Abundant Scripture
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
It’s VBS Week! The theme this year is Breaker Rock Beach: God’s solid truth in a world of shifting sands.
There are certainly a lot of shifting sands in our world today. Almost everyone has a truth claim and the vast majority of them are not true!
I am so grateful that when we come to faith in Jesus we come to know Him and therefore we come to know Truth!
Truth that is not subjective to flawed people or broken nature. We come to know real truth…True truth…the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!
Jesus would ask the Father, in his high priestly prayer in John 17, that His followers would be sanctified, or set apart, in the truth: Your word is truth!
This morning, Let’s look at the amazing blessing we have in the Abundant Scriptures that God gives us to help live the Abundant Life He has called us to.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
1) Scripture is Compelling!
1) Scripture is Compelling!
Paul is not informing Timothy of new information, nor is he simply reminding Timothy of information.
He is building a case for Timothy to embrace what he is about to tell him.
The context of this passage is preparing Timothy for the unavoidable reality that people are prone to godlessness and that it’s going to get worse and worse.
It’s not just in the world, but also within those who would claim Jesus.
By distinction, Timothy has followed the example of Paul and has not turned to godlessness, but rather to godliness.
Paul’s godliness has led him through persecution, but it has built a steadfast and resilient perseverance.
He encourages Timothy to remain steadfast in his own perseverance, holding to not only Paul’s example, but more importantly to the “sacred writings” which made Timothy wise to salvation.
It is this very scripture that is “God breathed” that is inspired by God himself!
Paul is highlighting that the scriptures Timothy has known is not valuable because it’s what he has known his whole-life.
It’s bigger than him.
It’s not dependent upon him or any other person.
It’s given to us outside of people’s opinions or man’s “lofty philosophies”.
The Holy Scriptures are given to us by the God of the universe who is all-knowing, all-wise, almighty, sovereign, and eternally sufficient.
Paul is compelling Timothy, on the basis of God’s blessing and inspiration, to hold firm to the Scripture, regardless of the godlessness and opinions around him.
Others will reject the Word, delegitimize God’s Word, manipulate God’s Word, or treat God’s Word as a tool for their own personal whims…but faithful and true Christ followers must never turn away from the Word nor ever forget that it is God breathed and to be taken seriously!
2) Scripture is Constructive!
2) Scripture is Constructive!
Because God is the author of Scripture, we are compelled to build our lives upon His Word!
The Bible is God’s Holy Scriptures that given to us to reveal to us who He is, who we are, who we were made to be, and how we are to live for His glory!
When we read the Bible, we should ask ourselves these three questions:
What does this say about God?
What does this say about me?
What does this say about how I should respond to God?
Because we are broken people who have born again, we are being built into a new person…a new creation!
God’s Word is meant to shape and mold our new hearts which beat new life into our new purpose which brings new challenges and new blessings.
How does God’s Word construct our lives?
Paul gives Timothy some insight, though this list is not comprehensive, it certainly hits the highlights!
God’s Word teaches us!
This is not just gaining a head knowledge, but also a heart knowledge.
Memorizing “Bible facts” does not construct a new life in us, living out what we have learned from God’s Word is what shapes and forms a born again life.
Philippians 3:14–16 “14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”
God’s Word rebukes us!
God’s Word is the measuring standard by which we examine our lives. It highlights where we are growing and exposes where we are falling short.
Psalm 139:23–24 “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
Much of Paul’s letters are written to rebuke character and conduct that reveals a heart in rebellion to God.
Jesus, the Word made flesh, rebukes people. The degree of the harshness of the rebuke is proportionate to the professed heart of the individual. (i.e., Jesus rebukes the religious leaders much more harshly than the woman at the well.)
God’s Word corrects us!
God’s Word doesn’t just expose where our hearts and actions fall short, it turns us in the right direction.
Rebuking has a negative connotation, and left alone it is negative. But God’s Word doesn’t just leave it alone. Correction is the positive turn around we desperately need in our lives.
8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.
God’s Word constructs a new heart within us by showing us a better way than the path of death we walk in the flesh. We are sanctified and purified by the blood of Jesus turning our lives around from death to life. This isn’t passive but it is very much active!
God’s Word trains us in righteousness!
This is beyond correcting old flesh habits that are exposed in light of God’s Word.
This is adding to our lives the disciplines and habits that are deemed righteous and beautiful before God.
This is 2 Peter 1:3-10
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
God’s Word doesn’t just tear out some walls in our lives and put some fresh crimson paint on our hearts, God’s constructing Word comes with add-ons and expansions!
God’s Word turns our lives from a sketchy cardboard shack into a masterpiece structure that displays His glory in our lives!
3) Scripture is Completing!
3) Scripture is Completing!
We were made for so much than what this world offers.
We are incomplete if we are not living according to God’s Word!
Without God’s word we are incompetent and incomplete.
If we are not living in God’s living Word so that our lives are living out His Word, we are not skilled nor equipped to carry out every good work we were made for.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
We cannot live up to our full potential if we neglect the scriptures that are God-breathed.
So many Christians feel incomplete and lacking and it’s because they are neglecting God’s Word!
So many Christians feel incompetent to walk in faith and it’s because they are neglecting God’s Word!
So many Christians feel inept when it comes to their faith and it’s because they are neglecting God’s Word
God’s Word completes us and builds within us the competencies we need to be equipped and carry out EVERY good work for which God’s has made us for!
CLOSING
CLOSING
My friends, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man and woman of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Will you dedicate yourself to God and faithfully living in Him through His living Word