Nov. 13, 2007 - The Authority of Scripture - Part 1

Posted in The Authority of Scripture

  The Authority of Scripture

Intro:

 A.                 Let’s take a look at Matt. 21:23-27. 

1.                  This is something that is very simple, and yet so very importantCit makes all the difference in the world when it comes to pleasing God. 

2.                  It says, AAnd when He had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching, and said, >By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?=  And Jesus answered and said to them, >I will ask you one thing too, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.  The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?=  And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, >If we say, >From heaven,= He will say to us, >Then why did you not believe him?=  But if we say, >From men,= we fear the multitude; for they all hold John to be a prophet.=  And answering Jesus, they said, >We do not know.=  He also said to them, >Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.'"

3.                  The chief priests and elders came to Jesus and asked, ABy what authority are you doing these things, and who gave You this authority?@  Jesus then turned it around and asked them the question, AThe baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from man?@  You see, the chief priests and elders clearly understood that you must have authority from heaven. 

4.                  This is a good question for us to ask ourselves from time to time:  ABy what authority am I doing what I=m doing?@  Heaven or manCthat=s all there is; the plan of God, or the plan of men.  So how do we know?  That is the question.  

B.                 AAuthority@ is defined as Athe right to rule or command; the power to give instructions that others are expected to obey.@  In every realm and relationship, there would be mass confusion if a common standard of authority was not recognized. 

1.                  If I asked everyone in the audience, AHow long is this line?@  There would be several different opinions and guesses out there.  Out of all the different answers I might get, how many are right?  How many true answers can there be?  How can we all agree?  We must have a standard of authority. 

2.                  The scales in the marketplace, the measuring tapes on the work site, the traffic laws on the road, the time kept on our clocks and watchesCthere has always been the recognized need for authority, in everything from civil and criminal disputes to the ball field.  If we disagree on the length, or weight, or distance, or meaning of anything, we establish what standard of authority we are going to use and then we appeal to the standard.  The world would be a terrible place to live if there were no standards of authority.  The result would be anarchy, turmoil, and chaos.

C.                 Religion is no exception, although it is sometimes thought to be the exception.  There must be a standard of authority.  You see, the world is filled with people who engage in activities that they believe are authorized by and pleasing to God, and yet, many of them contradict each other. 

1.                  It has been said, AThe church began in Israel as a fellowship.  It went to Greece and became a philosophy.  It went to Rome and became an institution.  It went to Europe and became a culture.  It went to America and became an enterprise.@  But some say it this way: A...It went to Rome and became an institution.  It went to Europe and became a plurality of institutions.  It went to America and became a chaos of sects and denominations.@

2.                  As we look at Christendom in America, we see all these different religious groups split up every which way you can possibly imagineCbelieving, teaching, and practicing about everything you can possibly imagine.

3.                  From what I=ve read, in 1936 the US Census Bureau counted 256 Christian denominations, and after that they quit counting.  Today though, it has been estimated that there are somewhere between 3,000 and 30,000 (depending on how you want to count them).  That=s over 3,000 distinct, separate, and apart denominations out there with their different names, teachings, and practices.

D.                 Now it is impossible to maintain unity unless we agree upon the same standard of authorityCwhich we obviously do not.  There are clearly other reasons as well, but I believe this is the main one: If you have a different starting place, you will most likely come to a different conclusion.  When you talk with people who claim to be Christians today and ask them how they know they are saved, why they do what they do, and the authority behind it, you will often get different answers. 

E.                  It=s some of these that I want us to examine todayCthese standards that people commonly turn to when faced with questions about why they believe and practice the things they do in religion.  You, of course, know what I believe and teach is the standard of authority, and we=ll be basing our examination on that.

 I.               False Standards of Authority.

A.                 The Old Testament.

1.                  It is common for people to resort to the Old Testament to provide authority for a certain practice, especially when they can't find authority for it in the teachings of Christ and His apostles.  For example, the burning of incense, keeping the Sabbath, and so forth.  Many people try a syncretism of the Old and New Covenants; they create their own customized blend of religion by mixing the Old and New Testaments to suit their personal taste.

2.                  But the Law of Moses was designed to be temporaryCto fulfill a specific purpose.

a.                   Jeremiah made it clear that there was going to be a new covenant.  In Jeremiah 31:31 he said, A>Behold, days are coming,= declared the Lord, >when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...=@ He then went on to explain some of the differences in this new covenant, which are clearly seen in the New Testament of Jesus Christ (cf. Heb. 8:7-13).

b.                  In Galatians 3:23-25, Paul (in speaking of the Law of Moses) said, ABut before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.  Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.@

c.                   The Hebrew writer spoke of the Old Testament (the Old Covenant) as a shadow and says that Jesus is the mediator of a new and better covenant, and clearly tells us, AHe takes away the first in order to establish the second@ (Heb. 10:9).

3.                  Now this is not to say the Old Testament is not of value to Christians. 

a.                   The Old Testament is a priceless source of information.  In fact, it would be difficult to understand the New Testament without the Old Testament. 

b.                  Rom. 15:4 and 1 Cor. 10:11 both say that it was Awritten for our instruction,@ but we are not to use it as the authority for how we worship and live as Christians.

c.                   The New Testament Christians in the first century had a problem with this from time to time as the Judaizers would come in with their teachings.  And that=s why Paul told the Colossians, ATherefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or new moon or a Sabbath dayCthings which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ@ (Col. 2:16-17).

4.                  Many people get uncomfortable when you tell them we are no longer under the Ten Commandments.

a.                   ADoes that mean we are free to practice everything the Ten Commandments forbid?@  No, today we are under the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21) and His law includes nine of the Ten Commandments.

b.                  Think about the different sets of laws that have been in force in America.  The British ruled America from 1620 until July 4, 1776, when the Americans began to rule themselves.  The British laws did not allow stealing and murder, and the laws of the United States do not allow stealing and murder.  Now, when we abstain from stealing and murder, is it because we are under the authority of England or the United States?  Even though both forbid those same acts, we still recognize that we are under a different set of laws.  The fact that there are similarities does not mean that American citizens can combine the two or pick and choose to suit their own personal taste.  American citizens do not live according to British law or any previous law of America, but according to the latest and existing recognized law.

5.                  The same is true for God=s people when it comes to the Old and New Covenants.  The Old Testament is not to be the standard of authority for Christians.

B.                 Dreams or Visions.

1.                  There are those who believe that dreams or visions constitute an objective standard which should be recognized.  ASome time ago, I had a dream or a vision of an angel telling me this or that.@

2.                  My question is:  What about the people who have claimed that they killed their children because they had a dream or visions from God telling them to do it?  I=m sure you can think of more than one occasion when that has happened, or something similar to it.

Nov. 13, 2007 - The Authority of Scripture - Part 2

Posted in The Authority of Scripture

 1.                  It is common for religious people to place their trust in a preacher, priest, or pastor.  They reason that surely these Amen of God@ could not be wrong or lead them astray.  Many times, people will quote some great religious leader in defense of their beliefs and practices: AYou see, great and godly men are in favor of it so it must be right.@

2.                  I remember door-knocking in Australia and coming to the house of a certain denominational lady.  After some discussion, we asked, AIf we could clearly show you in the Bible where your church is teaching and practicing incorrectly, would you change?"  She thought for a moment and replied, ANo, I like my pastor and I believe him.@

3.                  There is a great flaw in this thinking.  After our lives are over, we will not be judged by what other people have said, no matter how godly or smart we may think they are, but by the words of Jesus.  In John 12:48, Jesus declared, AHe who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.@

4.                  In Matthew 15, Jesus rebuked some of the Pharisees (who were seen by many as the religious leaders of the day).  His disciples couldn’t believe His boldness and afterward said, ADo You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?@  Jesus replied, AEvery plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up.  Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.  And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit@ (Matt. 15:12-14).

5.                  The Corinthians were being misled by some false teachers and Paul told them, AFor such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds@ (2 Cor. 11:13-15).  False teachers can easily appear to be Aservants of righteousness,@ but whether they know it or not, they are really servants of Satan.

6.                  False teachers are a reality and people are often deluded by smooth talking preachers.  We are constantly warned in the New Testament about false teachers, false apostles, false prophets, antichrists, and those bringing a different gospel.  That is why we need to be like the Bereans in Acts 17 who carefully examined Paul=s teachings in light of the Scriptures and were said to be Amore noble-minded than those in Thessalonica@ (Acts 17:11).  I could be leading you astray at this very moment; how do you know that I am not?

 D.                 Creeds and Traditions of Men.

1.                  This is similar to the last one.  This is where many of the religious groups out there get their authority.  A creed is defined as Aa formal statement of religious belief.@  Look out into Christendom today and you will find creed books, catechisms, manuals, articles of faith, constitutions, confessions, standards, and disciplines.

 

2.                  So, what=s wrong with them?

a.                   First of all, human creeds are divisive; they keep religious people divided into parties and sects.  You see, a creed serves as a wall to include its adherents and to exclude everyone else.  Adherence to denominational creeds causes much of the religious division in the world today, and the New Testament is very clear that division is sinful. 

(1)               In John 17:20-21, Jesus prayed for unity among those who would believe in Him through the apostles= word.

 

(2)               In 1 Cor. 1:10 Paul said, ANow I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.@ 

(3)               And in the list of the deeds of the flesh in Gal. 5, one is Adissensions@ and another is Afactions.@

b.                  But it=s more than that. 

(1)               I like how Benjamin Franklin put it (not the revolution-era statesman and inventor, but a 19^th century preacher), AFirst, any creed containing more than the Bible is objectionable, because it does contain more than the Bible.  Second, any creed containing less than the Bible is objectionable, because it does contain less than the Bible.  Third, any creed differing from the Bible is objectionable, because it does differ from the Bible.  Fourth, any creed precisely like the Bible is useless, because we have the Bible.@

(2)               As Leroy Brownlow said, AI do not care to have a church manual similar to the one that existed in the first century.  I want to have the same one.@ 

(3)               The fact is, creeds are filled with the traditions and commands of men, many of which conflict with each other and more importantly, they often conflict with the commands of God. 

3.                  Turn with me to Mark 7. 

a.                   This is a parallel passage to that confrontation in Matt. 15 that I mentioned earlier.  In verses 1-5, some Pharisees asked Jesus why His disciples didn’t ceremonially wash their hands before they ate.  This of course was not commanded in the word of God, but simply a tradition of the elders.

b.                  Take a look at Jesus= response in verses 6-13: AAnd He said to them, >Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, >This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.  But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.=  Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.= He was also saying to them, >You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.  For Moses said, >Honor your father and your mother=; and, >he who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death=; but you say, >If a man says to his father or his mother, anything of mine you might have been helped by is Corban (that is to say, given to God),= you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.@

c.                   It=s hard to figure out exactly what they were doing; it seems to have been a way to get out of taking care of their parents in their old age by giving or promising that money they would have used to God instead.  Jesus= rebuke however could not be any clearerCwe are not to teach as doctrines the precepts of men. 

4.                  Should our authority be the word of God or human traditions, church laws, decrees of councils, and creeds which are constantly being changed and revised because of their imperfections?  I think you know.

E.                 Majority Decision.

1.                  This is the AEveryone else is doing it@ argument and appeal.  Teenagers love to use it, but sadly, many adults do as well.  You know, you moistened your finger to see which way the wind is blowing, and that is what you follow.

 

2.                  Is this a good standard of authorityCis truth found in the majority? 

a.                   The majority of people used to believe that the world was flat; did that make it flat?  The majority of doctors used to think they didn’t need to wash their hands before an operation; did that save the people they were infecting?  Just because the majority of the population may now accept something like homosexuality or abortion, does that mean it has ceased to be sin?

 

b.                  Jesus told us that the majority of people in this world will go to hellCso why would we want to make our decisions about morality and religion based on them?  AEnter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.  For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it@ (Matt. 7:13-14).

 

c.                   If you followed the majority in Noah=s day, you would have drown in the flood and in Joshua=s day, you would have perished in the wilderness.

 

d.                  Moses warned the Israelites, AYou shall not follow a multitude in doing evil...@ (Ex. 23:2).

3.                  Rather than simply follow the majority, our attitude should be like that of Joshua: A...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord@ (Josh 24:15).  The fact that the majority approves of a thing, whether it=s the nation or the Christian world today, does not at all mean that God approves of it.  Again, we will not be judged by what others have said or done on the Day of Judgment.

Nov. 13, 2007 - The Authority of Scripture - Part 3

Posted in The Authority of Scripture

F.                 Personal Feelings.

1.                  Many defend their religious practices by, AWell, I like it.@  We live in a Ame first@ society.  People want to exalt themselves to the position of GodCwanting to be accountable only to themselves.  You hear statements like: AJust follow your heart!@ or, ABe true to yourself!@ or, ALet your conscience be your guide!@  They make up their own rules by what feels right or by what they want.  They define truth on the basis of what they personally like or dislike.  They take stock in religion that is Abetter felt than told@ they say.

2.                  Martin Luther once wrote a poem that began with a very good line: AFeelings come and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving.@  I believe the Bible teaches that as well.

a.                   Pr. 14:12, AThere is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.@

b.                  Pr. 28:26, AHe who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.@

c.                   Jer. 10:23, AI know, O Lord, that a man=s way is not in himself; nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.@  

3.                  Jesus didn=t say, AThe baptism of JohnCdid you like it?  Did that fit you?  How did you feel about it?@  No, He said, AThe baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from man?@

4.                  Many people believe that religious truth is subjective, it is whatever I personally want to believe.  But Jesus said, AIf you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free@ (John 8:31-32), and prayed to the Father, ASanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth@ (John 17:17).

5.                  But everyone=s own belief is right of courseCno matter what the belief is, no matter if it contradicts the beliefs of other people, and no matter if it contradicts the plain teaching of ScriptureCbecause you have to be true to yourself and follow your heart.  That=s absurd! 

6.                  Many people treat the word of God like a cafeteria.  You get your tray, plate, and utensils.  You start to move along and see the salad bar, so you make a salad of your choice.  Then you choose a main entree, a vegetable, maybe you get a bread roll, and then you choose a dessert.  You don=t choose everything, you just pick and choose what you want.  So many people pick up the New Testament and say, AWell, I don=t want to follow this particular teaching here, but I don=t mind following this teaching over here.  Let me move along to something that is more suitable to my liking.

7.                  2 Tim. 4:3-4 AFor the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.@  Just believe and go to wherever your ears are tickled and you will almost assuredly be turning to myths. 

 G.                 Personal Sincerity. 

1.                  AJust be sincere and you will be saved.@  This is the idea that it doesn’t matter what we believe and where the belief came from, as long as we believe we are doing it for God and are sincere in it.  Well, of course, I sincerely believe that is wrong. 

2.                  I remember one of my friends and I sincerely thinking the ice on that little pond would hold usCwe went back to class after recess with half of our bodies soaked to the skin.

 

3.                  Yes, we need to be sincere to please God (the Bible strongly condemns hypocrisy), but sincerity in and of itself is not sufficient. 

a.                   In Rom. 10:2, Paul spoke of the Jews of his day and said, AFor I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.@  He makes it clear in that context that they are not going to be saved in that condition.

 

b.                  Many say...

(1)               AIt doesn’t matter as long as we have faith; the important thing is faith.@  But Rom. 10:17 says, A...faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.@ 

(2)               ABut I love Jesus.@  But Jesus said, AIf anyone loves me, he will keep My word...@ (John 14:23).  

c.                   Turn with me to Matt. 7 and let=s look at what Jesus had to say in verses 21-23 about some religious people at the end of time.

(1)               He said, ANot everyone who says to Me, >Lord, Lord,= will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to Me on that day, >Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?  And then I will declare to them, >I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.=@

(2)               They had faith and they were no doubt sincere in the things they were doing, but it was not in line with the will of the Father.  It is entirely possible to be sincere and feel satisfied about your spiritual condition and yet be lost.

d.                   In Acts 26, Paul spoke about his former manner of life when he persecuted the church and said, ASo then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.@  Earlier in Acts 23:1 he said, AI have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.@  He sincerely believed that he was doing it for God, but he was sincerely wrong.  In 1 Tim. 1, he called himself the Aforemost@ or Achief of sinners@ (1 Tim. 1:15-16).

4.                  The suicide bombers sincerely believe that they are doing it for God; the 9-11 attacks came from sincerity.  Does that sincerity make it right?

 

5.                  Jesus didn’t say, AWhat do you mean >by what authority= am I doing this?  God doesn’t require us to have authority for what we do in religion as long as one is sincere.@

6.                  Personal sincerity is not to be our standard of authority.

II.     The True Standard of Authority.

A.                 Architects follow a blueprint, manufactures follow a mold, and tailors follow a patternCthe exact same is true for the New Testament; there is a Biblical Apattern@ that every church is to come from. 

1.                  As you read through the New Testament, it won=t take you long before you start finding verses like these:

a.                   Rom. 6:17, ABut thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed.@  AForm@ is from the Greek word tupos, meaning Apattern@ or Amold.@

b.                   1 Cor. 4:17, AFor this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways [This is the apostle Paul] which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.@  There is an apostolic pattern that was taught Aeverywhere in every church@ and the preacher=s job, according to this verse, is to remind the people of it.

 

c.                   2 Tim. 1:13, ARetain the standard [Or Apattern,@ again from the word tupos] of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.@

 

Nov. 13, 2007 - The Authority of Scripture - Part 4

Posted in The Authority of Scripture

2.                  This APattern Principle@ is why restoration is so important; we must restore the New Testament work and worship of the church.  The New Testament presents the church the way God designed it and man cannot improve up it.  Let=s say you drew up the perfect blueprints for your dream house and then gave them to the right people to build it.  When the house was finished, you noticed that they took out a window, added a wall, and changed the kitchen.  When you confronted them about it, they said, AOh yeah, but it=s better this way.@  Would you accept that?  Will God?

B.                 What you need to realize is that God does not allow people to mess with what He has said.  All throughout the Bible we find statements that say we are not to add to or take away from what God has said.  Let me just show you four of them (two from the Old Testament and two from the New):

1.                  Deut. 4:2, AYou shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.@

2.         Pr. 30:5-6, AEvery word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.  Do not add to His words lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar.@

3.                  1 Cor. 4:6, ANow these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to exceed what is written, in order that no one of you might become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.@

4.                  Rev. 22:18-19, AI testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.@

C.                 2 Thess. 1:8 says that when Jesus returns, He will deal Aout retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.@  The standard of authority is the same for everyone today and it doesn’t change or else He could not deal out retribution to those who don=t obey it.  While many things change through the centuries, the teachings of Jesus and His apostles do not.  That is why we are told:

1.                  Not to go beyond what is written (1 Cor. 4:6).

 

2.                  Not to go beyond the teachings of Christ (2 John 9)

 

3.                  To stand firm, and hold to what the apostles handed down (2 Thess. 2:15).

4.                  That is why we are constantly warned in the New Testament about false teachers and those bringing a different gospel. 

D.                 The standard is not negotiable!  When all is said and doneCwhen we’ve gone through all the rationalizing as to why we do what we choose to do in religion, we are still faced with whether or not it is in accordance with God=s instructions.  We human beings are simply not free in God=s sight to fashion religion and morality according to other standards of authority.

Conclusion:

A.                 In Conclusion, I=d like to leave you with the parable of the sower.  Turn with me to Luke 8.  The sower sows the seed and it falls on four different types of soil: the path, rocky soil, thorny soil, and the good soil.  Only the good soil produces a crop. 

1.                  Let=s read Jesus= explanation in verses 11-15: ANow the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.  And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved.  And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.  And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.@

2.                  The seed is the word of God.  We all need to ask ourselves, AWhat kind of soil am I?  What kind of heart do I have?  What kind of life am I living?@  The only soil that is going to be saved is the good soil (A...these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance@).

B.                 Jesus said, AIf you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free@ (John 8:31-32).