The Benefit of God’s Word – 4th January 2009 pm
The Wonder of the Bible
1. The wonder of its formation-the way in which it grew-one of the mysteries of time.
2. The wonder of its unification-a library of 66 books, yet one Book.
3. The wonder of its age-the most ancient of all books.
4. The wonder of its sales-the best-seller of all time, far ahead of any other book.
5. The wonder of its interest-the only book in the world read by all classes of people.
6. The wonder of its language-written largely by uneducated men, yet the best book from a literary standpoint.
7. The wonder of its preservation-the most hated of all books, yet it continues to exist!
I. God’s Word Authenticates the Deity of Christ – John 20:31
The Bible reveals to us who Christ is and how we can know Him. John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus IS God and that it is only by placing your faith in Him that brings everlasting life.
It isn’t necessary to see Jesus Christ in order to believe. Yes there is no doubt that the early Christians were blessed to see their Lord in the flesh and to know that He was alive, but that is not what saved them. Joh 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
We cannot see Christ, nor can we see Him perform the miracles that John wrote about in this book, but the record is there and that is all we need Romans 10:17.
As you read John’s record you come face to face with Jesus Christ, how He lived, what He said, and what He did. All of the evidence points to the conclusion that He is indeed God come in the flesh, the Saviour of the world.
The signs and miracles that John selected and described in this gospel are proof of the deity of Christ. They are important, but sinners are not saved by believing in miracles; they are saved by believing on Christ.
Many people followed Him because of His miracles John 6:2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased; but in the end most of them left Him for good John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
We have the Bible to authenticate Christ’s deity – and we are presented with a threefold proof of this thesis: our Lord’s works, our Lord’s walk, and our Lord’s words. The Scripture shows Christ performing miracles; the Scripture shows Christ living a perfect life in the midst of His enemies; and you hear Him speaking words that nobody else could speak.
Either Jesus was a madman, or He was deluded, or He was all that He claimed to be – God. Whilst some did call Him deranged and deluded, the majority of people who watched Him and listened to Him came to the conclusion that He was unique, unlike anyone else.
He claimed to be God come in the flesh, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. That is exactly who He is.
II. God’s Word Gives Hope to Man – Romans 15:4
The idea of this verse is that when we go through this life serving the Lord, there will be times of discouragement and defeat. In those times, we need to learn to look to the Word of God. It is there that we will find the encouragement we will need to continue on for the glory of the Lord.
Again, we can look to Jesus as our example. When He was tempted, He used the Word of God, Matt. 4:1-11.
When He was on the cross, He quoted the Scriptures three times, Matthew 27:46 My God.. (Psalm 22:1) ; John 19:28 I thirst... (Psalm 69:21) ; Luke 23:46 Father into thy hands I commend (Psalm 31:5). This shows us that in the difficult times of His life, Jesus used the Word of God for His Own comfort and strength.
If He did, how much more do we need that kind of help? Therefore, the believer must be well acquainted with the Bible. When the difficult days come, and they will! You can run to the Word of God and find help and strength to make it through those valleys.
No one ever said that the Christian life was an easy life. However, it is not an impossible life! When a believer lives for the Lord, there will be times when we feel like throwing in the towel, but the Word of God will enable us to continue on for the glory of God. By the way, when you don’t spend time in the Word, it will show on you! You will get critical. You will become mean spirited. You will become intolerant of others and hard to get along with.
Some years ago, musicians noted that errand boys in a certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. It was talked about and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The boys did not know there was anything wrong with the peals, and quite unconsciously they had copied their pitch.
So we tend to copy the people with whom we associate; we borrow thoughts from the books we read and the programs to which we listen, almost without knowing it.
God has given us His Word which is the absolute pitch of life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect the false in all of the music of the world. This book will give you hope...
III. God’s Word Provides Human Experiences as Warnings – 1 Corinthians 10:11
The Bible holds nothing back – it gives you everything about someone’s character (with David – even the bad bits). Praise God we have peoples examples to follow or avoid.
Paul give the church at Corinth a quick history lesson and reminds them of what happened in the wilderness. The Jews experienced God’s miracles, and yet they failed when they were tested in the wilderness. We can here the Corinthians (and us maybe) saying “what has this to do with us?”
The Corinthian church was guilty of the same sins that the Jews committed, immorality (1 Cor 6), idolatry (1 Cor 8, 10) and murmuring against God (2 Cor 12)
A distinct moral order can be seen in the five stages of misbehaviour he mentions from the wilderness experiences of Israel. They were all downward. They mark the stages in the life of a backslider.
1Co 10:3 The first observable trait of backsliding is a distaste for the Bible (heavenly mana) and a craving for the spicier food of the world
1Co 10:7 Next, Christ starts to take second place in peoples lives and is even is replaced altogether.
1Co 10:8 Immorality in some form or other usually follows, not just spiritual adultery, but some kind of moral sin.
1Co 10:9 These downward steps lead to scepticism and to some form of tempting God.
1Co 10:10 The final stage is reached when the decision is made to go back to the world completely. Such behaviour brings the certain displeasure and judgement of God.
There is a story about a pastor who gave a series of sermons on “The Sins of the Saints.” One member of the church, apparently under conviction, disapproved of the series and told the pastor. “After all,” she said, “sin in the life of a Christian is different from sin in the life of an unsaved person.”
“Yes it is.” The pastor replied, “it’s worse.”
We mustn’t think that because the Jews were under the Law that their sins were worse than ours and therefore dealt with more severely. Sin in the church today is far more serious, because we have Israel’s example to learn from, and we are living in the latter days.
To sin against the Law is one thing; to sin against grace is something quite different.
IV. God’s Word Gives Knowledge of Eternal Life – 1 John 5:13
People believe in many things today and in many names. Many people toady think that Mary is the all-important name – not so, it is tha name of a woman who confessed herself in need of a Saviour (Luke 1:47)
There is only one name to believe in that will do you any good in terms of salvation and heaven – Jesus.
I wonder if when John was writing this that his mind was cast back a few years when he and his friend Peter were hauled before the Sanhedrin for healing a lame beggar in the name of Jesus. Just picture the scene, the big wigs, the rulers, the elders the scribes, all gathered together...
Acts 4:5-6 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, [6] And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
Here stood Peter and John, a couple of fishermen, accompanied by a beggar. Who do you think had the authority and power – it was Peter and John, they spoke so boldly...
Act 4:10-12 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. [11] This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. [12] Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John knew all about the power that was in the name of the Lord. John uses the title Son of God. Only an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent One could provide and administer a salvation of eternal dimensions, to be offered to all mankind, throughout the ages of time.
Only such a One could overcome all the claims and demands of God’s throne, provide adequate payment for all the enormous indebtedness of the race, and carry out God’s purposes in grace throughout all the unborn ages of eternities yet to be.
God has gone on record in His Word as offering u that eternal life to those who will believe on Jesus Christ. John was inspired by the Spirit to write his Gospel to assure us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (20:31). He wrote this epistle so that we may be sure that we are the children of God.
1Jn 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
1Jn 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
If you bear these birthmarks, you can say that you are a child of God.
When Sir James Simpson, the discoverer of chloroform, was on his deathbed, a friend asked him, “Sir, what are your speculations?”
Simpson replied, “Speculations! I have no speculations! ‘For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day!”
