will tend to shape the way in which we relate to authority afterwards6900:05:55,079 –> 00:06:02,739so if you saw authority used well in your early years you will probably as a7000:06:02,739 –> 00:06:10,100first instinct relate well to authority and respect it if however you saw7100:06:10,100 –> 00:06:15,779authority used badly in your first experience you may have a tendency to be7200:06:15,779 –> 00:06:21,679suspicious of it to resist it and to shy away from it and I say that because7300:06:21,679 –> 00:06:28,859that is why the strength of family life is so important to the good of the7400:06:28,859 –> 00:06:34,920nation respect for authority and authority well used is learned in the7500:06:34,920 –> 00:06:39,160home and of course if it breaks down in the home obviously it follows that it7600:06:39,160 –> 00:06:43,980will begin to break down within national life that’s why the command that says7700:06:44,079 –> 00:06:48,640honor your father and your mother continues to say that you may live long7800:06:48,640 –> 00:06:56,700in the land. You notice that, the point of that is simply this.. That a culture will7900:06:56,700 –> 00:07:03,119not survive long where respect for authority breaks down.8000:07:04,720 –> 00:07:05,320Now I want to8100:07:05,320 –> 00:07:09,339recognize right up front because I know that for some and perhaps many8200:07:09,500 –> 00:07:16,820sensitivities are high on this issue, our experience of parents is incredibly8300:07:16,820 –> 00:07:22,279different. Some of us have enjoyed the blessing of being raised in a stable and8400:07:22,279 –> 00:07:29,760a loving home others of us did not, we wished we had and for some of us, I know8500:07:29,760 –> 00:07:34,179that the very mention of parents is deeply sensitive. It makes you feel like8600:07:34,220 –> 00:07:42,239you want to get out of here, some of us will already be squirming inside because8700:07:42,239 –> 00:07:49,540the whole subject of mum and dad has become so painful to you that the very8800:07:49,540 –> 00:07:57,019mention of the subject has all your defenses up and your first thought today8900:07:57,859 –> 00:08:06,299that the Word of God is going to wound you? Why do you think that?9000:08:07,019 –> 00:08:15,660The reason you think that is that your parents hurt you. They were the first9100:08:15,660 –> 00:08:19,899authority figures in your life and you have the sneaking suspicion that God is9200:08:19,899 –> 00:08:25,799going to hurt you too. You assume that God is like them somewhere deep within9300:08:25,940 –> 00:08:31,600your mind and within your heart. I want to assure you again as we’re learning9400:08:31,600 –> 00:08:38,700from the Bible and it touches the whole of life the God of the Bible is good and9500:08:38,700 –> 00:08:50,619he seeks and will bring your good. Don’t let please the warped authority of your9600:08:51,500 –> 00:09:00,380keep you or blind you from the loving authority of God that you can discover9700:09:00,380 –> 00:09:06,099in your life. Now of course the fifth commandment would be easy if it said9800:09:06,099 –> 00:09:12,140honor your father and mother if they’re honorable, right? But it doesn’t actually9900:09:12,140 –> 00:09:17,739say that as you’ll notice God does not allow us the luxury of choosing who we10000:09:17,760 –> 00:09:22,299will honor. He puts certain people in our way, your parents, your teachers, your boss10100:09:22,299 –> 00:09:28,539your president. Sometimes they may be easy to honor. Sometimes they will be10200:09:28,539 –> 00:09:33,880very difficult. But it is one of the major issues and therefore struggles of10300:09:33,880 –> 00:09:39,799our lives and it is highly relevant not just for children but for all of us10400:09:39,799 –> 00:09:44,799throughout the course of our lives and not just in family life. See, if you’re a10500:09:44,840 –> 00:09:49,799student at school how are you going to respond as a Christian student to a10600:09:49,799 –> 00:09:55,760difficult teacher? I know there are wonderful teachers. I’m married to one10700:09:55,760 –> 00:10:00,299so I’m on that side. But even the teachers will admit there are some10800:10:00,299 –> 00:10:07,520difficult teachers. Right? How do you deal with a difficult boss? How are you going10900:10:07,520 –> 00:10:11,679to handle at work a person who’s an authority over you when he or she acts11000:10:11,859 –> 00:10:16,859unethically or dishonorably?11100:10:17,119 –> 00:10:23,960The Fifth Commandment frames out one of the 10 greatest struggles of our lives11200:10:23,960 –> 00:10:31,219living with authority and sometimes authority that we wouldn’t choose.11300:10:31,219 –> 00:10:35,460You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called11400:10:35,460 –> 00:10:40,619your struggle with authority. It’s all about the Fifth Commandment and it’s11500:10:40,619 –> 00:10:45,539part of our series The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life. If you’ve missed11600:10:45,539 –> 00:10:49,340any of the series to date or if you want to go back and listen again you can do11700:10:49,340 –> 00:10:55,880that by coming online to our website openthebible.org.uk or look for us as11800:10:55,880 –> 00:11:01,380a podcast on your favorite podcast site and search for Open the Bible UK to find11900:11:01,380 –> 00:11:04,539that. Here at Open the Bible we’re all about12000:11:04,539 –> 00:11:09,359helping Christians with their Bible study and later in the program I’ll be12100:11:09,440 –> 00:11:13,820talking to Colin about his book Drive Through The Bible. It’s a course which12200:11:13,820 –> 00:11:18,440will give you an overview of the whole Bible and it’s something that we’re12300:11:18,440 –> 00:11:23,020offering this month for people who are just beginning to support Open the Bible12400:11:23,020 –> 00:11:27,340financially. So I hope you’ll stay with us for that. Back to the message now12500:11:27,340 –> 00:11:31,440here’s Colin. Now let’s get into it together and the place to start12600:11:31,440 –> 00:11:35,840obviously is with what the commandment actually means. Honour your father and12700:11:36,520 –> 00:11:45,340what does that mean? Now the word honour literally means give weight to or regard12800:11:45,340 –> 00:11:52,479as heavy. So, literally translated, the Fifth Commandment says, regard your12900:11:52,479 –> 00:12:01,599father and mother as heavy, or give weight to your father and to your mother13000:12:01,599 –> 00:12:05,000that’s literally what it means. So, if your father or your mother happens to be13100:12:05,039 –> 00:12:08,479a few pounds over, I don’t want to be insensitive here, you will find this very13200:12:08,479 –> 00:12:16,539easy to remember. What it’s saying is very obvious, when your father and your13300:12:16,539 –> 00:12:22,140mother say something. Don’t take it lightly, give weight to them, to their13400:12:22,140 –> 00:12:28,119words and to their advice, don’t brush it off, take it seriously, give weight to13500:12:28,119 –> 00:12:32,400what your father and your mother think, to what your father and your mother say13600:12:32,599 –> 00:12:37,659and to what your father and your mother desire. Now obviously what this looks13700:12:37,659 –> 00:12:43,559like in practice will develop and change over the course of a lifetime. For13800:12:43,559 –> 00:12:48,440children, honoring your father and your mother means very simply doing what they13900:12:48,440 –> 00:12:54,299say. Children obey your parents in the Lord, Paul says in Ephesians 6,1 for this14000:12:54,299 –> 00:13:00,159is right, you obey your parents, children. And of course Jesus himself is our14100:13:00,159 –> 00:13:04,820example here, the Bible tells us that in his childhood he was subject to his14200:13:04,820 –> 00:13:10,359parents, he was obedient to his parents, that’s Luke 2.51. So let me give this14300:13:10,359 –> 00:13:15,400encouragement to children in the congregation today. Do what your mum and14400:13:15,400 –> 00:13:25,080your dad tells you. Try your best to do it cheerfully, make it a joy for them to14500:13:25,200 –> 00:13:31,159be your mum and your dad. Watch out for ways in which you can show them that you14600:13:31,159 –> 00:13:39,880love them as they love you. Children obey your parents and then as you get a14700:13:39,880 –> 00:13:45,200little bit older and you have a little bit more freedom don’t use your home as14800:13:45,200 –> 00:13:52,539a bed and breakfast. Don’t see your parents as a cashpoint or a laundry14900:13:52,539 –> 00:14:00,820service. Honour your father and your mother. Give weight to them in your life.15000:14:00,820 –> 00:14:05,960Now obviously this commandment is not just for children. It doesn’t say honour15100:14:05,960 –> 00:14:08,960your father and your mother when you’re young. It says honour your father and15200:14:08,960 –> 00:14:13,239your mother. So it’s going to move on beyond childhood and the second stage of15300:14:13,239 –> 00:14:18,099course is in adult life. And as you launch out on adult life the15400:14:18,099 –> 00:14:22,780relationship with your parent obviously changes. You’re no longer under the15500:14:22,780 –> 00:14:28,580obligation of obedience but God still calls us to give to our parents honour.15600:14:28,580 –> 00:14:36,059And a lot of misery would be avoided if we would heed this advice. I think it was15700:14:36,059 –> 00:14:40,419Mark Twain who said when I was 1815800:14:40,419 –> 00:14:46,940I thought that my father knew nothing. When I was 21 I was amazed at how15900:14:46,940 –> 00:14:52,460much he had learned in just three years. Now your father and your mother are not16000:14:52,460 –> 00:15:01,440always right but they do know you and they have seen more of life than16100:15:01,440 –> 00:15:11,200you have. So in the big decisions of life I urge you, listen to what they have to16200:15:11,200 –> 00:15:20,840say. Don’t say, when they give you counsel from the heart with weight, don’t say,16300:15:20,840 –> 00:15:27,960oh that’s just mum and dad. Say, especially if it’s in a major decision16400:15:28,239 –> 00:15:44,179of life, say this is the opinion of my father and of my mother. Give it weight.16500:15:44,179 –> 00:15:56,479And, as I began to think about it, even within my own limited circle of 20 years,16600:15:56,539 –> 00:16:04,719faces and names flooded into my mind. Of folks who made a major decision and16700:16:04,719 –> 00:16:15,559ruined the day. But, they didn’t listen to a father or to a mother. Give it weight.16800:16:15,559 –> 00:16:19,559That’s what God says to you.16900:16:20,059 –> 00:16:27,400Now having said that, we do need to remember, that to honor, does not mean to17000:16:27,400 –> 00:16:33,700obey without question. And again, here we have the example of Jesus. Remember, as he17100:16:33,700 –> 00:16:38,979entered adult life, he began his ministry and there was an occasion when his17200:16:38,979 –> 00:16:42,460mother and his brothers tried to hold him back. We’re told about that in Mark17300:16:42,460 –> 00:16:48,380and chapter 3. But Jesus did not allow them to stop him from doing the will of17400:16:48,520 –> 00:16:52,940God. And remember that, on one occasion, Jesus said, anyone who loves father and17500:16:52,940 –> 00:16:57,179mother more than me is not worthy of me. So the Bible makes it very clear that17600:16:57,179 –> 00:17:03,020your primary loyalties are, first, to God, and second, if you’re married, to your17700:17:03,020 –> 00:17:09,380husband and to your wife. And a wise parent will recognize that reality and17800:17:09,380 –> 00:17:14,439support it. Third, we move into the stage of old age.17900:17:14,439 –> 00:17:22,239And again, the relationship changes. When your father and your mother reach18000:17:22,239 –> 00:17:26,760their later years, God calls you still to honour them, and18100:17:26,760 –> 00:17:31,000to show the way that you honour them in the way that you care for them. In other18200:17:31,000 –> 00:17:39,699words, we are to give weight to the needs of parents in their older years. And of18300:17:39,699 –> 00:17:43,640course, by extension, and all of the commandments focus on one point that18400:17:43,640 –> 00:17:47,420opens up a whole category explained in the rest of the Bible. The rest of the Bible18500:17:47,420 –> 00:17:51,060speaks about honouring the King, for example, honouring those in government.18600:17:51,060 –> 00:17:56,219It’s all an extension of the fifth commandment. Paul says to Timothy, in 118700:17:56,219 –> 00:18:00,979Timothy, chapter five, and verse two, in the context of the church, treat older18800:18:00,979 –> 00:18:09,420women, he says, as mothers. In other words, for younger folks there is to be a18900:18:09,420 –> 00:18:15,800respect in the very way that we speak to and regard older people. There’s a19000:18:15,800 –> 00:18:20,400respect and an honour that we should treat those who are older within the19100:18:20,400 –> 00:18:25,219community like we would treat a father, like we would treat a mother. That’s a19200:18:25,219 –> 00:18:29,300biblical principle, we’re to give weight to their needs, they’re not to be brushed19300:18:29,300 –> 00:18:35,859aside. This is very important and again Jesus is our example, one of the most19400:18:35,859 –> 00:18:41,800beautiful pictures and realities when he’s suffering in agony on the cross. Do19500:18:41,800 –> 00:18:45,219you remember this? He’s engaged in the greatest venture of19600:18:45,219 –> 00:18:49,540all human history. Some of us think we’re so busy we haven’t time for parents19700:18:49,540 –> 00:18:53,900maybe. Jesus was engaged in the greatest venture in human history and in his19800:18:53,900 –> 00:19:01,420agony on the cross, right in the middle of the work of saving the World. He looks19900:19:01,420 –> 00:19:09,260down at his mother and next to her is John and he says Mother behold your son,20000:19:09,260 –> 00:19:16,319son behold your mother. The Bible tells us from that moment20100:19:16,319 –> 00:19:22,359on John took Mary, the Mother of Jesus, into his own home. Think of it in his20200:19:22,359 –> 00:19:28,199agony. Our Lord is providing for the care of20300:19:28,199 –> 00:19:38,040his mother into her old age. That’s how important this was for Jesus. On the20400:19:38,040 –> 00:19:49,500cross he obeys the fifth commandment. He gave weight even as he’s dying to the20500:19:49,500 –> 00:19:54,040needs of his mother.20600:19:54,339 –> 00:20:06,239Older people needs to be loved, heard, respected. One of the greatest dangers is20700:20:06,239 –> 00:20:11,719that we become so busy in our little lives that other things that seem so20800:20:11,719 –> 00:20:19,060important to us impede. Then it becomes a question how long was it since that was20900:20:19,060 –> 00:20:23,359last a visit? How long was it since there was last a phone call?21000:20:23,420 –> 00:20:26,699Listen to this from 1Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8.21100:20:26,699 –> 00:20:31,119Apostle Paul says if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially21200:20:31,119 –> 00:20:37,219for his immediate family he has denied the faith, and is worse than an21300:20:37,219 –> 00:20:43,719unbeliever. Could you imagine stronger language than that? Now there is no21400:20:43,719 –> 00:20:48,939formula as to how this should be done but the principle is clear. As my21500:20:49,060 –> 00:20:58,140parents become older I am to give weight to their needs. Every situation is21600:20:58,140 –> 00:21:04,660different but the principle is clear. That weight may involve my money, that21700:21:04,660 –> 00:21:14,180weight will involve my time. But it matters to God so it should matter to me.21800:21:14,180 –> 00:21:18,300Unfortunately we have to pause our message there, but we’ll be back tomorrow21900:21:18,420 –> 00:21:23,099with the second part of your struggle with authority based on the fifth22000:21:23,099 –> 00:21:27,500commandment. You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith22100:21:27,500 –> 00:21:32,040and the message called Your Struggle with Authority. It’s part of our series22200:21:32,040 –> 00:21:36,140the ten greatest struggles of your life and if you’ve missed any of the series22300:21:36,140 –> 00:21:40,380so far you can always catch up or go back and listen again online at our22400:21:40,380 –> 00:21:46,439website OpentheBible.org.uk. While you’re on our website don’t forget to22500:21:47,000 –> 00:21:51,560Open the Bible daily that’s a series of short two to three minutes daily22600:21:51,560 –> 00:21:56,400reflections based on Pastor Colin’s teaching and read in the UK by Sue22700:21:56,400 –> 00:22:01,319McLeish. At Open the Bible we welcome contact with our listeners you22800:22:01,319 –> 00:22:06,119can email us by using the contact form on our website openthebible.org.uk22900:22:07,000 –> 00:22:19,060Can you write to us at openthebible PO Box 1420 Cheltenham GL50 9PG23000:22:19,060 –> 00:22:29,079or you can phone us on 0330 335 8089 if we’re not available when you call23100:22:29,079 –> 00:22:33,300leave a message for us and we’ll return your call. All of these23200:22:33,520 –> 00:22:40,079contact details are available on our website openthebible.org.uk23300:22:40,079 –> 00:22:44,699Open the Bible is supported financially by our listeners and if you already do23400:22:44,699 –> 00:22:49,260that thank you so much if you’re thinking of supporting open the Bible23500:22:49,260 –> 00:22:53,900in that way and you’d like to begin doing that in this month of May we have23600:22:53,900 –> 00:22:58,300an offer for you. If you are able to set up a new direct debit to the work of23700:22:58,300 –> 00:23:02,699Open the Bible in the amount of five pounds per month or more or a one-off23800:23:02,699 –> 00:23:07,500gift of 50 pounds or more we’d love to say thank you by sending you a copy of23900:23:07,500 –> 00:23:13,260Pastor Colin’s book Drive Through The Bible A 30 Day Journey and as well as24000:23:13,260 –> 00:23:19,420that we’ll send you a lovely Open the Bible Tote Bag pen and bookmark. Colin24100:23:19,420 –> 00:23:24,660what are some of the ways you see this book being used? Well this takes us all24200:23:25,260 –> 00:23:29,619the way through the Bible story and folks who are familiar with Fly Through24300:23:29,619 –> 00:23:35,020The Bible will know that there there are snapshots of people and events and24400:23:35,020 –> 00:23:40,760gifts but what Drive Through The Bible does is it strings the whole of the24500:23:40,760 –> 00:23:47,020Bible story together from beginning to end in a very very short compass. I mean24600:23:47,020 –> 00:23:52,739these are 30 short chapters so over the course of a month if you read for five24700:23:52,760 –> 00:23:57,300minutes a day you would get right through the Bible from Genesis to24800:23:57,300 –> 00:24:02,459Revelation and see how the whole story appoints to the Lord Jesus Christ. So24900:24:02,459 –> 00:24:06,140this is something you could read on your own but it’s really designed to be25000:24:06,140 –> 00:24:12,180shared with another person. I mean you could read this with your kids, you could25100:24:12,180 –> 00:24:16,540give it as a resource to teenagers throughout middle school, high school25200:24:16,540 –> 00:24:21,439students. It’s written very, very simply or perhaps you could share it with a25300:24:21,439 –> 00:24:25,439friend and just take this journey over the period of a month, have a25400:24:25,439 –> 00:24:29,260conversation about the big picture of the Bible, story that points us25500:24:29,260 –> 00:24:33,920everywhere, to the Lord Jesus Christ. So I hope and pray that this will be a25600:24:33,920 –> 00:24:38,900great blessing really useful to people who want to see the Bible open to25700:24:38,900 –> 00:24:42,979discover the whole story and of course to be pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ.25800:24:42,979 –> 00:24:47,500Well drive through the Bible is our gift to you if you’re able to begin a new25900:24:47,500 –> 00:24:51,780direct debit to the work of Open the Bible in the amount of 5 pounds per26000:24:51,780 –> 00:24:57,380month or more, or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more this month, full terms and26100:24:57,380 –> 00:25:03,119conditions on our website and you can also give online. For Open the Bible and26200:25:03,119 –> 00:25:06,140pastor Colin Smith I’m David pick and I hope you’ll26300:25:06,140 –> 00:25:09,619join us again next time.26400:25:09,739 –> 00:25:11,800you26500:25:14,300 –> 00:25:20,619How can you honor someone, even a parent, who has exercised authority over you in26600:25:20,619 –> 00:25:26,880an unworthy manner. Find out next time on Open the Bible

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Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

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Sermons on the Ten Commandments Every day is full of struggles. We struggle with time. We struggle with truth and authority. We struggle for peace and for purity and contentment—and that’s just the beginning. God speaks to us about these struggles that put us to the test each and every day in the Ten Commandments.

Colin Smith

A Fresh Look at the Christmas Story

Immerse yourself in Christmas Stories by Pastor Colin Smith. This new book retells the nativity from the viewpoints of five memorable biblical characters.

For new advent ideas this Christmas, sign up now to receive our Advent Resources Pack— a sermon series outline, Bible study guide, a nativity drama script and customisable artwork. 

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