The Book You Can Trust Series

INTRODUCTION

• In the second message of our series, we will dive into a vital subject for Christians.

• This subject has an impact on all we do as Christians and impacts our mission and purpose for life.

• It may surprise you to know that there are over 4,000 recognized religions in the world.

• These religions consist of churches, congregations, faith groups, tribes, cultures, and movements even though there are so many, three-quarters of the world’s population practice one of the five major religions.

• The five are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/world-religion-day-third-sunday-in-january/#:~:text=It%20may%20surprise%20you%20to,of%20the%20five%20major%20religions.)

• The 4,000 does not include many that are not recognized and the ones of the past that have been lost in the dust bins of history.

• So, when you consider you have over 4,000 recognized choices, what is it that separates Christianity from the rest?

• What is it that makes Christianity the only REAL choice?

• We would say Jesus, and you are correct.

• However, how can we be sure that Jesus is who we think He is?

• When you look at the over 4,000 plus choices, what is the source of what they are built upon?

• Most religions have some writing from which they gain knowledge about what they are supposed to do.

• Islam has the Koran, Christians have the Bible.

• Now for 4,000 plus religions, how do we know if the source of their knowledge is accurate, inspired by God?

• Not being mean here, but Scientology is based on the writing of a science fiction writer.

• If you cannot trust the main source of information concerning one’s faith, what is one’s faith-based upon?

• In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul says that if Jesus was not resurrected from the dead, then our faith in vain, and we make God out to be a liar.

• Faith needs to be based on something you can trust.

• If I cannot trust my Bible to be what it says it is, then my faith is not based on anything objective.

• If a book is inspired by God, you would think the book would be accurate and consistent, and there should be a way to know what you now possess is in the same form as originally written.

• I know the Bible passes these tests.

› Big Idea of the Message: The Scriptures are trustworthy because of the eyewitness testimony of the apostles to the historical event of Christ’s death and resurrection, but also because of the trustworthiness of the Law and Prophets found in the Old Testament

• So today, we are going to examine, The book You Can Trust!

• Let’s begin in 2 Peter 1:16-18

2 Peter 1:16–18 (CSB)

16 For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!”

18 We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.

SERMON

I. The testimony of eyewitnesses.

• TEST

• Remember the context; false teaching was beginning to permeate the church. The false teachers were doubting the second coming, among other things.

• Peter knows his time is short.

• In verse 16, Peter offers a reason he will leave behind a lasting record of the life of Jesus.

• Such a record will be truth. It will not be based on cleverly contrived myths but rather objective historical facts that can be established and corroborated by eyewitnesses, of which Peter is one!

• The use of myths, legends, and fables was used in various religious circles; Peter makes it clear his account is in no way based on such nonsense!

• The false teachers used these techniques to wow people into listening to them as they wove fantastic tails.

• Peter was making known the power of Jesus’s coming.

• Peter refers to the incarnation (the birth of Jesus as a man) when he speaks of Jesus’s coming.

• This is probably not a reference to the second coming because Peter uses the Transfiguration as something he witnessed; whereas, the resurrection would have been a better proof of the second coming.

• The word “COMING” in the Greek is a technical term referring to the visit of a king.

• It speaks of King coming to your town.

• Peter says “we,” referring to the other apostles, were eyewitnesses to the event we know as the Transfiguration.

• An EYEWITNESS is one who not only sees something but they also watch and observe what they are witnessing.