Inspired

Introduction

Well, good morning…happy New Year!

If you have a Bible and I hope that you do, open ‘em up with me to 2 Peter chapter 1.

This morning, we’re gonna start a new, three week sermon series just looking at the Word of God. We’re gonna look at how God inspired it…we’re gonna look at it’s authority…and listen, we’re gonna look at the power behind the Word of God.

And I get it…in the last 4 years that I’ve been here we’ve looked at this topic a lot. In fact, I think this might just be the third time I’ve preached through this specific passage here at FBC. But guys, if you’re taking notes, write this down…what you believe about the Bible, it shapes everything about your life.

Listen, the Bible, it’s central to who we are…and it’s central to everything we do. It’s our foundation. Every time we gather, it’s the center piece, right? And not just with worship but with everything we do…Sunday school, home groups, knot groups, the songs we sing, the prayers we pray, the doctrine we believe in…everything. The Bible shapes everything we do as a body of believers. Everything revolves around Scripture…that’s our goal. In fact, the only way we’ll become a church without walls…our mission statement…it’s to ground ourselves on this foundation…on the very Word of God.

You see, its important to understand, the Bible, its not just another book…it’s God’s revelation about Himself and about His intentions concerning mankind. That’s why I’ve titled this sermon series “the Gospel Series.”

From the very first chapter in Genesis…to the last chapter in Revelation, it’s all telling us the same story about God and what He’s done about human redemption…it’s about the gospel…the good news of Jesus Christ.

And so, understanding the centrality of God’s Word in our lives, I think it’s good to just stop every so often and ask ourselves, “Why?…Why is this book, of compiled writings… why is it so important?…What should we believe about the Bible?…Is it true?…What’s it say about itself?…Is the Bible relevant in our culture today?…How should it impact our lives, or our relationships, our church?…What’s it say if we neglect this book or replace it? Or even if we keep it around but subject it to something else?”…These are good questions for us to think about, to wrestle with…again, because what you believe about the Bible, it literally shapes everything about you.

Is this book “THE” Word of God?…Or listen, is it merely just “A” word from God? Guys, how you answer that question…what you believe in your heart, it shapes what you believe about humanity…who we are…why we’re here.

It shapes your view of morality…right and wrong…how we’re supposed to live.

It shapes your view of philosophy…how we think…what we believe about truth.

It shapes your views on society…how we relate to each other…how certain institutions are supposed to work, like marriage and family…the church, government, our jobs.

And listen these things are true, because what you believe about this book, it’s linked, ultimately, to what you believe about God…And what you believe about God, it shapes everything about you. And of course, you get what you believe about God based on what you believe about this book. It’s an important question to wrestle with. It literally shapes everything about our lives.

Is this book God’s Word or not? That’s the point of this series, because how we answer that, it determines what we think about the gospel.

Listen, there’s all kinds of views on what the Bible is…there’s those that think this book, its no different than mythology…its pieces of writings that a bunch of old, dead guys wrote when it concerns how they thought about the world and its origins.

And then there’s those that might believe its mythology, but they see the Bible as somewhat historically correct…there’s some good teachings in it…some things maybe we should consider following. There’s some modern value to it…You get through all that mythology stuff, there’s a small colonel of truth to it. That’s actually how Thomas Jefferson approached the Bible…He removed all the miracles and all the supernatural stuff and he kept the morals. He actually said that the Bible was the greatest source of human morality that had ever been given to mankind…Guys, he essentially, tried to rescue the Bible from the Bible. You can’t have God’s standard of right and wrong without all the other stuff…But listen, understand…we kind of do the same thing today. It’s very easy to approach the Bible and accept certain parts of it because its just easier to stomach or its easier to explain. We pick and choose which parts of the Bible we like or those we agree with…it’s like picking chocolates out of a box on Valentines Day. We get what we like, what tastes good to us. I’m gonna pick the dark chocolate or the Caramel…I’m gonna pick the love of God and the mercy of God…and I’m gonna leave all that other stuff, the justice or the righteousness, the holiness of God…I’m gonna leave that wrath stuff to someone else…that stuff’s disgusting.

But listen, we also have those that would say the entire box of chocolates…all of God’s Word, it’s poison. For them, the Bible, at best its an instrument to prop up weak and incident people…Or at worst, its just an instrument of oppression. It’s a weapon, used by those with power to marginalize other people.

But then, there’s those…that throughout history…they’ve approached this book…and they’ve approached it thinking that’s it’s nothing less than the very Word of God. For example, Galileo said that “God is known by nature in His works and by doctrine in His revealed Word,” the Bible. Sir Isaac Newton…he wrote, “We account the Scriptures of God the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.” Isaac Newton wasn’t a stupid guy. He gave us the laws of motion and gravity. He invented calculus. He gave us the reflecting telescope. Again, not a dumb guy. There’s been countless men and women that have given their lives for the very Word of God.

Listen, I can keep going but what is it, what do you believe about the Word of God? How is the Word of God shaping your life today? Because whether you realize it or not, your belief or lack of belief…what you think about it, it does dictate how you live.

And so, if you’re there with me in 2 Peter…would you stand with me as we read our passage together? It says this, starting in verse 16:

2 Peter 1:16–21 (ESV)

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Thank you, you can be seated.

[Prayer]

If you’re taking notes, I have three points for us as we walk through this passage together…number one, God’s Word is grounded in divine revelation…number two, God’s Word comes from the very Spirit of God…and number three, God’s Word remains true forevermore.

And so, to help us answer the question, “What should we believe about the Bible,” let’s look at what the Bible says about itself. We’re gonna look at this over the next three weeks…but the first thing…its that this book, it says its inspired by God…it’s His words.

And so, if you’d keep your Bible open there to 2 Peter chapter 1, we’re gonna look at the inspiration of God…These words, they’re not just simply “A” word from God…these are “THE” words of God.

Let’s look at this first point together.

I. God’s Word is Grounded in Divine Revelation (vv. 16-18)

God’s Word, its grounded in divine revelation.

Let’s back up just a few verses and start with verse 13. Peter says this:

2 Peter 1:13–18 (ESV)

I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Whenever someone thinks I preach the same thing too often…I just go to this verse.

Peter, he wants to remind his reader here of what they already know and believe about God.

We talked a little about this when we were going through our memory verse last week. I mean, wasn’t that one of Moses’ purposes to the Israelites? Remember? Remember what God had done…Remember who it is you follow.

This knowledge of God that’s been imparted to them through the Scriptures…through what Peter calls very precious and great promises back in verses 3 and 4. He wants them to know that knowledge is meant to bear fruit in lives of character and obedience. The knowledge of God, it’s never meant to just be gaining information. The knowledge of God, it changes us…it ought bear fruit in how we live…in how we follow Jesus. That’s why he says in verse 8, he doesn’t want them to become ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord…but rather, 3:18, “to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.”

And so, he wants them to take that knowledge they have and put it into practice…live like its true…let it change their life.

But then the question becomes, “How do we know its true? How sure’s this knowledge we’ve been given? How do we know it actually comes from God?” That’s the question he’s answering in our passage. “How confident can we be that the knowledge we’re receiving…this knowledge, it’s actually the knowledge of God?” That’s his purpose here…it’s to give his reader confidence that this knowledge, it didn’t come from him…And in making his argument, he gives us two pieces of evidence to prove his point.

The first thing he gives, it’s in verses 16 through 18…its eyewitness testimony. He says:

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

That “For” there, that kind of starts of this passage, it’s a word that’s linking this passage to the previous one…it’s explaining why Peter thought it important to remind his hearers of truth. …Peter, he was convinced of the truth he taught because ultimately, he says he and the other apostles, they experienced it. That’s why he says, “we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

Eyewitnesses, it literally means “general observers” or “spectators.” And they were spectators of His majesty…which means “splendor” or “magnificence.” That word, in other places in the New Testament, it speaks to the greatness of God…and Peter says, he and others, they were spectators of God’s greatness…which for him, I believe was at its pinnacle at the Mount of Transfiguration…which he and John and James were privileged enough to be with Jesus…that was Matthew 17…but that’s what he’s saying here in verses 17 and 18. He’s an eyewitness to truth.

And listen, in writing these letters and compiling truth together, Peter says, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He’s saying, we weren’t false teachers…we didn’t come with tales or myths…we were eyewitnesses and we communicated and we transcribed everything we witnessed.

Guys, in our world today…the standard when it comes to determining truth…it’s to speak to eyewitnesses. In criminal cases, the first thing police do, it’s to determine who the eyewitnesses were, right?…people that were present, at the scene of the crime, when it happened. It’s why criminals do everything they can to make sure witnesses can’t testify…it’s why we have things like the “Witness Protection Program”…Eyewitnesses, they help us discern truth.

Guys, Peter says…those that were present, with Jesus, they wrote down their testimony and they compiled Jesus’s teachings together in what we know today as the Bible. And the thing about their testimonies, it’s that they all say the same thing about Jesus and man and salvation…there’s no verse or passage in the Bible that contradicts another verse or passage.

Listen, there’s 40 different authors from Genesis to Revelation…there’s 66 books of the Bible that were all written over a period of about 1,600 to 2,000 years apart. Many of the authors, they never saw any of the other writings. Most of ‘em never met each other…and yet nothing contradicts anything in the Bible. It’s just a continuous thread…a continuous story about God and human redemption. Which for that happen, it must mean, that while there are over 40 different human authors…there’s still only one Author and one message…Amen? For that to happen, it has to all be inspired by one person. A person that’s timeless…a person that’s sovereign.

Listen, just try and give someone a story…explain all the details…let ‘em tell like 10 people…and then go and see what kind of story the last person heard. It’s certainly not gonna match the one you gave. God’s story, over the course of 2,000 years, with people who didn’t even know each other…it stayed intact. Tell me its just a book that a bunch of men wrote.

Listen, Peter’s saying here…that while Scripture was written down by men…it was revealed to them by divine revelation.

I think about the accounts in Exodus…Moses he goes up to Mount Sinai…he spends time with God…God reveals His glory, His majesty to Moses…He gives Moses the law, right? He speaks truth to Moses…and Moses is tasked with what? He’s tasked with giving God’s spoken Word to the Israelites, right? And of course, we know the story…Moses goes down the first time…he breaks the tablets…God instructs Moses to go back up and this time Moses has to chisel out the two tablets with his own hand since he broke the first tablets. God inscribed the first set of tablets with His own finger but Moses chiseled out the second set of tablets by his own effort with the same words…Isn’t it still from God regardless?

You see, that’s how God works…its how He’s always worked. God uses man to bring about His glory. That’s why we were made in His image back in Genesis chapter 1, our image, it’s meant to point creation to it’s Creator…to God!…That’s why when it concerns the Great Commission, in the New Testament, we’re tasked with going out and sharing the message of the gospel…But where’s the power at in that? It’s certainly not in us, right? We can give the greatest gospel presentation known to man but without the Spirit of God…without Him working in that person’s life, through us…there is no power there. We’re simply vessels…that’s just how God works.

Listen, I get it…we live in a culture where it’s very hard to decide what’s true and what’s not…there’s all kinds of fake news out there, right? But one of the reasons God’s Word is so reliable, its because its grounded in the direct revelation of God Himself. Our faith, its not based on personal interpretation or human traditions…its built on divine truth that’s been revealed through the apostles and through the prophets over and over again in the same ways, telling the same message for thousands of years.

Guys, what Peter’s saying here…the words written down by these 40 different authors…it didn’t come from them…it came from divine revelation…they were just eyewitnesses…they were spectators of God’s majesty.

Which moves us to the next point.

II. God’s Word Comes from the Very Spirit of God (vv. 19-20)

God’s Word, it comes from the very Spirit of God.

Look at what Peter says next, verse 19:

2 Peter 1:19–20 (ESV)

And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.

Guys, listen to the words of Peter here…even though Scripture was compiled by eyewitnesses…Peter says, even that didn’t come from their own interpretation or their own will…it was all inspired by God…men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Listen, this is important, we hold to the Scriptures as our sole source of authority in the church because ultimately…it wasn’t just written down by eyewitnesses, it was written, it was breathed out by God…it’s His Words to us…its His instructions.

2 Timothy 3:16 says:

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Peter says, “these words…these prophetic words, they’ve been fully confirmed…to which you need to pay attention.”

Guys, for over 2,000 years, people have tried very hard to disprove the things of the Bible…and I’ll say this…they’ve tried and they’ve failed. God Himself, He’s preserved and He’s maintained and He’s fully confirmed the words of this book, they’re all true…they’re infallible…they’re all inerrant. And the reason for that…ultimately…its because its all a special, supernatural revelation from God Himself. And God gave us these words so that the church would never be governed by a person or a people…authority, it would always rest on the very words of God…God gave it to us so that we’d always have a means to stay true and obedient.

You see, God might’ve used man to tell His story…but understand this, God didn’t depend on man to tell His story…It was through His Spirit where He superintended the recording of those experiences and thoughts into what we now have as Scripture.

Peter’s reply to those that might question the validity of his experiences…the things he’s written down…its that believers, they have an even better source…the prophetic word made more sure (or made more confirmed). Meaning, their words that were written down in Scripture, its confirmed by God Himself because it came from God Himself…And notice, he doesn’t say “my” words…he doesn’t say “I”…What’s he say here? He says, “[We] have the prophetic word.” He’s not just talking about his letter here…he’s affirming all of the Bible to be inspired by God Himself.

And look at verse 20, notice what Peter says…, “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” Now, this Greek phrase here, its a little tricky, but what Peter means, its not referring to the explanation of Scripture…he’s talking about it’s origins. That’s why he writes verse 21, which we’ll talk about in just a minute. What man might think or want, it has absolutely nothing to do with divine prophecy…which is why he says that they were carried along by the Holy Spirit or moved along by the Holy Spirit…Meaning, these authors, they couldn’t have written what they did without the inspiration of the Spirit.

Now, there’s a little bit more to what Peter’s saying here but before we move on understand that God’s Word, it comes from the very Spirit of God. When we read the Bible, we’re not just reading some dead guys words…we’re reading the very words of God…we’re reading something that was devised inside the mind of God.

Listen, when Brittany and I went to our last marriage conference, there was something that really stuck out to me during the session on communication. One of the presenters, she said, “Communication is self-revelation…You’ll never get to know someone if they never chose to speak or to write down their own words to tell you about themself.” It’s impossible to know someone without them telling you about themselves.

Now, that seems like a pretty simple thing. Like, “I get that Pastor Steven…you’re just stating the obvious!”

Well, then why do you struggle so much to get into God’s Word?

Can’t you see it? I know I’m not teaching you something you don’t say you already believe. If I were to poll everyone in the room this morning, I’m doubtful I’d have more than five people say they don’t believe the Bible to be inspired by God…I’m doubtful that you’d say these words weren’t God’s very Words to us.

You say you believe that…but you show something entirely different.

Remember, without words, its impossible for us to know another person…If these words are the very words of God, as Peter states here in our passage…if these are the very words of God, can’t you see what it means for you and me…if you’d just take a step back and look at the big picture. We have this really terrible thing that we say about God…, “God’s just so mysterious…We’ll never know God, fully.” Guys, God…through His own effort…remember according to Paul in his letter to the Roman church, Paul says, “None seek [God].” And so, through His own effort, God’s given us words so that we might know Him. Meaning God wants to be known. And listen, not only that…the very Spirit that inspired these writings…that very Spirit, He indwells us now, as believers.

Listen, I get it…you get so tired of me telling you to have a reading plan…to get into the Bible…join a knot group…I know, I’m like broken record. But have you ever stopped to wonder why that’s so important?…You wanna know God? Well, you need His Words to know Him? My desire for you, its that you would know God…because as we said last week…to know God, its what? It’s to trust God…And to trust God, its to love God, right?

Which moves us into this last verse and point.

III. God’s Word Remains True Forevermore (v. 21)

God’s Word, it remains true forevermore.

Look at verse 21 with me again. It says:

2 Peter 1:21 (ESV)

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

You wanna know another reason why I’m so convinced that the Word of God is true? It’s the adaptability of the Bible.

You ever notice that when you need a word from the Lord, you open your Bible up and it seems like God gave you the very thing you needed? You ever notice that it literally addresses every issue we face in our culture past and present? Like, it’s timeless!

Hebrews 4:12 says:

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword

That’s a promise to us from the author of Hebrews…and that promise, it has no expiration. The Bible, it will remain relevant to every person, in every culture, across every age because, as we just talked about, it comes from a living God with a living message about Himself.

Which is why the Word of God, it’s not just any word…it literally has the power to change lives. It’s been changing lives for over 2,000 years. You know why I close our service every week in the same exact way, by sharing the gospel message? Because it’s the Word of God…its His message to us…and there’s actual power in His Words.

One of the greatest blessings I have in ministry, it’s getting to see God’s Word, firsthand, work in the lives of people. Every week, I get to see God use His Word to give people new life…or to solve some problem someone’s facing…I see it heal marriages and relationships…I see it take what’s broken and I see God use His Word to mend those things back together.

Look at what Peter says here…the Word of God, its true…it wasn’t produced by the will of man.

Look I know, in our culture today, its really hard to determine truth from lie. And there’s some really good liars out there. I know we live in a culture that says there really is no foundation of truth or absolute truth…but guys, see how unchanging the Bible’s been for thousands of years…see how relevant it remains in our lives today…just see how the world attacks the very words of God…don’t you believe that if the Bible could be disproven…I mean use your head for just a minute…we live in the 21st century…don’t you believe for a second that if the world could disprove the Bible…don’t you think they would’ve already done so? They haven’t because its not possible…in fact, as technology advances, it actually proves the Bible to be more and more creditable.

Listen, if you could know truth, with all certainty…wouldn’t you wanna know it?

Guys, God’s given it to you…and through the very thing that inspired it, His Spirit…He’s given you the means to believe it. Now all you have to do is read it…and allow the very words of God to change everything about you.

Closing

Would you close your eyes and bow your head with me?

Listen, here’s what I want you to take away…yes, God used man to write the Bible…but understand, the Bible, its God’s very words to us…words telling us about Himself. Who He is. What He’s like. What He desires. His nature. His character.

Listen, as Christians, people whose lives have been changed…whose destinies have been altered…we’re given a heart a flesh…a heart that desires God…a heart that loves God. Listen, if you’ve turned to Jesus…what’s your heart show about your desire to know God? The One whose given you everything?

If you believe the Bible to be inspired, how does that show in your devotion to it? Are you digging into it? Are you reading it? Is it still changing your life today?

Remember if we’re gonna grow in our love for God, we have to grow in our trust for God…trust comes from knowledge and knowledge comes from His Word…Get into the Bible! Because what you believe about the Bible, it shapes everything about your life.

But listen, if you’re here and you don’t know God…hear what I’m saying. God’s Word, it’s true…every single verse, every chapter, every book…it’s all been inspired by the very Spirit of God…it’s come from the mind of God.

And listen, what it tells us…it tells us that we were created…by God. And it says that in our rebellion, we chose contrary to God…we chose to please ourselves…we didn’t want the grace of God…we didn’t want His provision for our lives…and so, we chose our on way…and in that rebellion, and because we aren’t God, we couldn’t sustain life…we brought on death. And because of our rebellion…and because God’s a good and righteous God, we couldn’t be in His presence any longer…therefore, He couldn’t grant us life. He is the source of life because He’s the Creator. And so, without our circumstances changing, every one of us, we all experience death and separation.

Paul says, “The wages of sin, its death…All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.”

But listen, the Bible also shows us “that God so loved the world that He gave us His Son, Jesus.” It says, “That whoever believes in Him, they’ll have eternal life.” You see, Jesus, He’s God Himself…He’s the Creator…And the amazing thing about the gospel, its about God stepping into His creation, taking on flesh…living a life as man…all with the purposes of dying a death man deserved. And if that wasn’t enough, the cornerstone of Christianity…its that Jesus didn’t remain dead…it says He rose three days later and it says He ascended to heaven, very much alive.

Listen, the Bible, its true…and because it’s true…its very important that you respond to its message. If you turn to Jesus, if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that He’s Lord, that He raised from the dead…the Bible says you will be saved…But listen, it says if you don’t, if you don’t respond…if you reject the message of the gospel…it says you’ll be cast into a fiery lake for all eternity, separated from the goodness of God.

And so listen, whatever it is, whoever you are…I just want you take this time…respond to what the Spirit might be doing in your heart right now and then we’ll come together at the Lord’s table in just a moment.

[Prayer]

Matthew 26:26 (ESV)

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

Matthew 26:27–29 (ESV)

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”