25 February 2007: JAMES 1:22 - THE RELIABLE WORD: TRUTH APPLIED

SERIES: 4 of 4 on God’s Word.

[MOVIE] This series is like making a movie; there’s more film on the cutting room floor than in the projector! Likewise, there's more remaining in God’s Word (which you need to hear) than I could ever fit in this series.

Thus far we’ve had …

1. THE LIVING WORD: TRUTH INCARNATE
2. THE VISIBLE WORD: TRUTH REVEALED
3. THE DIVINE WORD: TRUTH INSPIRED

Lastly we have …

4. THE RELIABLE WORD: TRUTH APPLIED

TEXT: JAMES 1:22

Prove yourselves doers of the word … not merely hearers who delude themselves.

FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What does God expect relative to His Word?
CONCISE OUTLINE:

I. HE EXPECTS US TO PRESENT OURSELVES DILIGENT DOERS!

A. As God Approved!
B. As An Unashamed Worker!
C. As An Accurate Handler of the Word of Truth!

II. HE EXPECTS US TO PROFIT PERSONALLY!

A. Through Being taught!
B. Through Being Reproved!
C. Through Being Corrected!
D. Through Being Trained in Righteousness!

III. HE EXPECTS US TO BE ENLIGHTENED!
IV. HE EXPECTS US TO BE SPIRIT TAUGHT!

TRUTH CLAIM: God's Word was established “from the beginning,” intentionally! God intended man not only listen to what He had to say [Romans 10:17] but be “doers” of it as well!

[C. S. LEWIS] Quarreling over “faith” or “works” is common with many. Concerning this, C. S. Lewis said, “it does seem to me like asking which blade ... of the scissors does the cutting." [Paraphrased]

[J. Vernon McGee] Said being a Christian is like rowing a boat, you have to put both oars in the water in order to achieve your objective. One oar is called "faith," the other "works." Use both or row in circles.

[Einstein] … is credited with offering the following simile to explain his theory of relativity. (I’ve modified it for this message) "When you and your sweetheart spend two hours working on something together, it seems like two seconds. [e.g., Jacob waiting for Rachael] When you sit on a hot stove for two seconds, it seems like two hours." [Paraphrased]

So too, when you labor together with a friend or a favorite book for two hours, it doesn't seem so long. But when you spend time with someone you don't like or are made to read a book you don't want to, a few mo-ments is like a whole day.

If Jesus is better than your best friend, His word must be better than any book?

FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What does God expect relative to His Word?
EXPANDED OUTLINE:
God expects many things of us; here are just a few:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:15

I. HE EXPECTS US TO PRESENT OURSELVES DILIGENT DOERS!

A. As God Approved!
B. As An Unashamed Worker!
C. As An Accurate Handler of the Word of Truth!

“... we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in God’s sight.”

2 Corinthians 4:2

“You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”

Deuteronomy 4:2

“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 (or complete), equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

II. HE EXPECTS US TO PERSONALLY PROFIT!

A. Through Being Taught and By Teaching Others!
B. Through Being Reproved and By Reproving Others!
C. Through Being Corrected and By Correcting Others!
D. Through Being Trained in Righteousness!

“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being united by faith in those who heard it.”

Hebrews 4:2

And that doesn’t even address the final clause, “that the man of God may be adequate (or complete), equipped for every good work.”

III. HE EXPECTS US TO BE ENLIGHTENED [illuminated]!

“... even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, … should shine on them."

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

IV. HE EXPECTS US TO BE SPIRIT TAUGHT!

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, comparing spiritual with spiritual. For a natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

1 Corinthians 2:12-14

[SUBSTANCE] The child of God without an spiritual understanding of Scriptures is like a solar heater without the sun.

"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside."

Matthew 13:19

Let me give you some other things God expects of us [use as you see fit and as time allows]:

V. HE EXPECTS US TO BE FRUITFUL!

“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Matthew 13:23

VI. HE EXPECTS US TO AVOID LIFE RULING TRADITIONS!

“making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down."

Mark 7:13

VII. HE EXPECTS US TO BE HIS FAMILY!

“But He answered and said to them, ‘My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.’”

Luke 8:21

VIII. HE EXPECTS US TO BE BLESSED!

“He said, ‘More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’"

Luke 11:28

IX. HE EXPECTS US TO DEFEND OURSELVES WITH THE WORD!

"take … [up] the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God ..."

Ephesians 6:17

"… [and] the word of the LORD is proven; [for] it is a shield to all who trust in Him."

2 Samuel 22:31

“always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

1 Peter 3:15

[MOTION] What do a juggler, a tightrope walker, and a unicyclist have in common? They each must keep in motion at all times to do what they do!

To keep a proper balance requires action, if conflicting forces are to be combated, each must adjust to circumstances. If we’re to combat the conflicting forces of this world, we must keep “The Body” in constant motion. God did not intend His Bride sit comfortably on her collective haunch.

X. HE EXPECTS US TO BE JUDGED BY THE WORD!

“He who rejects Me, and doesn’t receive My words, [already] has that which judges him; the word I’ve spoken will judge him in the last day.”

John 12:48

XI. HE EXPECTS US TO OBEY HIS WORDS!

"He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me."

John 14:24

XII. HE EXPECTS US TO BE WASHED IN THE WORD!

“You’re already clean because of the word which I've spoken to you.”

John 15:3

[re: The Bride] "that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word"

Ephesians 5:26

XIII. HE EXPECTS US TO SPEAK HIS WORD WITH BOLDNESS!

"... they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

Acts 4:31

XIV. HE EXPECTS US TO HOLD FAST HIS WORD!

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life...

Philippians 2:14-16

XV. HE EXPECTS US TO LET THE WORD DWELL IN US!

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom …

Colossians 3:16

XVI. HE EXPECTS US TO TAKE ON THE SOLID STUFF, NOT THE FLAKY FLUFF!

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. For solid food belongs to those who are mature, that is, who by reason of practice have their senses trained to discern both good and evil.

Hebrews 5:13-14

as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow ...

1 Peter 2:2

[PRACTICE] Chas. Swindoll wrote, "What is the sign of [Christian] maturity? Practicing what you hear. Through practice you become mature.

You see, it is one thing to grow old in the Lord, but it is another thing to grow up in the Lord. There are many ... cruising from church to church, from Bible conference to Bible conference, filling notebook after note-book, wearing out Bible after Bible, who are still some of the crankiest, fussiest, most irresponsible people you [will ever] meet. Why? Because they do not practice what they hear."

APPLICATION: Remember: the pot must be on the burner if the water is to boil. It makes little sense to know why and how water boils if your pot is never placed on the burner … let alone to the sink to be filled!

I’m tempted to say: It’s a sign of our times that people want something for nothing … but it has always been that way.

Solomon wrote long ago [Ecclesiastes 12:13] a child of God really only needs to do two things:

1.) Fear God and
2.) Keep His commandments.

How could anyone do either of these without the Word of God as a guide?

• Could man fear an unknown God?
• Could anyone keep commandments which have never been heard?

God's Word applies to each of us equally; no one is exempt from its reach:

• We are either washed in the Word or we are not!
• We are either equipped for works of service or we are not!
• We are either obedient or we are not!
• We are either pleasing to God or we are not!
• We either love the Book and its author or we do not!

God's true child should take very seriously God's admonition to be "doers of the Word," for Jesus, His Son, is The Word!

I am not a Solomon but I can give you some free advice:

1.) Read your Bible frequently.
2.) Read your bible fearfully.
3.) Read your Bible prayerfully.
4.) Read your Bible expectantly.
5.) Read your Bible humbly.
6.) Read your Bible faithfully.
7.) Read your Bible personally.
8.) Practice what it preaches!
9.) Don't cheapen God's grace … count the cost!

RELATED LINKS: The SHEEPS CRIB

SPECIFIC TAGS: Bible, Scripture, Word

GENERAL TAGS: Homiletics, Preaching, Sermons

18 February 2007: THE DIVINE WORD: TRUTH INSPIRED!

SERIES: 3 of 4 on God’s Word
TOPIC: God's Word; bible, scripture
TITLE: THE DIVINE WORD: TRUTH INSPIRED!

TEXT: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

The first message in this series directed our attention to "THE LIVING WORD: TRUTH INCARNATE."

There we looked at the word as a living organism, God's Word and God's Son being one and the same, God divine and human … without division.

Then we looked at man as he searches for truth … as he is confronted by the Living Word of Truth, his sin nature simultaneously denying the very truth searched for!

We also asked the question: IS THE WORD OF GOD AUTHORITATIVE? We answered with a confident YES!

IF THE AUTHOR IS AUTHORITATIVE, THEN HIS WRITINGS ARE AUTHORITATIVE! [Matthew 7:29]

The 2nd message turned to “THE VISIBLE WORD: TRUTH REVEALED."

We should have examined how God reveals Himself, and how the word of God is a revelation of God about Himself. We would have found the truth to be a person; the visible word ... Jesus ... "TRUTH REVEALED."

Today we turn to the inspired truth of 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

The Bible is not just the cleverly created work of man, but rather the divinely superintended work of Almighty God Himself.

IF A THING IS INFALLIBLE IT CAN’T BE THE WORK OF A FALLIBLE CREATURE (man) RATHER IT MUST BE INFALLIBLY PRODUCED!

IF GOD IS THE AUTHOR AND GOD IS INFALLIBLE, THE WORK OF THE AUTHOR IS INFALLIBLE; THEN WHAT HE SAYS OR WRITES IS INFALLIBLE (i.e., without error).

This is where the rubber meets the road; where the incarnate and revealed and inspired word of the living God meets the believer.

FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What must we know about inspiration?
CONCISE OUTLINE:

I. WE MUST KNOW WHAT INSPIRATION ISN’T!
II. WE MUST KNOW WHAT INSPIRATION IS!
III. WE MUST KNOW HOW INSPIRATION PERTAINS TO US!

TRUTH CLAIM: The text literally says "All Scripture is God breathed" and points back to Genesis, creation's beginning, where God breathed life into the dust of the earth and man became a living creature. [Genesis 2:7]

[STRONG (edited)] G2315 θεόπνευστος, theopneustos, theh-op'-nyoo-stos; divinely breathed in: - given by inspiration of God … pneustos (breathe) being related to pnuema (spirit).

The God who gave life to inanimate dirt is the same God who has given life to the inanimate and abstract content of what we call "the Word of God."

Any wonder we claim it has profound and eternal importance to mankind? Any wonder the umbilical cord of our faith is firmly attached to the very cover of your bibles?

FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What must we know about inspiration?
EXPANDED OUTLINE:

I. WE MUST KNOW WHAT INSPIRATION ISN'T!

Many theories about the Bible have been proposed these past 3,000 years.

A. The Bible is not the result of man's natural effort!

“no prophecy was ever made by an act of will, but [as] men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

2 Peter 1:20-21

It is not the superior intuition or insight of natural man into the realm of spiritual and moral truth. Not human speculation about God, independent of God's influence (revelation).

It is not the heightened perception of man resulting from centuries of contemplation about God's existence [no guru on Mountain tops here].

B. The Bible isn't the result of recording man's traditions!

Not man’s fallible record of fallible traditions which “contain” elements of truth, mixed with personal and subjective elements.

[COFFEE] Those who see the Bible as errant but inspired ... meaning the Bible contains God’s truth, but is mixed with the errant writings of errant authors won't like the true story of the pastor's wife who poisoned three husbands with her coffee. There was plenty of good coffee in there, but a little arsenic killed them all.

So too an error in God's Word …

C. The Bible is not the result of a God-alone action!

The Bible did not come about by way of God overpowering the personalities of the writers, like a typist does a typewriter, making it do what it’s told to.

D. The Bible is not a religion-only thing!

The Bible’s truth is not restricted to spiritual matters alone, excluding such things as history, science, and philosophy; there are a minimum of five genre’s present (history, prophecy, poetry, lyric, and doctrine).

II. WE MUST KNOW WHAT INSPIRATION IS!

A. Definition

Inspiration is God's superintendence of the human authors, by His Holy Spirit, in such a way that, the authors composed and recorded without error, God's supernatural revelation, in the words of what we call the original autographs, while retaining their own personalities and styles.

FOR EXAMPLE:

[Jesus asked the Pharisees], “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They answered, “The Son of David.” So He responded, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'? ... And no one was able to answer Him a word....’”

Matthew 22:41-46

So, even the Pharisees understood the inspiration of the Scriptures by God through His Holy Spirit!

This is what God means when He says through the apostle Paul, "ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED ..."

B. Limitations

Inspiration only applies to the original autographs! However, to the extent they’re faithful to them, our bibles are also inspired!

C. Reliability

[APPARENT] Any allegation of contradictions or errors in the Bible must be understood as apparent, not real.

Like the head of the Australian lizard, whose tail looks more like a head than the head; the tail has the appearance but not the reality.

The Bible is like that: people who claim it is fallible do not really understand inspiration and most likely do not know or understand the Lord!

• No prophecy of Scripture has ever failed to be fulfilled!
• No reasonable criticism has stood up to examination!
• The claim of fallibility denies God's infallible nature.
• In every case where the word has been accurately applied it has enhanced life!

When all the facts are known, the Bible will be found completely true in all that it claims and affirms to the degree intended by God. The Bible, quite simply, has the God given quality of being insulated from error.

III. WE MUST KNOW HOW IT PERTAINS TO US!

One group says, "[Scripture] is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried." [“Scripture”; Baptist Faith & Message, 1999]

[BONES] Other folks do not read the Bible because, they say, there are too many things in it they can’t understand. They say these things trouble them. Of course this is just an excuse.

These same people will eat fried chicken. What happens when they find bones in their chicken? Do they excuse themselves, and say, "We can't chew the bony parts of the chicken; so we won't eat any of it?" Hardly; they merely enjoy their chicken and set the bones aside. Why not put at least this much effort into Bible reading? [2000+ Illustrations; e Sword]

Though not exhaustive in its inclusion of subjects, the Word is divinely-sufficient for use as a standard for all life and living.

In this sophisticated day, with its massive ability to communicate huge amounts of misinformation, we must labor to defend our faith.

[LOGIC] For anyone who believes in the virgin birth and the resurrection of Jesus, belief in the divine inspiration of the Scriptures is just another step of faith.

For anyone who doesn't accept the inspiration of the Bible, that individual's claim of belief in the virgin birth and the resurrection is open to suspicion.

He who miraculously created the baby Jesus without the agency of a human father, is the same One who wrote the Bible with the agency of a human author.

• To the extent you allow for errors in the Bible, to that extent you weaken the Bible's divine nature.
• To the extent you weaken its divine nature, to that extent you garble the revelation of God.
• To the extent you garble God's message to man, to that extent you the lives of man.
• To the extent you make the lives of men dysfunctional, to that extent you exclude God from the message.
• To the extent you exclude God from the message; to that extent you deny God's authority over His creation and creatures.
• To the extent man embarks on this sea of subjectivism, to that extent he sails with the fleet of uncertainty, following the winds of destruction!

APPLICATION/CHALLENGE: What if?

• What is the probability you would be able to raise a child successfully if that child did not acknowledge your authority over him or her!
• What if your every dealing with your child carried an element of distrust in it?
• What if he acknowledged you as his parent but never listened when you spoke?
• What if (when she did) she made whatever she wanted to of what you said?

These questions apply to us in our relationship with our Father, who is in heaven. And if Christianity is not a religion but a relationship, think what this means.

If His word has no authority or we make what we want of His word, we deny Him! Since Jesus is the Word and the is God we find ourselves in the state of denying both our Creator and our Savior.

It is His Word which gives us confidence in Him, allowing us to be the children He wants us to be! How can you say you believe in Jesus but not the Word?

Get it together! Do it today! Go home, take your Bible and ask yourself, "How can I say I believe in Jesus but not in His word????"

RELATED LINKS: The SHEEP'S CRIB SERMONS

TAGS: 2 Timothy, Bible, Scripture, Word

TAGS: Homiletics, Preaching, Sermons

11 FEBRUARY 2007: THE VISIBLE WORD - Truth Revealed

SERIES: 2 of 4 on God's Word
NOTE: This was a Lord's Supper Sunday and the message was tailored to transition in the series as well as segue into the communion service.

TITLE: THE VISIBLE WORD – TRUTH REVEALED!
TEXT: ROMANS 10:17

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

TRUTH CLAIM: This verse is critical to understanding our faith; Scripture says, “by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8).

So if faith is the conduit through which God’s grace is received for salvation, then we need to know how and where to obtain such faith … we find it in faith comes from hearing. But where do we get the hearing? Through the word (concerning) Christ.

[JUNK MAIL] Now man has an unfalsifiable bias against truth; this bias is hard to over-come. So hardened is this bias that if God "emailed" a revelation of Himself, most Internet providers would classify it as “Junk Mail” and most people would delete it.

Man's fallen nature causes him to deny truth; no matter how it is revealed, especially if it casts light on his own sins.

You see, truth is "a person”; God's Son is that person and God's Word reveals God's Son! [John 1:1-3, 14, & 14:6] And sinful man is offended by something this personal and near.

God's word is truth, His Son is the Word; in His word is His Son revealed, and in His Son is the Father revealed. [Matthew 11:27; 1 Timothy 1:16; Revelation 1:1] God has graciously chosen to meet the spiritual needs of man by revealing Himself to man in a personal and redemptive way through His Word.

In last week's message: "THE LIVING WORD: TRUTH INCARNATE”; we looked at "the Word became flesh," or "in the fullness of the time ... God sent forth His Son, born of a woman" (Galatians 4:4). We were reminded that from the beginning man has yearned for truths like he yearns for riches, only Greater Riches … yet man has done everything imaginable to avoid satisfying his yearning.

Recall how an 18' ladder isn’t sufficient to reach a 24' fire; nor will half-truths meet the need for the Whole Truth!

God's word, we agreed, must be united by faith in order to receive God's gift of Grace.

And the following answers were provided for the question, what do we know about God’s Incarnate Truth?

I. WE KNOW GOD HAS FREELY GIVEN THIS TRUTH!
II. WE KNOW MAN SEARCHES FOR THIS TRUTH!
III. WE KNOW MAN HAS A BIAS AGAINST THIS TRUTH!

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteous-ness, because that which is known about God is evident in them, for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Romans 1:18-2

[REVEALED TRUTH] It is a miracle of unity: like 40 men designing a mosaic independent of each other, over a period of two millennia, each having responsibility for a single piece ... yet the whole is pro-claimed a masterpiece at completion.

APPLICATION/CHALLENGE: In this crazy world of nothing plumb and everything crooked, it's good to know some things never change.

[AHAB’S LAMP] Like Melville's lantern in Ahab's quarters in Moby Dick. No matter how the ship rolls the lantern is true to a fixed-line, straight through the earth's center.

So too does the Word of God; it reminds us of the plumb line of Jesus [Amos 7:7-8], no matter the roll of the world, Jesus is true to a fixed-line, drawn straight through the center of the Holy of Holies.

Melville, in referring to the gimbaled lantern said, "It reveals the false lying levels" of everything else.

HOW IS GOD'S TRUTHS REVEALED?

“For God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 2:10

Last week we found truth incarnate, the Living Word; now we've truth re-vealed, the Visible Word.

We will now turn to the Lord’s Supper and give witness to our faith and our salvation …

The Lord’s Supper Sevice
Scripture Reading

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh."

Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in your-selves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for-ever."

John 6:47-51

The Bread

Sharing the Loaf - Elders
Scripture Reading 1 Corinthians 11:23-24
There Is a Redeemer 308

The Cup

Sharing the Cup - Elders
Scripture Reading 1 Corinthians 11:25
And Can It Be 347

Benediction and Blessing

RELATED LINKS: The SHEEP'S CRIB SERMONS

SPECIFIC TAGS: Bible, Scripture, Word

GENERAL TAGS: Homiletics, Preaching, Sermons