3:16: Get Ready

 

Series Summary

In this series, called 3:16, we will be exploring several significant passages in the Bible that are located at the 3:16 chapter and verse marker in their respective books. These passages cover a wide range of variety, from a variety of authors, covering a variety of topics, through a variety of time periods of Israel’s and the church’s history. The only common denominator in this series is where each of those passages is located in the Bible, at a 3:16 mile marker. You likely already know that all Scripture is inspired by God. That fact is stated in 2 Timothy 3:16, which is one of the 3:16’s we’ll look at in this series. But while all Scripture is inspired, the chapter and verse designators are not. Those came later – the Old Testament around the 13th century, and the New Testament a little later. They were added to help make it easier to find a particular passage, especially when someone was trying to manipulate a bulky, awkward scroll instead of a book. But, even though the verse numbers aren’t inspired, it’s curious that so many weighty passages are found at the 3:16 mile marker. Maybe God knew that we needed some things to be easy to remember. In this series, we will be looking at several different passages that are found at 3:16, in different books of the Bible. In some cases, we may only look at the verse, or maybe two or three. For others, we may need a good portion of the chapter in order to understand it completely. But all of them are found at the 3:16 point. Among the 3:16's we'll examine are John, Genesis,  Proverbs, Colossians, Daniel, Ephesians, 1 Peter, 2 Timothy, and more. It'll be unique. It’ll be enlightening. And we hope you’ll join us as we examine the 3:16’s of the Bible!

Sermon Summary

In 1 Peter 3, Peter instructs us to be prepared to explain why we believe and place our hope and trust in Jesus. He tells us to be ready. This is practical for our lives in a variety of ways. We are to be ready to share with others. We are to be ready to do the things that God has called us to do. We are to be ready to grow in our spiritual maturity and discipleship. To not be ready is a sign of spiritual immaturity, and the writer of Hebrews (5:11-14) tells us that we should grow beyond that. It's an expectation that we mature, that we prepare, that we are ready. How do we do that? By investing in the Word, by using our minds to focus intentionally on Christ, and by putting on the armor of God. In doing these things, we prepare ourselves, but we also help prepare one another. That's unity. That's community.