As Christians we believe the Bible is God's holy Word, front to back.  Regardless of what others may say, whether it's the Jesus Project, the ACLU, The DaVinci Code, your local atheist or skeptic, the Bible is still God's holy and infallible Word.  The Bible is the Word of God and has survived translation and assault for two thousand years.  It has been shown trustworthy and accurate over and again, and while not everyone interprets it the same, the Bible is the most enduring book in all of history.

          The main teachings of the Bible are two:  Law and Gospel.  The Law is embodied in the Ten Commandments and we're somewhat familiar with them:  Worship God only, Do no misuse God's Name, Honor His Word, Honor authorities, Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not covet.  The Ten Commandments tell us how to live.  Trouble is, they also show us what we're like.  If you use them like a mirror, they show us our sins.  The Ten Commandments are not popular because they bring guilt, and people don't like feeling guilty.  But a little guilt is not a bad thing, because it shows us we need forgiveness.  The Law shows us our sins, and it gives us little hope or joy.

          Some outdated (but true) laws:  In Studley, VA, it's illegal to swing a yo-yo on Sunday.  (Someone must have gotten hit.)  In Slaughter, LA, turtle races are not permitted within 100 yards of a church.  (It'll put them to sleep?)  In Honey Creek, IA, it's illegal to take a slingshot to church.  In Wheeler, MS, it's illegal for young girls to walk a tightrope, unless they're in church.  (Where do you hang a rope inside a church?)  In Blackwater, KY, tickling a woman under her chin with a feather while she's in church can cost you a $10 fine.  (Can you legally tickle her anywhere else?)  In Leecreek, AR, it's illegal to attend church wearing red.  And in Indiana it's illegal to go into a movie theater if you've been eating garlic.  (That's a good one!)

          The Gospel, on the other hand, gives us all kinds of hope and joy.  The Gospel is all about God's love for us.  Whereas the Law shows us our sins, the Gospel shows us our Savior.  God loves us in spite of our sins.  He loves us, no matter what.  The Gospel is good news!  The Law is bad news!  It shows us our need for being saved, but it doesn't show us how.  The Gospel shows us our Savior Jesus, who died on the cross to forgive us.  The Gospel says that all who believe in Him will get to heaven.

          The Law and Gospel are found only in the Bible, and the Bible is for all people.  We often like to think the Bible is for us, for Lutherans, or for Americans, or for white folks or for Europeans.  But the Bible is for everyone, everywhere on earth.  That's because the Gospel is for everyone.  Like the song says, "Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world."

          The Gospel is for all creation.  If there are beings on other planets, the Gospel is for them also.  And though that may seem silly to talk of God dealing with beings on other planets, we can't deny that He could do it.  God is not God only of the earth, but of all the universe, and His Son Jesus is Savior of all.

          In today's Bible reading, some Greeks came to see Jesus one day, and to the Jews they might as well have been from another planet.  They wanted to meet this fellow they'd heard about.  They came to Philip, who then told Andrew, and the two of them went to Jesus.  And when He heard it, He said, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified."  Already at this point, the Gospel is beginning to spread throughout the world.  Now non-Jews saw Jesus as Lord and believed Him to be the Savior.  But Jesus' reaction to their request opened the doors to the glory of God.  All His work was coming to a climax.  Now it was time.  Now God would give glory to His Son, our Savior.  Now the Son of Man would be glorified.

          People today still want to meet Jesus.  Today 1.5 billion people - a quarter of the world's population - claim to be His followers.  They still come, seeking to meet Him, to worship Him, to serve Him, to learn from Him.  You and I still need the Philips and Andrews and Marys and Marthas to show people the Good News of Jesus, because all people will always need the Gospel.  For some of them, church membership is enough.  But going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than sleeping in a garage makes you a car.  We must follow Him as our Lord.

          Early one Sunday morning, a new pastor in a small town sat down at a local donut shop, opened his Bible and went over his sermon notes.  A man was sitting down the counter from him and he said, "You a preacher or something?"  He replied, "Yes, I preach at Epiphany Lutheran Church here in town."  The man got excited and said, "Hey, I'm a member of that church."  The pastor said, "I've been preaching there for about three months and I've never seen you there." The man looked at him rather strangely and said, "Well, I said I was a member of that church.  I never said that I was fanatical about it!"

          Jesus is seeking our faith.  It's not fanatical to worship Him.  God doesn't expect us to become Bible thumpers, but He does expect us to follow Him.  And when we come to faith, we will change.  Those Greeks didn't get all their questions answered in that one visit, and neither do we.  But they surely listened to Jesus and followed Him.

          The president of a growing company had to travel outside of the country, so he told his employees, "While I'm gone, I want you to manage the business.  I will write you regularly and give you instructions in what to do until I return."  Everyone agreed.  The president was gone nearly two years.  He wrote often, sharing his desires, plans, and concerns.  Then he returned quite unexpectedly.  He walked up to the front door of the office and discovered a mess: weeds in the flower beds, windows broken, trash everywhere.  His receptionist was dozing at her desk, loud music roared from the offices, and he found his employees playing cards in the back room.  Instead of  a profit, the charts on the wall showed his business had suffered great losses since he left.  He called everyone together and asked, "What happened?  Didn't you get my letters?"  They said, "Oh yes, we got all your letters."  "Well," he said, "what did you do with them?"  "We bound them in a book," said one man, "and some of us have even memorized parts of them.  In fact, we have 'Boss's Letter Study' every morning, but not very many come.  We read a few lines from one of them every morning at coffee.  Those were really great letters, Boss."  The president asked, "But what did you do about them?"  And the employees responded, "Do about them?  Well, nothing.  But we read them often, every one, and we study them a lot!"

          The Bible is meant to change people, not just be studied.  It's meant to show Jesus.  It can't just be a dusty table ornament, or read only for pleasure.  God's Word is life-changing.  It seeks a response.  It shows us life and hope in Jesus.

          The world doesn't give us much hope these days.  Politics or government programs won't solve our problems.  Modern trends confuse more than they help.  Technology or entertainment or drugs aren't the answer.  Our problems go beyond our abilities to fix them.  We need Jesus.  We need Him to help us, so we seek Him.

          The world can overwhelm us.  It tells us unless we do this or buy that, we don't count.  The world will crush us unless we seek God.  Without Him, we are nothing.  It's like this $20 dollar bill.  I can drop it, but it's still worth $20.  I can stomp on it, smash it, dirty it, even tear it, but it's still worth $20.  And You and I are worth so much more.  No matter what we may look like, God still loves us.  No matter how wrinkled or ruined we may feel, God sees in us a person of value.  He doesn't only look at the outside, but at the heart.  God sees the real us and loves what He sees.

          That's why we all need to keep in touch with Him.  Regular worship, daily prayer, service, and, yes, also Bible reading - all these help keep us connected with God.  Like those Greeks, let us all come to see Jesus.  Sometimes God seeks us, and sometimes we seek Him.  And when He finds us, the Bible says there is much rejoicing.  "There is joy in heaven among the angels over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)

          We will always find troubles in life, but God will always be there for us.  May God our Father in heaven help us when we struggle.  And may each of us seek Jesus and be blessed when we find Him.  Amen

Copyright © 2006 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.