SONG: Lord, I come before your throne of grace (S of F 894)
PRAY
Introduction:
Live in a climate where people think truth is relative: what's true for me isn't necessarily true for someone else. Postmodernism.
Politics - where is the truth in amongst all the spin?
Cinema advert - 'we all find strength in something' (dangly things from mirror representing different religions/beliefs). Interesting that they also showed keyrings with car manufacturers on - materialism is some people's religion. Italian pen-friend. Cross dangling from mirror, but still drove like a maniac and didn't wear a seatbelt!) Implication of the advert, and much of what we see around us, is that it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you're sincere.
But we can draw strength and confidence from God's word principally because it's true. Truth is narrow - if something's true then something that stands in contrast to it is false. Refreshing that God's truth exposes the hollow philosophies of the world for what they are. Lies of the world stand in stark contrast to God's word. God's truth has a unique standing and authority. People say 'How can you be sure that it's true?' - no proof. Let's look at the evidence and the reasons why we can have confidence and certainty that God's word is true, powerful and supremely relevant to our lives.
Why can we have confidence in God's word?
TRUE
In a world where it's hard to know what's true and what's not, we can have confidence that the Bible is true. Indeed, the phrase 'I tell you the truth' appears 79 times in the Bible.
"For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does"
Psalm 33: 4
[See also John 17: 17; Numb 23: 19]
FLAWLESS
In a world littered with mistakes, errors and faulty doctrines and philosophies, we can be confident that the word of God is flawless.
"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him"
2 Sam 22: 31
[See also Prov 30: 5]
INFALLIBLE
In a world where security is all too flimsy and promises are easily broken, we can have confidence that God's word will never fail.
"Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses"
1 Kings 8: 56
[See also 2 Kings 10: 10; Psalm 103: 20]
ETERNAL
In a world where nothing lasts forever, we can be confident that God's word will stand for all time, eternally true.
"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.'"
1 Peter 1: 23 - 25
[See also Psalm 119: 89, 103 + 152; Isa 40: 8; Psalm 138: 2; Isa 45: 23; Eph 6: 17; 2 Tim 2: 9]
POWERFUL
In a world that constantly disappoints and attacks God's fundamental truths, we can go into battle knowing that God's word is powerful.
"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist... In addition to this... take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Ephesians 6: 14 + 17
[See also Heb 4: 12; Psa 29: 4; Heb 1: 3]
How can we use it confidently? DON'T CHANGE IT
It can be tempting to pick and choose which bits of the Bible we want to take notice of. We'd never go as far as to actually cut up our Bible (!), but it can be tempting to listen to the Devil when he says, "Did God really say...?" (like he did in the Garden of Eden). What we need is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Revelation 22: 19 warns us about the dangers of adding to or taking away from God's word.
[See also Dt 4: 2; Dt 12: 32; Prov 30: 6; 2 Cor 2: 17; 2 Tim 2: 15]
BASIS FOR PREACHING
Make sure that our preaching and teaching is securely anchored in the word of God.
In Acts 17: 2 we see Paul using the scriptures to prove to his listeners who Jesus was and why he died and rose again.
[See also Acts 18: 28; 1 Cor 4: 6]
READ PUBLICLY
It's good to encourage and motivate each other by reading the Bible together. Bloke with unpronounceable name (Nilus of Ancyra) said "If you do not love the blessed and truly divine words of Scripture, you are like the beasts that have neither sense nor reason. In our natural desire for life we eat and drink, we talk and listen; and in the same way with an insatiable thirst we should devote ourselves to reading the words of God"
"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching"
1 Tim 4: 13
[See also Neh 8: 1- 8]
MEDITATE ON IT
A great way to prevent our minds from getting tainted by the world's attitudes is by meditating on Scripture. Philippians tells us to think about true, right, pure, excellent etc. things.
"Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long" Psalm 119: 97
[Psalm 1: 2; Psalm 119: 15]
MEMORISE IT
Get it coursing through your blood stream so that it affects every area of your life. 4 main reasons why memorising scripture is a good idea:
(1) Warfare In the context of spiritual warfare, Jesus quoted Scripture.
(2) Witness Handy to know a gospel outline so you can witness anywhere (without a KGP!)
(3) Worship We can worship with freedom if we have God's words written on our hearts.
(4) Walk Increase your faith by reminding yourself of God's goodness and his promises at any time.
USE IT AS A BENCHMARK
Spot the Fake story Bank of England - bloke who's job is to spot counterfeit notes. His friend says that it must be a painstaking job having to get to know all the counterfeits, but the man replied, "I spend hours studying the original and then I can instantly spot anything that doesn't match up".
"Jesus replied, 'You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.'"
Matt 22: 29
[See also Isa 8: 20; Acts 17: 11]
LIVE IT
It's no good getting to know God's word but no putting it into practise.
" Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says"
James 1: 22
C H Spurgeon - Living on God's word
"I was sitting, one day, in the New Forest, under a beech tree. I like to look at the beech, and study it, as I do many other trees, for every one has its own peculiarities and habits, its special ways of twisting its boughs, and growing its bark, and opening its leaves, and so forth. As I looked up at that beech, and admired the wisdom of God in making it, I saw a squirrel running round and round the trunk, and up the branches, and I thought to myself, 'Ah! this beech tree is a great deal more to you than it is to me, for it is your home, your living, your all.' Its big branches were the main streets of his city, and its little boughs were the lanes; somewhere in that tree he had his house, and the beech-mast was his daily food, he lived on it. Well, now, the way to deal with God's word is not merely to contemplate it, or to study it, as a student does; but to live on it, as that squirrel lives on the beech tree. Let it be to you, spiritually, your house, your home, your food, your medicine, your clothing, the one essential element of your soul's life and growth.
Conclusion
Scripture that came in handy when I was at university (I did a Philosophy degree) "See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ".
The crux of it is that our confidence is in Jesus, who is the incarnate Word of God [John 1: 1]
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life...' [John 14: 6]
Ephesians 3: 12
"In him [Jesus] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence."
PRAY
SONG: And he shall reign (S of F 655)
