In this four-part sermon series, Dr. Michael Youssef highlights:

– 3 things that will happen when you read, heed, and obey the Word of God

– 5 telltale signs of the postmodern cultural invasion

– 7 deadly mistakes we make while reading the Bible

This series will bolster your confidence in the power, authority, and superiority of Scripture!

The Bible. There is no book like it. While it contains 66 books, 40 different writers over a span of 15 or 1600 years, there only has one theme, Jesus Christ, the redeemer. The unity of the Bible has defied human wisdom has baffled the critics. The real reason behind our social and moral upheaval is because we have abandoned and ignored the way to go. Mm hmm. Coming up next on leading the way, are you receiving dr Yousef’s monthly publication? My journal. If not, you need to request it today, Jesus said I am the one who lives was Dead. And behold, I’m living forevermore. The my journal provides you with biblically based devotionals from Dr Yousef, practical tools to make memorizing scripture easy and fun, trending articles that address the cultural issues of our day and so much more, including front line ministry updates from around the globe, exclusive previews of doctor uses brand new books, access to free digital resources. It is a valuable monthly source as you strive to grow in your faith and as you encourage your family to walk with the Lord right now, if you request the my journal, we will give you the first six months free. Don’t put it off any longer contact us today and ask for the My journal. Mhm mm hmm. I’m doing a short series of messages entitled defending a lion, playing on the words of martin, Luther who said defending the bible is like defending a lion. The truth is I feel inadequate in this desk and that is why I really pray that. The holy spirit who authored the bible. We take the words that I’m going to be speaking and bring a personal revival for each one of us for a revival starts in each of us individually and then the fire would catch and a revival comes to the church. I have always believed and I always will believe until the Lord takes me home that the word of God is a mighty power when it is red applied and obeyed when it is red applied and obeyed. Say those with me when it is. Mhm In the West, just the average home probably has more than one Bible gathering dust. I read Survey after survey. I don’t live by surveys, but sometimes when they’re all saying the same thing I’d like to stop and just take notice. And and and every survey, they’re basically the conclusion is the same 18%, that’s 18% of professing Christians daily read their bible That 82 of the bible’s are seldom opened in homes. Oh, to be sure the bible is still the best selling book. But it is the least read book that convinced me that the real reason behind our increased social and moral upheaval in this country is because we have abandoned and ignored the will of God. An unknown author said the following, he said the bible is the only book that contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, The doom of sinners. The Happiness of the believer. Read it and be wise, believe it and be saved. Practice it and be holy. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim staff, the pilot’s compass and the soldier’s sword read it slowly, read it frequently and read it prayerfully and I want to say mm belongs here. There is no book like it. There is no book like it in it. God reveals himself to us. And when in doing so, he used 40 different writers Over a period between 15 to 1600 years. It is written with people of varied backgrounds, from kings to doctors, to shepherds, to tax collectors. It is written in different periods of time in world history. It is written in different parts of the world, from europe to Asia to Babylon. There is no book like it. While it contains 66 books, 40 different writers over a span of 15 or 1600 years and it contains various subjects, but it only has one theme, jesus christ The Redeemer. That is the theme of the entire bible. The books of the old testament telling us tell us that he’s coming and then the new testament announces he’s here. The old testament predicts his coming. The new testament pronounces his arrival. The old testament anticipates the coming of jesus. The new testament receives him gladly. There is no book like it. There’s no book like it. Those 66 books in one book. They don’t tell 66 stories. No, they all tell one story, what is it man’s rebellion against God and God’s redemption for everyone who repent of that rebellion. And that is why to this day the unity of the bible has defied human wisdom. The unity of the bible has baffled the critics. The unity of the bible challenges its enemies. The Unity of the bible. Gold’s its opponents. There is no book like it throughout history. People have either loved the Word of God or hated the Word of God. People either believed it or they rejected it throughout history. They have tried to change it. They have tried to modify it. They’ve tried to undermine its authority. They tried to water down its demands throughout history, dictators, Despots and potent Eights have sought to banish it. Yet they are all dead and the Word of God still lives today. Amen. Amen. Give God glory. And I just wonder how many of us have ever ask the question. Why would some people who claim to love God and they might even claim jesus as their savior? And yet they will spend more time watching television, playing golf, reading books, other books, socializing than reading the Word of God. Have you ever thought about this? No, nothing wrong with these things. I do all of these things except that golf thing. I don’t understand anybody spending money to get frustrated. But for some reason we have time for everything except spending time with the Word of God and drinking deeply from it and gaining the benefits. The common answer that when I ask people, you know about that, but why don’t you read the bill? I don’t have time. I don’t have time. You have time for everything else. And to make things worse. Many evangelical preachers today are casting doubt in people’s minds about the authenticity and the infallibility of the Word of God. This is how they go about it in order to be popular in order to be liked, believe what you like and don’t believe the other stuff. Well after this very short introduction, I want to share with you and it’s going to be very brief. I want to share four things. And if you’re writing, take notes, take notes, because I am here to tell you after 50 three or 4 years walking with the Lord. That the bible is the only spiritual food that will nourish your soul. And secondly, the bible is the only power that you can have In your life power for living. & 3rdly, it is your only mirror that will truly reveal to you your true self. The only mirror. And fourthly, it is a perfect temperature shower that can washes you and cleanse you hear us. Look at those four things very quickly. First of all, the Word of God is the only food. It’s the only food, I am not against preaching. I preach, I’m not against reading other books. I write books, but I’m telling you now on the authority of the Word of God. That the Word of God itself is the only food that will sustain you spiritually, that will knows you spiritually. That will encourage you every day. The analogy between the physical body and the spiritual bodies often mentioned in the scripture that just as our physical bodies need nutrients need good food, nutritious food for the body to be strong and survive. So is the spiritual food is needed for our spirits. In Deuteronomy, chapter eight verse 3 Moses said to the people of God, he said, the reason God provided you with the manner in the wilderness is so that you might know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. And just let me remind you in case you don’t know. I can’t remember that. Those are the very words of the old testament that jesus used when he defeated satan in the wilderness Job 23 12 says, I have treasured the words of your mouth more than my daily bread. My beloved I know and I know you know that in this country at least we haven’t missed too many meals. We haven’t missed too many meals. Thank God. I’m going to make you feel guilty about it. I just thank God. But how in the world can we go months after months without feeding our spirits on the word of God, We work hard to provide daily food for our families. And that’s wonderful. It’s good, we work hard to stay healthy and that’s great. We work hard to educate our Children. We work hard for physically to strive. And yet when it comes to feeding of our spirits are feeding of our soul, we think that we can survive and few crumbs that we get here there and everywhere. No, listen to what God said through as a a 55 to why spend money on that, which is not bread and your labor for that, which does not satisfy, listen to me and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest affair, beloved listen to me, the reason we are spiritually in a famine. The famine, The spiritual famine we’re in today is because God’s people are so malnourished to the point of getting into a coma, the word of God is not only the only food is worthy of the name for your spirit, but secondly, it is only power for living. When Romans 1 16 says one of my life vs I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power say that with me, the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes first to the jews and to gentiles and now we’re forever looking for power. I think every single person at some point is looking for power. We’re looking for power over our circumstances. When we feel helpless, we were looking for power over our lives. We’re looking for power over the challenges of life that we all face. But what we do, we’re gonna look for that power and self help books and self motivational books and how to books, all of these are fine, but they will not give you the real power that your hunger for. We leave out the only book that has the power. We forget that the Word of God is the only power over sin. That the Word of God is the only power over temptation. That the Word of God is the only power over our circumstances. That the Word of God is the only power over diseases and illnesses, that the Word of God is the only power over the challenges of life. The Word of God is not only food for our soul, The Word of God is not only a powerful living, but thirdly, the Word of God is the only mirror that can truly reveal to you yourself, the only one we find reality to be very difficult to handle. And so we try to live in the fantasy world. Most people christians included, do not want to be confronted by with their failures. I was thinking, you know, in my late teen years, God allowed so many failures in my life. I didn’t like it. It wasn’t great. In fact, so much of it that made me despair of life itself. One day I’m going to write a more extended biography. Then trust and obey where I can tell some of these stories. But I thank God I lived long enough that I can look back and I say God, thank you for these failures. Why? Because back yonder, God was teaching me and preparing me to stand in this pulpit and by helping me to learn how to confront my failures and let me tell you there were not a few a number you see, most people don’t want to be confronted with their hypocrisy. Most people don’t want to be confronted by the double standards. Most people don’t want to be confronted by their compromises. Most people don’t want to be confronted by their complacency. A preacher preaches about prayer and they feel guilty they’re gonna start prayer life and they can do it okay for a while. And then back to normal, the preacher preached about the word. I would have to read the word of God. I’ve got to be because but that’s complacency, it’s a permanent change that God is looking for. So what do we do? Most people stop looking in the mirror thinking well, if I don’t look in the mirror, I want to see myself, I won’t confront my failures. I won’t confront of these things that I don’t like, please, please, please I’m right on this. The Mirror confronts us with facts and so many would say because of that. I don’t like to look in the mirror. I’m not gonna look at the mirror. James the half brother of jesus Said the following in Chapter one of James 1 23 and 24. Anyone who listens to the word of God but does not do, does not do what it says. It would be like a man who looks his face in the mirror and after looking himself gets away, immediately forgets what he saw. I’m not gonna ask you to raise your hand but I want you to think with me. Okay. I wonder how many of us how many of us really, really enjoy and likes looking in the mirror first thing in the morning, hello, when you wake up when I’m talking about, you know you know what I mean? When when when your hair is so disheveled and and your face looks like a truck has been driven all over it. Now, in my case it’s a horror show. I mean it’s really scary but please listen, listen, looking at the mirror is precisely what caused me to do something about it. Looking at the mirror is what proposed me to hit the shower and do a few other things. Some of us do more than others, but that’s okay. Now suppose you look and you see yourself and then you say well I don’t like what I see but you know what I want to do anything about it today. I might do something about it sometime down the road and then you got to work just the way you are. That would be a horror show for everybody else. But that’s precisely what happens when a believer looks at the Word of God as a mirror and confronts failure, frailty, inconsistencies and the list goes on and on and on. But that’s why we do something about it. Trust me, if you don’t do something about it, it only gets worse in time. Or I’m just This may pretend that everything is fine, that I look okay. Well, I’m going to pretend that I’m just going to fake it with everybody else. I’m just gonna put a mask on and hope that will mask how I really look is the problem when you go out that door, everybody else will see it, except you listen to what Hebrews said. Chapter 4: verse 12. The Word of God is living and active And Sharper than a two edged sword. It penetrates deep dividing soul and spirit joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and motives. Hello, it judges us. And I am personally convinced again, I take full responsibility for him saying this is my opinion, not the word of God, but I am personally convinced that some of modern day evangelical preachers in order to go on the offensive. I already said the word of God judges our thoughts and our motives. So what they do, they sit on judgment on the word of God. Instead of allowing the word of God, sit in judgment on them. Yeah, go on the offensive. They may not be relevant. Well, it’s not for today. Already gone offensive. Judge the word of God. But thank God, the word of God is not only a mirror, but fourthly and perhaps the most important, it’s a perfect temperature water shower. It cleanses. Can I get an amen? It cleanses us. Ephesians 5 26 says the word of God is like a perfect temperature shower. Now I know some of you think this is a rough translation, but trust me, that’s what I mean. That that’s what he meant to say. They don’t have showers back then. But that’s what he would have said regardless of how terrible you may look, regardless of how much dirt you might have accumulated. Regardless of how much felt that you feel you’re carrying. The moment you go under the shower, your 100% cleansed. Can I get a witness? But thanks be to God that his word is not only a mirror that reveals ourselves to us, but it also a shower that washes us. Get under it. You will feel 100% better. You will walk away, rejoicing I’m going to explain this what I mean by the mirror and the shower and you have to understand the word of God and the word of God. I don’t have the answers. Thank God for that. In 1st Peter Chapter 1: verse 22. Here’s what he said. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth. You notice not just reading it, obeying it now that you have purified yourself by obeying the Word of God So that you have sincere love for the brothers and sisters in Christ Love one another deeply from the heart. What has this got to do with the mirror and a shower? Everything to do with it. Listen carefully because I know experientially and I know most of you do. Here’s what it means. You take a good look in the mirror and you see resentment, bitterness what you do. You go under the shower, The Word of God. And what does the Word of God will do? It will replace that resentment and bitterness by love for one another. See that’s that’s what it means. The love of christ will start pouring into you. That the very people that you have a feeling resentment towards your heart is filled with love toward them. That’s when you obey the word of God. That’s what it means. See, the mirror reflects my con or unwholesome thoughts and the shower washes them out and cleanse me and purifies me. Can I get a witness Now, beloved If each of us begin with you begin with me, you begin with you. This is one time that being selfish is okay. Just begin with you. Don’t don’t don’t don’t don’t don’t worry about somebody next to you. Don’t worry about your wife or your husband. No, no, no, no. I’m talking about you individually. He said, oh my goodness, I wish so. And so was here to hear this message? No, no, no, it’s the Holy Spirit has that message for you. Mhm. And if everyone begins with me and to begin with you, I believe with all my heart, we can literally reverse the corrosion in our culture today. Mhm. Countless viewers have been impacted by leading the ways finding true peace spots that have aired on television and streamed online. I was on the Business News Fox channel and there was dr Michael yusef. He was reaching out to the viewers and talking about finding true peace. That we can find it through, jesus christ and christ is inviting you to experience his grace and mercy. I’ve been fighting to find my way back to God. I need faith more than ever. I’m glad I saw dr Yousef’s commercial. I’m talking about the Lord, jesus christ who said come unto me all who are carrying heavy burdens and worry and anxiety and I will give you rest visit Finding True Peace dot com. This program invites viewers to visit Finding True Peace dot com where they can learn more, ask questions and get connected with a counselor who can explain the gospel to them. The response to this invitation has been massive. I need answers. I need God in my life. Thank you for providing this access. No one has spoken the word of God to me with such an impact as dr yussef Thank you leading the way for leading me to christ. If you’re watching around the world, go to Finding True Peace dot com. Many pastors on the phone ready to Tokyo calls from wherever you are. The Finding True peace campaign is just one of the many ways leading the way is expanding its reach directly. Speaking life and truth into the homes of people who desperately need it through initiatives like this one and many others, leading the way is growing and expanding connections across the globe. You can be a part of what God is doing through Leading the way. Contact us today to learn more, check out leading the ways smartphone app with the Leading the Way app. You can watch recent episodes of Leading the Way, listen to sermon series as well as read special daily devotionals, written by Dr Yousef. You can even watch leading the way live events on your mobile device. Just search for leading the way on your apple android or amazon fire device to download the app today. Mhm passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth. Leading the way with Dr Michael Yousef. Thanks you for your faithful support through your continued prayers and gifts right