Major Doctrines of The Bible: The Word of God | Steve Benson

That's a pretty broad subject. Um, when

we think about everything that we could

talk about, we could have easily have,

you know, just focused in on the the

authority of God's word or the

sufficiency

of God's word, things like that. But

they they all kind of fall in to the the

bibleology if you will of the of the

Bible itself

that you know we should have confidence

in what God has spoken. So as we begin

turn to the book of Job

in chapter 11.

Job

Job 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11

and we're gonna

begin by looking at verse 7 here. Job

Job 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11 and verse 7.

Job 11:7 he says thou by searching out

Job 11:7

find God? Can thou find out the Almighty

unto perfection?

It is as high as the heaven. What can we

do? Deeper than shield. What can we

know? So, as we begin to look at the

word of God, there there's so many

likenesses and comparisons between God

and his word and just like this one here

about talking about God. Where are we

going to go? Who can we turn to to

understand God and to understand his

word? You know, some people deny, you

know, that the Bible's

is the word of God, that there has

anything really to offer.

You know, Ann and I were talking about

one of the denominations coming over

today. They, you know, the whole the

whole movement just disregards God's

word. It can't be trusted. You know,

it's full of lies and you can't even,

you know, get anything out of reading

it. Well, that's that's a lie from the

pits of hell, you know, and we can get

something from it. We as it says here

about trying to understand God, trying

to understand his word, you know, God's

ways are above us and and uh he has to

make them known to us and he has done

that. Turn to Psalm 138

138

and verse two.

Psalm 138:2

Psalms 138:2

you know it's the when you go to the

book of Romans all the the judicial

things that are there God word is the

you know it's the supreme court you know

pastor Rosaul used to say that it's the

final court of appeal is the word of God

is his word he has the one who uh says

what goes

So it's important for us to look at his

word. And here in Psalm 138

and verse two, he says, "I will worship

toward thy holy temple and praise thy

name for thy loving kindness and for thy

truth.

For thou has manifested thy words above

all thy name.

In the day when I cry, you will answer

me and you will strengthen me and you

will strengthen my soul. And then verse

six, he says, "Though the Lord be high,

yet has he respect unto the lowly, but

the proud he knoweth a far off." So, you

know, we can see as we read the word of

God that God is interested in in

reaching out to us. God is interested in

us knowing him and knowing the truth.

you know, he's not above us or beyond us

at all. So, you know, here we can see

that the, you know, God's word is like

God himself, the very breath of God.

It's uh and that word inspired we have

in the New Testament, but it's the very

breath of God.

It's it's his thoughts.

Um it's his will. It's his his word and

his ways. And you know God says about he

knows our thoughts. So as we as we God

can know our thoughts that means we can

know God's thought

on a particular subject. So our doctrine

and our theology that we have comes from

this God who wants to communicate to us.

So you know we we must not and God's

God's doing it. He'll do it

individually.

You know, that's the great thing about

salvation. That's the great thing about

God. He knows He knows my ways better

than me. He knows your ways better than

you.

So, he's a God in whom we can trust.

But, uh, you know, some people just

they're not content with with the Bible

being the sufficient and and their final

authority. So, we have a lot of

naysayers out there. We have a lot of

negative people out there saying bad

things about the word of God. But, you

know, they're in trouble. You know,

people that deny the Bible is the Bible

or people try to say it's, you know, it

isn't what it is. That those people are

going to really struggle.

They're going to struggle with

everything. They're going to struggle

with life. They're going to struggle

with sin. They're going to struggle with

religion, God's all all these things

they're going to greatly struggle with

because they don't listen to God. They

have not turned to him. But you know

Jesus did this very thing. He he became

or he is turn to Isaiah chapter 9 verses

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

that we see so often in Christmas

at Christmas time.

But here in Isaiah

remember it says here in verse 7 it says

the increase of the government and peace

there shall be no end. So you know he

Jesus is God's government for the

universe. So as God reveals himself to

us as God governs the universe you know

he's doing it through his son. He's

doing it through the Lord Jesus Christ.

He's doing it through the nation of

Israel. He's doing it through the

church. Uh now but this government that

God has like him. He's, you know, God's,

he who are we going to compare to him?

We're going to we're going to look at

some of those verses in a second.

But God is divine. God is perfect. His

word is divine. His word is perfect. His

government is perfect. Everything God

does is perfect.

So, as he wants to let us in on this, to

let us know what his government is, then

the biggest part of that is obviously

his son here and his glorious reign. You

know, that's that's will never end. And

the end of the verse, he says, "The zeal

of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

So, if you're doubting God or you're

doubting God's word, you're you're in

you're in a big you're in all kinds of

trouble

because this is who God is, this is what

God is going to do. He's going to make

himself known. He's going to make

himself known through Christ. And and

and as Psalm uh 110 says that he's going

to the son of God will defeat all of his

father's enemies,

you know. So, this is what we need to

defend.

you know, as we look at God's word is

that, you know, we we just need to be on

the offense with it like he is. You

know, it's well, the Bible does have

something to say about this. And and

here it is. Here's what God says. And,

you know, this is the truth. It's like

God. It's it's just great. It's perfect.

It's it's who God is. It's what God

wants. And as well, we have to remember

what happened in the garden. Remember

back there the devil, you know, he was

up to his old tricks with Adam and Eve.

That's that that was the first thing the

devil said there in Genesis 3:1. Yay.

Genesis 3:1

Has God said, you know, causing doubt

and causing Adam and Eve to to wonder uh

about what God had said and what where

did that lead to? you know, that led to

ruin and to their destruction and to the

evil that we see around us everywhere.

But but Psalm 119:89 says, "Forever, O

Psalms 119:89

Lord, thy word is settled in the

heavens."

So, how do we get sound doctrine? How do

we know what to believe? How do we know

what to trust?

Well, it comes from God himself. This is

his universe.

Um, we're not Jews, but we are a part of

the church. Then we become a part of the

church because of the work of Christ.

While we're in the book of Isaiah, go to

chapter 40.

Chapter 40

and verse 25. These are remarkable

verses here in the middle of Isaiah

about the greatness of God.

And if you want to understand who God

is, we have to come to his word,

you know, that's where it's at, you

know. Yeah, we can look at creation,

you know, and and and other things and

how God works in our lives and how God

works in your lives and you share

testimony and I share testimony of those

things. But the primary way that we get

to know God is by coming and and sitting

under the hearing of his word

and let him tell us who he is.

And that's what these verses are here in

Isaiah. You know, God's not afraid of

examination. You know, you want to you

want to check God out, come on. You're

we're all invited. You know, come on

into his word. And then we find verses

like this in verse 25. To whom then will

you liken me? Or shall I be equal?

Sayeth the Holy One. God says, bring it

on. There's no one like me out there.

And uh I remember I said it before I

think when when Michael was young he

wanted one of those Greek mythology

books. He was a reader and I l picked a

thing up in the store had all these

Greek gods in there and I'm like I don't

know Michael if we need to get this one

or not. He finally talked me into it. So

I got it. I was worried about him

reading it and we talked about it and we

talked about the real God and the Bible

and you know I did my best and then he

read that book and he said, "Dad, there

nothing to worry about." He said this

God

has beat them to pieces.

So bring your gods to this book. Bring

your idols to this book and you like we

will say who are you going to equal to

God says the Holy One. And then he says,

"Lift up your hands like worship him."

You know, and that's that's why God

wants us to know him, to know what he's

done. And if we back up now over to

verse 8 of chapter 40 while we're here,

there's so many good verses in this.

Verse 8, but the grass withers. This

verse made it into the New Testament as

well.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but

the word of God shall stand forever.

So God says, "Come on. You you you don't

think I can do what I say? then pick up

my book and you're going to find out

that I can do what I say. So, when it

comes to God, when it comes to God's

word, God says, "Bring it on. You want

to look at me, you want to examine me,

who I am, what I've done, um then then

come and certainly we can look at

creation and see how great God is." One

of the key verses to this subject is in

second Peter chapter 1.

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

Second Peter

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

God isn't He's not afraid of

investigation.

He He's not afraid of that at all. Pick

up his word and and come and and see who

he is and what he's done. He's not

afraid of investigation at all.

And here in verse 15

of second Peter, you guys are familiar

with this this verse. This really helps

us sort out how we got the word of God.

Even from somebody who wrote the word of

God. You know that would be Peter.

And you know everything these guys wrote

was not inspired.

You know Paul wrote additional letters

to the Corinthians. And I'm sure Paul

wrote and Peter wrote and and these men

wrote different John wrote different

letters to people that weren't inspired.

They were just, you know, letters as a

pastor. But when they were writing

inspired, they knew it. When when they

were giving given something divine to

pass on, they knew it. And that's all

through the New Testament. And here we

have Peter who, you know, a lot of

people say, "Well, I wasn't there. you

know, how how can I trust this? I wasn't

there. Well, that's that's that's an

obstacle that everyone has to overcome

because none of us really were there.

But Peter, who was there, who was an

eyewitness, he says that we would be

better off trusting the word of God than

in our experience.

And he says here, I would endeavor that

you may be able after my decease to have

these things always in remembrance. See,

he, you know, Jesus didn't come and edit

the Old Testament. He didn't come and

say, "Well, you know what? Genesis 1 is

wrong." You know, God did have to rely

on evolution in order to come up with

this universe. I'm being facicious.

But he didn't have to do anything like

that. He he endorsed what was in the Old

Testament. And then he endorsed while he

was on the earth the things that he

said. and the things that his apostles

were going to say in his absence

and and we had doubting Thomas as well.

He you know so there are doubters out

there. So if you're a doubter, come, you

know, if you're an unbeliever, come

and listen to God and his word and what

he said and and have these things in

remembrance.

For we have not followed cunning,

devised fables

when we made unto you the power and the

coming of the Lord Jesus, and we were

eyewitnesses to his majesty. When did

Peter see his majesty? Once. Well, he

saw him when he was glorified.

But he saw him on the mount of

transfiguration, didn't he?

There were times that the father from

heaven said, "This is my beloved son.

Here ye am."

So, you know, these are certain

certainties. These are absolutes

when it comes to Christ and and who he

is and what he has done.

For he received from God the Father

honor and glory when there came such a

voice from him and from his excellent

glory. This is my beloved son whom I am

well pleased and this voice uh which

came from heaven we heard and when we

were in the in the holy mount. So he

heard God the father say this is my

beloved son. And then he says we also

have a more sure word of prophecy. Peter

says, "I I'm as sure as I can be that I

was there for those events." But he

says, "This is more assured to have the

word of God." And he says that you will

do well that you take heed as unto a

light that shines in a dark place and

the day star arise in your heart.

Knowing this first, no prophecy of the

scripture is for any private

interpretation.

For the prophecies came not at any time

by the will of man. Nothing ever came by

the will of man

from Genesis to Revelation.

It always came

um from God as men were moved by the

Holy Spirit. So we have 66 books in this

book and and we have 40 different

authors, 40 different writers. You know,

it's not like God just, you know, he

just found the best guy and and who

would have been his son. And by the way,

his son never wrote any of this. He

never wrote a book. He just had his

disciples write it after he was gone.

But this book is is uh come to us in a

in a in a miraculous way. And it's a

great miracle for us to have God's word.

It's amazing that we've got this book.

And you know, it's if there's anything

perfect

on this earth, it's this book. You know,

we aren't yet. You know, the church

isn't yet. We got still have some

wrinkles,

but the word of God is perfect. The word

of God is pure. The word of God is like

God

and it's like his government you know

these uh you know the these these uh

even the writers personalities come out

you know Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

their personalities are in there. Luke's

personality he was a doctor.

There's more on the birth of Jesus and

the death of Jesus in the book of Luke

because Luke was a doctor. So God used

these things in these men's lives to uh

to bring us um his word. And you know a

lot of time just like right here they

knew they were writing inspired letters

and and and sometimes the prophets in

the Old Testament they didn't even know

what they were writing about when they

wrote it you know so they weren't always

you know in the know on what they were

even writing about. But that's just how

great God is. he can write something

down before it ever happens.

And that's what he says to us in the

book of Isaiah.

So, you know, when Jesus, again, I

mentioned it when he got here, he didn't

question the Old Testament. He didn't

correct the Old Testament, he confirmed

it. So, you know, there were no edits to

the prophecies. He and he fulfilled

them, didn't he? Over and over, he

fulfilled a pro a prophecy. He did what

the scripture said over and over and

over again.

Turn to second Timothy chapter 3.

2 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

Here's our word inspired.

And you know this book is is it's true

like God is true. It's truth like God

has truth.

And you know, God lets unsaved men run

their lives. God lets unsaved men run

the world. He's not he's not interested

in that. He's going to destroy that. But

when it comes to his church, he runs his

church with his word.

And and here we have verse 3:16,

all scripture is given by the

inspiration of God. And that word, as

you know, means God breathed,

you know, the very breath of God. So

when we open this book up, we are we're

not hearing from men, God through men.

We're hearing from God himself. That's

what the that's what it means. Inspired

and as profitable for doctrine, reproof,

correction, righteousness, that the man

of God may be perfect, thoroughly

furnished, and all good works. There's a

sufficiency.

So we have the inspired word of God. And

it's more than that. As I mentioned,

it's it's it's you know, God's authority

as well. And we have the sufficiency

of the word of God as well. It's the

power of God as Paul says in Romans.

It's the very breath of God.

And and remember what happened in the

garden when God made Adam and Eve.

He made his little pile of dust for

Adam. And then it says the Bible says

God breathed

and man became a living soul.

So God's very breath produced our soul.

God's very breath produced his word. And

you know God's a generous God. I mean

look what he did for Adam and Eve the

garden and creation and you know let

them get married and let them have kids

and let them raise kids and you know

God's very generous.

And so he is in his word. He's very

generous.

And it said the spirit moved on the

waters back there in in Genesis. And and

the similar thing that Peter was talking

about in the verses we looked at back

there. A similar thing. The spirit was

moving on the waters. Well, God's spirit

moves on his word. Um we have that over

and over as well. That's why he says

here, preach the word in verse two, in

season, out of season, reprove,

rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering

and doctrine. So that's how God wants it

done. He wants it done with his word.

And you remember what Paul said over in

Acts chapter 20. He talked about the

Acts 20 · chapter mention

Ephesian church there and and the whole

council of God.

Well, you know, that's what's best for

us. You know, what should we uh should

we pick something out? Should we, you

know, like like the the Gideon Bible,

leave the Old Testament out? We don't

have time to study that. No, we need the

whole book, the entire book from Genesis

to Revelation. That's the whole council

of God. That's what's best for us. And

uh you know God God offers his word to

anyone who will read it, to anyone who

will believe it. And you know don't be

surprised if you start reading the word

of God that that some faith doesn't come

along.

And that's what'll happen and some hope.

And that's what Paul said again in

Romans chapter 1, the power of God into

Romans 1 · chapter mention

salvation. And in John chapter 1, it

John 1 · chapter mention

says there, we're born from above.

So it takes the word of God, it takes

the spirit of God to bring about the new

birth.

And in in James chapter one, remember

what James said, if any man lack wisdom,

let him ask of God. He will give him

liberally, freely.

So take God up on his offer.

So,

you know, there's never been an error

found in this book.

How long have we had it?

Couple thousand years and even longer.

There is not one error in this book. Not

one. I've had people that tell me that,

"Oh, you can't believe that book. It's

full of errors." And then I said, "Well,

show me one." I've never had a taker. So

that's just something concocted in

people's mind. There's no this book's

like God. It's perfect. And if you don't

understand it, then the problem is with

you and not with the book or with me and

not with the book.

And whatever subject this book touches

on,

it nails it. You know, this is not a I

remember when I first got saved, I used

to read the paper, you know, back when

we had papers, I guess, and I get the

sports page, but in that the back

section there seemed like there would

always be some little article back there

of some archaeology dig somewhere over

in the Middle East. And, you know, they

got in there and, you know, and the

names of the towns were there. And I get

my Bible on a concordance out, go home,

and I'd look it up and boom, there was

that town in the Bible.

I was like, man, I didn't even know

that. And wars and things that have

happened that, you know, whatever this

book touches on, you can count on.

There's not a lie here anywhere in the

geography, in the history. uh you know

the people are starting to figure out

you know some of the things that

happened way back you know before um

Christ and you know way back in the Old

Testament. They're finding a lot of

things like that

um to look at and we don't put our faith

in those things that that's the but it

just shows us if God is historically

right and God is geography right then

you know he's not a liar. Whatever this

book touches on, it's correct.

And uh you know, it never flatters man.

You know, people say, "Men wrote this

book." Well, why why would men write a

book that condemns them to hell?

Turn to First Corinthians 2.

And now we talk about the spirit and

what he does

to help us with this subject.

And here Paul does a good job explaining

those things to the Corinthians. And we

can tune in here

on these things. They're,

you know, that that's the two words,

revelation and illumination.

That's they're not the same.

And revelation is what the word of God

is. It's God reveals himself. But

unbelievers can pick this up and not get

anything out of it. You know, they don't

have the illumination from the spirit.

But that's what that's what Christians

have. We have the Holy Spirit. He's here

to help us understand these things. And

that's what all this is about.

And then Paul says here we which things

we speak not in the words of man's

wisdom. See, Paul says what Peter said

there. There's no human wisdom in this

book anywhere at any time

only. Yeah, Paul would say, "Oh, I'm

saying this as a man." But but those are

clear. But then he would go on to say,

"But the Lord said." So these aren't the

words of men. These this is the word of

the Lord. This is the word of God

that we have.

He says that we might know the things

that are freely given to us by God.

That's why we've got them.

You know, God's government, God God's in

the business of making himself known,

and which things we speak, not in the

words to which man's wisdom teaches,

but the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing

spiritual things with spiritual things,

but the natural man receives not the

things of the spirit of God. So, see,

Paul is talking about the spirit here.

And when we have understanding when when

it goes from revelation to illumination

then we can say the spirit is involved

to help us to know these things. So it's

it's not a natural, you know, we can we

can have, you know, lectures and we can

do things that, you know, maybe are, you

know, a little more devotional,

but when it comes to God's word, when it

comes to God revealing himself, we have

the revelation and the Holy Spirit with

the illumination to help us to know the

things that are of God.

Why wouldn't we focus on that then? Why

would we substitute something we thought

was good for something God has given us?

He says they're spiritually

disqualified.

Yet he himself is judged of no man. For

who has the known the mind of the Lord

that he may instruct him? We have the

mind of Christ. So, you know, we're all

born dead.

We're all born blind. We need light and

life. And God gives it to us, you know,

he he he give us the physical, you know,

we we we appreciate that. We enjoy that

seeing the physical. Well, how much more

has God given us the spiritual? You

know, God wants us to to walk in the

spirit. God wants us to study his word

in the spirit. God wants to reveal

himself to us and so that we can see the

things in verse 12 that are freely given

to us of God.

So that's where the new man comes from.

That's what that's what we need. Turn to

chapter

five of 2 Corinthians.

2 Corinthians chapter 5.

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

you know, God has not lost his ability

to create,

you know, people are um

people that are dead in trespasses and

sins, people that aren't saved, people

that have never been born again. That's

what God wants to do for you and me. God

did that for me 40ome years ago.

He's designed a new birth. He knows

we're blind. He knows we're ignorant. He

knows we're caught up in sin. He knows

we're in bondage,

but he come to our rescue with this plan

of salvation.

And here in chapter 17, he or excuse me,

chapter 5, verse 17,

therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's

a new creation.

God makes us a new creation when we're

born again. When we come to him on his

terms,

God, I'm a filthy sinner. I need a

savior. I need a redeemer. And and

that's exactly who Jesus is.

And by faith, you can receive him. By

faith, you can pass from death and into

life. By faith, you can have this new

creation and be made new in Christ.

Everything's going to change. How can it

not?

Therefore, he says, "If any man be in

Christ, he's a new creation. Old things

have passed away. Behold, all things

have become new, and all things are of

God.

Oh, this new birth. We We go from the

natural to the supernatural. We go from

being dead to being alive. We go from

being deaf to being able to hear. We go

from being blind to being able to see.

You know, that's what the Bible says

happens when we're born again.

and and we'll see that God was in Christ

reconciling the world to himself. Now,

this brings up a very important part

about our theology. Whatever it is we

believe,

it should be propelling us into

the ministry of reconciliation

because we're in this with God. That's

what Paul told the Corinthians.

Remember,

I planted or Apollos planted, I watered,

and God gave the increase. We're working

with God. We're laboring with God. Well,

that's the same thing here. We're

laboring with God. That's what all this

is for.

God is not imputing our sins to us, but

he's handed off to us the word of

reconciliation. All those things are

freely given to us of God.

Then he says, we are ambassadors for

Christ. So God wants us to take the

sound doctrine

and go into all the world and preach the

gospel.

Tell everyone about the new birth. Tell

everyone about uh the salvation and the

redemption that God has offered. It's

incredible when you think about it, all

the things that God has done. But we're

we're left with what we have now, right?

and and Paul, this has sort of been my

comeback for the last couple weeks. Oh,

wretched man that I am,

you know, and who shall deliver me from

the body of this death? And the older I

get, the more sinful I see myself and

others and and you know, it's just

stuff's creepy, isn't it?

You know, but we still are caught up in

it. We're still like Paul. We're still

battling it. Our old man's still there.

Our old nature is still there. Oh

wretched man that I am, who shall

deliver me from the body of this death?

Not Paul,

but Christ.

He's the one that's going to deliver us

from this old wretched man that I am.

So, uh

some important things for us to notice

and and uh we have

the the things that Paul mentioned in

Romans chapter 11. Go there.

Romans 11 · chapter mention

Romans chapter

Romans 11 · chapter mention

11.

you know, the prophets didn't always

know, you know, what they were talking

about and they wrote it down anyway. And

I'm sure there were things in the New

Testament that kind of fell into that

category as well. And maybe one of those

things was with the apostle,

you know, when he he here he's talking

about the nation of Israel. He's a Jew.

And you can see all through this

chapter,

actually the last couple chapters,

you know, Paul pouring his heart out. He

he said he'd rather go to hell than have

his brethren go to hell. Moses said that

and he was very sincere when he said it

when he thought about the wrath of God.

But Paul sees here the mercy of God

that, you know, God should have sent

Israel

to hell, I guess, as a nation for what

they did to his son.

But now Paul knows that's not going to

happen. Now Paul knows that that Israel

will be saved. The deliverer shall come

in verse 26 and turn away the

ungodliness

from Jacob.

And he says verse 29, the gifts and the

calling of God are without repentance.

You know, you can count on God. Count on

God. Whatever promise in the Old

Testament to the nation, to that Jewish

nation, it's still valid.

And then when Paul realizes all this, he

he says in verse 32, "For God has

concluded them all in unbelief that he

might have mercy upon all." But Paul

sees the mercy of God and look what it

does to him. Oh, the depth and the

riches and the wisdom and the knowledge

of God. How can we know this without

God's word? We can't. How uncarchable

are his judgments and his ways past

family finding out? He sounds like Job

where we started. Who can figure out

God?

No one.

Who can counsel God? No one. Who can get

ahead of God? No one.

For who has known the mind of the Lord

and who has been his counselor? Would

you please raise your hand?

None of us.

For who has he first given to him and it

shall be recompensed unto him again. For

of him and through him and to him are

all things to whom be glory forever.

Amen. And that's what happens. God's

word that's a worship is the result of

God's word.

You know, we we have wonderful songs. We

sing songs that that that's fabulous.

And sometimes they can elevate us like

Paul's elevated here. But nothing can

elevate us like Paul is except the mercy

of God and the understanding that we are

part of God's plan.

You know, God wants us to know him. He

wants us to know him and all of his

attributes and and and uh you know, we

don't if we if he's our father, we don't

have to fear him. Yeah, we need to fear

God, but we'll fear him as our father.

He's he's here for us.

And um you know, we have several times

in the gospels where I mentioned that

Jesus and his reaction to the scripture,

you know, we have it here many times.

Remember what he said to the devil.

uh the three tests and Jesus saw three

times. It is written. It is written. It

is written. He relied upon the word of

God. Turn to Matthew chapter 19.

Matthew 19 · chapter mention

Matthew

19 19.

Jesus said

you are in error because you don't know

the scripture.

So let's turn that around. You are in

know in the know if you know scripture.

And that happened multiple times.

And the the disciples saw that, didn't

they?

And it was important for him to see and

for them to see that the word of God is

more important than the traditions

around them and the people around them

and the things and the systems and the

you know the the wrong things and the

bad things that were around them all. It

came down to what the scripture says.

And multiple times he did something like

he does here in Matthew chapter 19 and

Matthew 19 · chapter mention

in verse four he says have you never

read that he who made them in the

beginning had made them male and female.

Who's he talking about? He's talking

about God.

You know it's like Isaiah 9 says the

government of God. That's who Jesus is.

That you know God is going to run things

according to what he said. He can't part

from that. God can't say one thing and

do something else ever.

And he said, "For this cause shall a man

leave his father and mother and cleave

to his wife, and the two will be one

flesh." There's marriage.

Wherefore they are no more two, but one.

What therefore God has joined together,

let no man put us under. And then they

said, Why did Moses command them? and

Moses because of the hardness of your

heart. And he goes on, so you see Jesus

relied upon the word of God. And he and

he says, well, not only what the

scripture says, but who said it? He

said, my father said it. He created

everything. This universe is his. He

governs it. He's the Supreme Court.

So what he says goes. And it's the word

of God and the word of God alone. We

don't have to add anything to it or take

anything away from it. That's what the

book of Revelation tells us, isn't it?

So, don't take anything out of here.

Don't don't bring anything in. Believe

what is here. And Jesus rested on what

the scripture says.

And so can we. And Matthew 21

Matthew 21:42

verse 42.

Matthew 21:42. Here's another one close

Matthew 21:42

by

here. He says

sarcastically,

"Did you never read the scripture?"

We should be reading the scripture. We

should be studying the scripture. We

should know the scripture. That's what's

going to make the difference.

And he he brings this up. Did you ever

read in the scripture, the stone which

the builders rejected, the same

has become the head of the corner. It is

the Lord's doing. It's marvelous in our

eyes. Therefore, I say unto you, the

kingdom shall be taken from you and

given to a nation bringing forth the

fruits of it. Here's Jesus giving a

prophecy.

He's talking about the church. That's

the Gentiles. That's us being grafted in

before he was ever resurrected.

So,

you know, God's God knows everything.

And whosoever shall fall on this stone

shall be broken, but on whomsoever it

falls, it will grind him powder.

How about John the Baptist? Back to

Matthew 11.

What did Jesus send for for his doubt?

What God always sends for our doubt, his

word.

And here in Matthew chap 11,

this is the section here on John the

Baptist.

And if you will look in verse 10,

this is the answer he gave the devil.

It is written. Here's the answer he

gives John. It is written.

That's all we need. It is written. If we

have it is written, that's all we need.

And he says here in verse 10,

for this is he of whom it is written.

Behold, I send my messenger before thy

base, who shall prepare thy way before

thee. And verily I say unto you, among

them that are born of the women, has

none risen greater than John the

Baptist, notwithstanding,

he that is least in the kingdom shall be

greater than he. So Jesus sends a verse

to help John get through his unbelief.

So you know that's what we've got to do.

You know, we got to be like John the

Baptist. We got to study the word. We

got to be like Peter. We got to study

the word. And that's what that's what

God gave us. You know, we weren't there

when Jesus come out of the grave. We

weren't there when he ascended to

heaven. We weren't there when he told

Thomas to put his finger in his holes in

his hands.

But we have something better. We have

the word of God.

And that was the proof that he gave on

the road to Emmas. If you remember the

disciples there, they were gloom and

doom, weren't they?

And and then he

He showed them in the Old Testament

who he was and who he what he was going

to do. So God gives us the word of God.

So you know we can build our lives on

the word of God.

You know if God said it and we've got

the promise then we can count we can

count on we can take it to eternity.

So, you know, that's what happens is we

have, you know, we have we're slow to

believe. We're like we're like them.

We're like the disciples. We're slow to

believe all the scripture says. You

know, it's not the scripture that's the

problem. It's us.

It's our faith.

But that's what we need to do. We need

to respond to the scripture and say, "It

is written or or thus sayeth the Lord."

And you know everybody and we can all

say together, you know, that's that's

what that word amen is for. We just, you

know, it's a truth

and we can say it together. Whatever

whatever's in this book, it's it's amen.

It's a truth.

So everything that you know we have in

the word of God, everything you know

that that God confronts us with,

we need to believe it,

you know, and we need to to to follow

it.

And that's what Paul said when we looked

in first Corinthians a minute ago, you

know, his he said his preaching was not

in the wisdom of men, but in the power

of God.

you know that faith and obedience

should follow the word of God and God's

precious promises.

And that's what the Bible says that he

does. Look in Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Romans in chapter 8,

we have the Holy Spirit in us that God's

given us. We have the word of God in

front of us, before us and you know and

the two come together

and when the the two come together then

we have a an assuring we have a we have

a um you know a faith rests in what the

word of God says

which is better than physical proof.

And here

chapter 8

in verse 16 he says the spirit himself

bears witness

with our spirit that we are the children

of God. What's beareth witness? That's

that's the Greek word testimony. We we

testimony with the with the spirit. We

go back and forth.

The spirit gives us assurance. Spirit

gives us confidence. spirit gives us

faith in God's word. You know, that's

what we need that we are the children of

God. So, we need this, you know, and

there's only one place we can get it.

It's from his word and through his

spirit.

And uh, you know, every writer in the

New Testament mentioned the Holy Spirit.

You know, it started with Jesus. you

know, he mentioned it, you know, and

then Peter and and and Luke and James

and John and and all the apostles in the

New Testament, they said, "Here comes

the spirit and here's what he's going to

do."

And he guided the church. And we have,

you know, that witness from from the

word of God that those things happen.

And that's what the spirit does. He

illuminates the revelation

of God. He he he opens our minds like

back there in Romans 11 with Paul when

he just God how great you are. Oh God

how tremendous you are. I worship you

and I praise you. Thus the spirit opens

our mind and our eyes to see the glory

of God.

And there's nothing higher than that.

You know that's why you know you're

cheating yourselves if you think the

Bible's a lie. You're cheating yourself.

If you think the Bible's fairy tales,

you're cheating yourself.

It's your fault, not God's. He's done

everything to make himself known. Look

in First Thessalonians 1.

Here, Paul puts the two together.

1 Thessalonians 1

1 Thessalonians 1:5

verse 5. Even Paul needed this.

He says, "Our gospel came not unto you

only in word but in power and in Holy

Spirit and in much assurance as you have

known what manner of men we were among

you for your sake. And you became

followers of us and of the Lord, having

received the word in much affliction

with the joy of the Holy Spirit." So

there the two are together. There Paul

himself

uh needed this. So, you know, there's no

greater business. We have a lot of

businesses in the world and in our

country and we need them and some of you

own them and run them and they're great.

But the business of the church is the

word of God. Business of the church is

to stand for this sound doctrine and to

proclaim these things that God said to

proclaim. It's not up to us. It's up to

him. and you know so we can be like Paul

to God be the glory both now and forever

more. Let's pray. Father, we thank you

this morning for your word

and uh your your book. It's an amazing

book, Father, that we sinful people can

get to know a holy God and a just God.

And we thank you for your government. It

was you that came looking for us. It was

you, Father, that as Paul said, the are

in the ministry of reconciliation.

And we thank you that you have

reconciled us to you through your

precious son. And we thank you for him.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for this great

gift

as Paul told the Corinthians, the things

that are freely given to us of God. And

we thank you this morning for those

things, Father. and we pray in your

son's name. Amen.

Lord, as we go from this place,

loving you more,

trusting you more.

May the power of your love and the light

of your word shine to a sin darkened

world as we go from this