Hold On To The Holy Bible

Hold on to the Holy Bible

2 Peter 1:19-21 (Initial reading: vs. 16-21)

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - March 24, 2013

*Robert Leroe asks a good question: "Has the bookmark in your Bible moved lately?" (1)

*Verse 19 tells us that we would do well to "take heed" to God's Word. That means to pay attention to His Word and devote our thoughts to it. The word picture is "taking hold of something," holding on to God's Word in our minds.

*God wants us to keep holding on to His Word. And Peter shows us why.

1. First: Hold on to God's Word, because it is the surest source of truth.

*These verses begin with that wonderful mountain-top experience, when Peter, James and John got to see at least a little of the infinite glory of Jesus Christ. Then in vs. 19 in the KJV, Peter said: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts."

*How do we know that the Bible is "more sure"? -- How do we know that it is the surest source of truth?

[1] We know first because of Peter's testimony in these verses.

*Yes Peter saw the revelation of Christ's glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. And Peter never doubted that. (By the way: neither should we, because that mountain top experience is part of God's Word today.) But Peter himself testified that God's Word is more sure than the vision of Christ's glory they saw on the mountain.

*And we can see how Peter could say the Old Testament Scriptures were more sure than their time on the mountain.

-The Word of God was more sure because it came through more witnesses.

-And it was more sure, because sometimes we can't believe our own eyes.

*James Merritt explained it this way: "Now only three people saw this vision, and heard this voice, and (Peter) was one of those three. They were on that Mountain of Transfiguration, and saw Jesus in all of His glory. They heard the voice of God who said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'

*Their experience was glorious and wonderful, but Peter also knew something about that experience, and that is: It was one never to be repeated, and one that can never again be experienced.

*So where does that leave us who have had no vision and heard no voice? -- Well, Peter tells us that God has given us something better than experience: the Word of God. The point that Peter is making is this: The word of God is more sure than what our eyes can see, and what our ears can hear."

*On Tuesday, October 13th, 1998, over 100,000 people gathered at a farm in Conyers, Georgia. Why were they there? -- It was because of a 47-year-old Catholic woman named Nancy Fowler. Nancy claimed to have had hundreds of visits from both the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ since 1991. Nancy also said that the Virgin Mary was going to give her a final message that Nancy would speak to the world. Over 100,000 people came by bus, car, and plane, hoping to see an appearance of the Virgin Mary, and hoping to hear what Mary might say to Nancy Fowler.

*But Merritt made the point that if someone had simply said, "I'm going to that farm and read the true Word of God, people would have passed by with a yawn."

*Then Merritt said: "I want to give you fair warning: Never accept subjective experience over objective revelation. The Word of God is more sure than a vision you might see or a voice that you might hear. If I had a vision, I might misunderstand it. I might not remember it. I might misinterpret it. If I were to hear a voice I might miss part of what was said. Neither visions nor voices can compare with the value of the Word of God.

*Between Moses and Matthew, Malachi and Mark, Lamentations and Luke, Jeremiah and John, Amos and Acts, and Proverbs and Paul, we have God's complete once-for-all revelation." (2)

*How do we know that the Bible is the surest source of truth?

-We know because of Peter's testimony in these verses.

[2] And we know because Old Testament prophecies have come true.

*Think for a moment how hard it is to predict the future. Listen to examples from "The World's Worst Predictions":

-In 1773, King George II said the American colonies had little stomach for revolution.

-In 1939 The New York Times said the problem of TV was that people had to glue their eyes to a screen, and that the average American wouldn't have time for it.