Sunday, April 30, 2006

What Difference Does It Make?
Is the Bible Reliable?

(Sermon Outline for 4/30/2006)
The Scripture

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience. (I Peter 1:24-25, II Peter 1: 19-21, II Timothy 3: 15-17, Hebrews 1:1-2, Matthew 5: 17-18, Matthew 22:29, John 5:39, 16:13-15, 17:17) From MBBC’s Statement of Faith.

How do we know the Bible is the true Word of God?

By Internal and External Evidences

Internal Evidence: What Does the Bible Say?

1. The Bible Claims to be the Word of God
2 Timothy 3:16 16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 1:21 states, "No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
2. Holy Spirit Confirms the Bible as Truth
John 16:13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth."
3. Transforming Ability of God Through the Bible
Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
4. The Amazing Unity of the Bible
The Bible was written over a span of fifteen hundred years. It was written by more than forty men from every walk of life. It was written in many different places. The Bible was written on three different continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was written under many different circumstances. The writers had different purposes for writing. Yet, the Bible is organized around one theme: God's redemption of man and all of creation.
External Evidence
1. Archaeology
2. Prophecy

So, What Difference Does It Make?: Is the Bible Reliable?

What a person believes about the Bible matters, but it doesn’t determine whether one is a Christian.
What a person does with the person of Jesus Christ revealed through the Scriptures is what really matters: Contemplate the Biblical account of the Resurrection -

1 Cor. 15:1-20
Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message. [2] And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.
[3] I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. [4] He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. [5] He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. [6] After that, he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now. [7] Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. [8] Last of all, I saw him, too, long after the others, as though I had been born at the wrong time. [9] For I am the least of all the apostles, and I am not worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted the church of God.
[10] But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. [11] So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach. The important thing is that you believed what we preached to you.

[12] But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? [13] For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. [14] And if Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless. [15] And we apostles would all be lying about God, for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave, but that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. [16] If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. [17] And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins. [18] In that case, all who have died believing in Christ have perished! [19] And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world.
[20] But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again.

IS THE BIBLE RELIABLE? YES

HAVE YOU ACCEPTED ITS MESSAGE?