Sufficiency of the Word (Part 1 of 2)

When we look at the early church cleared that it ability was threatened by persecution from outside and confusion inside the church.

Christians struggled to understand what to believe and how to behave.

Today's church faces similar predicaments. So how do we keep from giving into the ways of the world.

Alastair Ben shows us how today on Truth for Life.

I invite you to turn with me to the word of God as we find in two Timothy and chapter 3. Two Timothy chapter 3 and I would like to read breaking into Paul's line of thought from the 14th verse of this third chapter of second Timothy but as for you to continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead. I give you this charge. Preach the word prepared in season and out of season correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.

Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Amen. I want to say is something of a disclaimer that my purpose is not to enter into some technical discourse on the nature of the sufficiency of Scripture, nor on the doctrine of inspiration itself.

I think I'm fairly safe in assuming that that is familiar material to many office and that what our concern is, is not so much to discover those principles and those truths, but it is as with so many other aspects about Christian living to be reminded of them, and to be reinforced in them, and to be renewed in our commitment to them. I think in this respect, we will be help by reminding ourselves the context in which Paul was writing to Timothy was one of quite incredible confusion. The church was facing a variety of threats which were coming to it, both externally and internally, and they where from a human perspective, challenging, threatening the existence of the Christian community. Those who from a human perspective, looked at the events of those days might have safely assumed on the basis of their secular understanding that the church would not make it into a subsequent generation. Bishop Hanley mole writing in an earlier generation. All of this says Christianity trembled humanly speaking on the verge of annihilation, and it was in this environment, not a very encouraging environment, but a very daunting environment that this most unlikely of servants, young Timothy was called to receive the Bakhtin of responsibility from his colleague and his mentor and his father in the faith. There was incredible persecution, which was unleashing itself on the church. There was were told from the 10th verse of chapter 1. A wholesale defection on the part of many in the province of Asia and if that were not bad enough, Timothy was also aware of the fact that what he was receiving from Paul was according to Paul's understanding of things is sworn in song is verse six of chapter 4 makes clear. Paul was aware of the fact that his life was ebbing away. He was living in this dingy dungeon in Rome under the shadow of execution and he recognized that the possibility of him being able to advance the ball is aware up the field for another first down in the cause of the gospel was largely going from him and therefore the pressing urgency of his life was to convey to this young man Timothy in an environment of manifold confusion. The absolute clarity and authority and sufficiency of the Scriptures.

These were not truths that were new to Timothy but they were necessary for Timothy, even as they are for us this morning. The confusion in Timothy's day was disappointed that it could be summarized into thoughts, namely that it was doctrinal confusion, insomuch that people did not know what they were supposed to believe, and it was moral confusion, which of course will always accompany doctrinal confusion insofar as the men and women in the congregations were just unclear as to how they ought to behave.

So both in the realm of belief and in the realm of behavior. The church trembled on the brink says mole of annihilation, and here we are, and you don't have to be too brilliant to recognize that there is an immediate point of identification, despite the fact that we are removed by some 2000 years from the events in Timothy's day because I think it is safe to argue that once again right at this point in history, the church trembles on the brink of capitulation more pressing than any other issue is the challenge of pluralism and syncretism. And when the church is tempted to take on board anything other than the simplicity of the gospel and the sufficiency of Scripture that it will always be in danger of capitulation and its mission reasons you will diminish. And its desire to see unbelieving people becoming committed followers of Jesus Christ will begin to falter and more money will begin to be spent on political causes than on the evangelization of the world. The church trembles on the brink of capitulation. We live under tremendous pressure to capitulate to the idea that there is no unique revelation in history. In other words, that Gion the belief in modern Buddhist notions Hinduism. All of that smorgasbord of pluralism is actually the answer to the question we live at a time in which truth has been devalued and tolerance has been enthroned and young men and women growing up in our churches with a kind of how to Christianity, devoid of a solid understanding of biblical theology are trembling on the brink of capitulation to capitulate to the notion that there are many different ways to reach the divine reality to capitulate to the idea that all formulations of religious truth or religious expedience are by their very nature inadequate expressions of that truth to succumb to the notion that it is necessary to harmonize as much as possible, all religious ideas and expedience source to be able to create one universal religion for all mankind.

That is where we live today and D grade challenge is then to hold to the sufficiency of the Scripture in a context that not only in the secular realm, but in the ecclesiastical realm is tottering on the brink of capitulation. Another all kinds of things that contribute to it. I don't want to digress and get myself in trouble immediately. Perhaps it will come out as I go along and find I can pretty well guarantee the will, but without rambling introduction. The question is what is the safeguard. What then is the safeguard in in view of such a danger. Well, a renewed commitment to the sufficiency of the Scriptures because unlike other religions of the world. When you take away this book and the one of whom this book speaks in the one to whom this book introduces us none we are left with moralism and platitudes, and religious ideas and agenda as a notions for the well-being of a culture we are devoid of authority we are devoid of clarity we have nothing really to say to our environment and therefore the antidote to the threat from within and to the threat from without is to be renewed in our conviction regarding the matter that Paul conveys to Timothy here in these verses know what Paul does is simply what Jesus himself had been doing.

I'm sure all of us have decided that we have favorite points along the journey of the life of Christ that if we were able to go back in a time space Show and be brought down into that existential moment we could tell one another.

Where we would like to be of all encounters and all occasions.

In my estimation, one stands out more than any other part of process from the. The events of the empty tomb and the cross and that is the encounter between Jesus and the disciples on the Emmaus Road.

If there is one sermon that I would like to have Herod preached it is the sermon that is there. In summary form in Luke chapter 24 in verse 27 after these poor souls of said you know we thought that this Jesus of Nazareth was going to be the Savior of the world. We thought that he was going to fulfill the claims but everything has come to a grinding halt in a cul-de-sac of a Palestinian tomb and Jesus looks at them lovingly, and he says oh how slow of heart.

You are to believe all that the prophets of written of me, and then beginning with Moses and the prophets. He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. In other words, to his followers, tottering on the brink of unbelief. He did not pump them up.

He turned them to the Bible.

He turned to be aware of the absolute sufficiency of the Scriptures which where there's namely of course the Old Testament Scriptures. No, in light of that when say three things of the Scriptures are sufficient. First of all, for salvation there sufficient for transformation and there sufficient for proclamation and I think if you look with me at the text you see that I'm simply saying what Paul is saying to Timothy two Timothy chapter 3 verse 14 he says. As for you, in comparison to the imposters who will go from bad to worse the deceivers who themselves are dreadfully deceived and then deceive others, unlike those individuals, Timothy I want you to continue in what you have learned and have become convinced you see this is foundational and the underpinning of this is on the basis of two things. One, because he says you know from whom you learned it, and secondly because you know what it was that you learn Timothy would have been on the receiving end of all kinds of instructions coming from the home that he did the influence of a godly grandmother and a godly mother and all the benefits that would have accrued with that would surely have found him in his early days learning the things that God had given to his people as he walked along the road and as he lay down and as he got up learning the necessity of binding them on his heart and talking about them through the pilgrimage of his life.

And Paul is already mentioned to him how the benefits of a godly heritage or something for which he must be tremendously thankful but underpinning that which was conveyed to him is the very truth that was convey and from his infancy is according to verse 15 he had known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. What are the Scriptures for first of all to make men and women why these unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

In other words, the Bible is a book about Jesus in the Old Testament.

Jesus is predicted in the Gospels, Jesus is incarnate in the acts. Jesus preached in the epistles. Jesus is explained and in the revelation Jesus is expected.

But when we go into the Bible from the beginning all the way to the very end, we are encountering a book which comes to us in our foolishness which comes to men and women in their lostness which comes to folks whose minds have been darkened by the god of this age who are blind to things and it is this scripture which is able to make dumb people wise. It is the Scripture that is able to make blind people see it is the Scripture that is able to make people here and it is called police sufficient receipt. That is why it is a call to the proclaiming to the disbursing to the conveying all of the Bible that we are called and it is such an exciting thing, is it not to see a company such as this gathered at this point in history. Under the express concern to preach the word of God far for preaching. Preaching is in the shadows. The world does not believe in, but it is to this Poconos, Timothy salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

So we have it not only in apostolic precept, but we also have it in apostolic practice from the very beginning of the acts of the apostles. What you have in the apostles your preachers men and brethren. He says these folks are not drunk in the way you've been suggesting. No, that's not the case because this is to fulfill what was said by Joel the prophet that in the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. He says let me tell you what the Bible said and he preaches the Bible to them and as a result of his preaching of the Bible, the people are cut to the heart's how do men and women get cut to their hearts. What cuts to the hearts all you can have a sharp tongue and cut people.

You can cut people's hearts. As a result of emotional manipulation there no way to tell stories and induced years that will produce no lasting benefit until when the sword of the spirit cuts to the heart of a man or a woman, then they will ask what are we supposed to do and then we will see repent and be baptized every one of you for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. What did that Peter Peter Peter who capitulated when the lady asked him if he'd been with Jesus. Peter was walking on the water.

Peter, who was drowning. Peter was walking on the water, drowning, you are the Christ, the son of the living God.

Get behind me Satan.

That guy not only could have been anybody more surprised of the end of his sermon, when the Pope started crying out, what are we supposed to do. He looked around at his friends and they must've setting just go ahead and tell them what Jesus said in three and 3000 people were added to the church as a result of the preaching of the word is no surprise then by the time he gets acts chapter 4 and the call before the Sanhedrin and those folks are not particularly pleased with what's going on there asking a variety of questions by what power or what name did you do this. Peter stands up and he says, filled with the Holy Spirit by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed these. The stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.

Was he doing is preaching the Bible. Why would you rate.

Why would he be quoting the Bible because of the sufficiency of Scripture, not his ability to talk about the Bible, but his ability simply to proclaim the Bible let the Bible go the people said to Spurgeon on one occasion, how do you defend the Bible. He said I don't defend the Bible it said why would you defend the Bible you don't defend a lion just like a lion out of his cage. Can you imagine what it cost Peter to stand before this group who came from the same background as did he, and Judaism who were his people whom he loved with a passion and to see with all of the passion of his heart. Salvation is found in no one else, for that is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be see and that you see is the challenge in our day.

Hinduism says that God is incarnated himself many times we say only ones we cannot both be right. Judaism says that Jesus was not the Messiah. We say he was. We cannot both be right boot or safe. We would clean up our act into a little better. God will accept as we say we cannot clean up Iraq and God will not accept is on the basis of what we do. We cannot both be right, so we are stuck with the particularity of Jesus Christ and it is in that essential truth that all of the sufficiency of Scripture is conveyed. Philip does the exact same thing with the Ethiopian eunuch who is doing what reading his Bible.

Why was he reading his Bible because God prompted the seeker look in the right place, about whom is this man writing.

He sets to talk about himself or someone else then Philip said, do you know anything about Judeo-Christian ethics. Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture, and he told them the good news about Jesus.

That's what our friends in McDonald's need to hear. They need to hear the good news about Jesus. Where's the good news about Jesus. It's in the Bible.

No, I must move on, but Lemme see this in each case in the acts of the apostles, the gospel was preached for its own sake, or if you like the gospel was preached for Christ's sake is a simple distinction here that I want you to notice the gospel was not preached as a means to an end.

The gospel was not preached in order that the culture of Ephesus might be changed. The gospel was not preached, so that the Temple of Diana, would be pulled down.

The gospel was not preached so that Christian people could have a kind of better lifestyle for themselves. As a result of the benefits of the gospel message spilling out into the culture know the gospel was preached for no other reason than that men and women might be saved and as a result of the transformation of individual lives, families, communities and cultures to radically alter is the reason why so much preaching apparently of the gospel yields so very little in our day.

Yes, and I think this is part of the reason because men are not convinced of the absolute necessity of proclaiming the Bible between the reality of eternity and the expedience of time in order that the most important transaction might take place in the life of this individual seen in the British Empire and its nursing and the American Empire.

The gospel is not a means to the advancement of a sociopolitical agenda preaching, which offers men and women a set of Christian ideas to appropriate them to assimilate in the hope that they might be better citizens in the long run is not what Paul is referring to here in these verse. Your listing to Truth for Life with Alistair Begg part one of a message titled sufficiency of the word. This message was a message.

Alister preached to an audience of pastors and the book we want to recommend to you today was also selected to benefit anyone who was in church leadership and it's a book that Alister is here to tell us about what thanks Bob, I'm glad always to talk to the pastors who are listening and I know that many are and any of them were serving in any leadership capacity whether pastors or lay leaders will definitely benefit from this book by Rico Tice, faithful leaders, and the subtitle of the things that matter most are Rico possesses a wonderful ability to get to the very center of pastors concerns and once again he reminds us of what we need to know, namely that are usefulness to God is not tied to our talents, but actually to our faithfulness to God's word to God's people and those of you are listening and would like to get a copy of global tell you how that can happen again. The book is titled faithful leaders. You can obtain a copy when you support Truth for Life today donate online at truthforlife.org/donate call us at 888-588-7884 Bob Lapine thanks for listening. Join us Monday for the conclusion of today's message would look here. The secret to successful preaching the Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Learning is for Living