Foundations Of The Faith: The Authority Of Scripture

FOUNDATIONS OF THE FAITH:

THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-17

I WANT TO CONTINUE MY SERIES ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH TODAY, BY LOOKING AT THE AUTHORITY AND INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES.

TODAY WE LIVE IN A TIME OF GREAT CRISIS. FAMILIES ARE BEING DECIMATED BY DIVORCE, SUICIDE RATES ARE HIGH, SKYROCKETING AS FAR AS TEENS ARE CONCERNED. THE ECONOMY IS FRAGILE AND CONSTANTLY IN DANGER OF COLLAPSE. WE ARE UNDER ESCALATING THREATS OF WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND GENOCIDE IS HAPPENING IN MANY COUNTRIES FOR THOSE BRAVE ENOUGH TO CLAIM TO BE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST.

OUR CHURCHES IN NORTH AMERICA, PARTICULARLY HERE IN CANADA ARE IN A STATE OF STEEP DECLINE AS FAR AS MEMBERSHIP IS CONCERNED. MOST OF OUR CHURCHES IN THE ATLANTIC BAPTIST CONVENTION HAVE MEMBERSHIPS OF 50 OR LESS, WITH MANY CHURCHES RESORTING TO FIELD RELATIONSHIPS, GOING PART-TIME, OR USING A GRADUATE OF THE LAY-PASTORS TRAINING PROGRAM, TO HAVE A PASTOR.

WE DO LIVE IN A TIME OF CRISIS, BUT WE ALSO LIVE IN A TIME WHERE PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS. PEOPLE ARE LOOKING IN VARIOUS PLACES TO FIND ANSWERS ABOUT LIFE. SOME LOOK TO MUSIC, OTHERS LOOK TO PHILOSOPHY, SOME LOOK TO HISTORY, WHILE STILL OTHERS DEPEND ON THEIR FRIENDS AND THEIR OWN THOUGHTS TO HELP THEM.

I AM CERTAIN THOUGH OF TWO THINGS:

1. PEOPLE ARE NOT LOOKING TO GOD OR THE BIBLE FOR THEIR ANSWERS.

2. PEOPLE ARE NOT FINDING THE ANSWERS THEY ARE LOOKING FOR, BY THE MEANS THEY CHOSE.

I WANT TO SUGGEST TO YOU TODAY, THAT THE BIBLE HAS THE ANSWERS FOR TODAY’S WORLD. EVERY WORD OF THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED BY GOD HIMSELF, EQUIVILENT TO BEIND DICTATED VERBATIM, ALLOWING FOR THE CULTURE AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DAY.

YOU WILL NOT FIND A PROBLEM IN THE WORLD, THAT HAS NOT BEEN DEALT WITH IN THE BIBLE. THE ISSUE THEN HAS TO BE, NOT THAT THE BIBLE HAS THE ANSWERS FOR TODAYS WORLD, BUT WHY ARE PEOPLE RESISTING WHAT THE SCRIPTURE SAYS?

I KNOW FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IT IS PEER PRESSURE TO A GREAT EXTENT. YOUNG PEOPLE WANT TO BELONG, AND IN A WORLD WHERE MOST OF THE POPULAR TEENS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BIBLE OR CHURCH, THAT IS WHAT THEY DECIDE ON AS WELL.

THEIR ARGUMENTS ARE NOT NEW, NOR ARE THEY REALLY THEIR OWN. THEIR ARGUMENTS ARE IN MOST CASES WHAT THEY HAVE HEARD FROM OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY SOUND GOOD AND IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIT IN AND BE POPULAR, THEY PROCLAIM THE IDEA AS THEIR OWN. THE FACT IS THAT IN MOST CASES, IF YOU PRESS THE DISCUSSION FURTHER, YOU WILL FIND THAT THEY DON’T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE POSITION AT ALL. THAT’S WHEN THE UNIVERSAL “YOU JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS FOR ME.” AND THEY STORM OFF IN DISGUST.

PEER PRESSURE IS SOMETHING FELT BY ADULTS AS WELL. EVERYONE HAS A DESIRE TO FIT IN AND BE ACCEPTED.

I THINK FOR ADULTS THOUGH A GREAT FACTOR AS TO WHY THEY TURN AWAY FROM THE SCRIPTURE IS THAT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO SUBMIT TO IT. WE LIKE TO BE OUR OWN PERSON AND NOT HAVE TO SUBMIT TO SOMEONE ELSES LEADING.

THE STRANGE THING IS THAT WE SUBMIT TO VARIOUS THINGS ALL THE TIME. IF YOU DRIVE DOWN ROSEBERRY STREET YOU SUBMIT TO AND TRUST THE DETOUR ROUTE. WHEN YOU MAKE A RECIPE YOU SUBMIT TO THE INSTRUCTIONS. IF YOU ARE GOING SOMEPLACE YOU SUBMIT TO THE DIRECTIONS ON THE MAP. GUYS WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, SUBMIT TO THE INSTRUCTIONS WHEN BUILDING SOMETHING. WE SUBMIT TO THE LAWS OF THE LAND. OUR LIVES ARE FULL OF AREAS WE WILLINGLY SUBMIT TO, AND ARE NOT THOUGHT OF LESS FOR DOING SO.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO LOOK AT THE BIBLE IN A VERY NEGATIVE SENSE. IT IS JUST A BOOK OF “THOU SHALT NOTS” AND THEREFORE THEY DECIDE NOT TO SUBMIT TO IT. I CHALLENGE THAT THOUGHT BY SAYING THAT IF WE DO SUBMIT TO WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT IT WILL BRING US TO A POSITIVE OUTCOME. THIS IS THE WHOLE POINT OF FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS, TO LEAD US TO A POSITIVE OUTCOME.

I THINK THE GREATEST REASON THOUGH WHY PEOPLE ARE TURNING AWAY FROM THE BIBLE, IS BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS TURNING AWAY FROM THE BIBLE. WE ARE AFRAID TO STAND ON ITS AUTHORITY. SIN IS NO LONGER SIN, AND RIGHT AND WRONG ARE DETERMINED, NOT BY AN OBJECTIVE STANDARD THAT APPLIES TO EVERYONE, BUT ON A SUBJECTIVE STANDARD DETERMINED BY THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEREFORE SOMETHING WE ARE NOT ABLE TO CHALLENGE.

IT APPEARS TO ME THAT IN THE CHURCH RIGHT NOW AT LEAST, WE ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE GET THROUGH THIS LIFE, AND ARE NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE THEY WILL SPEND ETERNITY. WE TALK PHILOSOPHY AND NOT THEOLOGY.