2008 You Pick ‘em Series – “What
the Bible Says About…”
Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-2; Luke 24:44; 2 Timothy 3:16-17;
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – January 6, 2008
Prayer Introduction: Early on in my seminary days I had a sort of revelation. If I live a long healthy life I could expect to preach over 2000 sermons – aren’t you glad you only have to listen to me preach once a week. My poor wife is likely to hear all 2000 plus. And so I asked one of my professors, “How am I supposed to find material for 40 years worth of sermons?” And he replied, “Start by preaching on what the Bible says about Jesus, when you get done with that let me know.” And I realized, that is what Christian preaching is all about.
You don’t need me to stand in the pulpit and tell you my opinion. There are too many people in the world shouting there opinions as it is. Opinions are like noses – everyone’s got them, and there usually full of snot (that’s the PG version).
What we need is to know what God has revealed to us in His Word – and especially to see how that points us to the person of Jesus Christ who transforms our life.
This year’s sermons will be on the topics you have asked for; but not simply telling you what I think about that topic – but looking at what God says about that topic in the Bible. This morning we will look at a few verses that assure us the Bible is the place to look for answers – and what we should do once we have the answer.
Before we look at the Book, let’s go before the Author. Let’s pray…It is a new year, O Lord, and we are hungry. Not hungry for the food of this world – we have certainly had our fill of that. We are hungry for the bread of life; for the spiritual nourishment, which comes only from you. And so we step out of the busy world around us to take a Sabbath rest and to focus on you. Father, You know each person in this room. You known about the resolutions we have made, and the reasons that we have made them. You know about the health concerns, you know about the stress at work, you know about the financial problems, you know about the things that keep us awake at night. And so we would come in order to focus on you. We pray now for the preacher in the pulpit. He is not worthy, but by your grace he is able. And so it is through Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen!
READ Scripture Passages: From these verses I would have you see what the Westminster Confession means by calling the Bible “The Only Rule;” and “What the Scriptures Principally Teach.”
I. The Only Rule
First, I would have you see what is meant by calling the Bible “the only rule of faith and life” (Confession of Faith – “the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy God” (Shorter Catechism).
First and foremost, it means that we ought to know what the Bible
says. As
Perhaps you’ve read the report written by one child misstating the content of the Bible:
In the beginning, which occurred near the start,
there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord
thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said,
'Give me a light!' and someone did. Then God made the world. He split the Adam
and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because
mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam
and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the
Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't
have cars. Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was
Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for
Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something. One of the next
important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a
Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He
asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a
rain check. After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous
than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for
some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports
coat. Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was
Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the
evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues
included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights
every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These
include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh,
yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother. One of Moses'
best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought
the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town. After Joshua came
David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son
named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he
was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me. After Solomon there were a
bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a
big whale and then barfed upon the shore. There were also some minor league
prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.
After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of the New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn, too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.') During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him. Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead. Any way's, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.
If you didn’t catch the humor in that, then you really need to spend more time reading God’s Word. To help us know what the Bible says, it might be helpful to know what the Bible is. The Bible is not just a book; it is “The Book.” In fact the word “Bible” (from which we get the English words “bibliography” – a list of books; and “bibliophile” – a person who loves books) means “the Book.”
The Bible is The Book, which contains the Word of God in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. The 66 books of the Bible are the only writings that were given by the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There are other writings that may have truth in them; but all other writings must be measured by the standard of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament.
This begs the question, who decided which books should be part of the 66 book canon, and which should be left out? The book and movie, The DaVinci Code, most recently has suggested that it was a church council that decided this – and conspired to leave out certain books (like the Gnostic Gospels).
The truth is it would have been a bigger conspiracy if a church council had tried to include any other writings, but the 66. It was the masses of God’s people who had accepted these 66 books, and only these 66 books, as the authoritative Word of God.
More than one preacher has said that Christians are better at defending the Bible than they are at reading the Bible. Biblical illiteracy in this country is at an all time high. And so the old adage, “A Bible in the hand is worth two in the bookcase.”
One comedian has suggested trying to appear more holy by renaming his bed, “The Word” so that he could say, “I just love spending time in the Word. Sometimes, I just want to spend the whole morning in the Word and get back into the Word in the evening as soon as possible.”
It is one thing to
say that the Bible is the only rule; it is another to have the Bible be the only
rule in our lives. As
II. What the Scriptures Principally Teach
And so I would have you see not only why the Westminster Standards call the Bible “The Only Rule” but also to know “What the Scriptures principally teach.” The Shorter Catechism says, “The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man” (#3).
Notice that there are two parts to that answer. Not only does the Bible tell us who God is; but also what God requires of us. To be sure, we are saved by faith alone in Christ alone – as he is revealed in Scripture alone; but true faith is evidenced by true works.
This is not popular when it comes to preaching. The Apostle Paul warned that many preachers would be tempted not to preach sound doctrine, but to give people what their itching ears want to hear. There are a lot of preachers who are preaching what itching ears want to hear. I call them longhorn preachers – a good point here and there, and a lot of bull in between.
True preaching of God’s Word will not scratch itching ears. It will convict us of our sin and our need for Christ – not only for forgiveness, but also for the power to repent of that sin. It is for this reason that many people are attracted to the prosperity preaching of Joel Osteen and Robert Schuller and Joyce Meier; and are put off by the Christ-centered biblical preaching of their pastor.
They make excuses, but the fact is: People do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them.
It was Martin Luther who said, “God is everywhere. However, He does not want you to reach out for Him everywhere but only in the Word. Reach out for it and you will grasp Him aright. Otherwise you are tempting god and setting up idolatry. That is why He has established a certain method for us. This teaches us how and where we are to look for Him and find Him, namely, in the Word.”
And so the Book of Psalms begins with these words, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).
Religious people can read the Bible; but God’s Word is given that we might have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And so it is that every verse of Scripture points to Jesus Christ.
Jesus himself said to his disciples, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44).
When Charles Spurgeon began his ministry at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, his first words from the pulpit were these: “I would propose that the subject of the ministry of this house, as long as this platform shall stand, and as long as this house shall be frequented by worshipers, shall be the person of Jesus Christ…”
Charles Spurgeon preached the Word. Yet the preaching of the Word is not just so that we can have the information, but so that God, Himself, will change our lives.
This year it doesn’t matter what the Bible says about the topics you choose – unless we not only hear it, but also live it. “Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do as it says” (James 1:22).
The only way we can, and will, do what God says in His Word is by knowing the Lord – not just believing in God, but knowing the Lord – personally. Our fallen condition leaves us self-focused and self-reliant. Only through Christ can we find ourselves relying on God’s Word and Spirit for the renewing of our minds and transforming of our lives; in order to conform us to Christ.
This year may many come to know the Lord, personally; so that they may place their trust in Him according to what He has revealed in His Word.
MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!