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“Stuff Christians like, Does the OT still count?”

2 Tim 3:14-17

Intro:   I love the OT.  Growing up I would read it to discover new treasures and crazy stories.  I kept track of many of my favorite ones…

But some people wonder if the OT still counts…book p. 154

Today we conclude our series, “Stuff Christians like.”

We covered:  What's with all the hand raising?" (Worship). 
"Abstinence...really?" (Sex and Relationships). 
"Feeling righteous about giving 10%" (God and Money).

And today is “Does the OT still count? (The importance of the entire Bible).

Big Pic:   The entire bible is God’s revelation to us.   We can only learn about the totality of God’s character and his plan for our salvation when we read all 66 books.

Text:  2 Tim 3:14-17

“All Scripture is inspired by God or God-breathed.”

When that letter was written to Timothy what were the Scriptures? The Books of the Old Testament.  The New Testament was still in formation.

Testament means “covenant” or “contract.”

The Bible is God’s contract with us that he came to save us, that he wants to be in relationship with us.

What did Jesus read, quote and pray from?  The  OT.

Remember, Jesus and Paul were Jews, from the Jewish history of the OT.

For Jesus, the OT was THE bible.

Luke 4:18-19  quoted from Isaiah 61:1-2

Jesus prayed the book of Psalms.

Mark 15:34 is a quotation from Ps 22:1

Luke 23:46 comes from Ps 31:5

Want to get to know Jesus better?  Read the OT.

The Temple in the Old Testament has been replaced by Jesus in the New Testament (Matt 12:6).

Israel in the Old Testament has been replaced by the Church in the New Testament. 

As Christians today, we stand on the shoulders of our Jewish ancestors.

To understand the New Covenant made in Jesus we need to know the Old Covenant with Moses.

Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus in chapter 1 has much more significance when we know the Old Testament characters to whom he refers.

The OT is full of prophesies about Jesus and he fulfilled them.

What is a prophecy? God speaking through a servant/ prophet to describe a coming event long before it happens.

Over 300 OT prophecies are fulfilled in the NT.

Parts of the Old Testament are understood best if read as referring to Jesus. 

The OT points to Jesus,   Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Links between OT and NT.

Important words to know when learning about the Bible:  Old Covenant and New Covenant, Old Testament and New Testament.

Here is the universal truth that emerges from and unifies both Covenants throughout the fourteen hundred years that the Bible was composed: God loves us and offers a relationship with him. 

That is the common thread that runs throughout the Bible.

The interrelation between the Old and the New is rich and profound and important.

The key is to know both the Old and New Testaments thoroughly.

How do we do that?  Lots of reading….

Yahweh in the Old Testament is the Father of Jesus, whom Jesus calls Abba.

The God of the OT is the God of the NT and today.  God could act in judgment on us today just as he did with the people in the time of Noah when he flooded the earth because of their wickedness.

The New Testament is in the Old concealed, and the Old is in the New revealed.

The Old Testament is to the New Testament what promise is to fulfillment.

What about those crazy OT laws?

Jesus came to fulfill or complete the OT law.

…We find Jewish cleanliness rules in Leviticus 11. 

In contrast to these cleanliness rules, Jesus in Mark 7:14-23 pronounced all foods clean.

According to Lev 13-14 leprosy and skin diseases made one unclean but Jesus touched the lepers when healing them in Mark 1:40-45.

We need to be careful to never simplistically transfer every verse from the Old Covenant (like executing mediums and adulterers or rebellious children) to the New Covenant, which instead provides forgiveness and reconciliation and restoration.

But remember, most of the Old Testament does have a value on its own and should not be devalued merely because it is before Jesus.

Old Testament truths find their amplification and explanation and fullness in the New Testament.

For example, the animal sacrifices in the OT points toward Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross.  And today we take communion…

The NT makes ample use of the OT in the double theme of prophecy and promise.

“Oh, but I like reading the NT.  It’s so much more practical to today.”

Our faith and theology will only grow deeper and better as we study both OT and NT.

The OT reveals many timeless and universal themes, like faith and salvation, and hope and praise to God.

But this book has also been fulfilled in Christ, as God had promised. Now the New Covenant guides the believer in Christ (and the rest of society if it wants).

We now read the Old Testament through the eyes of Christ.

Let’s go back to our 2 Timothy 3:14-17

“Continue in what you have learned.”  Keep reading the Bible, always learning, always growing and being challenged.

“…from infancy have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.”   Some of you are fortunate to have been raised in the faith, regardless, what is really important here is that the Bible makes us wise for salvation through Jesus.

Once we recognize that all scripture is God breathed or inspired than we will be able to use it for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

And that will equip us for every good work.

How has God revealed himself to us?

OT: Up close and personal, miraculous signs, crazy miracles.

NT: Jesus

Today: Holy Spirit.

Conclusion:  Just think of you favorite book series, 

You aren’t going to start in book 3 or 5, right?

Communion intro:   Old Covenant, New Covenant. Animal sacrifice and Jesus’ sacrifice.