to cast doubt on the Word of God. Many basically question all the miraculous parts of the Bible. For example, they teach that the creation story, Noah's Ark, and Jonah's whale are all myths.
*They would teach that the burning bush was only on fire in Moses' imagination, and that Jesus appeared to Paul only in his mind. Many also teach that Jesus wasn't born of a virgin, never performed miracles, didn't die on the cross, and never rose again from the dead. (1)
*People with that kind of doubt have fallen into the trap God described in Hebrews 4:2. There the Bible says, "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."
*A low view of the Bible will always lead you in the wrong direction. But when you have a high view of the Bible, you will find it always leads you in the right direction. And you can echo what the Psalmist said to God in Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
*God's Word is pure, powerful, eternal, and absolutely true. It was written by holy men who spoke as they were inspired by God's Holy Spirit. The Bible then is a one-of-a-kind miracle of a book, because it was written by God Himself, written by the Holy Spirit of God.
*The Apostle Peter explained this in 2 Peter 1:19-21, and said:
19. 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:
20. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
*God gave some holy men the incredible blessing of helping to write His Word, but the ultimate author is God Himself. The Bible affirms this truth many times. Alex McFarland and Elmer Towns wrote that the human authors claimed their message was from God over 1,900 times! (2)
*For example, in the KJV you will find the phrases "God said" 43 times, "the Lord spake" 144 times, and "thus saith the LORD!" 415 times! (3)
*Listen to a great example from Isaiah 43:1-3:
1. But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
*The Holy Spirit of God is the primary author of the Bible, and yes, God used men to help get the job done. But those men were all moved by the Holy Spirit to say exactly what God wanted them to say.
*Peter and Paul both confirm this truth for us in the book of Acts. Their statements are great confirmations at the beginning and end of Acts saying: "This is the Word of God!" So in Acts 1:16, we hear Peter say, "Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus." Then in Acts 28:25 Paul said, "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers."
*Again, the Holy Spirit of God is the primary author of the Bible. That's why there is divine oneness in this Book even though it was written through a wide variety of men.
*Lewis Chafer tells us "it was written over a period of at least 1,600 years by as many as 40 different authors. They differed in language, culture, background and experience. Nevertheless, the Bible, like no other composite book in the world, is one book. . . Among the authors of the 66 books in the Bible are kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, a doctor, statesmen, scholars, poets, and plowmen of such diverse backgrounds that one could hardly expect their writings to form any continuity. . .
*Obviously the Bible had a divine Editor, -- the Holy Spirit of God, who guided the writers so that all they wrote in perfect harmony." (4)
*The Bible is a miraculous book, and it can have a miraculous impact on our lives. No wonder Jesus urges us to remain in His Word, and in tonight's Scripture, He tells us why.
1. FIRST: WE WILL FOLLOW THE LORD MORE FULLY.
*Verses 30-31 point us to this truth, and here the Bible says:
30. As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
31. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."
*That word "abide" in vs. 31 means we should "continue," "stay," "remain," or "dwell" in His Word. We should read it, study it, absorb it and apply it in our lives. This is one of the most important things we can ever do, because then we will be the Lord's "disciples indeed."
*The original word for "indeed" there means "truly," "surely," or "most certainly," so if we remain in God's Word, we will surely be His true disciples, true followers of Jesus Christ in the way we live our lives.
[1] THIS MEANS WE WILL HAVE A LIFE WORTH LIVING.
*Not a perfect life. But the best possible life we can have in this world. If we will continue in God's Word, this is the kind of life we will have: When we stumble, Jesus lifts us up. When we are tired, He gives us rest. When we're in sorrow, He gives us comfort, and when we are afraid, He calms our fears.
[2] STAYING IN GOD'S WORD GIVES US A LIFE WORTH LIVING. IT ALSO HELPS US DEMONSTRATE OUR DISCIPLESHIP.
*We will be disciples indeed, or you could say, "We will be disciples in deeds." People will be able to see the Lord living in us, maybe not all the time. But the more we really continue in God's Word, the more we will follow Jesus. And people will see what it means to follow the Lord.
*Staying in God's Word will help give us the life Moses asked for in Psalm 90:17. There this great leader prayed, "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands."
*Moses was talking about inner beauty that can be seen on the outside, by the way we live our lives. But this can't happen unless we abide both in the written Word of God and in the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ. That's why in John 15:1-5, Jesus also said this on the night before the cross:
1. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
*If we abide in the Lord, and in His Word, He will surely give us a life worth living, and He will surely help us demonstrate our discipleship.
*One of the most unexpected testimonies I ever saw of this truth came from an atheist. His name is Matthew Parris. He is a reporter in Great Britain. And Mathew witnessed first hand the power of lives worth living. Eleven years ago, Matthew wrote an article for "The London Times," and it had this odd headline: "As an Atheist, I Truly Believe Africa Needs God."
*The story told about Matthew's recent trip to Malawi. It was the country where he lived as a boy. And he went back after 45 years to see the work of a charity. While Matthew was there, he saw the impact of Christianity being lived out among the people.
*Matthew said the trip renewed his faith in charities. And he said, "(It) refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God."
*He went on to write, "Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa. Sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa, Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good." (5)
*The truth is Christianity does the same thing all over the world, whenever Christ is truly received by faith. And I hope that Matthew turns to the Lord, if He hasn't already!
*Jesus Christ gives us the only life truly worth living. And it comes in large part from remaining in His Word, reading it, studying it, absorbing it, and applying it in our lives. Jesus said to those Jews who believed on him, "If you continue in My word, then you are My disciples indeed."
2. HE URGES US TO REMAIN IN HIS WORD BECAUSE WE WILL FOLLOW THE LORD MORE FULLY, AND WE WILL TRULY KNOW THE TRUTH.
*In vs. 31-32, Jesus tells believers:
31. . . "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32. And you shall know the truth. . .''
*The Lord tells us that if we remain in His Word, we will know the truth. What a promise! This promise is absolutely dependable. It is guaranteed by God, and it has been proven true by everyone who has continued in God's Word.
*That's the promise. But also think about the privilege. Think about the amazing grace privilege it is to actually know the truth, to truly know the most important truth that anyone can ever know.
*We live in a society that has been taught to deny the very existence of truth. That deceitful philosophy has been widely taught and promoted for decades. James Merritt preached on this terrible problem back in the mid-1990s.
*And here's a little of that he said: "Listen carefully to the next three statements: There are no absolutes. All truth is relative. You have no right to force your idea of right and wrong on anyone else. Currently, 62 percent of American adults claim to believe these statements are true. For the first time in the history of this nation, we are living in a society that is rejecting the notion of absolute truth." (6)
*By the way, I don't remember where I saw this, but when asked in the right spirit, it's a perfect, thought provoking comeback to someone who tells you there is no such thing as absolute truth. When they say that, simply ask, "Are you absolutely sure about that?" (7)
*James Merritt also said, "Steve Turner, a noted British journalist, wrote a tongue-in-cheek view of what might be called, 'The Apostle's Creed' of the humanist. He has captured the spirit of our age perfectly:
'We today believe in Marx, Freud, and Darwin (the holy trinity). We believe everything is okay, as long as you don't hurt anyone, to the best of your definition of "hurt," and to the best of your definition of "knowledge. . ." We believe in the therapy of sin. We believe that taboos are taboo. . . We believe there is something in horoscopes, UFOs and bent spoons.
*We believe Jesus was a good man, just like Buddha, Mohammed, and ourselves. He was a good moral teacher although we think his good morals were really bad.
*We believe that all religions are basically the same. . . They all believe in love and goodness. They only differ on matters of creation, sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.
*We believe that after death comes nothing, because when you ask the dead what happened, they say nothing. If death is not the end then the dead have lied, and it is compulsory heaven for all except perhaps for Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Kahn.
*We believe that man is essentially good: it's only his behavior that lets him down. This (of course) is the fault of society. And we believe that each man must find the truth that is right for him, and reality will adapt accordingly.'" (8)
*Wow. Many massively deceived people have gone so far down that road today that they have lost touch with reality. Many millions more people around the world have virtually no access to the truth of God's Word. But Christians, we have the privilege of holding the greatest truth in our hands. This is an amazing gift from the Lord. We have the grace-filled privilege of knowing the truth, and we will continue to learn more as we continue in God's Word.
*That's the privilege, but also think about the profit. Think about the incredible blessings, the amazing life-changing power that comes from knowing the truth, and knowing the Truth in a personal way. When we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we do know the truth in a personal way, because in John 14:6, Jesus tells us that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
*This word for "know" here in vs. 32 is not just talking about knowing something with your mind. It's not just mentally agreeing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and rose again from the dead. Knowing the truth in vs. 32 is not just mentally agreeing that Jesus will forgive our sins if we trust in Him and receive Him as our Lord and Savior.
*Knowing the truth in vs. 32 is much, much more, -- not just understanding these things, but personally experiencing these things, personally knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in a real and tangible way. That is the greatest profit that can ever come through God's Word: We get to know Jesus! And the more we continue in His Word, the better we will know Him.
3. JESUS URGES US TO REMAIN IN HIS WORD BECAUSE WE WILL TRULY KNOW THE TRUTH, AND WE WILL BE MADE FREE FOREVER.
*Many people today have a false view about freedom. They think freedom means being free to do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it. But again, in vs. 31-32, Jesus said:
31. . . "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.''
*It is so easy to be deceived about freedom. The unbelieving Jews in this story were certainly deceived. In vs. 33 they answered Jesus, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Then in vs. 34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."
*Bruce Shields explained: "They did not understand that they were slaves and they needed Jesus to be free. Everyone who sins is a slave. We are born into this sin which enslaves us. We are in bondage from birth, and this bondage robs us of our life.
*Slavery to sin leads to spiritual and eternal death. It robs us of our liberty, for we do what our master instructs us. Sin instructs us to turn from our Father in heaven and from the Word of God. When we do this, we cannot have happiness in our lives, for without God there is no love, peace or happiness, only darkness." (9)
*Human slavery is a terrible thing. It is one of the greatest scourges in our history. In 2004, Mary and I got to visit Washington D.C. On that trip I realized like never before the terrible plague slavery was on our country. It happened when we were visiting George Washington's home at Mt. Vernon. What opened my eyes was the fact that just a few yards from Washington's grave is a memorial to the unmarked graves of 150 slaves.
*Think how horrible it would have been to be a slave before the Civil War: No freedom, no choices, forced to serve every whim of even the cruelest master, never knowing when you would be beaten or abused, never knowing when your wife or children would be sold away from you.
*Slavery is a terrible thing, and it still goes on in parts of the world today. Back in 2002, the CIA reported that over 700,000 women and children are sold into slavery every year. And the number is probably much higher today. (10)
*Also, never forget that the people in Communist countries like China and North Korea are all basically slaves to the government. This includes the Christians in China suffering under ramped-up persecution, and the 120,000 to 1,000,000 Uyghur Muslims detained in mass detention camps. (11)
*Terrible! -- But infinitely worse is that most of the world is in spiritual bondage, and they don't even know it. Can you imagine being a slave and not knowing it? That was the condition of those unbelieving Jews, because they had been deceived by Satan.
*And you can be sure that Satan is doing everything he can to deceive people today. John 8:44 tells us that the devil is the father of lies. Through false friends, false religions and false messages on the internet, radio and TV, Satan tries to deceive as many people as he possibly can.
*Some of you here may be falling for his lies right now, because he is so good at it, and you are a slave to sin. But Jesus wants to set people free! So in vs. 34-36, the Lord said:
34. . . "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
35. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but (the Son) abides forever.
36. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
CONCLUSION:
*This is the essential, eternal freedom that the Lord graciously gives to everyone who will put their trust in Him. God the Son, our crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ abides forever! And if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed forever and ever!
*Let Jesus Christ give you the freedom that only He can give. Then firmly commit to always remain in God's Word. Commit to stay in His Word, read it, study it, absorb it and apply it in your life. Nothing in life can help us more.
*Would you please bow for prayer.
(1) Sources:
-https://www.gotquestions.org/redaction-higher-criticism.html
-https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_criticism
(2) Sources:
-https://e-sword.net/
-10 QUESTIONS EVERY CHRISTIAN MUST ANSWER: THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH by Alex McFarland and Elmer Towns
-https://www.quora.com/How-many-times-is-sayeth-the-lord-repeated-in-the-Bible?share=1
(3) https://e-sword.net/
(4) Adapted from "Systematic Theology" - Volume One by Lewis Sperry Chafer - Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois - Copyright 1988 - "Continuity of the Bible" - pp. 52-53
(5) "Times Online" 12/27/2008 - "World" 1/17/2009, p.14 - Source: "In Other Words - March 2009 #2 - by Dr. Raymond McHenry - www.iows.net
(6) Adapted from Sermons. Com sermon "The Truth about Truth" by James Merritt - John 8:31-32
(7) Original source unknown
(8) Cited by James Kennedy, The Destiny of Man, pp. 281-282 - Adapted from Sermons. Com sermon "The Truth about Truth" by James Merritt - John 8:31-32)
(9) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Independence Day - Free from the Bondage of Sin!" by Bruce Shields - John 8:31-36 - 2005
(10) "Women for Sale" by Michael J. Weiss, LADIES' HOME JOURNAL, June 2002, p. 131 - Source: email from Sermons.com
(11) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyghurs
