Our Response to the Bible

OK, if you were in our services last Sunday, I know this outline is a few days later than I said it would be. But here we go. Below is the outline with Scriptures from last Sunday’s sermon on the Christian’s Response to the Bible.
God Bless!

• The Bible is a Timeless Book.
Ps 119:89, “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.” NKJV

It has been said, the Bible is not the book of the week, the book of the month, or even the book of the year. The Bible is the book of the ages. It is an amazing, unchanging, accurate, timeless book.

Ps 119:160, “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” NKJV

The Word of God is a timeless book. These Scriptures are as relevant for our generation, as it was hundreds of years before us, and if Jesus tarries, these Words will be relevant for every generation that will come after us.
Civilizations have changed, Empires have risen and fallen, Science and technology have increased, and yet the Bible stands as true today as it did to those who first read these precious words.

1 Peter 1: 25 says, “But the Word of the Lord endureth forever.”

Emperors have decreed the end of the Bible, atheists have railed against it, Agnostics have mocked it, liberals have tried to change it, but the Bible stands true. It is forever settled in Heaven!

Voltaire said, “Another century and there will not be a Bible on earth!”-
Voltaire expected that within fifty years of his lifetime there would not be one Bible in the world. His house is now a distribution center for Bibles in many languages. --Corrie Ten Boom

The famous Baptist preacher, Dr. R.G. Lee said,
“All of its enemies have not torn one hole in its holy vesture, nor stolen one flower from its wonderful garden, nor diluted one drop of honey from its abundant hive, nor broken one string on its thousand stringed harp, nor drowned one sweet word in infidel ink.”

• The Bible is a Truthful Book.

Ps 119:142, “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.” NKJV

Ps 119:151, “You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.” NKJV

In John 18: 38, Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” Jesus had already answered that question in chapter 17:17 when He prayed to the Father and said, “Thy word is truth.”
• The Bible is a Treasured Book.

Ps 119:72, “ The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.” NKJV

My friend, can you say that? Can you say that your love is for the Word of God?
Illustration: A pile of gold on one side of the platform and a Bible on the other. You are given a choice of one or the other, which one would you choose?

Look with me at Ps 119:103, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!” NKJV

Ps 119:127, “Therefore I love Your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold!” NKJV

The Saints of old loved the Word of God. They loved it, lived it, practiced it, trusted it and obeyed it. There are stories of how great Saints have held to the Word of God as they faced the chilly waters of death. Martyrs who died for the witness of the Lord Jesus Christ would hold the Bible close to their chest as the flames would creep around their feet.

What should be our response to the Word of God?
1. We are to BELIEVE IT!

A) The Bible has Divine Authorship
2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”

That word inspiration is used only once in the Bible, but what a magnificent word it is. In the Greek, the word is theopneustis. It means, “God breathed.” Theo means, “God.” Pneustis means, “ the breath of God.”

In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said, “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

B) The Bible has Amazing Accuracy
Yes, God used man to pen the words, but it was God breathing the words to the hands of the men.

2 Peter 1:20-21, “ knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” NKJV

The Bible is a collection of 66 books, written by as many as 40 authors over a 1500 year period. The Bible has one theme, the Love of God, one problem – sin, one villain – the devil, one hero – Jesus, one solution – Salvation through faith in Christ alone!

There are over 24,000 hand written ancient manuscripts of the Bible. That’s more than Homer’s Illiad, 40 to 1. There is more historical proof of the Bible than there is to say Julius Ceasar ever lived!

We are to Believe it!

2. We are to READ/STUDY IT!

Do you ever read a Newspaper? Do you believe every word of the newspaper is true? No one believes that if they have any sense about them. Now, do you believe the Bible to be true? Every word of it? YES! Yet, do you spend more time reading the newspaper than you do the Word of God?!

A wise man once said, “These hath God married, dust on the Bible and no man shall part, dust on the Bible and drought in the heart!”

Psalm 119: 81-82, “My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your word. My eyes fail from searching your word.”

3. We are to PROCLAIM IT!
a. People are Encouraged by it.
b. People are instructed by it.
c. People are convicted by it.
d. People are saved by it.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” NKJV

Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”
Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” NKJV

4. We are to APPLY IT!
Ps 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
NKJV

Jesus said, John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." NKJV

Why is it imperative that you Apply the Word of God to your life?
a. Your salvation depends upon it.
1 Peter 1:23-24, “ having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,” NKJV

b. Your sanctification depends upon it.
John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” NKJV

Ps 119:11, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” NKJV

c. Your usefulness for God depends on it.
2 Tim 2:15-16, “ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” NKJV

d. Your assurance depends on it.
1 John 5:13,
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” NKJV

Never Give Up!

OK friends, whether you are a Kentucky Wildcats fan or not, you have to admire their overtime win against Mississippi State for their 26th SEC tournament championship. The Bulldogs of Mississippi State gave the wildcats every thing they had. They hit big shots, they rebounded, they played tenacious defense, they blocked shots, they did everything possible to win the ball game. As the seconds clicked off the clock, I’m sure most fans in blue thought the game was over. Then it happened, with 0.1 seconds to go, DeMarcus Cousins scored on a missed shot to send the game to overtime. When the buzzer sounded, it was Kentucky holding up the SEC trophy. Why? Coach John Calipari said it well when he said, “They have a will to win.”
The Apostle Paul had a “will” to win too.

In 1 and 2 Timothy, the man of God continually encourages believers to remain faithful to Christ till the end. Historically, many in the early church renounced their faith in Christ due to religious persecution from the Romans. Prophetically, according to Scripture, many in the last days will also turn from their faith in Christ. Paul says in 1 Timothy 4, “…in the latter times some will depart from the faith…” (vs.1). In 2 Timothy 4, Paul writes, “…and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.” (vs. 4). In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul states that the Lord Jesus will not return until there is first a “great falling away.”

A minister friend recently wrote a note that said, “I know that the apostasy is coming, Lord, don’t let me be a part of it.” My prayer for me, for you, and all believers, is that like the Apostle Paul, we have the “will” to hold to our faith until the final buzzer sounds and Jesus takes us home. Remember, it was from a Roman prison cell, awaiting his own execution for his faith, that Paul wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Until All Have Heard

Matthew 24:14
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." NIV

We know that Jesus is coming again, but when? With all the pain and suffering in our world, not to mention the rise of immorality, the question looms in our mind, "when Lord"?

The Saints in the day of the Apostle Peter also wondered. They were under great persecution for their faith and they looked up daily, hoping, longing for the Lord's return. "When Lord?" was their question too.

In 2 Peter chapter 3, we find the Apostle writing words of encouragement to the burdened church. Scoffers had risen and they were making a mockery out of the church's preaching of Christ return. "Where is the promise of His coming?" they would ask. The church became disheartened. Then Peter gave them a precious Word. He reminded them of the heart of God and of His integrity, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3: 9 NKJV)

There it was! Words of comfort to the discouraged church. In essence he said, "God is suffering long with you in the midst of all the wickedness of this world because He wants men, women, boys and girls to be saved!" Surely Peter remembered the words of our Lord in Matthew 24:14. Jesus said that He would not come again until His Gospel (Good News of Salvation) was preached among all nations.

Several weeks ago I learned of an amazing research project called "The Joshua Project." The goal was to identify the people groups of the world who have yet to hear the Name of Jesus. They published that there are still 6642 people groups who have not heard the Gospel.

Now here is where this gets exciting. There seems to be a moving of the Holy Spirit among believers everywhere to get serious about spreading the message of Jesus. In fact, mission groups are now targeting these "unreached" people groups to give them the hope of eternal life. My friends, when all nations have a witness of the Gospel, there will be nothing left holding our Lord back from coming for His Church!

Join me in prayer that the Holy Spirit will move upon me, you and every Christ-follower on this planet. Let's pray together that God will give us a burden to share Jesus with every soul possible. May we spread the message of Salvation in Christ alone to every ear who will listen. Until all have heard, may Jesus find us busy, working in His fields!

You can learn more about the Joshua Project at www.joshuaproject.net