The Inspiration of Scripture

Greetings and welcome to our Wednesday night service from beacon Baptist Church in Burlington, North Carolina. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our exile as it seems like to me in some respects is beginning to come to an end.

We've already announced that our church will be holding its first in person assembly this coming Sunday morning at 930 we announce that on Monday and are making preparations for that to take place in a safe manner, which I will describe for you in a moment, but I saw just a little bit ago on the Internet that our governor in North Carolina is declaring the beginning of of phase 2 of our opening up in North Carolina which will take place on Friday at 5 PM and among other things, that that phase 2 includes churches and on the report I read the were in the particular stipulations in regard to churches course many of you know that some churches sued the governor last week and said that it was not constitutional for him to restrict churches if he was going to allow other businesses to open as many have been open and they won the suit. The judge ruled in their favor.

So it's not it's not clear exactly what would've taken place after that suit, except we know that it was it was no legal according to the courts to open up. We still did know exactly what, if any, restrictions and stipulations might continue to be upon us. But now we know that it is officially designated.

The churches are our to be opened or are able to be open. Starting Friday so anyway, it's all coming together now still going to be very cautious because covert is still out there, but it is beginning to diminish in many respects were thankful for that. Fewer infections, fewer hospitalizations, fewer deaths, the curve is going down in most places including North Carolina and I also read just today that the Centers for Disease Control announced that they have determined that the covered 19 virus is not easily spread from surfaces. This is all new and it's been we can't really blame some of the opposite information that we received earlier because it would seem to make sense that it could be spread by touching surfaces were somebody else to touch the same surface and then I think it is impossible to get it that way but they are saying that it is not easily transmitted. That way, that primarily it's transmitted only from living persons living person and it is not easily passed on by touching surfaces, so that's good news. Remember learning more that is encouraging all along very quickly. I'm I will explain what were going to be doing this coming Lord today that are 930 morning service number one were going to to mark every other pew is closed so everyone will be sitting with one pew in between them and the people behind them which will constitute about a 6 foot span and furthermore were asking people to distance themselves on the pews were asking couples and families to sit together but others to distance themselves on our pews. You can do that. The center pew in our auditorium is 16 feet wide and so if you have a couple of folks on this end and a couple of folks on this and that a couple of folks in the middle, assuming that the people that are together are part of the same family, then you have distanced yourself appropriately and have them in that case were seated six people on that particular pew. So were going to be marking off the pews that you can only sit in every other one we have removed the hymn books from the racks on the previous information that the virus could be transmitted from surfaces. We now realize that may not be necessary but anyway great. We have done that. So the hymns that will be using will all be inside the bulletins that we passed out on Sunday and we will not be using hymnals you will not have to touch or handle the somebody else's touched and furthermore we are going to place the offering plates out in the welcome center so that you can place your offerings in them as you come in or out of the service, and ushers will be there to protect the plates and that in that fashion. The plates will not be passed from person to person and again that may be an overabundance of caution, but were going to do that as well. We are asking that you not shake hands and you are welcome to to wear masks.

I know that some people prefer not to other people prefer to we will not mandate that.

But we would certainly encourage it. However, wearing a mask is going to make it more difficult to was saying and will talk more about that on Sunday, but even if you just wear one into the service and then slip it off for the actual service that would be fine and one final thing. The were planning to do is at the end of the service are ushers will come down and dismiss people one row at a time so that not everybody crowds out of church at the same time.

So again that's going to keep people at a safe social distance, and unfortunately that also makes it more difficult to do the kind of fellowship thing that we would normally do.

But all of this because of what's going on and you understand that so people will be dismissed.

Much like they do at weddings or funerals when they take people out one row at a time so that there will not be oppressive people coming out of the service of the same time so all of these things were doing to to protect you in every way that we can to provide as much safety is it possible in the situation and we trust that this will encourage as many of you as possible to come in to be with us on Sunday referred from a number of you who say you are enthusiastically planning to attend referred from several of you who say that you're still on unsure about coming that you are hesitant to come under the circumstances because of your own particular health issues. We understand that if you have any hesitation about coming then please stay home stay safe.

Join us on Lifestream. We will continue to lifestream the services as we have been on Sundays. Mornings and night for many many years. The only thing that has changed is that we've added the Wednesday night so you have not been able to watch Wednesday night until just a few weeks ago with the covert virus but now UK on and we will continue that. So lifestream life service Sunday morning lifestream empty auditorium on Sunday night and Wednesday night as we are doing now. I hope we will be able to see a good many of you Sunday.

We have no way of knowing of any plan to come in the fashion that I just described. We we believe that we can accommodate about 125 people proper social distancing and depending on how many commonalities they hold that that I think that's going to be an adequate number in adequate provision in the auditorium.

I think that many should be able to get in the auditorium and of the surprised. If we exceed that by any significant number but again, we will not know until Sunday and will reevaluate the after Sunday, according to what has transpired and either continue in the same fashion or make changes moving forward. I should also mention that there will be no nursery there will be no children's classes. There will be no Sunday school.

That of course would require putting quite a few people in the small room together, making it difficult to maintain proper social distancing, and so were not going to be doing that, at least for the time being and we shall evaluate that too was we move forward to see how things are going, but things are changing things are opening up and we will we all wait. The results of the changes with eagerness to see if they are being the least procedures are being taken in a wise and prudent manner, or if it proves to be premature.

Then of course we can always backup so that's my long introduction into the service tonight. I will now mention prayer requests and we will have a word of prayer or government official.

The week is US Sen. North Carolina Sen. Tom Tillis praises on our prayer sheet are for the protection and healing of Keith Hudson, grandson of Annina coup was bitten by a dog in the recent question about whether since he was bitten in the face with whether it had damaged his eyesight but he is fine. Praise the Lord and also for Linda Spencer who is now doing very well from a serious back issue that has that is resolving itself nicely in answer to prayer. We thank the Lord for that, under a member section. My wife Marty is still listed. She is improving. She considers herself now to be 75% restored. That of course is a guesstimate that's her estimate.

We have no way of knowing, but that tells you that things are coming along well with her.

She still has to be careful. She still would prefer you not crack any jokes and make her laugh because that laughing and sneezing and coughing probably hurts more than anything else and she course has to be careful about lifting and in tugging and pulling and that's kind of thing do Guthrie's home and is now gaining strength, but she did really needs to see her appetite improved so that she can eat and gain some weight. We continue to pray for our pope with his COPD and Shirley Watkins is really doing well recovering from the pulmonary issues that sent her to the hospital a couple weeks ago under others, we would ask you to pray for Max Airy who was an uncle of Jamie Hinshaw and Tracy Airy.

Members of our church.

He is a resident of White Oak Manor and he has covert, 19, there has been quite a an end section invasion of the coveted virus at White Oak Manor. More than anyplace else, but they have 54 residents and 26 staff members who have tested positive for covert, 19.

Please pray I don't know any other facility in Allens County that comes anywhere close to that.

It has been reported that peak resources has to staff members who have tested positive in his and I haven't heard anything more beyond that and so that of course is also a concern particular because her staff members and would have been in a position to infect the residence before their their infection was discovered. We also also continue to pray for the glory families of the Lord will enable them to be reunited there separated by many many many many miles internationally.

Travel is not possible at this time but I think that's also beginning to change, and we should see some positive results. There then we have been asked to pray for John and Christina DOS. Christina is the daughter of Randy and Janelle Haynes known by many members of our congregation. In fact, they were members of our congregation many years ago so many that most of you won't remember that Randy now pastors north Graham Baptist Church here in Alamance County and their daughter and her husband were involved in very serious automobile accident, and they are in Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill, Ken and Sue Elliott also have a neighbor.

I think across the street from them by the name of Elsie Proffitt who is declining and because of the covert situation. I cannot go and live with her sister as had originally been planned and so please pray for her and her needs no further word yet from Stuart Law in regard to a liver transplant. Please continue to pray for him. That is a an urgent need.

Paul Snyder is regaining some strength here in the states Trevor Johnson is in Malaysia and is still very weak but we received were just today that Don Teresa Johnson and the children have already come back to the states and Trevor is coming in a day or two to spend a few weeks here and there going to be placing their son Noah age 15 in a a boarding school military Academy actually and before they return to Malaysia. Please pray for them and then under the sympathy section.

We have listed the name of David Crowder who is a name neighbor Paul and Marse amino. Bruce and Marcy, Councilman, so those are our requests. We will be remembering those specifically at the end of the service, but at this time I would like to read one word of Scripture one verse from Psalm 25 and then we will invite the Lords presence with us tonight. In this meeting good and upright is the Lord, therefore he teaches sinners in the way the humble. He guides injustice in the humble. He teaches his way all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies, shall we pray father you are great God, you are worthy of all of our praise.

Our worship, our adoration, our service you are worthy to be trusted and we do trust you and ask for strength so that our faith falter not in any way that we remain steadfast in believing your word and trusting in your character which is righteous in all that you do is just in every action that you take and every decision that you make is merciful and kind far beyond anything that we might expect and your love is eternal. It is everlasting and we thank you for that we thank you for the promises that were made in this verse in the Psalms that we read that applies to those who are humble and father, we confess that in ourselves we are anything but humble that in our Adamic nest. We are proud way too proud yet. Oh Lord, in your kindness you have humbled us. You do humbled us. You continue to humble us. You've told us that you resist the proud, but that you give grace unto the humble father.

We therefore thank you for the humbling work that you have done in our lives and we pray that that shall continue. Father, we realize that in praying that we may be praying for trials and afflictions to be sent our way to be used as tools to humble us, but father if that is what it takes. We recognize that they humble and contrite heart before use of far more value than anything in this world. So father we pray that you will humble us before you tonight. We pray Lord that you use this covert virus across America to humble Americans.

Millions of Americans to humble them before you from the White House to the neighborhood house. We pray the Lord that a humbling spirit will permeate all across this land and that creatures created by you, and given life value and sustained by you, will humble themselves before you and seek your face and seek your forgiveness and seek the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ whom you have given father, bless our meeting tonight open our ears to hear your word and to respond in faith as we ask it in Jesus name, amen.

I have a thank you note from missionaries David Lynn Champlin and Surinam, South America, just as dear beacon, thank you for your $275 Christmas gift. Stay well in 2020. There also dealing with coven and surname.

Well let's see I brought a few communications. I have one here from Stephen Janice worth who labor in Blackpool, England, the right dear friends at beacon.

We trust you are doing well and dwelling in the shelter of the most high God while sheltering in place.

We are thankful to be well that God is our perfect shelter and the all-knowing, all wise God who is in control and knows the end from the beginning we have distributed some gospel leaflets entitled hope beyond coronavirus to homes on some of our neighboring streets for the neighbors on our street.

We have also included a letter expressing our concern and prayers for them and their families and offering to be of help if needed. Please pray for God's blessing on these efforts and that these materials will be read and considered that they will generate some gospel opportunities and discussion and that some would come to faith in Christ. Please pray for further opportunities to deliver more to other streets in the people would consider the relationship with God and bow their knees and hearts to the Savior. They say please pray for the United Kingdom as we continue in lockdown although there is some slight relaxing.

Pray for wisdom and strength for our leaders.

Pray for the softening of proud hearts and stubborn wills pray for children and parents of weekly Bible study groups while they are unable to meet the Lord to bring truth they've heard to mind and to find comfort and salvation in him. Some are keeping a good contact with leader one said she's prayed recently. Pray for man on a neighboring street whom we met recently socially distanced when coming home from a walk.

He was very friendly and the Lord gave us good opportunities to share the gospel with him. He claims to be an atheist but we encouraged him to read the Gospel of Mark and see who Jesus is.

Please pray for the Holy Spirit to create an interest in his heart, and for us to have opportunities for further contact. Thank you for your prayers for Janice's 96-year-old father's health has improved recently but he still remains quite frail.

We're thankful for phone conversations many days each week.

Every time he hears us, say, the people are praying for him. He says please tell them thank you for me. He certainly appreciate your concern and prayers for him and so do we. Every blessing in Christ with love, Steve and Janice worth I have a report from two of our missionaries who serve with evangelical missions to the unreached. First, Josh and Amy Jensen who are involved in in gospel ministry in Cambodia and then secondly from Tim and Ruth Bixby who are involved in church planting in France, first from the Jensen's. So far there have been 122 confirmed cases of covert, 19 in Cambodia and no deaths.

So, for whatever reason we been spared any major spreading thus far.

We pray that that may continue.

The main difference for us over the last five weeks has been home church is a family because religious gatherings over 10 people are not allowed no trips of the town for meetings or fellowship with other missionaries. No trips in the villages, as many of them have closed off their road. Additionally, the chamber pastors Bible school session in May has been canceled due to covert, 19 restrictions on educational and religious gatherings. Although we had to stop our neighborhood Bible club we been able to continue our Sunday night came there Bible study, but without our kids present to keep the number at 10 or below, since we meet on our front porch. We just have our kids stay in their room. Josh continues to go to work every day is actually getting more done because he never goes anywhere else. He's working on a translation of the Bible by the end of the next week. The team expects to be done with the first three major verse by verse checks in Matthew chapter 17 to 28. The finished exegetical extracting and community tracking last week and team review is progressing well. So that's the Jensen's.

Then from the Bixby's in France as to our children. The confinement has been a blessing of God in restructuring our lives around the family nucleus. We have four children and four different rates in public school in the normal school week are two elementaries, aged boys get out at 430. Our daughter at five in our oldest son a couple of days per week doesn't get out until six. We are presently in our sixth week of what the French are calling confinement or shelter in place of whatever you call it where you are with pretty tight restrictions. We are only allowed to leave the house if we carry a prewritten form stating our purpose that has to be one of the few reasons they have given is allowable.

We are allowed a one hour walk with proper papers. Of course, per day with the children for which we are grateful other than family walks, however, our children have not left the house since the beginning of the confinement.

This new schedule is given us much more time together as a family and we've all felt that our daily family walks will be mixed once the time is over as far as ministry goes, we acknowledge that there is no substitute to replace personal contact. However, God has opened up other opportunities to help our church people. We have been doing a nightly devotional on Facebook live. In addition to our longer Sunday morning worship services also on Facebook live. There are about 60 people who watch these devotionals live every evening and more who watch it later nightly broadcast has proved to be a real lifeline for people. It has been more work for us but we are grateful to do something to help us stuck at home. The special blessing. However, this format is that we are hearing of more and more unregenerate people who are listening in.

We know several unsafe people whom I did a Bible study with four years ago who have followed at least some of these devotionals. We have two music teachers at a joint desirable as well. Ours neighbors whose house is joined to ours who are Muslims have also joined online. We also have a doctor who's also Muslim who told us he was listening in arch people have sent out digital invitations to many of their friends and we believe that many are being reached and so forth this week. The president said they were considering letting churches opening and did June. Please pray that God would work. His perfect will. Pray also that God would lead us to our planned visit to the states lead us as to our planned visit to the states this summer is difficult for missionaries, many of whom had to cancel their plans to come home.

Bixby's are on our schedule to be with us on the Sunday night sometime this summer.

I get exactly when. I think it's in July, but whether that will take place are not remains to be seen, and I finally have a missionary communication from C loss and voucher composts in Brazil. He said we have permission and the necessary funds to publish and give freely thousands of John Piper's let it latest book entitled coronavirus and Christ pray that God may use this message to edify his saints and save the lost. We are taking advantage of the situation to preach Christ over the last four Sundays C loss has been preaching to an empty church hoping our mom members will listen through their computers or smart phones during the week. We use online connections to hold our Bible meetings and Bible study, counseling a pastoral visit is done through WhatsApp. I've actually got that on my phone but I seldom use it. Brethren, thank you so very much for your prayers and financial support.

Love you in Christ C loss and budget compass.

One of the things I want you to take away from these letters is that how that all these missionaries are taking advantage of the Kona coronavirus situation as special outreach opportunities there not just simply sheltering at home and saying waiting until till later to be able to do the Lord's work, but they're seeing this as an opportunity to reach people at a time when many hearts are more open and interested than they normally are. Reminds me of the life of the apostle Paul, how that when he was in prison he just simply shifted gears, conducted his ministry primarily by having people come visit him in prison and a number were saved that way, including the runaway slave Vanessa Lewis who ran away to Rome and Philemon and was converted while Paul was under house arrest in Rome. So let's take advantage let all of us take advantage of what is going on and use it for the interests of Christ's kingdom and for the souls of men. I now am opening my Bible to second Timothy chapter 3 and I will expound a familiar text of Scripture in verses 16 and 17 about the Bible, the nature, power and potential of the book we call the Bible and here's what it says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work going to be talking tonight about the doctrine that we call the inspiration of Scripture, and what the Bible teaches about inspiration what the Bible teaches about itself with the Bible teaches about the nature of this book that is called the Bible because there is a fair amount of confusion about about that, even among people who call themselves Christians. In fact, it's been probably 25, 26 years ago now, but I received a letter from a radio listener who quoted in that letter. What he had been told at the church that he attended. And here's what he said quote they say as long as your life evidences of the that you are a Christian, that you may ask.

You may accept that number one. The Bible is God's word or number two. The Bible contains God's word or number three. The Bible contains some of God's word." In the church that he was attending anyone of those positions was satisfactory. It was in their minds, and an allowable position for Christians to hold.

Let's consider these three possibilities that were suggested to this radio listener in his church. I don't know if he still attending that church all these years later or not. I would hope. Perhaps he's found one that is more sound disposition number one.

The Bible is God's word, that position would say that this book we call the Bible made up of 66 books combined together into one book is the word of God.

All of it. The very word of God.

That's position number one.

That's the position that I hold. That's the position that our church holds.

That's the position that the Scriptures teach and will be showing that to you tonight from this text, but the second position that this church that was allowable is to believe that the Bible contain God's word, that is to say God's word is found within the Bible or another way of putting it. Some of the Bible is God's word but some of the Bible is not God's word that's very different from the first position the first position, says the Bible. All of it is the word of the living God, the second position says.

The Bible contains the word of God. Some of it is God's word. Some of it is not, but in the Bible you will find some of God's word course the question that needs to be asked is how do we tell what is and is not the word of God who is able to tail who decides that question is that something that everyone of us objectively decide for himself, and in fact that is the way many people would view that I decide what I think is a true word from God and what is not. I decide what what statement is the word of God and what statement is not then the third position is similar but even goes a little bit further, that position states. The Bible contains some of God's word but did I read that correctly. The Bible contains some of God's word, yes. The Bible contains some of God's word, which would say that like position number two. Some of the words in the Bible are the words of God. Some are not.

But by saying the Bible contains some of God's word that opens the door for saying there are other books beside the Bible that also contain some of God's word, the Bible is not all, the word of God contains some of God's word but the Bible is not the only place where you can find the word of God. There are other books where you can that contain God's word as well as they contain an equally to the Bible, which of course raises the question what other places do you find God's word. Besides the Bible is God's word found in the Koran is God's word found in the book of Mormon is God's word found in dreams and visions in individual people may have that position is even more concerning the number two and number two is concerning because both of these positions number two and three are far astray of what the Bible claims for itself. That is what were going to look at tonight. Now it seems to me that in statement number two and three anything except the first one that the Bible is God's word, but the statement that says the Bible contains the word of God and man are going to have to decide which statements arch are truly God's word, which are not in the third statement that says the same thing. Plus the fact you can find some of God's word that is equally God's work to some of the God's word you find in the Bible but it can be found in other sources. It seems to me that the fundamental issue in all of this is a removal of divine authority because what this amounts to ultimately is that man judges the Bible rather than placing himself under the Bible and acknowledging that the Bible judges him. If the Bible is not the word of God from beginning to end and if it is up to us to decide what is and what is not, then we become judges of the Bible. It puts man above the Bible and makes care of the one who evaluates criticizes sorts and makes judgments regarding the Bible what is and what is not the word of God that makes man the ultimate authority rather than God.

I'm sure not very many people would think of it that way but that's exactly what happens. Well, again, what does the Bible itself teach for itself and I go back to second Timothy 316 and 17 obliterated again this is just one of many texts, but this is a very important one.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. What we see we see three things number one. The nature of this book.

Number two the potential of this book number three. The purpose of this book. First of all, the nature of this book. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God word Scripture. The Greek word is Graaf, a firm with that worried word means writing is talking about written Scripture all the writings that are called Scripture are given by inspiration of God in verse 15 that I did not read Paul called the Scriptures the holy Scriptures. He says to Timothy in that from childhood you have known the holy Scriptures or the holy writing the holy Graaf, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus, and our Graaf say is always used in the New Testament of the holy Scriptures, the sacred Scriptures that is a word that is reserved for that and for that alone, for God's word, and so even though the Bible is a book that comes wrapped in human form because as Peter tells us holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. These words in the Bible were written by man, but the Bible tells us they were inspired by God holy men of God.

Men that were selected by God for this purpose were moved by the Holy Spirit and what they wrote. So that this book these words. This this these writings. This communication from God in written form is in fact at the same time, the words of man, for they wrote them down but it is also the word of the living God. It is that mysterious combination of human and divine, and the divine has so superintended the human input that the human input into this book is guarded against error, though the words were written down by men. Every one of which were fallen sons of Adam everyone of which were capable of errors because they spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit what they wrote was guarded and guided by the spirit of God, so that even though the words were written by men like Moses and David and Paul and John and Peter and all of these are fallible men and we can find records of their failure and sins in the Bible but nevertheless the Bible tells us that they were guarded and guided in what they wrote so that the final product is holy Scriptures.

Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Furthermore, we are told that all Scripture fits the description that I just gave you all Scripture or that same word could be translated every Scripture that is every part every word the entire whole, it is not that the Bible contains the word of God. Some of it merely the words of man others. In fact, the word of God.

But the Bible claims for itself that all Scripture, all of these writings of the holy Scriptures. As Paul calls them here are given by inspiration of God, the technical term for this is clean area inspiration. That's everything all to go to a conference, you may have breakout sessions or different names that are called there ascribed to those and then you will have clean area session. The breakout sessions you usually have multiple sessions scheduled at the same time you choose which one to go to if you're interested in the subject go to that room. If you're interested not subject to go to that room you go to these these smaller sessions which are not are not for everybody.

They're not designed to be for everybody is not room for everybody which you choose the one you want to go to but they are there are clean area sessions where everybody attending the conference comes together in one place for that session. That includes everybody that's all the attendees of the conference who come to the plane or a session clean area. Inspiration means that all of it.

Every word, every sentence, every part is given by inspiration of God and the word inspiration simply means God did breed. That's what it means. All Scripture. Every part is breathing out by God is his word.

Yes, it flows through man and they take up 10 and write it down, but it is breathed out into man by God. Again, as Peter says in second Peter 121 holy men of God spoke as they were moved as they were born along by the Holy Spirit is God breathed out into them into their mind and so the doctrine becomes when you put all this together verbal clean dairy inspiration planetary means all verbal means every word, every word is God's word all Scripture in the book we call the Bible is the word of God. That's the nature of this book. What is the potential for this book.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and we are told is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness is profitable for doctrine, doctrine means teaching doctrine is the knowledge of God's will. That's found in the Bible it is profitable for doctrine. The Bible teaches us what God wants us to know the Bible teaches us what God has revealed to man. The Bible teaches us what God thinks. The Bible teaches us what God direct's. The Bible teaches us what God instructs. The Bible teaches us what God commands the Bible teaches us what God forbids the Bible teaches us what God has said, would God has communicated and all of that is doctrine is profitable for doctrine, it is secondly profitable for reproof a word that means reputation it refutes error or conviction. It convicts of error. It causes people to recognize error and to change it. Reproof.

Nobody enjoys being reproved least I've never met anybody who did. I I can't say that I do have I ever been reproved. Of course many times, sometimes by people who God used to carry out that task. Often, by reading and studying the Bible itself. I have been reproved. I have been corrected.

I have been convicted that something I have done or am doing something that I have sought that I thought was true. Thought was correct.

I realize it's wrong.

It's not what the Bible is teaching. I must therefore change if what I thought was true. What I thought was was sound doctrine is shown to me from sacred Scripture that it is not sound doctrine I'm wrong about that II picked that up from someplace else than from a proper understanding of the Bible than what must I do, I must change because the Bible is prof profitable, for reproof. It reproof submitted correctly, it is profitable for correction. There's another word, that word similar course to reproof. But that word means restoration to an upright position because we are sinners born that way live that way because we are sinners, we often fall down fall down in our actions.

We don't walk up rightly and do what we ought to do.

Would God is revealed in his word is what we ought to do. We often fall down in our thinking.

We we entertain thoughts that are not correct. They are, they need to be set up right to an upright position in the Bible is what does that the Bible is profitable for correction. It is restorative in character, and that restoration may be applied both to our opinions as well as our conduct. Finally, it is profitable for instruction in righteousness.

That's a word that carries the idea of education of child training. We understand the importance of educating our children training our children will that's what the Bible does for children and adults alike. We never get beyond the place where we need additional training additional education from the Bible. This infallible book. This word of the living God, which is profitable for instruction in righteousness. Which brings me. Thirdly, therefore, to the purpose of this book for verse 17 goes on to say that the purpose of all those this is that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. You see the Bible not only tells us the way of salvation, but it tells us how students are to live and walk and serve God. The purpose of this book is that the man of God. What does that mean in the Bible that word is used.

That description is used of Moses, Samuel, David, Elijah, Elisha, Timothy, in the New Testament in all of these men were men that were devoted to God's word. But the truth is that every believer can be in ought to be a man of God in the sense that we become men and women of the word. That's what it means to be a man of God it means to be a person who is submitting to God's word, who is learning God's word, who is being instructed by the doctrine, the reproof the correction, the instruction of God's word and those who are in that process. Haven't stopped that process. Some of never started stump used to be in that process, but they stopped, but everyone who is currently involved in that process can accurately be called a man of God and of God and those who do are made mature by this book that the man of God may be perfect, a word that means mature in fixed-rate in good condition balanced, wise and made so by this book. That's the purpose of the book to make Christians who are committed to the book mature Christians takes a while for that to happen. Christians don't start out mature. They start out babes in Christ. Children in the faith, and growing to maturity, but it is this book that is designed to bring us to maturity and to equip us for fruitful service that the man of God may be mature, thoroughly furnished thoroughly equipped fully adequate for what for every good work. That is, for all the good works that God tells us to do. For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It's a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast. Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter 2 and then goes on to say, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God Foreordained that we should walk in them.

And it is this book that equips us to do good works to do everything that God has instructed us to do and everything and anything that God has instructed me to do I can do by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit as I am receiving doctrine, teaching, guidance, direction from the Bible. Everything that God has instructed you to do. You can do by the working of God's word in your life is a living book so don't tell me that there's something that God has instructed you to do that you can't do.

You may feel like you can't do it. You may recognize that you are not yet equipped to do it as indeed you should be, but there's no excuse to remain that way. Here's the they will remedy that weakness get into it. This inspired book of God, get into it that it may equip you for every good work God has called you to do well. The Bible teaches a very high view of inspiration. The Bible teaches it claims a very high view of itself either.

This is an accurate portrayal of what this book called the Bible is the very word of the living God or if it's not that it lied. It claims something that is not true and if you are believer in the Lord Jesus Christ to true born-again believer.

I think you have no difficulty accepting the claim of Scripture that it is in fact the word, every word of the living God, and therefore we need to give ourselves to this book more than we then we are. We need someone to submit ourselves to this book in every area that that it shows us we need to continue to be molded by this book.

As long as we shall live with that.

We shall bow our hearts together closing prayer father, you are indeed gracious to not only have created us and given his life, but to have given us a revelation from heaven a book in which we find your word communicated to us and taught to us by the spirit whom you have given to us. We thank you for it. We pray that you will help us to be men and women of the book to accept this book for what it is to value and treasure it for what it is. The father we want to thank you tonight to Keith Hudson's eyesight has been spared as he this young, three-year-old was bitten by the dog and we thank you, Linda Spencer has improved greatly from the serious problems she was having with her back. We want to pray tonight for US Sen. Tom Tillis of North Carolina that you might guy didn't guard him and use him to bring justice and righteousness and truth to bear in the halls of government. I pray for my wife Marty that she might continue to heal her and for Drew Guthrie that you might strengthen her in art focus. He struggles with his COPD for Shirley Watkins as she continues to recover from her recent trip to the hospital. We pray tonight for maxillary whose tested positive for covert, 19 for the glories that you might reunite his family soon. We pray for John and Christina Doss who are badly injured in this motorcycle accident. We pray your grace to sustain them in your healing hand to be upon them, and that you may give wisdom to the doctors as they treat them.

We pray for the plight of manner and those in that residence that have been infected by coronavirus and also for peak resources. Likewise, we pray for missionaries Stuart wall and his need of a liver transplant and Trevor Johnson and Paul Snyder who both are in need of your healing power. Father we pray for ourselves we might be faithful stewards of all that you have given to us, we might be faithful representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ to our friends and neighbors. Father we pray for our church.

You will keep a strong and true and humble and faithful as we ask these things now in Jesus name, amen