Holding Fast the Faithful Word

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I will not be very difficult for you to understand and embrace the life's plan for you today to learn the importance of holding fast to the faithful word I wanted to run if you will to Titus chapter 1 Titus chapter 1 and in this one verse. Paul in the first chapter beginning in verse six is describing the qualifications for an elder or pastor but as the night verse almost a look at primarily, but let's begin where he begins and he said to Titus leases for this cause I left you in Crete. Numbers five. For this reason I left you in Crete that you might set in auto what remains and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you, namely these are the qualifications, if any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe not accused of dissipation or rebellion, but the overseer must be above reproach as God stood not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious that is quick to fight not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just develop self-control and then he says, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching that is it's in accordance with the teaching of the apostles that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. So this is the verse I want us to look at here holding fast the faithful word over and over and over again. People say well you know, I know that I should be the spiritual leader in my home. But the truth is I just don't know what to say and I just don't know what to do with you. Think about all the verses in the Bible that speak of instruction, of studying the word of God of the place of the word of God in our life.

What he says to Titus in instructing elders and in choosing elders should be true of all of us.

I just want to say two things in this verse.

So I want you to get listener what he says. He says, verse nine holding fast the faithful word holding fast the word of God. Now what is it mean to hold something you need to take it in hand. But what does it mean to hold fast it means to cling to it, it means to hold on tightly but Paul is saying something else besides holding it and holding it fast. He's talking about their attitude toward the Scriptures, their faith in the word of God.

He said when you choose these elders choose men not only who have these other qualifications about their family and about their conversation, their conduct, but men who hold fast hold on tightly to who committed to who believe in who have on wavering faith in the word. The biggest battle today is not is that a Bible does not issue the issue is, what is the book. This book is the divine revelation of God himself. Now listen to this revelation is what God gives to mankind that men couldn't get any other way. Inspiration is what the Holy Spirit did when he spoke through the writers to write.

Illumination is what the Holy Spirit does to you and me when you know the word somebody so I got a revelation from God. Why I got I got inspiration Wanda what you mean that you got excited about something. So for but illumination is what the Holy Spirit is missing. The Bible says the entrance of thy word giveth light illumines my mind and helps me to understand the revelation what makes this book different from all the books is it is the divine revelation of God. He's never given it but once it's all these people who criticize the word of God hears their problem. The problem is they have never settled what this is.

If this is a book that contains myths and some truth mixed with Arra, they will never, never, never have the assurance got intent. If it is a book that is contained with Arra they will always be hindered in their witness for you walk up somebody and say let me tell you about Jesus and this is his book. This is part of his book. Some of this is of him and some of its of my which part is of him and which parts of my life. What you truth is, this part is of God. This partisan can you imagine somebody try to lead you to Jesus giving your book is full of air. The absolute futility of trying to lead anybody to Jesus with other than some of this is true, and some of it is not true. They listen to what he said. He said you choose men who hold on tight, fully convinced will never give up will never waver in their faith in what this book is. He says, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching that is.

This is the revelation of God. Now, because when he said that they didn't have what you and I have been have it all wrapped up, but a nice fine leather and that with an index and maps and all the rest. They inhabit.

But this book is the divine revelation of God given by God.

Remember what separates the small the books is it is the unfolding truth about God given to man by God. The Bible is the story of God's redeeming love from Genesis to Revelation is what it's all about God's redeeming love.

The first part of the Bible talks about I need the second part about God's provision and the third part is consummation of it all.

You can divide and the lots more sections than that, but the truth is this is God's divine revelation. Every single one of you has the Holy Spirit in him and her in order to do what to heirloom on your mind so that you will be able understand this and what he says in this passage, he says, holding fast the faithful were noticing.

He didn't say hold it loosely out a lot of hope to hold it loosely when he says when he says in this passage, holding fast holding fast the faithful word faithful means is reliable and dependable. It's faithful and salvation younger to walk a solecism a different nation in a different religion.

She'd never been in the church before and she said I want this Jesus never heard the gospel had been in church. He says I want this Jesus. That's the power of the word of God. You want to sit in church for 40 years in here to get say you here at one time and they say that's the power of the Holy Spirit, illuminating a darkened mind to know the truth when within that mind there is a desire to know the truth. This is whenever you pray this prayer God show me the truth is one prayer.

God always answers because he wants us to know the truth. He says this paperwork faithful to say faithful and guidance. How many times you and I have been to the Lord in heaven times I've been on my face before God, not knowing what to do open the word saying God speak to my heart speak to my spirit.

Show me the truth and God lead me to a passage of Scripture.

It couldn't be that clear than if he just said dear Charles such clear, distinct, unquestionable direction and I believe I can say what out any question every single time I've ever come to God. I don't mean I just come to me, but I just flip over the Bible every time I've ever come to him asking for direction in an area in which I needed to know God's guidance and asked him to show me the truth and to confirm in his word without fail every single time.

Every one of those decisions has proven to be absolutely right. That's God's book to give us direction for our life. And though it was written the hundreds and hundreds of years ago to a particular group of people in a given situation.

That is the supernatural power of the word of God that it's just as applicable today tonight to give me direction as it was Paul speaking to the Corinthian church, Galatians, or anybody you what's involved when he says what's involved in holding fast the word two things primarily first of all, you gotta settle with you. Believe it or not and then amazing that sometimes on preaching through a sermon and I'm quoting your verse of Scripture using everybody else knew everybody else. Yes, I believe that for them.

If you waited for yourself and remember the spirit of God doesn't tell you when you're reading the Scriptures that you only believe what you feel.

We believe the word of God, because it's God's divine revelation that you need to settle if you got doubts and questions about the Bible you need to settle at once and for all is or how to set with some people go about a different way summarizes I'm going to study the Bible find evidence true or not what you surely will find out if it's true. If you study not word about let. But here's the fellow who gets me. No, I don't believe have you read know I am ready because I don't believe it. Nobody who is really honest would ever turn down the word of God and say it's not true.

Not having read and here's the problem.

You know the problem. Most of those folks.

The real problem is they are really afraid if I start reading this thing, they might believe it, and all of us know that's exactly what's going to happen if you got doubts when you say two things your doubts are based on ignorance, not arrow is mark that one down. If you got doubts that based on ignorance, not arrow in the word of God. And the interesting thing is that all through these years, the more we found out in all the manuscripts, all the discoveries we haven't discovered anything yet that violates one single doctrine one single truth of the word of God, not one you think of all the things we found really come up with something everything we find validates. So when you talk about holding fast the word of God. You have to settle.

First of all, do you believe this is God's inerrant word that is God's word without mixture of error that one of the reason some people obey part of it is because of ably letting them change their lifestyle this and if I were Christian I want to live a backslidden life. I would neglect it is much as possible, so let me ask this question. How often do you read once a week. Is it a part of your daily diet. Second, and when he says hold fast it means. Listen not only do I believe it but holding fast means that I'm applying it to my life is a vital part of me, not just reading it once in a while, but my daily diet in order to be a yearning desire of your heart that everyday listen you not about to go to the day that get in the word, not because I tend you to as got nothing to do with it but because you want to know who is this God in whom you have placed your whole eternal destiny and the only place you can about what is like is in the word. Listen, if somebody has to urge you to get the word you go days without getting the work you got a basic problem between you and God holding fast the word of God involves the application of its truth in my life holding fast the word of God implies not only my belief in it, but my willingness to apply my heart so that every facet of my life is influenced by don't ask a question can you name any area of your life, business, your social life church life, you name it. Can you name any part of your life.

Finances in which you do not need any direction from this book.

Can you name any facet of your life that God has not spoken about that he does not give direction about that. He doesn't have some laws listen not to keep you from having fun, but to protect you from wrecking and ruining your life and listen if every facet of my life is included in the book that every decision I make should be sifted through the principles of the word of God keeps his own track holding fast the word of God not only implies my belief in the but it also demands my application and notice what he said. He says not only holding it look holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching with the apostles that he may be able to both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. So first of all, he says you must handle it right. Settling your faith in it and then applying it to your life. Secondly, first of all holding to it. Secondly how do I handle it. He says here's what we ought to be doing number one he says exhorting others look at that, that we may be able to both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. Now is not enough for us to believe it and applied to our hearts exhortation is a form of encouragement. I don't care where you work, the people around you who are hurting who need encouragement who discouraged living in Sandra out of sorts with God they don't like themselves they got all kinds of problems you have the word of God in your hand.

Most of you have it in your heart. Most of you really are able to take the word and handle it properly by encouraging someone else. But how often do you do it is so I feel so inadequate John the ground, but thank God for Philippians 413, 419 Colossians 3 for a whole bunch of the Scriptures. I can name God doesn't want us feeling adequate within ourselves. He wants us to feel in adequate within ourselves, but totally sufficient in him.

This is one of the fruits of reading the word of God is a sense of tremendous godly confidence that in Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit is not anything God cannot do through you exhorting one another in current listen, he says, encouraging each other now. It simply being able to believe the word and applying its amount.

Heart was sufficient. There would be a great commission.

As you go therefore and make disciples of all nations. How you do that, the word of God. How's everybody who's ever been saved and saved by the word of God. They might not have a copy of name and that of her disarmament by the word of God. Every single one of us been say that's have a new birth takes place. The word of God entering nausea through someone who sharing it. What we read what we hear the spirit of God taking the simple word of God. How do we handle the word we share it. That's the way you handle the word we share it. We use it to encourage, to exhort someone else to give the light the Christ we use it to encourage someone else is downhearted, desperate, exhorting them in second listen what he said, he says, exhort in sound doctrine, healthy doctrine, the truth and he says refute those who contradict.

Now you know how to detect false doctrine. You keep hearing healthy doctrine sound doctrine applying sound doctrine and then what happens when something that's false comes along everything in your rise of his big red flag comes up to 18. Now if if you dislike the Bible around you handle it loosely instead of holding onto a tightly somebody comes along mixes up little arrow to use it. Boy sounds good. Listen, the devils always listen. He always mixes truth with their somebody comes along. Says you don't really need to be baptized.

Jesus is the only way nays want, but you know believes that he so narrowminded that you only get them to believe in him, and then appeals. The reason I hear people so I wish I had a discerning spirit on the tail to get what you ready the way you learn to have a discerning spirit to distinguish between air and truth is saturating your heart with the truth when ever comes along. What happens the Holy Spirit within you, does what he sends you a warning to your spirit that this does not fit everything else you have been taught. That's God's way of protecting us from falling in the air now it's my prayer that God will build into your spirit such discernment. The slightest bit of error. Listen that arrow that discernment will help you discern when you read the newspaper.

What is ungodly satanic and deceptive when you watch the television, you will begin to pick up messages that are satanic deceptive and destructive. Your spiritual life. When you develop a discerning spirit.

You will be able to walk up to someone and share with them and talk with them and God will give you discernment what's going on inside the heart and don't try to play psychologist a mental but that I'm talking about when that person begins to speak. The spirit of God because you are saturated with the word you will be able to sift quickly where they're coming from and what they believe. You never have a discerning spirit you get this book in this book gets in you then. Thank you for listening to, holding fast the faithful word if you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or InTEXT ministries in tax data. Lighting is typecast as a presentation of intense ministry