The Church Lives by Every Word of the Word

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James Kinsella

Sermon • Submitted 7 years ago • Presented 7 years ago • 40:32

2 Timothy 3:14–17

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The question we've been asking is:

What is the Church?

Jesus says He will build His church and the gates of hell will not stand against it…but what is that Church?

Or who is that Church?

What makes a church...a church? If you look at the cultural landscape at all of things we define as Church…and then you open your Bible and read about the Church…and ask your self…or better…ask God what is the Church God that you desire?

If we honestly ask that question we have to admit...there seems to be a gap in what we call and emphasize as the Church…and what the Bible calls a church and emphasizes about the church…

A disconnect between what we look for in a church and what God is looking for from His Church.

So what makes a church…a church? Specifically...in God’s eyes and by His definition and for his glory...what is the church? Or more precisely...who is the church?

A lot of things call themselves a church but what makes a church church. In particularly in gods eyes and by his definition and for his glory what is the church? Or more accurately who is the church?

Here is a real life example of what I'm talking about. A while back in a conversation about my faith in Jesus, I had a coworker who told me she also “goes to church.” She brings her family to church on Sundays. She told me they have a really nice pastor who gives a message…they meet in a building they call the church. They have fun Sunday school programs for the kids...they do fellowship....and sing songs.

So is that a church?

Maybe I should give you more information.

She is an atheist. Her husband is an atheist. And I asked her why do you go to church and what does you Church believe?

They go because they like their pastor. They have good parking and good children's programs and short relevant sermons and comfortable chairs and going to church makes them feel like their kids will fit in with the local culture…because on Sundays they go to a building they call the church.

A Unitarian Universalist Church to be specific.

Where they believe Jesus...

should be honored as a master teacher just like other teachers such as Moses or the Buddha.

And they Believe the Bible...

as an account of human experience but not an infallible guide or the exclusive source of truth because much biblical material…they believe...is mythical or legendary.

Is that a church ? there are some important details I didn't tell you about. I've told you that they have what most people look for when they're searching for a church. What I didn't tell you. Is that they don't believe the Bible is the true word of God. They don't believe they are to live by every word of the word.

So is this building where a group of people gather on Sundays to hear a short, relevant message from a pastor, send their children to a children’s program, and then fellowship together so that they can fit into the traditions of the local culture...is this church...a church?

And more importantly for us…

We look that some of the foundational components of the biblical church. As we gather together in this new phase of our church we're digging into the question what exactly is the biblical church. What is God looking for. If God is ordering a steak we don't want to bring him pizza .

Since we desire to glorify God in all we do…whether we eat or drink…or be the church He desires us to be...

What are the foundational components of a God glorifying local church…that also make that church a church?

We've discussed how the church is devoted. Devoted to one another because of our devotion to Jesus Christ. Devoted specifically to the Word. Devoted to fellowship with one another. Devoted to communion and the breaking of bread together. And devoted to praying together.

What is God looking for? If God is ordering a steak we don't want to bring him pizza .

So we've discussed how the church is devoted . Devoted to one another because of our devotion to Jesus Christ. Devoted in our to the apostles teachings . Devoted to fellow shipping with one another. Devoted to communion and the breaking of bread together. And devoted to praying together. We are devoted.

And how that devotion will spill over into our being devoted to one another in all other parts of life.

We are devoted.

And then we said the church is united. United in our faith in Jesus our Lord and in the truth of God’s Word and in the gospel of salvation. And because of that unity...united in our love for one another...

And then we said the church is on a mission. We are on a mission to (with the gospel of salvation) make disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. And then the second week of that message we specifically saw from God’s Word that our mission…each one of us…is to be equipped to go with the gospel proclaimed from our mouths to the ears of unbelievers to make disciples of Jesus. And we do that very intentionally but also by simply speaking like a Christian in all conversations.

And we said the church is on a mission. We are on a mission to make disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. And then the second week of that message we specifically saw from God’s Word that our mission…each one of us…is to be equipped to go with the gospel proclaimed from our mouths to the ears of unbelievers to make disciples of Jesus. We then baptized those disciples of Jesus…and invite them into what we do…to teach them to love Jesus and to obey everything He commanded.

We then baptize those disciples of Jesus…and invite them into what we do…a life of discipleship...to teach them to love Jesus and to obey everything He commanded.

So those are foundational to a Biblical church and therefore foundational to Revival Church.

As we move forward in the coming weeks we will build on this foundation as we see from God’s Word that the cornerstone of the Church is the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

And then how the Church building on this foundation and with Christ as the cornerstone will have:

-the supremacy of Jesus Christ

-Joy in God

-Biblical leadership in place

-Fueled bi the power of the Holy Spirit

-Fuled bi the power of the Holy Spirit

-Will in their joy practice the ordinances of baptism and communion

-And as the body of Christ will serve of the lost and lonely and poor and orphans and widows in their midst.

And today...

Today we're going to ask God to show us in His Word how:

SLIDE

The Church lives by Every Word of God's Word.

How every the church lives by every word of God's word.

This is what I would say is very specifically one of our distinctives at Revival church.

We believe wholeheartedly that the entire Bible is true and every word of it is the very Word of God to us…His people.

It is Sufficient, Clear, Authoritative and Necessary to us…as the church.

Our youth read the Bible together. Our adult Bible study consists of reading and teaching through books of the Bible together.

Our youth read the Bible together. Our adult Bible study is truly walking through books of the Bible together line by line. We teach from the Bible.

We love the Bible! We trust God’s Word and therefore this is in our statement of faith...

SLIDE

1. THE WORD OF GOD

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. In matters the Bible does not address directly, we assess what is true and right by criteria consistent with its teachings.

For some of you the question comes up either in your mind or from friends how can we know the Bible is accurate? And this is not saying the real way. The true way. Which is to say that before you're a believer you open God's word and you're blind to it. It is jiggly Josh to you. And it becomes true when you are repent and in faith are born again and you look at God's word and it becomes a love story to you. It becomes the light your path of your feet.

God’s Word is not only truth…it is the truth.

For some of you at this point this question comes up either in your mind or in discussions with others:

It is a practical question…it is a fair question…I like questions…y’all have a free invitation to ask me any question anytime about anything.

That is a fair question…I like questions…y’all have a free invitation to ask me any question anytime about anything.

Here is the question...how can I know the Bible is accurate?

Here’s what’s amazing. The number of manuscripts of the New Testament or parts of the New Testament as compared with the number of manuscripts for any other ancient works or historical “truth” is staggering.

There are twenty manuscripts of Livy’s Roman history...written roughly during the time when Jesus was alive.

Only two manuscripts exist for Tacitus’s Annals and Histories, composed about AD 100.

There are only eight manuscripts of the history of Thu-cyd-ides — written between 460 and 400 BC.

We have ten existing manuscripts for Julius Caesar’s Gallic War. 10 composed between 58 and 50 BC.

There are twenty manuscripts of Livy’s Roman history…taught as History...written roughly during the time when Jesus was alive.

These are taught in schools (like the Bible once was as well) as history.

So 2…8…10…20. For these historical documents.

Now, compare those numbers with the manuscripts or partial manuscripts of the New Testament.

You can go online and see all these for yourself.

Remember 2…8…10…20 original manuscripts.

There are 5,800 manuscripts of the New Testament, in part or whole.

These are all handwritten copies of the New Testament or parts of the New Testament preserved in libraries around the world today. Now captured electronically, so that you can see them for yourself online. No other ancient book even comes remotely close to this kind of preservation…this in itself is an act of the hand of God…and gives Him glory…and should strengthen your faith.

Why?

No other book has been so persecuted in History…yet…5800 preserved copies.

And even when analyzed by major liberal universities the word accuracy and historical accuracy of these New Testament documents is statistically staggering.

But I have a more important question…how can we know the Bible is not only accurate but true...the truth about God and life and the universe?

I will tell you the 100% sure…no doubt…way.

This is how you can know…this is why the church and us a believers can build our lives on the truth of the Bible.

How can you know it is truth?

Before you're a believer you open God's word and you're blind to it. You hear it read or taught…it doesn’t speak to you…it seems confusing....specifically it doesn’t teach you about the Lordship of Jesus…it doesn’t drive you to see and love and treaure Jesus…to worship Him.

Then…if you are born again or when you were saved…this happens.

Explain Luke 24...

Luke 24:45 ESV

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

So what about us…you are presented with the gospel…you repent and put your faith in Jesus and are born again and now...you look at God's Word and something beins to happen...it becomes clearer…and truer…and not only true…good news...a love story to you.

And then…you are presented with the gospel…you repent and put your faith in Jesus and are born again and now...you look at God's word and something starts to happen...it becomes clearer…and true…and not only true…good news...a love story to you.

Explain.

So what about us…you are presented with the gospel…you repent and put your faith in Jesus and are born again and now...you look at God's word and something starts to happen...it becomes clearer…and true…and not only true…good news...a love story to you.

This becomes true for you.

NO SLIDES

Psalm 119:105 ESV

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Or.

Psalm 119:114 ESV

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.

Or.

Psalm 119:169 ESV

Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word!

And specifically you read the Word and see Jesus…your treasure…your Savior and Lord.

That is how I know the Bible is true. Because God saved me…He shined his light my heart…He removed my blindness…He brought this dead man to life…He removed my love for the darkness and brought me into the light to see the truth and power and the beauty of his Word…because of the beauty and treasure of Jesus.

That is how I know the Bible is true. Because God saved me…He shined His light my heart…to show me that the glory of the gospel is found in Jesus.

He removed my blindness…He brought this dead man to life…He removed my love for the darkness and brought me into the light to see the truth and power and the beauty of his Word…because of the beauty and treasure and glory of Jesus Christ…my Savior and Lord.

The statistics above are staggering and hard to argue with…but…even more than statistics...

I know it is true…because He opened my eyes...every word of his word is now precious to me…and it is truer that anything else I see. Or it has become the truth by which I see everything else.

Every word of his word is now precious to me…and it is truer that anything I see.

Why? Because it IS the truth.

But the question might come to you how can I know it's accurate. Asked Pastor John

That is a fair question…I like questions…you all have a free invitation to ask me any question.

We have ten existing manuscripts for Julius Caesar’s Gallic War…we teach that as truth. 10 composed between 58 and 50 BC.

composed between 58 and 50 BC. All of the manuscripts we’ve found date from the tenth century or later.

There are twenty manuscripts of Livy’s Roman history, taught as truth...written roughly during the time when Jesus was alive.

Only two manuscripts exist for Tacitus’s Annals and Histories, composed about AD 100.

There are only eight manuscripts of the history of Thucydides — written between 460 and 400 BC.

So 10…2…8.

Now, compare those numbers with the manuscripts or partial manuscripts of the New Testament.

You can go online and see all these for yourself.

These numbers are from the Institute of New Testament Textual Research in Münster, Germany. You can go online and see all these things for yourself. It is the most authoritative collection of such data in the world.

There are 5,801 manuscripts of the New Testament, part or whole.

These are all handwritten copies of the New Testament or parts of the New Testament preserved in libraries around the world today. Now they are captured electronically, in digital format, so that you can see them for yourself online. No other ancient book even comes remotely close to this kind of preservation.

And even when analyzed but major liberal universities the accuracy of these documents is statistically staggering.

Here’s the way F.F. Bruce, from a generation ago, said it: “If the great number of manuscripts increases the number of scribal errors, it increases proportionately the means of correcting such error so that the margin of doubt left in the process of recovering the exact original wording is in truth remarkably small.”

And therefore as the Church...

What about preaching from the word. There are two general types of preaching biblical preaching is expositional. Instead of me or whoever's after teaching coming up with a topic and then trying to hover over God's word to find ways to fit my agenda into that topic. My job is to expose you to the word of God. We believe this is a spiritual event Holy Spirit has revealed to me what needs to be taught to my flock and he reviews it to me in a way that I put into my own words. But I know you I love you . Oscar reveals to me the truth of his word. And then I expose you to his word and say look here it is. Here's what God's Word says to us. I believe one of the most urgent needs in our day is the proclamation and preaching of the biblical faithful word of God in our churches and in the world.

This is extremely important for you. In order to live the way God wants you to live. In order to do what we say is the plan like to glorify God and all that you do and enjoy God . If the no what God says glorifies him and how we can find eternal joy in him. And he tells us that in his word.

We live by every word of God’s Word.

I desire you need especially for use. To be able to tell when someone is preaching and teaching God's word and speaking from God and preaching from God's word versus preaching from God's word but teaching for man. Specially the youth who will not be with our church because the cost to college or move somewhere with their families. I want you to be in the sermon you are hearing the word of God. There are tons and tons of man centered sermons that have the name of God and his word in them. I want you to be able to discern that's the word of God being preached.

The church is a community…a family...formed by God's Word.

So here's the question one is to ask why is biblical teaching every word of God's word critical to the church . Now here on Sundays but on Wednesdays when you're reading a Bible throughout the week speaking of with your family wise important corporately individually we Bree teach every word of God's word?

So we love the Word and teach the Word and trust the Word because we have been born again through the Word…which will endure forever.

What about the preaching of the Word.

What is preaching?

Preaching is Expository…which means that preaching aims to expose you to God’s Word...or explain and apply the meaning of the Bible.

Because we the church to be a community formed by God's word. We could be formed around many things are in our particular taste or hobbies are age a certain teacher following a certain leader because he's cool or energetic build something based on her parenting styles or race the church however is a community that is centered on God's word.

NO SLIDE

Expository means that preaching aims to exposit, or explain and apply, the meaning of the Bible. The Bible is God’s word, inspired, infallible, profitable—all 66 books of it.

The gift of preaching is not a gift of pbeing a good speaker…Paul makes that exceedingly clear...

The preacher should do that in a way that enables you to see that the points he is making actually come from the Bible. If you can’t see that they come from the Bible, your faith will end up resting on a man and not on God's word.

I am to minimize my own opinions and deliver to you the truth of God. Every sermon should explain the Bible and then apply it to people's lives…in a way that enables you to see the truth and power of God’s word from the Bible.

Preaching is also exultation. This means I do not just explain what’s in the Bible, and the people do not simply try understand in their minds. It is way better than that...the preacher and the people exult over what is in the Bible as it is being explained and applied.

make your spiritual bones more like steel,double the capacity of your spiritual lungs,make the eyes of your heart dazzled with the brightness of the glory of God,and awaken the capacity of your soul for kinds of spiritual enjoyment you didn’t even know existed.

Preaching Is Exultation

What does exult mean?

Preaching is also exultation. This means that the preacher does not just explainwhat’s in the Bible, and the people do not simply try understand what he explains. Rather, the preacher and the people exult over what is in the Bible as it is being explained and applied.

Preaching does not come after worship in the order of the service. Preaching and hearing the Word of God is worship.

My job is not simply to see truth and show it to you. My job is to see the glory of the truth and give God glory by showing it and explaining it you you. Not because it is my opinion…but because it is the powerful Word of God.

My job is not simply to see truth and show it to you. (The devil could do that for his own devious reasons.) My job is to see the glory of the truth and to savor it and exult over it as I explain it to you and apply it for you.

What do we preach…not my opinion…the Word.

Preaching is not the totality of the church. And if all you have is preaching, you don’t have the church. A church is a body of people who minister to each other.

Paul Timothy one of the most serious commands in all of the Bible in :

One of the purposes of preaching is to equip us for that and inspire us to love each other better.

But God has created the church so that she flourishes through preaching. That’s why Paul gave young pastor Timothy one of the most serious, exalted charges in all the Bible in :

2 Timothy 4:1–2 ESV

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word.

Because God's word has great power.

What to Expect from My Preaching and Why

If you're used to a twenty-minute, immediately practical, relaxed talk, you won't find that from what I've just described.

be immediately practical but eternally helpful;and I am not relaxed.

Because God's word has great power .

That's what I mean by preaching.

John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desir

God's word has great power .

Let me show you in Ezekiel 37.

1 Peter 1:23–24 ESV

1 Peter 1:23–25 ESV

since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Ezekiel 37:1–6 ESV

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Ezekiel 37:1-6

Imagine yourself here.

Standing among skeletons…a vally full of dry bones...

Imagine yourself here spiritually dead raised to life and Ezekiel is asked to preach or prophesy and it is speaking of the word of God

And Ezekiel is told by God to preach or prophesy…to speak the Word of God to the Spirituality dead.

eze 37:7-10

Exodus 37:7–10 ESV

And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat, one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim. He also made the table of acacia wood. Two cubits was its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.

With that let’s open to our text:

Ezekiel 37:7–10 ESV

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

The bones come to life they have flash and have breath through the proclamation of the word of God. The Spirit brings life and it does it through God's word.

The dry bones come to life...they have flesh and then breath…life…physical life and then Spiritual life…how...through the proclamation of…Ezekiel speaking the Word of God.

The Spirit brings life and it does so through God's Word.

John 6:63 ESV

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

JOhn

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John

The Word is Spirit…the Word became flesh…the Word is power.

I want to show you…directly from God’s Word to us this morning...7 things the Word does for those who are saved.

2 tim 3: Read the verses from second Timothy

2 Timothy 3:14–17 ESV

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

1 encouragement in regards to the power of the Word in our church.

Read the verses from second Timothy

7 things the Word does.

4 quick applications of these truths at the end.

2 Timothy 3:14–17 ESV

7 things the Word does for those who are saved.

The Word

From the text today.

7 things the Word does for those who are saved.

1. The Word saves.

2. The Word teaches.

3. The Word convicts.

4. The Word Corrects.

5. The Word trains.

6. The Word equips.

7. The Word transforms.

The Word saves.

Number one. The word saves. 315

2 Timothy 3:15 ESV

and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 tim

The Word makes us wise for salvation.

This should remind us of .

NO SLIDE

Proverbs 1:2–7 ESV

To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Prov 1:

Why? Because The Word makes us wise for salvation.

I want to be very careful here and explain what I mean when I say the word saves. Because we know who saves right?

I want to be very careful here and explain what I mean when I said the word saves. Because we know saves right Jesus. We know how he does that through the Gospel . Because revelation about Jesus comes from hearing the truth of Jesus. Last week Romans 1017 faith comes from hearing hearing the word of God.

I want to be very careful here and explain what God’s Word means and therefore bring clarity to what I mean when I say the Word saves.

I want to be very careful here and explain what I mean when I say the word saves. Because we know saves right Jesus. We know how he does that through the Gospel . Because revelation about Jesus comes from hearing the truth of Jesus. Last week Romans 1017 faith comes from hearing hearing the word of God.

Because we know who saves right?

We know salvation only comes through Jesus Christ our Lord…but the Word makes us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

By the Spirit through our knowledge and understanding of Jesus and the Gospel...the power of God for Salvation.

We know how he does that...through the Gospel…the power of God for Salvation.

Why?

Because the gift of faith in Jesus given from God comes from hearing the Word of God about Jesus.

Will give some hearers revelation in their hearts about the love of Jesus...

Which comes from them hearing the truth of Jesus…

And in those whom Jesus came to save…that is good news...

The gift of faith in Jesus from hearing the Word.

gives the gift of faith in the good news about Jesus.

Last week...

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 1017 faith comes from hearing hearing the word of God.

So when God’s Word to us today tell us us that the Word is able to make us wise for salvation…that is because it all points us to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Like the evening that I want to be careful to give all the glory to Jesus Christ. There is a central message to God's word. The men are on the road to Emmaus and Jesus says he opens her eyes by saying this whole thing is about me from Genesis to Revelation Leviticus to Ephesians the Gospels and Malachi the whole thing is about Jesus.

Jesus it the central message of God's word. He is the pinnacle of all of History. The truth of God’s Word points us to the one who is the truth.

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The men are on the road to Emmaus and Jesus says he opens her eyes by saying this whole thing is about me from Genesis to Revelation Leviticus to Ephesians the Gospels and Malachi the whole thing is about Jesus.

This is the central message of the Bible. This is how the Word saves.

SLIDE

The Gospel.

We are all sinners every one of us...we have all turned away from the Sovereign one…the holy...righteous...creator...God.

We have all lived or (for some) are still living for ourselves and not living the way we were created to live by and for this Holy and creator God.

We turn away from his way and turned to our way and find our joy in other things…this is sin.

Therefore we were or still are...separated from the infinite…Holy Creator God.

The one who made the universe also made us…to live for Him and find our Joy in Him.

Since He is holy and he is infinite and eternal and we sin...this separation from Him is infinite and eternal and well deserved.

We all deserve eternal separation from the eternal God.

So how does the Word save?

It tells us about our predicament without Jesus...and calls us out of this sin and to Jesus.

Because that same God…in all of His glory and in His love…by His grace and grace alone...has shown us and provided us a way to be reconciled to him. To return to a right and eternal relationship with Him.

He alone provides the way to eternal Joy…in Him.

Even though none of us deserve it…God has made a way for you and I to be saved.

Forgiven and pardoned from the penalty for our sin.

Empowered by the Spirit to overcome and put to death the power of sin…in your life. To be set free.

You alone can NOT pay for the penalty of your sin.

You alone cannot pay for the penalty of your sin.

You alone can NOT overcome the power of sin in your life.

Jesus did . Jesus has come in the end the perfect life we cannot live. Jesus has then died the brutal death we deserved . And three days later after suffering for us . Jesus Reason. He is alive. Seen by many people. He ascended into heaven and right now at this very second is board of the universe. In control of all things. He is also the creator of all things. All things are for him and through him and by him. In any one. Anyone . Anyone who turns from sin and repentance turns away from living for self. And in return he stops and fixes her eyes on Jesus. Trusting Jesus to save them. Lives her life for Jesus. If you have repented of your scene and are living in faith for Jesus Christ. You have a new life. You've been completely forgiven. You've been given the power to overcome sin to the feeling of the Holy Spirit. You have been reconciled to God. You're free. You are his. And if you have Internet that is how to be saved. And that happens through the power of hearing and believing every word of God's word. Specifically the message about Jesus. The gospel is the power of salvation God saves through his word.

But Jesus did.

Jesus came and lived the perfect life we cannot live.

Jesus died the brutal death we all deserved.

And three days later after suffering the wrath of God and separation from the Father for those He came to save.

Jesus rose again to life.

He is alive…and not simply alive…but right now...at this very second is King and ruler of universe.

In complete control of all things.

He is the creator of all things. All things are for Him and through Him and by Him.

So what do we do to be saved?

Anyone. Anyone.

Anyone who has turned or will turn from their sinfulness in repentance…anyone turns away from living for self. Anyone who repents.

And in faith turns to Jesus for salvation.

Trusting Jesus. Loving Jesus. Living for Jesus.

If you have repented of your sin and are living in faith for Jesus Christ.

You have a new life. You've been completely forgiven. You've been given the power to overcome sin…filled with the Holy Spirit.

You have been reconciled to God. You are free. You are His. Free to live for Him.

You have been saved and will not be snatched from His hands.

And if you have NOT truly repented and put your faith in Jesus...

The Word can save you even today...because hearing this good news…believing it and receiving Jesus in repentance and faith…is salvation.

The gospel is the power of salvation...God saves through His word…by turning us to Jesus…our Lord and Savior.

That is how the Word saves.

2. The Word teaches.

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,

2 tim 3:!6

The church lives by every word of the Word by teaching the Word because..

It teaches us who God is. What his will is. How he saves. Who he saves. How to be saved. How He works. What his plans are. What the future will be. How he loves. What He promises and how to live for Him.

It teaches us who God is. What his will is. How he saves. Who he saves. How to be saved. How he works. What his plans are. What the future will be. The Bible teaches God teaches us.

We teach because the Word teaches.

3. The Word convicts.

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,

Reproof…conviction. Like the proofreading of a rough draft...

The Word shows us our error.

It shows us who we are without Jesus and who we are with Jesus.

It's like a mirror. And when we wander it convicts our hearts about our sin.

This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book. Because the Bible convicts us. But it doesn't just leave us there in our conviction. It doesn't leave us wondering what shall I do next.

It doesn't however leave us in our conviction...wondering what shall I do about it?

Because...

4. The Word Corrects.

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,

God loves His children too much to leave us in our conviction.

Like God loves his children too much to leave us in our conviction. He empowers us to return to him by correcting us. Correcting our sinfulness. Correcting our wandering. Correcting false teaching that we've been exposed to. Gods word is the power for our correction. It keeps us on course.

God loves his children too much to leave us in our conviction.

He empowers us to return to him by correcting us. Correcting our sinful ways. Correcting our wandering. Correcting false teaching that we've been exposed to…or lies we are believing…that weaken our faith.

Gods word is the power for our correction. It keeps us on course.

5. The Word trains.

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,

It trains us in the five trains us. 1670

It trains us in the way of righteousness.

Over time by the Spirit...God's word settles into her heart. His glory shines brighter and brighter. We know Jesus more…we love him more.

We’re convicted by the Word...we’re corrected by the word.

And this is how it trains us in righteousness…to be image bearers…conforming us over time into the image we were created to live in…in the first place.

The Word makes us righteous by the Spirit…by making us more like Jesus.

This is also how we asthe Church disciple others with us in this training in righteousness to become disciples of Christ.

We as the church make disciples of Jesus because together we live by every word of God's word and train each other in the Word.

6. The Word equips.

2 Timothy 3:17 ESV

that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Doesn't just train us…the Word is what we need to be equipped to live this life.

The Wed we will be talking about the armor of God.

For example the Word is Sword of the Spirit. God does not have us on a mission for Him empty handed…you have a sword for the mission…the Word of God.

He gives us everything we need to live by His will.

By the Spirit and Word...God…who created the universe with a Word…equips us with the Word for every good work He has prepared for us to do.

t empower you to do the power of his word. The same word by the way, that he used to create the universe. Let there be light. We live by every word of God's word.

Finally.

7. The Word transforms us.

2 time 3 17

Transforms us. This process of saving teaching and convicting and correcting and training and equipping over time it transforms us.

2 Timothy 3:17 ESV

that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Over time we become complete…it completely transforms us.

This process of saving, teaching, convicting, correcting, training and equipping...over time transforms us.

Old self into new self…into what?

One glory to the next verse

NO SLIDE

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Transformed into the image of the Lord.

The Word is truth and power and life…listen to Jesus in .

John 6:63 ESV

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

To be the Church…to live for Jesus by the Spirit for the glory of God...

The Church needs to live by every Word of God’s Word.

With that....let me end with an encouragement…and 4 quick application points.

My encouragement is this...

We did not set out with the mission to plant a Jesus-loving, Spirit-led, God glorifying, Bible teaching, Gospel proclaiming Church called Revival Church in Fall Creek Wisconsin.

So how did it happen?

Well originally 4 people decided to sit in a sunroom once a week…sometimes late into the night...and just study God's Word together.

One of those whom most of you know…said this directly to me on night number 1…James you teach me God’s word...but I don't plan to read it or ever teach it to anyone...some of you know Mike now....the power of God’s Word.

Then in January 2017 with no preconceived notions of what God might do with our simple obedience…a group of us embarked on an ambitious year long commitment together...

To read through all of God's Word in one year.

Let me ask you...

How has he blessed that? How different your life, in Christ, now than it was then? How about you personally and your love for Jesus and your understanding of the Word since then? Do you see the power of the Word of God?

How many loved ones have we seen turn Christ to be born again and baptized?

What is he doing right now in this sacred moment?

We read and studied the Word...

And God called together and is equipping His church...

We read and studied the Word...Who at the time thought that what is happening right now with this group of people.

Devoted to one another

A church...devoted to one another? Loving one another?

Loving one another.

On a mission with one another.

To make disciples by living for Jesus by the power of the Spirit for the Glory of God.

Our simple obedience...to love and read and trust the Word by the power of the Spirit has great power in its workings.

How do we continue to apply this to our lives and our Church?

SLIDE

Comparing Manuscripts

1. Read the Word.

I encourage you individually to read the Word…study the Word.

We will continue to read and teach and love and honor the Word of God as a church. I encourage all of you young and old to read with us. Paul’s letters…on our app or website.

2. Speak the Word.

You have the power of God's word to make others wise for their salvation...

Through your words to bring dry bones…the spiritually dead...to eternal life. Speak the word. The Word makes the foolish wise unto salvation.

3. Teach the Word.

That is my primary calling to you. It is also your beautiful calling to each other. To your kids. To your parents…to anyone you are discipling.

My encouragement here for the Moms today.

Paul tells us this about Timothy.

NO SLIDE

2 Timothy 1:5 ESV

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

Timothy's Grandmother and his mom brought him to faith.

Timothy's mom.

Then from our verses today.

NO SLIDE

2 Timothy 3:14 ESV

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it

So His grandma and mom and their faith lead to his faith…and they taught Him the Word.

What a blessing the mothers here today are to our Church!

Mothers influence their sons and daughters in a very powerful and beautiful way! One of life’s greatest blessings for all the children here...

Is to have a godly mother. Because one of the greatest gifts you can give your children is to be a godly mother and teach them the Word. We thank God this morning for the mom’s who love Jesus and teach their kids to love His Word.

4. Revival Church will continue to live by every Word of the Word.

We will continue to live for Jesus by the power of the Spirit for the glory of God and know Jesus and Know the Spirit and Know the Father…grow in our knowledge and wisdom of the Lord more and more because we live by every Word of the Word…which makes us wise for salvation in Christ Jesus.

Here’s what’s amazing. The abundance of these manuscripts of the New Testament or parts of the New Testament as compared with the number of manuscripts for other ancient works is staggering.

May God’s Word continue to be the lamp for our feet…and the light for our path.

Will live by every Word of the Word.

Amen!

We have ten existing manuscripts for Julius Caesar’s Gallic War, composed between 58 and 50 BC. All of the manuscripts we’ve found date from the tenth century or later.

There are twenty manuscripts of Livy’s Roman history, written roughly during the time when Jesus was alive. Only two manuscripts exist for Tacitus’s Annals and Histories, composed about AD 100. One of them is from the ninth century; the other is from later. There are only eight manuscripts of the history of Thucydides — that’s written between 460 and 400 BC. Now, compare those numbers with the manuscripts or partial manuscripts of the New Testament.

Abundant Riches

There are 322 majuscule — that is, capital-letter — manuscripts. We have 2,907 minuscule texts — lowercase manuscripts. There are 2,445 lectionary portions and 127 papyri. That brings the total to 5,801 manuscripts of the New Testament, part or whole.

Now, it’s true that the more manuscripts you have, the more variations you find. But on the other hand, and more importantly, the more manuscripts you have, the more control you have for discerning which readings are the original ones.

3. Firm Doctrine

Here’s my third and final reason for encouragement and confidence. What is most significant for the reliability and authority of the New Testament is that the variations that textual critics are unsure of are not the kind that would change any Christian doctrine. That’s really important.

“No other ancient book even comes remotely close to this kind of wealth of diverse preservation.”TweetShare on Facebook

Some of you might say, “Oh, there’s hundreds and hundreds of variations.” That’s true. F.F. Bruce says, “The variant readings about which any doubt remains among textual critics of the New Testament affects no material question of historic fact or of Christian faith and practice.”

Nothing on this score — and I say this because he wrote that book in 1943, and you might say, “Whoa, that’s seventy-plus years ago” — nothing on this score has changed in the last couple of generations since F.F. Bruce. In 2006, Paul Wegner reaffirmed Bruce’s conclusion. This is the book I would send people to if they want to get a book on this: A Student’s Guide to Textual Criticism of the Bible by Paul Wegner.

Here’s what he says: “It is important to keep in perspective the fact that only a very small part of the text is in question, and of these, most variants make little difference to the meaning of any passage.”

Then he closes his book, and I’m going to close this podcast, by quoting Frederic Kenyon from earlier: “It is reassuring at the end to find that the general result of all these discoveries and all this study is to strengthen the proof of the authenticity of the Scriptures and our conviction that we have in our hands in substantial integrity the veritable word of God.”

Now, how does all this scientific work on the text relate to our spiritual assurance that is ready to die for the truth of sentences in the Bible? How this scientific work relates to that spiritual assurance is what I wrote a book about and published last year called A Peculiar Glory. If that’s the level at which people are going to struggle, then I offer them that as my effort to establish my own faith and to help other people. Maybe it would help them too.

We’re going to begin in verse 14, though the focus of our study is going to be on verses 16 and 17.

In this glorious section of , beginning in verse 10 and running to the end of the chapter, the Apostle Paul is exhorting Timothy to follow his example, and he's appreciating Timothy. He's encouraging Timothy in the fact that Timothy has, to a great extent, followed his example. Now, it would be very easy for you to say ‘This is a private letter, a matter between a minister and his young understudy who was a son in the Lord. It's very interesting, but it really doesn't say anything directly to me.’ But listen to these connections.

But he's not only said this to Timothy for Timothy's sake; he's saying this to Timothy for the congregation's sake–for the congregation that Timothy pastors, because Paul knows that this letter is going to be read out loud to that congregation, and he not only wants Timothy to continue to follow his example, he wants that local church to follow his example.

So, this is not a passage simply directed at a pastor; it is a passage directed at a local church; and, furthermore, as we're going to see, the Apostle Paul believes that all Scripture–every last Scripture in the word of God, every passage, every book, every sentence, every word of the word of God from Genesis all the way to Revelation, is profitable for all believers. It is given to all Christians for their being built up in faith, for growing in grace, and so the Apostle Paul doesn't just say these things to Timothy for the sake of Timothy, or even for this congregation in Ephesus; he says it for the benefit of all Christians. He calls Timothy to live by the Book. He's calling you and me to live by the Book, and that's what's before us in this passage today.

“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:14–17 ESV

Lord God, thank You for Your word. We honor Your word as Your own word to Your people. We acknowledge that it comes from Your own lips. We acknowledge that it does not return void, without accomplishing that which You have appointed it to accomplish. And so, O God, this day as we read what Your word says about Your word, grant that we would view Your word like You view the word; that we would believe about the Bible what the Bible teaches us to believe about the Bible. Then, O God, we pray that we would not simply believe these things, but that we would live these things...live these truths, for Christ's sake. Amen.

2 Timothy 3:14 ESV

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it

Hear God's word.

Amen. And thus ends this reading of God's holy, inspired, and inerrant word. May He write its eternal truth upon our hearts.

In this passage, the Apostle Paul is offering an exhortation and he's making an assertion to Timothy, to the congregation in Ephesus, and to you and me. And it's an exhortation about the word of God itself, and the first thing I want you to see is Paul exhorting us to live by the Book.

Look at verses 14 and 15. Here Paul tells us that we are to continue...that is, that we are to persist and abide in the Scriptures. Paul has been exhorting Timothy in verses 10 to 13 to continue to follow his example: ‘Timothy, you’re doing well; you’re following me in my teaching, in my conduct, in my purpose, in my faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions and sufferings. You’re doing that, Timothy; good! Continue to do that.’

But here he specifically turns and says, ‘Timothy, follow (persist, continue, abide) in the things that you have learned.’ And I want you to notice what Paul emphasizes here: notice how he emphasizes from whom he has learned these things. Paul began this book by saying, ‘Timothy, I remember your grandmother, and I know your mother. I know what kind of women they are: they’re godly women; they’re women of the Book; they’re women of faith. I know that when you were sitting on their knee, when you were leaning against them as a child, they were teaching you the Book, they were teaching you the faith. They were teaching you about the one true God of the word. Now, Timothy, you remember from whom you've learned this. This isn't some latest fad, false prophet who's come along to tell you about the truth; you've heard that truth ever since you were a child, from your mother and your grandmother. Now, you continue in that truth.’

Every Southern boy will understand the power of that appeal! ‘Son, your mama taught you that truth. Don't you ever forget it.’ I’ll never forget a fullback at my high school. As we walked out of the locker room, there were some guys that were shouting some...they were mocking, and shouting some slogans at us, and one of them called us ‘mama's boys’. Well, Kemper, who was a stocky 5’10”, 225 pound fullback, his dad had died just a couple of years ago, and his mama was all he had. I won't tell you what Kemper Boyd did to those folks who said, “You’re a mama's boy.” Kemper loved his mama, and what his mama said, that's what Kemper did.

Well, this is the kind of appeal the Apostle Paul is making here: ‘Timothy, remember, your mother and your grandmother taught you the truth from the word of God. You remember from whom you heard this truth.’ But that's not, you see, Paul's ultimate argument. He says, ‘You remember what it was that you became convinced of.’

Look at verse 15: “...the sacred writings”...the holy Scriptures. It's not just from whom you've learned these things, it's what you are to continue in. ‘It's what you learned that I want you to continue in, Timothy: “...the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”’

You see, that's where Paul is headed. Paul is calling on Timothy to live by the Book: ‘Continue in the Book, Timothy, because that Book gives you the wisdom that leads to salvation. That book tells you the way of salvation. It tells you the plan of salvation. It tells you the plan of God to redeem sinners into His family; to change them, to transform them, to enable them to walk in this world as His people, as an outpost of glory; and one day to enter into the new heavens and the new earth and dwell with Him forever. That's what this Book tells you. It's like no other book in the world. It's the one Book that teaches the way of salvation. You continue in that Book.’

And notice how Paul says it gives you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul knows that it's not enough to say, “Oh, I believe that Book.” No. If you believe this Book, you must have faith in Jesus Christ, because this whole Book is about Jesus Christ.

You know, that surprised the apostles when Jesus taught them that. You remember the conversation on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection, when the Lord Jesus Christ opened up His Old Testament and He said, ‘Let me tell you something. This whole Book, this whole Old Testament, is about Me.’...and He preached the truth of Messiah, the Savior, from the Old Testament. Now, if that's true of the Old Testament, it's even more true of the New Testament. This whole Book is about Jesus Christ, and so if you believe in this Book, if you continue in this Book, if you persist in this Book, if you abide in this Book, you will trust in Jesus Christ.

You know, it ought to be the aspiration of every Christian to live according to the word of God. Every Christian ought to be saying, in all the fullness of its meaning, with the psalmist, “How I love Your word, O Lord.” I love every word of Your instruction. That word of instruction shows me my sin, my need. It shows me the Savior, and Your grace. It shows me the way of faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and it shows me the way of life. This Book tells me everything I need to know to live in this world glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. And so every Christian ought to aspire to live according to God's word, and ought to delight in that word of God. God's word is truth, and we are to live by the Book. That's Paul's first exhortation to Timothy here.

And then he explains why we're to live by the Book, in verses 16 and 17. We’re to live by the Book, he says, for three reasons. We’re to live by the Book because the words of this Book come right out of God's mouth. They've been breathed right out of God's mouth, and Paul uses one long Greek word to express that whole sentence: that the words of this book come right out of the mouth of God. They’re breathed out from the heart and mouth of God, and that's why we ought to live by this Book; because this Book has been breathed out by God.

And secondly, we're to live by this Book because it is the most practical book in the world, the Apostle Paul says.

And thirdly, we're to live by this Book because it tells you how to live with God, here and hereafter. And you’re asking where do I get that from...well, look at verse 16 and 17: “All Scripture is inspired by God....” That's the phrase where Paul explains that the words of this Bible are the “breathed out” words of God. The words of this Book come right out of God's mouth.

“...And profitable for teaching.” This Book is profitable. It's the most practical book in the world. It's not some airy fairy, speculative, theoretical, idealistic, ungrounded, unhelpful treatise: it's the most profitable, practical book in the world.

And notice, it tells you how to live life with God, so that “...the man of God [verse 17] may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” This Book tells you how to live with God.

Now let's look through those three things together very briefly, because there's a world of truth in those three glorious assertions.

I. Scripture is inspired.

First of all, look at Paul's assertion, this triple assertion about the nature and qualities and usefulness of the word of God. The first thing that he says is that this Scripture is inspired.Now, we need to stop right there and say that very often when we say ‘inspired’ we mean something different than what Paul is saying here.

I’ll never forget seeing a debate on the doctrine of Scripture at the University of Edinburgh when I was a student there. It was between a fine evangelical named Dr. Nigel Cameron, who was a dear friend of Doug Kelly's, and a Dr. Graham Auld, who was the head of the Old Testament department, and who was a radical liberal. And they were debating the doctrine of Scripture, and, specifically, the issue of inspiration. And so, at one point in the debate, Dr. Cameron said to Dr. Auld, “Tell me what you think ‘inspiration’ means. When you say that the Bible is inspired, when you quote , what do you think ‘inspiration’ means?” And Dr. Graham Auld said exactly what you would expect a twentieth century person to do. (This was still in the twentieth century, when this debate went on. It was in the late 1980's.) He said, “I think the Bible is inspired, because it inspires me.” And Dr. Cameron rolled back in his chair, and he said, “Oh! You’re a Coleridgian!” And he said, “A what?!?” And he said, “You’re a Coleridgian! That's exactly what Samuel Taylor Coleridge said last century. And of course, it's completely wrong, and no Christian has ever believed that about the word of God.”

That's how Dr. Cameron responded to him, and of course he was exactly right. That was common for the crazy, romantic poets of the nineteenth century to say about inspiration and about Scripture, but this is not some sort of subjective inspiration (“the Bible is inspired because it inspires me”); this is an objective statement about the word of God. This is a statement which says that the words of Scripture are God's words: they are so much God's words that we can speak of them as being breathed out of His mouth. They are “God-breathed.” That's how you could translate that little word inspired in your English Bibles.

The words of Scripture are God-breathed, and the Apostle Paul is affirming here that all Scripture is God-breathed. And now notice several things about this: first of all, Paul asserts that all Scripture, not just some Scripture, is God-breathed. There are a lot of people who like to go through the Scriptures with scissors and paste and cut out things that they don't like, and believe some things and hand off others. Thomas Jefferson, our President, early on went through his Gospels, and he but out all the miracles of Jesus Christ, because he said that no reasonable man could possibly believe that Jesus did these miracles. Now, Jesus’ ethical teaching, oh, it's wonderful, it's inspired; it's the most wonderful stuff in the history of the world...love that. The miracles, though? Extraneous to Christianity. I’ll cut them out of my Bible....

The Apostle Paul says though, all Scripture is inspired.

Notice also that he makes it clear that it's not just the writers of Scripture that are inspired, or their thoughts that are inspired: it is the words of Scripture that are inspired. Notice what he says: “...all Scripture.” It's the little Greek word “all.”. All writings, all the writings, every Scripture is inspired. It's not just that God moved by the Holy Spirit in holy men, though He did; it is that He caused them to write in various means and ways precisely His message to His people. The Bible is inspired, and the reason that we believe that God's word is inerrant and without error, and authoritative, is because it is the word of God.

You remember Paul saying to the Thessalonians, “I thank God that you received my word not as the words of men, but for what it really is: the word of God.” You see, that's an apostle realizing that the word of Scripture is the word of God. And so we have a high view of Scripture as Christians, because the Bible tells us so. The Bible tells us, here's how you are to think about this Book. God tells us in His word how we're to think about His word.

Do you know, my friends, that the very denomination of which this congregation is one part, exists because there were men who were committed to make sure that every man, woman, boy, and girl in this congregation would benefit from teaching of the word of God which viewed the word of God as it ought to be viewed...had a high view of Scripture, as opposed to a low view of Scripture.

There are low views of Scripture everywhere in the world. I would simply challenge you young people today, if you've bumped up into someone who has a low view of Scripture, who views the Scripture as an amorphous collection of religious fairy tales from thousands of years ago, or believes some parts of it to be good and other parts of it not to be so good...let me just give you a challenge. What belief about Scripture would you rather adopt, if you’re going to be a Christian: the belief of twenty-first century people, removed twenty centuries from Jesus Christ, or the belief of those who knew Him? Would you rather go with the latter or with the former? Would you rather go with apostles who knew Jesus Christ, or those who've come along in the last twenty years?

Well, Paul is telling you all Scripture is inspired. And of course, Jesus Himself will say, “Not one jot or tittle of this word will fail, until it's all been fulfilled.” And He’ll say, “Lord, Your word is truth; sanctify them in the truth.” Jesus Himself teaches that the Bible is our final authority for faith and practice.

And of course that's where Paul is going here. He doesn't just want us to have a theoretically high view of Scripture.

You know, I very much doubt that there are members of First Presbyterian Church who would be willing to stand up and say, “You know, this Bible stuff is ridiculous. Who in the world would want to believe the Bible?” I mean, you suffer under the teaching of the word of God every Lord's Day. Why in the world would you do that if you didn't believe that this Book was the Book which you were to live life by? But, it is one thing to say that you have a high view of this Book; it is another thing to live like you have a high view of this Book.

The Pharisees had a theoretically high view of the Bible. But Jesus said that they made that Scripture void by teaching the doctrines and commandments of men. And my friends, we have the same challenges today. We can say that we have a high view of this Book, and by our choices, by our attitudes, by our lives we can show that we do not have a high view of this Book.

Paul is calling Timothy, Paul is calling the Ephesian Christians, Paul is calling you and me not just to say that you have a high view of the Book, but to live by the Book! You believe this is the inspired word of God? Live by the Book! Live by the Book where it makes you uncomfortable; live by the Book where you struggle to understand and grasp the truth of this Book.

I was in a meeting, and there was a fine, a wonderful, evangelical, Anglican pastor/theologian there. He used to be Dean of the Cathedral of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. And he was doing a devotional, I think, from , and he spoke about how God would restore and strengthen the weary ones with a word; and he said this in his devotional...he says, “You know, I very much resent the word-centeredness of the Reformed faith. I very much resent it, because I like pictures, and I like video, and I like the images that are shown me.” And then he went on to discourse about the glories of the new Star Wars movie, and all the visual spectaculars that went along with it. But he said, “Though I very much resent the word-centeredness of the Reformed faith, because my personal inclination is to like pictures and images and video, I accept the word-centeredness of the Reformed faith, because that's what the Bible teaches.” And I thought, what a wonderful example. Here was a person whose every inclination was to want something else, but when he came to the Book and the Book told him, ‘You’re wrong, God's right,’ he said, ‘Lord, You’re right, I'm wrong. I’ll go with the Book.’ And my friends, there are a hundred applications of that to us today, because all of us have certain inclinations that are out of accord with the Book. When we come to the Book, do we make the Book fit our inclinations? Or, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, are our inclinations changed, and our obedience brought into accord with the Book?

Well, there's the first thing: The Bible is inspired.

II. But the Bible is also profitable.

It's useful, it's beneficial. Notice what he says: “All Scripture is inspired by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” In other words, the Apostle Paul is telling you that Scripture is not only God's very word, but that it's useful, it's helpful, it's profitable.

A lot of people will say, you know, it's the job of the preacher today to make the Bible relevant. Well, I want to tell you, the Apostle Paul says, ‘No! It is not the job of the preacher to make the Bible relevant: it already is! It's the job of the preacher to make sure that he doesn't make the Bible irrelevant, because the Bible is already relevant! It's already helpful! It's already useful! It's already profitable!

You know, you wouldn't think it very profound if somebody got up here and gave a lecture on gasoline in which they said, “Gasoline is relevant to the running of an automobile engine.” You’d think, ‘You are wasting my time, because you are stating the obvious!’ Well, to talk about the word of God simply being “relevant” is wasting our time, because it's stating the obvious. It's not only relevant, it's absolutely essential, just like gasoline is absolutely essential to running the internal combustion engine. The word of God is helpful, it's useful, it's profitable; it's the most practical Book in the world.

And Paul says it's practical for teaching, for instruction, for imparting the truth. He says that it's practical for reproof or admonition; for warning us against the errors that we're liable to. It's practical for correction, for redirecting us–the positive side of warning, for rectification of wrong beliefs and wrong conduct. It's practical for training in righteousness, for discipline, discipling and preparing the believer in godliness. The Bible is practical inherently; and the only reason we don't always think the Bible is practical is because sometimes we're interested more in other things than God is telling us about in His word. So when we think of the Bible as impractical, we need to have a quick heart-check, because this Book is never impractical. It is always practical about the first and most important things of life.

III. The Bible is sufficient.

And then finally, notice that this Book is not only inspired and practical, it is sufficient to prepare us for life and godliness.

Look again at verse 17: “...that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

In other words, this teaching of which we're to have a high view is designed not simply so that we will know facts about our Bibles; not simply that we will assent to the doctrines that are taught in the Bible. This teaching of God's word is designed to equip us for holiness. Remember again Jesus’ words: [] — “Lord, Your word is truth; sanctify them in truth.” Make them holy in truth; grow them up in godliness, in Your truth.

God's truth is for the purpose of leading to holy living, to godly living, to growing in grace. And we really don't have a high view of Scripture until we love and cherish that Scripture and obey and live that Scripture. That's our prayer: that there will be a day when every professing disciple in this congregation [does] not simply assent to the truth that this is the inspired word of God, but is fully committed in reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit to living out that truth. May God transform us by His truth. Let's pray.

Lord God, we thank You for Your word, and we pray that we would feed upon Your truth, that we would be directed by Your truth, and that by Your Spirit You would make us to believe and live Your truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

4. You will only find the joy you want in words.

Jesus spends a chapter and a half in the Gospel of John instructing and exhorting his disciples. In the middle of his sermon, he says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (). Jesus tells his disciples that what he’s telling his disciples is for their joy!

Every word of Christ is meant for your eternal happiness. There is nothing that motivates a person more than their happiness, and we find it here in black and white. Your forever happiness is directly tied to what Jesus has to say to you.

We should hang on every word. And he has given us so many words — words of promise for our joy, words of warning for our joy, words of encouragement for our joy. Words, words, and more words, all for our joy in him, forever.

5. There is work to be done.

Paul tells us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” ().

So many modern (especially young) Christians have a desire to go and do for God over and above knowing God. With so much injustice and inequality in the world, it’s hard for many of us to justify lingering for an hour over forty words a dead author wrote two thousand years ago. But Paul’s words couldn’t be clearer: If we want to be about the work of God, we must first be about the word of God.

God’s word reveals to us his priorities and values. It shows us what breaks his heart and what makes him sing. It shows us what he is doing in the world — throughout history and right now today.

The Bible teaches us that God loves the forgotten and the misfit. It shows us the value of shepherding our families. It introduces us to the generosity of other Christians (), and calls us to be openhanded with what God gives us. It heralds the sanctity of every human life and inspires us to fight for the unborn. It declares that race should not be a barrier to Christian unity, but a beautiful occasion for it. We become equipped for every good work in the Bible.

There is gold here for us if we will only press in while we read. There is so much more to be had than the comfort offered in Coffee Mug Christianity. If you want to live for Christ and enjoy him for a lifetime, and then forever in eternity, soak yourself in this Book.

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3. Firm Doctrine

4. You will only find the joy you want in words.

5. There is work to be done.