3 Fold Message of Scripture

Q: What does the Bible say about the importance of Scripture?

The Bible emphasizes that all messages must be rooted in Scripture, as they provide the light and truth necessary for salvation. According to Acts 17:2-4, Paul reasoned with the Jews from the Scriptures, demonstrating that the source of every gospel message is God's Word. The Scriptures are cited as having authority, as seen in both Isaiah and 2 Timothy 3:16, which states that all Scripture is God-breathed. Without grounding in the Scriptures, any message falls into error, as true understanding comes from the revealed Word of God. Thus, proclaiming the message of Christ requires an unwavering emphasis on Scripture, reminding us of its significance in the life of every believer.

Q: How do we know that Christ must suffer?

The necessity of Christ's suffering is rooted in Scripture, which reveals it as the means for the redemption of humanity from sin. Paul's message relayed in Acts 17 emphasizes that Christ must suffer, a theme consistent throughout the Scriptures, including Isaiah 53, which foretells the suffering of the Messiah. The doctrine of substitutionary atonement is crucial; Scriptures like Romans 6:23 state that the wages of sin is death, necessitating Christ's suffering to satisfy divine justice. His suffering was not arbitrary but a predetermined plan of God to redeem His people, as foretold in the Law and the Prophets. Jesus Himself affirmed this necessity in Matthew 16:21 when He explained to His disciples that He must suffer many things, reaffirming that His mission required suffering for the atonement of sin.

Q: Why is the resurrection of Christ important for Christians?

The resurrection is crucial as it affirms Christ's victory over sin and death, providing hope for believers' future resurrection. The resurrection of Christ is foundational for Christian faith, as seen in 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul argues that if Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain. The resurrection validates Jesus as the triumphant Savior and assures believers of their own future resurrection, as evidenced in verses 20-22. As Christ rose from the dead, He became the first fruits of those who have died, signifying that in Him, those who believe will also be made alive. Additionally, it represents God's acceptance of Christ's sacrifice, ensuring that salvation is accomplished in Him. Thus, the resurrection is pivotal, shaping the hope of all who are in Christ.

Look back with me at verse 1. Again, he says, when they passed through Amphipolis to Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue of the Jews in Paul's manner as his custom was. He went in and three Sabbath days he reasoned. He spoke to those folks. He preached to them. And His message came out of the Scriptures. We see that here as we read this. Look at verse 2.

It says, this is where we see the source of every gospel message. What is it? Paul said, and this is true for Paul, just as it is for every true minister of the gospel. The source of the message is the Scriptures. That's where the message comes from. It comes from God's Word. Back in the book of Isaiah, it says this, it says, to the law and to the testimony. If they speak not according to His Word, if they speak not according to this Word right here, it's because there's no light in them. I typed that word scripture, just curious, into my concordance, and there's 53 times there's a reference to that word in God's Word, the scripture, the scripture.

And Paul here is, he's gonna bring a message and he's gonna bring it from the scriptures. Back when, remember when Philip, when Philip went to that eunuch, back there in Acts, Acts chapter 8. And it said that the Spirit said to Philip, go near and join thyself to the chariot. And Philip did as he was commanded.

He ran thither and he heard that fellow reading from the prophet Isaiah. And he asked him, he said, do you understand what you're reading? And that eunuch said, well, how can I? How can I accept some man should guide me, should teach me? And he desired, Philip, that he would come up into that chariot and sit with him.

And the place of the scripture he was reading was from Isaiah 53. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, as a lamb done before his shearer, so opening not his mouth. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. and who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth." And the eunuch, he asked Philip, he said, I pray thee, who's this prophet talking about? Is he talking about himself or is he talking about some other person? And Philip opened his mouth And he began at the same what?

The same Scripture. The Word of God. He began at the same Scripture and he preached unto Him, Jesus. He preached unto Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philip's message, it came from the Scripture. We see that, don't we? I don't know how a man can stand up and talk an hour and not even reference a verse of Scripture. How could we ever think that we have anything or that we have something more important to say than what God's Word says? When our Lord preached, when He spoke, now obviously His message was from the Word, He spoke the word, didn't he? He inspired it. It's God breathed. But you know when he spoke to a group of Pharisees back in the book of Matthew, and they were saying, give us a sign. We want a sign. We want to see a sign.

And he said this. He said as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of that fish, So shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. He went to the Scripture. He said this, he said, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Turn to Luke chapter 24. Luke chapter 24, verse 44. Luke 24, verse 44.

And he said unto them, again, our Lord speaking, he said, these are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all these things must be fulfilled which were written Where? In the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms. Where are they written? They're written in the Scriptures. Those things are written in the Old Testament.

Read on in verse 45, it says, And then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. We just can't put enough emphasis. We can't overemphasize the importance of God's Word. Well, back to our text, back to Acts 17. Paul's message from the Scriptures. Philip's message from the Scriptures. Our Lord's message from the Scriptures. And again, any man who's called to preach to proclaim the Word of God, that message is going to come from the Scriptures.

Matthew 22, there were some Pharisees, they came and asked the Lord a foolish question. And this is how He replied to them. He said, you do err. And He gave them two reasons, two reasons for err. One of them was, you don't know the power of God. But the other one was this, you don't know the Scriptures. Two ways in which you don't know the Scriptures, you don't know the power of God.

The message must come from the Word of God. That's clear, isn't it? A message from the scriptures. A message from the infallible Word of God. It's the Word of the Lord that endures forever. Man's going to die and we're going to hear him no more, but God's Word is eternal. Well, what was this message that Paul preached?

Read on. I ask you, let me ask you this, was it a message of self-righteousness? That's common in our day, isn't it? It's been common since time began, since the fall. Is it that man needs to just straighten up and do a little better? We hear that, don't we? Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Man always needs to do something. Just listen long enough, that's what you'll hear. Man needs to do something.

But listen, that is not the message of the Bible. That's not the message of the Scriptures. The message of the Scriptures is just one thing. And it's Christ. And Christ alone. Look at verse 3 here with me in our text. It says, opening and alleging. Now this is a short outline. Just three points, okay? Three points. Maybe I can remember all three of these. Last week, we had a three-fold prayer. This evening, a three-fold message. And the first is this.

Christ must needs have suffered. Christ must needs have suffered. Second, he is risen again from the dead. And the third point is this, this Jesus, Paul said, this Jesus whom I preach to you, he is the Christ. Just three points. Opening and alleging, opening the scriptures and declaring, expounding, Given the true sense of it, thus saith the Lord, Christ must needs have suffered.

We read this, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. Christ must needs have suffered. He must suffer and he must suffer like no man has ever suffered before and like a man will never suffer again. He suffered the shame and humiliation of the cross. He suffered being made sin and he suffered unto death. Why did he have to suffer? Why was it necessary that the Lord Jesus Christ suffer? Why must He be put to death? Sin must be punished. Sin has to be punished.

We read this in Romans 6.23, the wages of sin is death. You know, that's one thing we have absolutely no problem earning, The wages of sin is death. The result of my sin, what is it? It's death. We're sinners. Scripture's clear on that. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and we're sinners by birth. We're sinners by choice. We're sinners by practice. It's what we do. It's what we are. And as a result of that, we deserve the consequence of it. But listen to what Paul says here in our text.

He says Christ must suffer. He must suffer. He must suffer to redeem his people. God's holy. Righteous, God is just in all that he does. Scripture says he will by no means clear the guilty. His law, it must be honored. His justice, it must be satisfied. And if he's pleased to show mercy to any, if he in his grace is pleased to show mercy to any, He's going to do it in a manner that's consistent with His holiness, with His righteousness. Sin is going to be punished, even when it's found on His only begotten Son.

In the Lord Jesus Christ, He came to this earth. Think about that. Christ was made a man and He came and He obeyed the law perfectly. And He suffered and He died on the cross. Again from Isaiah 53, it says, He was wounded. Why? For our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, by His stripes we are healed. He must suffer.

Turn with me to Matthew chapter 16. Matthew 16, verse 21. From that time forth, again verse 21, from that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how he must go unto Jerusalem. and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and raised again the third day. And Peter, Peter took him and he began to rebuke him.

And he said, be it far from thee, Lord. This shall not be done to thee. And our Lord turned to Peter and he said to him, he said, get thee behind me, Satan. Thou art an offense to me, for thou savest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of man.

The Lord Jesus Christ, he must, he must suffer. He must go to Jerusalem, he must suffer, he must die for the sins of his people. Without his death, without his death, we have no atonement. Without His death, we don't have an advocate. Without His death, we don't have a substitute. Christ must suffer.

Well, back to Acts 17. Verse 3. opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead. Risen. He must die, but he also must be risen. He that was made sin for us was risen from the dead. Turn to 1 Corinthians 15. Verse 12, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 12. if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead. And we declare that.

And he says, how say some among you that there is no resurrection from the dead? If there be no resurrection from the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is vain, And we're all found false witnesses of God because we've testified of God that he raised up Christ when he raised him not up. If so, be the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. And if he be not raised, our faith is vain. And listen to this. If he be not raised, your faith is vain and you are yet dead. You're in a terrible spot, aren't we? You are yet in your sins.

Verse 18, then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But, we love that word in Scripture, don't we? But now is Christ risen from the dead. and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. As in Adam, all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Every man in his own order, Christ the first fruit, and after they, that are Christ at his coming." Listen, the fact that he's risen from the dead proves that in all that he did, He was successful. Proves that Almighty God is satisfied with His sacrifice. The successful Savior. He's left nothing. Left nothing undone. Let me read to you, let me just read this to you from Hebrews 1. Just listen.

God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in times fast, Fathers, through the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, whom he hath made the worlds, who, being the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down. sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. He sat down because the work was finished. He said that himself, didn't he?

It is finished. The sin debt paid in full. God's justice satisfied. Almighty God satisfied. Quickly, back to our text, Acts 17. Christ must needs have suffered. He's risen from the dead. And then, last point. He says, this Jesus whom I preach to you, He is the Christ. Jesus is the Christ. Now again, in our day, everybody talks about a man named Jesus.

Talk to him like he's like a fellow that just lives around the corner from him, maybe next door neighbor. They talk about a Jesus who wants to save, but they say he can't, not apart from you. They talk about a Jesus who's done everything he can do, and he's just left the rest up to you. They talk about a weak, impotent, Beggar.

That may be the Jesus this world talks about, but the scriptures declare someone far different. The scriptures declare that he is the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says, this Jesus I preach to you. I don't know who everybody else is talking about. But this Jesus I preach unto you, he is the Christ. He's that one promised and prophesied throughout the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus Christ. God's anointed. Anointed of God. He's the Son of God. He's the God-man. Paul says He is the Christ.

And if you look back, just go back to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. Verse 36. Acts 2 verse 36. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom you've crucified both Lord and Christ. Turn to Matthew 16, verse 13. Matthew 16, look at verse 13.

When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, whom do men say? Who do others say that I am? And they said, well, some say you're John the Baptist, and some say Elias, and others say Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. And he said to him, and this is where it gets personal, doesn't it? He says, who do you say? Who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter answered and he said, thou art the Christ. Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.

There were no objections made to that, were there? The source of our message, where does it come from? It comes from the scriptures. Threefold message. He must suffer, he is risen, and he is the Christ. And then quickly we see here the results, the effect. Back to, look at verse four of Acts 17. This message, again from the scriptures, it's preached. We preach the word and there's an effect.

Isaiah wrote, the Lord wrote, he said, my word's gonna go forth out of my mouth and it shall not return unto me void. It's gonna accomplish, it's gonna accomplish the purpose whereunto I sent it. It's going to accomplish what I please. It's going to prosper in the way in which I sent it.

And back to our text, Acts 17, verse 4, we read, some of them believed. Some believed. And they consorted with Paul and Silas and the devout Greeks, the great multitude, the chief women. That word consort, it means they didn't have any problem identifying with them.

And that's believer's baptism. That's what we do when we're baptized. We identify with God's people. We identify with Christ in his death, his burial, his resurrection. We say, this is what I believe. Some believed. We know this, we know a few things about those that believe.

Acts 13, 48, it says, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Those whom God has chosen, those whom God in His infinite grace has given to His Son, those for whom Christ suffered on the cross those for whom He prayed. Our Lord in John 17, 20, He said, He said, I don't pray for these alone, but for them also which shall believe. I pray for those that are going to believe on me through this word. Those that shall believe, a number which nobody can number. A people that Christ redeemed. He redeemed us to God by his blood out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation. Some believed.

Ordained to eternal life, those for whom he prayed, those for whom he laid down his life. When I hear that, some believed, I often think of the father of that child in Matthew 9. Remember, he wanted his son to be healed. And the Lord told him, he said, believe. He said, all things are possible to him that believes. You remember his cry?

I believe, oh, I believe. Help thou, help thou mine unbelief. Do I still have fears? Do I still have doubts? Don't we all? But I believe. I believe. A message from the scriptures declaring Christ must needs have suffered. He's risen. And this Jesus whom we preach, he is the Christ. And the result? Some, some believe. Oh Lord, grant it that we might believe. All right, Isaac.

3 Fold Message of Scripture

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the importance of Scripture?

How do we know that Christ must suffer?

Why is the resurrection of Christ important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

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3 Fold Message of Scripture

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the importance of Scripture?

How do we know that Christ must suffer?

Why is the resurrection of Christ important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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