INTRODUCTION
• In the second message of our series, we will dive into a vital subject for Christians.
• This subject has an impact on all we do as Christians and impacts our mission and purpose for life.
• It may surprise you to know that there are over 4,000 recognized religions in the world.
• These religions consist of churches, congregations, faith groups, tribes, cultures, and movements even though there are so many, three-quarters of the world’s population practice one of the five major religions.
• The five are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/world-religion-day-third-sunday-in-january/#:~:text=It%20may%20surprise%20you%20to,of%20the%20five%20major%20religions.)
• The 4,000 does not include many that are not recognized and the ones of the past that have been lost in the dust bins of history.
• So, when you consider you have over 4,000 recognized choices, what is it that separates Christianity from the rest?
• What is it that makes Christianity the only REAL choice?
• We would say Jesus, and you are correct.
• However, how can we be sure that Jesus is who we think He is?
• When you look at the over 4,000 plus choices, what is the source of what they are built upon?
• Most religions have some writing from which they gain knowledge about what they are supposed to do.
• Islam has the Koran, Christians have the Bible.
• Now for 4,000 plus religions, how do we know if the source of their knowledge is accurate, inspired by God?
• Not being mean here, but Scientology is based on the writing of a science fiction writer.
• If you cannot trust the main source of information concerning one’s faith, what is one’s faith-based upon?
• In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul says that if Jesus was not resurrected from the dead, then our faith in vain, and we make God out to be a liar.
• Faith needs to be based on something you can trust.
• If I cannot trust my Bible to be what it says it is, then my faith is not based on anything objective.
• If a book is inspired by God, you would think the book would be accurate and consistent, and there should be a way to know what you now possess is in the same form as originally written.
• I know the Bible passes these tests.
› Big Idea of the Message: The Scriptures are trustworthy because of the eyewitness testimony of the apostles to the historical event of Christ’s death and resurrection, but also because of the trustworthiness of the Law and Prophets found in the Old Testament
• So today, we are going to examine, The book You Can Trust!
• Let’s begin in 2 Peter 1:16-18
2 Peter 1:16–18 (CSB)
16 For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!”
18 We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.
SERMON
I. The testimony of eyewitnesses.
• TEST
• Remember the context; false teaching was beginning to permeate the church. The false teachers were doubting the second coming, among other things.
• Peter knows his time is short.
• In verse 16, Peter offers a reason he will leave behind a lasting record of the life of Jesus.
• Such a record will be truth. It will not be based on cleverly contrived myths but rather objective historical facts that can be established and corroborated by eyewitnesses, of which Peter is one!
• The use of myths, legends, and fables was used in various religious circles; Peter makes it clear his account is in no way based on such nonsense!
• The false teachers used these techniques to wow people into listening to them as they wove fantastic tails.
• Peter was making known the power of Jesus’s coming.
• Peter refers to the incarnation (the birth of Jesus as a man) when he speaks of Jesus’s coming.
• This is probably not a reference to the second coming because Peter uses the Transfiguration as something he witnessed; whereas, the resurrection would have been a better proof of the second coming.
• The word “COMING” in the Greek is a technical term referring to the visit of a king.
• It speaks of King coming to your town.
• Peter says “we,” referring to the other apostles, were eyewitnesses to the event we know as the Transfiguration.
• An EYEWITNESS is one who not only sees something but they also watch and observe what they are witnessing.
• Peter and the others carefully observed and understood the implications of what they witnessed!
• At the transfiguration, they saw the majesty and glory of Jesus!
• Majesty is splendor, greatness, a quality that God displays and possesses!
• Peter witnessed that majesty in Jesus at the transfiguration!
• Peter has first-hand experience, whereas the false teachers have stories with no basis in truth!
• Peter, as those with him, heard the voice come down from Heaven!
Matthew 17:5 (CSB)
5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!”
• What you have in the New Testament are eyewitness accounts of what is written about!
Luke 1:1–3 (CSB)
1 Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us,
2 just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us.
3 So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus,
1 John 1:1–3 (CSB)
1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
2 that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—
3 what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:6–8 (CSB)
6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.
John 20:30–31 (CSB)
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book.
31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
• When people want to discredit these eyewitnesses, on what are they basing their efforts?
• The New Testament (as well as the Old) is a historical record of which people of the day could check and verify the veracity of the claims.
• Let’s turn to verse 19.
2 Peter 1:19 (CSB)
19 We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
II. The testimony of the Old Testament.
• TEST
• When Peter speaks of the prophetic word, he is referring to the Old Testament.
• The Old Testament served a beneficial purpose that a lamp does.
• A lamp gives light until the sun rises!
• The Old Testament was a light into the darkness that led people until the true light arrived!
• The Old Testament directed us to Jesus!
Galatians 3:24 (CSB)
24 The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith.
• Verse 19 speaks specifically about the prophetic word of the Old Testament, and Peter emphasizes this as if to say, “The written Scriptures are even more trustworthy than the personal experience of the apostle Peter.”
• Furthermore, the prophetic Scriptures of the OT, which speak about Christ “as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” informs the readers that “the truths in the Bible will continue to point to the source of all truth, Christ, until he returns in glory” (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary [Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999], 1695).
• The Old Testament was written over a 1000 year plus period of time, by various authors, from various areas, from various backgrounds. Yet, it still is cohesive and does not contradict itself.
• The Old Testament contains nearly 300 references to the coming Messiah, and ALL OF THEM were pointing to and fulfilled in Jesus!
• Some would say that Jesus engineered His life to fit them, but that is not really possible.
• And some would say they can fit some of the prophecies to other people.
• That is possible, but all of them? Not a chance!
• The fact is, all of the Messianic prophecies found their fulfillment in Jesus establishes His firm credentials as Messiah!
• Here are just a few of those prophecies.
Psalm 16:10 (CSB)
10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
Luke 24:46 (CSB)
46 He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day,
• This one could not have been engineered by Jesus.
Psalm 41:9 (CSB)
9 Even my friend in whom I trusted, one who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.
Matthew 10:4 (CSB)
4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
• This one would not have been planned by Jesus either.
Isaiah 50:6 (CSB)
6 I gave my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who tore out my beard. I did not hide my face from scorn and spitting.
Matthew 26:67 (CSB)
67 Then they spat in his face and beat him; others slapped him
• I can go on all day long!
• Coincidence? Not logical! WAY too many for that to happen!
• Let’s drop down to verses 20-21
2 Peter 1:20–21 (CSB)
20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation,
21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
III. The inspiration of God.
• The Bible was inspired by God through the hand of the writers.
• Peter tells us that the scriptures (prophecy refers to OT. as it does in verses 19 and 20) did not come from the will of man; in other words, man did not imagine it.
• Instead, it was written by men who were carried by the Holy Spirit.
• CARRIED ALONG was used of a ship being moved along by a strong wind.
• The Old Testament is full of references to the fact it came from God.
Exodus 32:16 (CSB)
16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God’s writing, engraved on the tablets.
Numbers 1:1 (CSB)
1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month of the second year after Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt:
Deuteronomy 31:24–26 (CSB)
24 When Moses had finished writing down on a scroll every single word of this law,
25 he commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the LORD’s covenant,
26 “Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God so that it may remain there as a witness against you.
• Then another passage in 2 Timothy says the same thing, only referring to the entire Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16 (CSB)
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
CONCLUSION
• With such infallible sources for full knowledge of Jesus, why would anyone listen for a moment to the foolish myths of the false teachers?
› Application Point: Believers can read the Bible knowing that what is written within its pages has been tested and is true.
• When you read your Bible, you are reading books that come from the mind of God, and as 2 Timothy tells us, it gives us all we need!
• When someone tries to entice you to leave Jesus, ask them what basis they believe their claims?
• We can trust and put our faith in the Bible as the authoritative Word of God!
