Introduction

In this section, Sinclair Ferguson introduces himself and his book "Jesus on Every Page". He shares some statistics about Christians' Bible reading habits and explains the purpose of his talk.

• Sinclair Ferguson is grateful for the invitation to speak and considers it a great privilege.

• He wrote a book called "Jesus on Every Page" and wants to share something from it.

• Most Christians only read about 5% of the Old Testament, excluding Psalms and Proverbs.

• Ferguson wants to persuade listeners that the Old Testament is worth reading by giving fifteen reasons why we should read it.

Reasons to Read the Old Testament

In this section, Sinclair Ferguson gives fifteen reasons why we should read the Old Testament.

The Old Testament Reveals Jesus

• The Old Testament reveals Jesus Himself through prophecies, predictions, pictures, poems, stories, and His personal presence as the angel of the Lord.

The Old Testament Helps Us Understand the New Testament

• It is virtually impossible to understand the New Testament without knowing the Old Testament because it assumes an underlying knowledge of it.

The Old Testament Saves Sinners

• The Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus; Paul was talking about the Old Testament when he said this.

The Old Testament Is a Manual for Christian Living

• God has given us moral principles in the Old Testament that will help us keep our relationship with Him in a good state.

The Old Testament Presents Doctrine in Story Form

• God has enfleshed His doctrines and laws in real flesh and blood humanity in the Old Testament.

The Old Testament Is a Source of Wisdom

• The Old Testament contains wisdom literature that can help us navigate life's challenges.

The Old Testament Teaches Us About God's Character

• We learn about God's character through His actions and interactions with people in the Old Testament.

The Old Testament Helps Us Understand Ourselves

• We can see ourselves reflected in the stories of people in the Old Testament, which can help us understand our own struggles and weaknesses.

More Reasons to Read the Old Testament

In this section, Sinclair Ferguson continues to give reasons why we should read the Old Testament.

The Old Testament Helps Us Understand Our World

• We can better understand our world by understanding its origins as described in the creation account in Genesis.

The Old Testament Provides Comfort and Hope

• Many of the Psalms provide comfort and hope for those going through difficult times.

The Old Testament Shows Us How to Pray

• Many of the Psalms also teach us how to pray and express our emotions to God.

The Old Testament Warns Us Against Sin

• We can learn from examples of sin and its consequences in the lives of people in the Old Testament.

Conclusion

In this section, Sinclair Ferguson concludes his talk by sharing a poem he wrote about reading Jesus on every page of Scripture.

• Ferguson shares a poem he wrote called "Jesus on Every Page".

• He hopes that his talk has persuaded listeners to read more of the Christ-centered Old Testament.

Reasons to Read the Old Testament

In this section, the speaker provides six reasons why people should read the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is God's Word

• The Old Testament is God's Word and therefore has authority over our lives.

• The Old Testament reveals God's character and nature, which helps us understand who He is.

The Old Testament Teaches Us About Sin and Salvation

• The Old Testament teaches us about sin and its consequences.

• The Old Testament also teaches us about salvation through faith in God.

The Old Testament Provides Examples for Us to Follow

• The stories in the Old Testament provide examples of how we should live our lives.

• These examples help us understand what it means to follow God.

More Reasons to Read the Old Testament

In this section, the speaker provides five more reasons why people should read the Old Testament.

The Old Testament Connects with People Through Story

• Many people connect better with story than doctrine or logic.

• Stories in the Old Testament present truths in a vivid and memorable way.

The Old Testament Comforts and Encourages Us

• Reading the Scriptures brings comfort and encouragement (Romans 15).

• We see God's relationship with Israel, His faithfulness, commitment, mercy, grace, etc., which comforts and encourages us.

The Old Testament Was Jesus' Bible

• The Old Testament was the most influential book in Jesus' life.

• It influenced His vocabulary, character, teaching, and life.

The Old Testament Displays Jesus' Trophies of Grace

• The faith of Old Testament saints is amazing despite having little Bible, few numbers, small church, and little light.

• These trophies of grace display the almighty work of Christ in the soul.

The Old Testament Shows Us the Bigger Picture of Redemption

• God's plan of redemption began long before Calvary or Bethlehem.

• Every event was meticulously planned and played out according to that perfect plan.

Final Reasons to Read the Old Testament

In this section, the speaker provides two more reasons why people should read the Old Testament.

The Old Testament Strengthens Our Apologetics

• There are hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled perfectly by Jesus Christ.

• These prophecies can be used as a powerful tool for evangelism and apologetics.

The Old Testament Explains Our Culture

• Reading the Old Testament helps us understand our culture better.

Understanding the Old Testament

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the Old Testament and how it can help us make sense of our culture, give us hope, and make sense of our story.

The Importance of Knowing God's Story

• It is impossible to understand the Bible without knowing what happened in act one and two.

• The Old Testament helps explain our culture and gives us hope for our culture.

• We cannot make sense of our story apart from God's story.

How the Old Testament Helps Us

• The Old Testament provides a comprehensive drama of salvation that includes creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.

• The Old Testament shows how God raised up leaders to rescue His church during dark times in history.

• Reading the Old Testament can warm our hearts as we experience spiritual heartburn when Christ comes out of its pages into our lives.

• Appreciating Jesus in the New Testament is enhanced by reading about Him in the Old Testament.

Conclusion

The speaker encourages listeners to read and study the Old Testament to gain a deeper understanding of God's story and how it relates to their own stories.

Visual Theology

This section discusses how the Old Testament points to Jesus and how He is present on every page.

The Old Testament Points to Jesus

• Abram and Jacob saw Him as an angel.

• With the blood of a lamb, He painted His salvation.

• With an outstretched arm, He defeated the Egyptians.

• Levitical priests offered sacrifice daily. No blood, no remission, no forgiveness of sins.

• Moses chose Christ's reproaches and spoke of Him often.

• Yeshua chose Joshua to conquer the land.

• God sends a redeemer, His kingdom, to advance.

Israel's History

This section covers Israel's history from King David to their exile in Babylon.

King David and His Successors

• King David arises as a man after God's own heart.

• But David, Solomon and every successor sinned and fell short in serious measure.

Exile in Babylon

• Israel divided then distant exile.

• Faith and Messiah faces Babylon trial.

Hope Dawns

This section discusses how hope dawns through Esther, Job, Psalms, Jeremiah and Daniel.

Esther Saves Messiah's Line

• Haman wants all Jews dead.

• Esther ventures in faith. Her fate no one knows but it's her time not Haman's.

Job Suffers Innocently

• Job suffers innocently but he is sure precious gold is the end of all this.

Psalms Sing of Jesus

• We sing the psalms with Him. He sang them below in times of rejoicing and

in great sorrow.

Jeremiah Predicts Covenant Renewed

• Jeremiah predicts I'll make covenant new,

a covenant effectual, it's something I'll do.

Daniel's Prophecies

• In Daniel, two sides are warring.

• The furious conflict is hot and hostile.

Jesus on Every Page

This section discusses how Jesus is present in every book of the Bible.

Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King

• I'll be your Prophet, your Priest and your King.

• In grace I'll forgive and forget all your sin.

The Good Shepherd

• I call to the wicked, "Turn. Why will you die?"

• I'm the Good Shepherd who calls you to fly.

New Covenant

• Jeremiah predicts I'll make covenant new,

a covenant effectual, it's something I'll do.

Victory Over Evil

• He even uses useless Jonah as a sign.

• Nation's glories flow to Him in Haggai. Zechariah opens his fountain for sin.

The Promised Seed

In this section, the speaker talks about Jesus as the promised seed and how he came to be with us.

Jesus as the Promised Seed

• Jesus is referred to as the promised seed.

• He came to be with us and be like us.

• Four Gospels record His great win.

• Jesus is on every page.