Consider The Word Of God Series

THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

2 Peter 1:16-21 2 Tim 3:14-4:4

A few years ago the major division between professing Christians was over choice of denomination or doctrine.

Do you know what the major division between professing Christians is today?

The division is between those who believe the Bible is true, and those who do not.

The passage we are going to look at together this evening from 2 Timothy predicted this would happen: That those who believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God would become fewer in number, and would be looked down upon.

Without the assurance that the Bible IS the Word of God, and that every word of it is true,

there would be no certainty about the way of salvation, no promise of a home in Heaven,

and no standard to live by.

Any church that does not believe the Bible is the word of God, is nothing more than a social club.

Let me make one thing totally clear - everything we do as church is built upon the fact that the Bible is is the very Word of God

Everything we do is because we believe in the truth and act on the truth.

As a church, we are committed to being a

soul-winning, life-changing, bible-believing,

Spirit-filled church

and our final authority isn’t Elim headquarters in Malvern,

our final authority isn’t our church board,

our final authority isn’t even the Ministry team,

our final authority is the inerrant, infallible,

God-breathed book called the Bible…

so we need to know it’s accurate, and dependable!

That’s why we are looking at this passage today, because it contains great truths which will help us lay a foundation:

Lets get into the word: We are going to read from 2 Timothy 3:14-4:4

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV) 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4:1-4 1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

These verses answer the questions:

What does it matter? and Who cares if it’s true?

These verses tell us that: The Bible is inspired

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” 2 Timothy 3:16

Inspired means—“God-breathed”

Hopefully, right now, you are listening to my words, for me to form words I need breath…

my breath passes through my larynx,

out of my throat, and is articulated by my tongue and lips, it all starts with breath

Ken blows his clarinet, it makes a certain sound…he could take his same breath and blow it into a saxophone, or a tuba, and it would make an entirely different sound. (probably!).

In the same way, God breathed His inspired words into 40 different men through the years, and while they sound out in different tones, they all originated with the same source…the breath of God!

We’re talking about full inspiration

We’re not talking about “partial inspiration”…for it says, “all scripture…”

We’re not talking about “progressive revelation” …for the books of Job and Genesis, the most ancient of texts, are just as much inspired as the book of Revelation!

We believe in “verbal, plenary inspiration”, which means the very words are inspired, not just the concepts or thoughts.

You cannot have thoughts without words any more than you can have music without notes.

Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that comes out of the mouth of God.”

So, we see inspiration… But the Bible is also, Instructive

The bible show us what is right

Look at 3:16—“useful for teaching”

There must be an absolute truth…

there has to be a final authority,

saying this is right and this is wrong.

Many preachers used to stand up and say,

“The Bible says…”

then the words changed to, “the church believes”