Have you ever found the inquisitive nature of a 5-year-old
intriguing?
They may have questions that you don’t know the answer to
and others that perhaps you wished they hadn’t asked. But then there are those
questions that cause you to pause and really reflect.
Well, the pastor was asked such
a question by his 5-year-old son and provided the answers in a sermon during Sunday’s,
February 3, 2013, 11am service. Notes take from Pastor Keiffer Bent’s sermon are below. Let us know your thoughts.
Why I Believe the
Word of God
We live in dangerous times.
Man’s opinion is elevated above the Bible. Culture has taken a 180
degree swing. The church is no longer concerned about or passionate about God’s
Word. Absolutes (things that are true
for all people at all places) are laughed at.
Tolerance is applauded but if someone brings in the idea of the Bible,
they are said to be divisive. There is little tolerance for the Word of God
even among Christians even though the Bible should form our existence.
The top struggle among Christians is: Do we obey God or
listen to personal pleasure.
Do we choose to spend time with God and the people of God or
do we choose the mall or a football game? Making the wrong choice results in
Christians being poorly equipped and starving for truth. The average Christian
doesn’t know why they believe what they believe. Churches are struggling and they have no
purpose or power. They are divided as to
what they should listen to – politicians or God’s Word. When it comes to
implementing God’s Word, we completely go to the left.
My son asked me a
question that I will answer during today’s sermon: Why do you teach the Bible?
- The Bible is the only source of
divine, absolute authority.
It will inform you of God’s will
and mind related to your actions and what God intends for your life.
See 2 Timothy 3:16,17 - All
Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be
adequate, equipped for every good work.
We don’t study the Bible for mere information for the mind or for
cognitive purposes (for argument and reasoning). We study the Bible with our
heart and mind and with passion to propagate the things of God and implement
what God wants.
Information doesn’t help you to make the right decision. You must
unite the heart and mind.
- The Quality of God’s Word.
The Bible is the only book that has God’s guarantee. It has His unique stamp. The Bible is
infallible (without fault in its purpose), inerrant (free of error), complete
(contains all of the information needed to succeed in the Christian life),
authoritative (prescribes right actions to us), totally sufficient for your
needs and accomplishes what God set out to do. See Revelation 22:18, 19, Psalm
19:7 and Isaiah 55:11.
Proverbs 30:5,6 - Every word of God is
tested;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His
words
Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.
- What is the benefit of believing in the Bible?
The Bible remains the only source of divine revelation and power that
can stand up against political, economic, social, archeological and historical ideology
and arguments. It still sustains the
Christian to walk in the ways of YAHWEH.
The Bible itself claims to be the record of God.
If I believe this record of God then we
need to ask ourselves what does God want from me?
Merely claiming it’s God Word is not enough. Many books claim to be God’s Word. Forty
writers with a variety of occupations wrote the Bible at different places. They
couldn’t copy from each other. They didn’t
have email. They wrote in different moods and in three different
languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek). It has an amazing unity and harmony that
we can’t humanly explain. The Bible
portrays the behind the scenes hand of an Almighty God.
But, they maintained the unity of one fundamental theme: God’s plan to
redeem man. Salvation is God’s objective.
Jesus said to
him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me. John 14:6
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. John 17:17
The Bible can
and has withstood the test of time.
Luke 11:28 - …Blessed are
those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
1 Peter 2:2 - As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that
you may grow thereby.
There’s power in
the Bible. The Bible is a powerful force.
Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is
the power of God to salvation for
everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
‘Power’ in
Romans 1:26 is ‘dunamis’ in the Greek language. It has the power or ability by
virtue of its intrinsic nature. The gospel, itself, has power. The Bible is
power.
The Word of God
changes men’s hearts.
The Bible is
true. Since you know that it’s true – read it and preach it.
Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to
my feet
And a light to my path.
Dear Reader – What are your thoughts?