"The Bible Tells Me So" by Hiram Kemp

Karl Barth was known as the famous Swiss theologian. His most

famous work is his commentary on the book of Romans. In 1962,

Barth was lecturing throughout the United States, and in one of the lectures that he

was giving, a student interrupted him at the end when they were doing question and

answers and said, Mr. Barth, can you summarize your entire theological

belief system in a sentence? And Barth thought for a

minute and then he responded, yes, I can. I can do it with the song

that my mother taught me when I used to sit on her knee.

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells

me so. People were, as you might imagine,

surprised. They were shocked, looking maybe for something more deep, more profound,

something more enlightening, but Barth summarized it with that hymn,

that children's hymn written from the 19th century that was initially

a poem, and he says, Here's what my entire theological system boils

down to: the Bible says it, that settles it,

and that's enough for me. And I guess the question every one of us

has to ask ourselves is, is that it? Is it that simple that a person

can simply accept the Bible's teaching, accept what God has said,

and can that really be enough? Can you really have a deep spiritual

relationship with God? Can you be spiritually whole and healthy with a

mindset that simply says God's Word says this, that settles

it, and as a result, I believe it. On the surface, it could

seem like this response to theological spiritual questions is kind

of a scapegoat. People ask you things and you simply respond with,

well, this is what the Bible says and that's what I believe. It can seem

like a way of trying to get around deep thinking, trying to get around the

hard and the rigorous work. But if you actually think about what's being said in

that statement, and even in the song that we just sung a moment ago,

It's actually the deepest and the truest answer that anybody can

give. The Bible says this, that settles

it, and I believe it. Nobody should simply accept the

Bible and its authoritative claims simply because the Bible says it. We should

read and study the Bible. We should examine it and see if it can hold

up to scrutiny and actually measure up to divine authenticity.

And when you do that, here's what you find. The Bible claims to be inspired

of God, 2 Timothy 3:16. 14 through 17. The Bible

2 Timothy 3:16

possesses supernatural knowledge that only individuals could possess

if God himself had given it to them. Genesis 1:1-31.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

There's a high moral ethic in the Bible unsurpassed by anything else

in all the world and all of literature. Matthew chapter 7 and verse 12.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

There's predictive prophecy. Isaiah 44 and verse 28 through

chapter 45 and verse 1. And then there's amazing unity in

the Bible. Psalm 119 and 160. The Bible does

bear the marks of being a book unlike the best books on the New York

Times bestseller list, but it bears the mark of a book that's come to us

from God. And if that's true, then every decision we make that the

Bible speaks to and is relevant towards, it should be enough for us to simply

say, I believe this and this is the direction I'm going in simply because

the Bible tells me so. It'll help us.

It'll answer the deepest questions that unsettle us as individuals and really

upend our society as a whole. Questions like, what is true?

Or what's wrong with the world? And more importantly, what's wrong with me? How can

I be saved if I can be? And how can I know it? What does

God require of me in response to that? And how do I fulfill

God's will for my life? All of those questions and many others

are fulfilled by accepting the Bible as it is in truth,

the Word of God, 1 Thessalonians 2 and verse 13, and then being

able to follow that up with whatever the Bible says That settles it

for me. I accept it and I believe it.

In order to do this, you've got to be both honest and courageous,

because as you start thinking through some of the points we're going to make this

morning, it won't be enough to say, this is what I wish the Bible said,

or this is what I've been taught that the Bible said, or this is what

I've always been told that the Bible said. We've got to be honest enough to

say, here's what the Bible actually tells me, and then we've

got to be bold and courageous enough to simply accept it and to launch out

and do it. The Bible tells us many things, but here are some of the

things specifically that we can believe and trust because

the Bible tells us it's so. Here's number 1: truth doesn't change.

You can trust the truth and the reality that's given to you in Scripture simply

because the Bible tells us so. Psalm 119 and verse

152, the psalmist says, from of old I've learned from your testimonies that

your word is established forever. Psalm 119 and verse

89, the psalmist says, forever, O Lord, your word is firmly

fixed in the heavens. The Bible is not always changing and updating.

Instead, reality, the truest and deepest reality,

is forever fixed. And truth is God has given it to us in Scripture.

And in all the circumstances and situations that the Bible touches

on, it remains unchanged for all time.

You think about how often we use our phones, our tablets, our computers,

and how often we're refreshing things, whether it's our email whether it's a news

app, whether it's ESPN, whether it's text messaging, we're constantly

refreshing, especially when we hope and desire to receive some sort of new information.

When we want to get some news across or get something from someone else

that we're anticipating. God's promise to you and me in the Bible,

and this is great news, is you're never going to open up your Bible,

whether it's on your phone or on your tablet or a paper copy, and read

these words, the Bible's currently updating information. Your app may be updating,

but the information that's contained in Scripture It's forever fixed.

The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands

forever. Isaiah 40:8. That's great news

Isaiah 40:8

for us because in a world of constant refreshing, God tells us that

true and ultimate reality is based on a fixed standard that's

never going to change. It's never going to need to be updated, and it's never

going to be altered. Jesus would say in Matthew 24:35,

Matthew 24:35

heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Not one jot or one iota from all of the law will perish until

all be fulfilled, Matthew 5:18. We can know

Matthew 5:18

with certainty that truth never changes. One of

the common phrases that you find, especially in the New Testament, is this phrase,

it is written. And whenever you're reading in the New Testament and you come across

this phrase, it is written, it typically means several things. In the first place,

it means, hey, it is written. This is dealing with something that was written beforehand.

Go back and go check. But every time you read that phrase in the New

Testament, it is written, it's in the perfect tense in Greek, which means it

has been written in the past. It means it's written right now, and it also

means it will forever be written. The things written in Scripture were written

to an ancient audience in an ancient context, but they speak to us

today as freshly as the morning news. Paul says, let God be

true though every man be found a liar, Romans chapter 3 and verse 4.

Romans 3 · chapter mention

And one of the things the Bible tells us unequivocally is that truth doesn't

change. And we live in a society where the target is always

moving. Things that were accepted today are unacceptable tomorrow.

Things that are unacceptable today will be applauded tomorrow. People speak

about truth in funny and interesting ways. People say things like, well,

that's your truth, or these things are my truth, meaning they're

simply true for me even if they're not true for you. But the Bible simply

speaks of the truth, Ephesians 4:15.

Ephesians 4:15

So flip through the pages of your Bible and on whatever subject God

speaks, it's always going to be the same no matter what changes.

If you want to know about sexual ethics and gender, Romans 1:26-27,

Romans 1:26–27

God gives His verdict on that matter and that's always going to

be true. If you want to know about Jesus' identity

as the supreme authority over everybody in the world whether they believe in

Him or not, Matthew 28:18 says all authority is given to Him

Matthew 28:18

in heaven and on earth. That's never going to change. The Bible tells

me so. If you want to know about the origin of the world, why we're

here, and where we're headed, Genesis 1:1-31 and Genesis

Genesis 1 · chapter mention Genesis 2:7

2:7 says God spoke the world into creation,

and God made man from the dust of the ground. That's always going to be

true. If you want to know about the only 2 destinies and ultimate realities

for everybody in the world, no matter who they are, of either heaven

or hell. Matthew 7:13-14,

Matthew 7:13–14

Jesus says those are the only 2 pathways everybody's traveling

on, and that's always going to be true. It never will change. The Bible

tells us truth never changes, and we can rest in that reality.

Maybe you know about the Magic 8 Ball. Maybe you had one as a kid.

You remember how this worked? You shake it up and say, should I ask her

out, yes or no? Is my team going to win the game?

Will I pass the test? And sometimes the 8-ball would say what? Yes.

Other times it would say, I'm in doubt about that. Other occasions

the ball would say, come back and ask later. In fact, the more you shake

the Magic 8-Ball, the less certain you become, and you start

to realize this is not a reliable standard. The Bible's different.

The more you keep coming back to the Bible, the more you keep

taxing it with questions and examining it, the more you find it is

unwaveringly true no matter what happens. It doesn't change like the

Magic 8 Ball. It stays the same. You can study it and read it.

You can read it in a different century, on a different continent, in a different

language, in a different translation, and the Bible is always

telling us the very same things because it comes from an unchanging God.

John 10:35 says Scripture cannot be broken.

John 10:35

Truth doesn't change, and we know this because the Bible tells us. So here's number

2. Sin is deadly. You could add this to the medley we sung

a moment ago before the sermon began. Sin is deadly, this I know,

for the Bible tells me so. In Romans 6 and verse 23,

Paul says, the wages of sin is death,

but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is why we need the Bible, because society would say that some sins are

disgusting. The Bible— the world would tell us that some sins

are dangerous. But only the Bible is going to tell you the real

truth, and that is that ultimately sin is deadly. It's not just

dangerous. It's not just disgusting. It's not just damaging. The Bible uses strong

terminology to get across to us the idea that sin is ultimately

deadly. Think about the first prohibition that God ever gave

in the Bible, the first time God ever told somebody, don't do this, and if

you do it, it's a transgression, it's a sin. The very first time God does

this in Genesis 2 and verse 17, he says, in the day you eat thereof,

you will surely die. And that's what happened. All the days

of Adam were 930 years, and he died, Genesis 5:5.

Genesis 5:5

For by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and death

spread to all people because all people sin, Romans 5:12.

Romans 5:12

Sin is deadly, and it completely destroys.

Sin isn't just dangerous, it comes in to utterly and completely

destroy us. And if you grew up in the church, and if you grew

up around the Bible, you might think that this point is basically second nature

to everybody. Everybody knows that sin is ultimately deadly, but not

everybody does. It's kind of like if you work in the medical profession, you know

that people call in the medical profession high blood pressure the silent

killer. People that have high blood pressure don't often wake up feeling dizzy,

feeling bad. They don't really notice anything until the

symptoms eventually rise, and by then it can be too late. It's called the silent

killer. Carbon monoxide, you can't taste it or smell it or touch it,

but it'll kill you. The absence of immediate symptoms doesn't say

anything about the absence of immediate danger, and sin

works the very same way. Isaiah says, woe to the wicked, it'll be

ill with him, Isaiah 3:11. Paul says, what pleasure are you

Isaiah 3:11

getting in those things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things

is death, Romans 6:21. Sin will

Romans 6:21

come in and ruin and ravage and completely destroy our lives.

It's like a storm leaving destruction in its wake and utter calamity.

And the Bible tells us that sin, it's deadly,

and we should see it for exactly what it is. But I think we need

to allow the Bible to bring its full sting on as it relates to this

point. It's not just the case that sin is deadly in the abstract, that sin

is just deadly out there for other people. The Bible is saying not only is

sin deadly, but your sin is deadly and my sin is

deadly. Ezekiel 18 and verse 4, Ezekiel says,

the soul that sins, that soul will die. Sin is not

some abstract force out here making destruction and havoc throughout the world.

Sin comes into our lives and sabotages our best

self. It ruins what God would have us to be and who God

would ultimately have us to be. Ecclesiastes 7 and verse 29,

the wise man says, God made man upright, but man has sought out

many wicked schemes. And the Bible tells us

sin is deadly no matter what the world says, no matter how

the world tries to advertise it as being life-giving and invigorating.

It ruins lives and it destroys individuals.

I'm sure you've seen commercials like this before. Ads come up about some sort

of medicine or maybe something that can greatly enhance your life. And the way the

commercials and the ads work is they've got people laughing, playing sports,

cooking, doing all kinds of great things. And with about 2.5 seconds

left to go in the commercial, somebody starts talking at rapid speed

like an auctioneer and saying, by the way, in 10 years this could kill you

or greatly deform your body. And in about 8-point font

at the very bottom, they try to list all of the side effects side effects

that they can. Why don't they do that up front? Because if people knew that,

if they knew this was what would happen to you, they'd never engage. They'd never

partake. And the devil does the very same thing with sin.

But the Bible tells us the truth. In the end, it bites like a serpent

and stings like an adder, Proverbs 23:32.

Proverbs 23:32

Sin will lead to our ultimate end in death. Ecclesiastes 8:13

Ecclesiastes 8:13

says, it will not go well for the wicked. His days will not be prolonged

like the shadow because he does not follow after God.

We know this because the Bible says it, but we also know this because

we've seen it. We've seen it in our own lives and in the lives of

others, what sin does to us as we rebel and disobey God.

It ruins us. It turns us away from who we should be, who God would

have us to be, and we can't— we mar the very image that God has

made us in. Genesis 1:26-27. The Bible's being honest

Genesis 1:26–27

with us, and the Bible tells us no matter what the world advertises,

no matter what's pushed on us, that sin is deadly. And the only way

to break free is to know and love the truth that God's given

us, John 8:31-32, and go in the way that leads to life.

John 8:31–32

Here's number 3, the Bible tells us there is hope.

The Bible's honest about the consequences of human rebellion, but the Bible is

also telling us the truth about the reality that there is hope

in the world. This is true. The Bible doesn't just say, hey, the sky's fallen,

things are dark and ruined. The Bible also holds out the reality that

there's hope for all of humanity. Paul says, the hope which is laid up for

you in heaven, Colossians 1:5. Jesus is

Colossians 1:5

called the way, the truth, and the life. But in other contexts,

Jesus himself is also called our hope, 1 Timothy 1:1.

1 Timothy 1:1

The Bible tells me so. No matter what's going on in my personal life,

no matter what the news headlines read, no matter how I feel,

you can know as a Christian that there's hope in the world whether you feel

it or experience it or not, simply because the Bible tells you it's

true. Titus 1:2, Paul says, in hope of

Titus 1:2

eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began.

In the midst of all the noise in our society that tells us the sky

is falling and that we should constantly be afraid and on edge, breaking and

cutting through that noise is the voice of the Holy Spirit through the pages of

Scripture saying to everybody who will listen, it will not always be like this.

Romans 8:18, Paul says, for the sufferings of this present

Romans 8:18

time aren't worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed. For the creation itself

longs to be delivered from the bondage of its futility, to which it's

been subjected in hope, awaiting the deliverance of the glorious liberty of

the children of God. Paul says we wait for that in hope. And why does

a person hope for that which he sees? Instead, we hope for what we can't

see. Romans 8:18-25. The Bible holds out that hope is

Romans 8:18–25

yet to be enjoyed. In fact, that's happening right now. John 1:5

John 1:5

says, light shined in darkness, Light has come into our world, John 3:19,

John 3:19

and we can know this is true and it's so because the Bible tells

us it is. This isn't just a reality or truth to accept. It means as

a Christian, you've got to be making your way toward hope. You've got to be

making your way toward what God holds out, that better things are yet to come

in your life and ultimately in the whole world.

When you turn your Bible to Genesis chapter 1, the Bible opens, yes, with God

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

speaking the world into creation, but in the first 2 verses, Genesis 1:1-2,

Genesis 1:1–2

The Bible says the earth was without form and void.

Theologians use the Latin phrase ex nihilo, which means God created

out of nothing. And there are several reasons why Moses starts

the Bible that way. One of the reasons is so we'll know God's power.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and everything by the breath

of his mouth. God spoke and there was nothing, and all of a sudden there

was something. God spoke in his power. But Moses also tells us God

created the world out of nothing for a purpose. Because there'll be times in

your life when you say, I've got nothing left, I'm down to nothing, I'm completely

hopeless, there's nothing else left. And the Bible tells you in the first 2 verses

on the very first page, God can work with even that. In fact, God created

all of the beauty and all of the vistas and all of the views that

you see in this world out of nothing. And so when you feel like,

I'm down to absolutely nothing else, the Bible says

that's actually what God had to start with from the very beginning.

It matters not how you and I feel about it. There's hope in the world,

and we know this because the Bible tells us so.

Have you ever seen trees in the dead of winter?

There's no green, no fruit, no shade,

nothing. To the blind eye and to a person who's never experienced spring

in their lives, it looks like this tree is never gonna live again.

There's nothing to it. But an arborist or a farmer looks at that

tree and knows that underneath the bark there's still life.

Its roots are still being given nutrients by the very soil.

And sometimes life is like winter. Sometimes in our lives

we say, I can't see anything good coming. I can't feel anything.

Unanswered prayers, hardship,

difficulty— doesn't seem like anything good's coming. But if

you've been through winter before and made it to spring, you know when

there's more sunlight, and in a matter of time, eventually life

is going to spring forth. Peter says God has brought

you to life again through a living hope, 1 Peter 1:3.

1 Peter 1:3

See, here's where your eyes can deceive you. If you just simply look at the

tree with untrained eyes, you might think of death. But if you know anything

about spring, you know life is on the way. And the Bible tells us sometimes

your life feels like winter, but spring's coming.

And Christians don't believe the Bible because it's always springtime,

but because we know one day it will be. And this gives you hope.

This gives you a confident expectation that the best days are yet

to come. Why do you believe that? Because you've seen God do it over and

over again. It's the promise in scripture that God won't just show us something special

in the end, he's going to do something special in us. Philippians 3:21, Paul says

Philippians 3:21

he's going to take your lowly body and fashion it like his glorious body.

What looks like death will ultimately spring forth to

eternal life. There's hope in the world no matter what anybody tells you, and we

know this because the Bible tells us so. Here's number 4: salvation

is by grace through faith, and this we know because the Bible tells

us it's true. Among people that believe the Bible, there's a great deal of confusion

about how a person's saved and how a person becomes a Christian, but in the

Bible no such confusion exists. Paul says you're saved by grace

through faith, Ephesians 2:8-9. What does that mean?

Ephesians 2:8–9

Grace means that God in his kindness has extended humanity the

opportunity to be saved in and through his Son. And apart from that, nobody would

have an opportunity to be saved. John 3:16-17, Jesus speaking

John 3:16–17

to Nicodemus says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten

Son, that whoever believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life.

You're saved by grace through faith. What is faith? That's the

proper response that every human being has to make to the salvation that God

offers, and people that do that are saved. Romans 5:1-2.

Romans 5:1–2

It's that simple, and we can know it because the

Bible tells us this is true. If you have your Bible, turn it to Titus

Titus 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3, because in Titus chapter 3, I think this is one of the clearest

Titus 3 · chapter mention

expositions in the Bible on this topic of salvation and

how people can know without a doubt whether they're saved or not. You and I

don't have to argue about it. The Bible tells us how this works. In Titus

Titus 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 and verse 4, Paul says, after the loving kindness of God

our Savior appeared. That's the grace of God. And then in verse 5,

he says, we've been saved not because of works of righteousness which we've done,

but according to this washing of regeneration and the renewal

of the Holy Spirit. That's baptism. That's the salvation that's offered

through faith. It comes through Jesus Christ in verse 6, and he says it'll make

you an heir through grace of the salvation which was already promised.

Salvation is by grace through faith. What does that mean? It means if you and

I are going to be saved, it's because God initially instigated the process.

And that means on our side, we've got to believe what God has said about

Jesus being the Son of God, John 3:16-17. We've got

John 3:16–17

to repent of our sins and turn to him, Acts 17:30.

Acts 17:30

Confess with the mouth what our heart believes, Jesus is the Son of God,

Romans 10:9-10. And then be baptized for the forgiveness of our

Romans 10:9–10

sins, Acts chapter 2. And verse 38. And everybody who does

Acts 2 · chapter mention

that is saved. How do we know it? Because the Bible tells me

so. It's normally at this point in a private discussion that somebody says, so wait

a minute, are you saying that people that have never done that are not Christians?

And the response to that has to be, I'm not saying anything. The Bible's saying

they're not. But the Bible's also saying that they can be if

they're willing to respond by faith to what God offers. Acts 2:21

Acts 2:21

says, whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Remember, it doesn't matter who says you're lost if

God says you're saved, 1 John 3:20.

1 John 3:20

But also remember, it doesn't matter who says you're saved if God

says you're lost, Matthew 7:21-23. Sometimes people get

Matthew 7:21–23

up in arms. I know I'm saved. I know I'm right with God. The Bible

lays this out plainly. Salvation is by grace through faith for everybody

in the world, and it's offered to everybody. But everybody has to respond the same

way. Here's number 5: worship must be in spirit

and in truth. And we know this because the Bible tells us so.

Sometimes we talk about worship, and I don't know if you've noticed this, people that

talk about worship a lot and have discussions about worship and how worship should

take place, we often spend a lot of time talking about what we like,

but we don't spend a lot of time talking about God. Just pay careful attention

to the next time you engage in a conversation with somebody else

about the matter of religious worship, and notice how often or how little God gets

brought up. Robert Dahl famously said, we worship our work,

we work at our play, and we play at our worship. Now he might have

been overgeneralizing, but the point was we don't give enough thought and attention

to what we're doing in moments like this in worship and the one to whom

we're worshiping. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to

your name give glory. Psalm 115 and verse 1. And here's what we know

about worship, simply because the Bible tells us so: worship must be in

spirit and in truth. Turn to John chapter 4. I know this is familiar

John 4 · chapter mention

territory, but turn to John chapter 4 and notice Jesus in this context

John 4 · chapter mention

is speaking specifically to a woman about worship. But not

only is Jesus talking about worship, he's talking to a woman about worship in the

context where 2 groups often argued about how worship should be done.

And in John 4:23, Jesus says, the hour is coming when

John 4:23

all that worship the Father are going to do so in spirit and in truth,

for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. Verse 24,

God is a spirit, and those that worship him must worship in spirit

and in truth. To worship God in spirit means you've got to worship

from your spirit. You've got to do it with the right attitude, with the right

mindset, with the right disposition. God won't accept it otherwise.

And so Paul says in Philippians 3:3, that we're to worship God

Philippians 3:3

in spirit as the true people of God. But then we also

have to worship God in truth, and that means according to what's found in the

Bible. John 17 and verse 17, sanctify them in the

truth. Your word is truth. Worship must be— look at what Jesus says

again in verse 23 and 24, worship must be in spirit and in truth.

This word for must in the original means this, it has to be this way.

That's what Jesus says. God is a spirit, and those that worship him It has

to be this way. You've got to have both of these elements in your worship

for it to be acceptable with God. And this is what Jesus says in verse

23 God is looking for. He's looking for people that

are going to worship him in this way. And so when we come to worship,

God wants us to be engaged in it. He wants us to care about doing

it. In fact, God wants us to want to worship him, to be excited about

doing it, and to do it from a disposition that says, I was glad when

they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122

and verse 1. But this also means just because we feel good

about it and just because we're excited about worshiping God doesn't necessarily

mean God accepts what we're offering. We've got to have a New Testament passage that

says, hey, this is why we're doing what we're doing. And so every first

day of the week we take the Lord's Supper because it would be sinful not

to. Jesus says, this is how I want you to remember me, Matthew 26:26-29.

Matthew 26:26–29

And Christians did it on the first day of the week, Acts chapter 20 and

Acts 20 · chapter mention

verse 7. We give of our means sacrificially and

freely, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, because God

2 Corinthians 9:6–7

loves a cheerful giver. We sing simply but

spiritually without mechanical instruments of music,

not because we hate instrumental music or because we can't afford one,

but because that's exactly what God asked for in worship, Ephesians 5:19

Ephesians 5:19

and Colossians 3:16. And worship is far more about what glorifies

Colossians 3:16

God than what pleases us. And we pray and preach

and teach his word, Acts 2:42, just like he says that we should.

Acts 2:42

Here's what we know, because the Bible tells us so: worship must

be done in spirit and in truth. And the only way God's going to accept

it is if it's done that way. And sometimes people hear this

and they say, is it really that simple? Surely there's got to be more to

it. But that's it, and that's enough. If you put your heart and

soul into that, it'll wring your soul dry in the very best way.

If you give and sing and pray and sit at the feet of

God's Word and allow it to nourish and to train you in how you ought

to live, it'll change you. But then there are other people that hear this

and they say, I don't like that. I mean, this whole worship,

the way you just described it, in spirit and in truth, I know that's what

they did in the Bible, but to me that's kind of boring. I would like

it kind of spruced up. I think we can pep it up a little bit

and add some things to make it better. That's kind of like somebody walking around

with perfume or cologne in their purse, and every time they walk past somebody,

just kind of spraying it on them because they think it'll make them smell better.

Good intentions, but who asked you? And how dare

you? You can't just go around spraying people because you think it'll

spruce them up and make them smell better. And with all humility and sincerity,

how dare we spray God and say, hey, this will spruce up what you

get in worship. This will make your worship better and more enhanced,

when God never asked us. In fact, the Bible tells us

he already told us what he wants. And humility says God

knows what'll please him far more than I do. Colossians 3:17

Colossians 3:17

says, whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name

of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father through him.

Here's number 6: eternity matters most,

and we know this because the Bible tells us so. Eternity won't just

last longer. According to Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:17,

2 Corinthians 4:17

eternity is stronger. He says there's a far more exceeding and

eternal weight of glory. And then in verse 18, he says, while we look not

at the things which are seen, but the things unseen. The things seen are temporary,

the things unseen are eternal. Eternity matters more than

right now. And there's a challenge. Every one of us has immediate

pressures, but everything that's immediate in your life doesn't

necessarily mean that it's important. The things that matter the most. This is

why Jesus says, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,

Matthew 6:33, because eternity really does matter

Matthew 6:33

more than right now. And sometimes, depending on what you're wrestling with in life and

what you're facing, it doesn't seem like this is true. But beware of

allowing the immediate to overcome the things that are most urgent and ultimately the

things that are most important. In the judgment, it just might be the

case that the things that sink most people's souls aren't the things that were sinful,

but the things that were secondary. The things that people just gave themselves to

and said, I had to do this, above putting spiritual things first. The Bible is

saying labor most intensely and most effectively

for the world you can't see because that's the one that's going to matter.

2 Peter 3:13 says, we await a new heavens and a new earth.

2 Peter 3:13

Labor toward that reward because eternity matters more than

right now. Jesus says, don't work for the food that perishes but instead for

the food that endures to everlasting life, John 6:27. Eternity matters

John 6:27

most, and we know this because the Bible tells us so.

Here's the last thing this morning, number 7: faithfulness is

required. The book of Hebrews is primarily

written to encourage people to get across the finish line in Jesus and not to

give up. In fact, in Hebrews chapter 10, really through the end of the book,

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

there are these exhortations, these words of encouragement encouraging

people to do this very thing. You be faithful and finish strong. And in Hebrews

Hebrews 10:35

10:35, This is what he's saying, and he says, you have need of endurance

that after you've done the will of God, you might receive the reward.

Here's what we need to appreciate, and the Bible's telling us so: faithfulness is

required. I've been thinking about this recently. Luke 15 says that

the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner that repents

than over 99 righteous people who need no repentance. Luke 15:7,

Luke 15:7

Luke 15:10. When somebody's baptized and they come up out of the waters

Luke 15:10

of baptism, We make a big deal about that, and rightly so, and heaven does.

Heaven rejoices. But if heaven rejoices over one sinner

who repents and enters into the race of Christianity, imagine how

heaven must rejoice when Christians actually finish and get

across the finish line in Jesus. Paul says, I fought a good fight, I finished

the course, I've kept the race. Woe to the part-time Christian who's engaged

in battle against a full-time enemy. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says,

1 Peter 5:8–9

you're resisting him steadfast in your faith, and faithfulness is required.

And so that means it's going to take everything you've got. It means time to

get serious, time for you to get serious. No more games,

no more bare minimum effort, no more excuses. It's time to lock in and get

serious because faithfulness is required. We won't be saved otherwise. Just because,

well, I was baptized once in a church building and outside of

that building there was a sign that said Church of Christ, I know I'm good

to go. The Bible says that in and of itself itself is simply not enough.

Don't spend your whole life worried about whether or not you can be faultless.

You can't. But spend all of your efforts and energy worried about whether

or not you can be faithful, because you must.

Colossians 1:23 says you've got to remain steadfast,

Colossians 1:23

unmoved, unfading, holding fast to the hope of the gospel that was preached

to you, because Jesus, who was faithful in all things, he requires faithfulness of

us. And we know this is required simply by opening the Bible

and reading over and over again Jesus talking about the high call of

discipleship and what he expects of every one of us. It's great when we

start, but it's epic when we finish.

Barth was right. It really is that simple.

We can say, Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible

tells me so. You could summarize your whole Christian life, all of your

theological convictions based on that. And you wouldn't be less than, you wouldn't

be being lazy, you wouldn't be being unintellectual, you'd be being honest.

If the Bible really is the book that God intended for us to have,

and it is, if it bears the marks of divine authenticity and inspiration,

and it does, then the Bible itself is enough. And we can respond to every

circumstance, every situation in life by saying, here's what I believe on this subject,

and the reason why I believe this is simply because the Bible

tells me so. And in addition to what we've already said, salvation is

by grace through faith. The Bible says when you repent,

you receive rewards: the Holy Spirit's presence, the forgiveness of

sins, and God adds you to the church. And if you need

to do that this morning, to become a Christian the way the Bible says,

the reasons that the Bible says, because you believe Jesus is the Son of God,

we'd be happy to assist you in doing that. If we can encourage you in

greater faithfulness, if we can pray with you or pray for you, let us know

how we can help as together we stand and as we sing.