Now you can open your Bibles
again to 2 Timothy chapter 4. This epistle was written by the Apostle Paul
when he was a prisoner for two years in Rome. It appears to
me that it was written a very short time before the the Lord
called him to glory. Because he says here in verse
6 of chapter 4, for I am now ready to be offered, talking
about a sacrifice there, but not a blood sacrifice or a sin
offering, but as a drink offering poured on the sacrifice. I'm
ready to be offered. And the time of my departure,
he didn't call it his death, he said, my departure, I'm just
leaving here and going to his presence. It's at hand. And then
he looks at the past without regret. He said, I fought a good
fight. I fought a good fight. He looks at the present and he
says, I finished my ministry. I finished my course. I kept
faith. He looks at the future and he
says, and henceforth there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that
day, but not to me only, but to all them, every one of them,
who love him and who look for his appearing and love that appearing. Now this 2nd Timothy is addressed
to Timothy. You see that in chapter 1. 2nd
Timothy chapter 1 verse 1 and 2. It says Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ by the will of God according to the promise of life
which is in Christ Jesus to Timothy. It's addressed to Timothy. Whom
Paul calls my dearly beloved son. But he was Paul's son in
the ministry. Paul was never married. But Timothy
was one of his beloved sons in the ministry. And close companion. A man in whom Paul had great,
great confidence. But this is not just addressed
only to Timothy. It's addressed to all of us.
And I looked throughout this official for some of the reasons
for it, why Paul sent this message. Of course, I know it's the word
of God, and I'll tell you about that in a little while, inspired,
God-breathed. But it's written by Paul, and
it's addressed to a preacher and to a church and to the people
of God who will follow Timothy. But I found several reasons for
it. The first is found in verse 6
of chapter 1. In verse 6 of chapter 1, in which
Paul says, Wherefore I put you in remembrance, Timothy, and
you who read this epistle, that thou stir up the gift of God
which is in you by the putting on of my hands. For God hath
not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, of a sound
mind." God had given Timothy some gifts, some ability. God gave them to him. And God
has given to all of his people, to me and to you, certain gifts
and abilities to minister to one another. Timothy was a minister. He ministered to the people of
God. Paul has seen him to several places. as a minister of the
gospel. And Paul is saying to Timothy,
I'm writing to you, telling you to exercise your gifts. Stir
them up. Don't let them lie dormant, but
faithfully discharge the ministry God's given to you, whatever
it may be, wherever it may be, to whomever it may be. Stir it
up. Exercise those gifts. The more abundantly We have received
the grace and gifts of God. Listen to me, the more abundantly
we have received the grace and gifts of God, the more attentive
we ought to be to ministering those gifts. Whatever we have,
whatever God has given us, entrusted to us, to use for his glory,
use it. Our Lord said, unto whom much
is given, much has been given to us, much
knowledge and grace and blessings and all things, unto whom Christ
said, Much is given, of him shall much be required. For the Lord
continued, to whom men have committed much, of him they ask them over."
So that's the first reason for this epistle. God has given you
gifts. You're a steward of the grace
of God. Exercise them. Stir up those gifts. Be about
the Master's business, whatever your part may be. And then in
2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 13, here's another reason for the
writing of this epistle. Timothy, hold fast, hold fast
the form of sound words. which you heard from me," whole
fast. You know, Paul knew. He watched
it happen. Demas had forsaken them. Alexandria,
the coppersmith. Hymenaeus named these fellows. He said, they left the gospel.
And Paul knew that some would depart from the gospel and depart
from the pure doctrines of God's grace. I've watched them for
the years. I watched men whom I thought
knew and loved and preached the gospel of God's grace, just leave
it. So he says to Timothy, and he
says to you and me, hold fast. Hold fast to the form of sound
words, which you heard of me. That's sound doctrine. Look over
here at the book of Titus, chapter 1, verse 9. sound doctrine. And I think,
when I think of sound doctrine, I think of God's absolute sovereignty,
don't you? God's sovereignty. I think of
man's total, complete ruin. He wasn't wounded in the garden.
He was slain. I think of God's wonderful elective
grace. That's sound doctrine. I think
of Christ's effectual substitutionary particular atonement. I think of the divine, irresistible
power of the Spirit in calling God's sheep. I think of his grace
in keeping us by his power, perseverance and perseverance. Sound doctrine.
Hold fast. Hold fast. And here in Titus
1, verse 9, he said, holding fast the faithful word as he
hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both
to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." Hold fast. Stand firm. Oh my, so many around
us. Compromise here and compromise
there, and where you can compromise here, you can compromise there.
And where you can compromise here and there, you can compromise
anywhere. And first thing you know, you've
done it. Hold fast. Now listen, back to verse 13,
but there's a way to do it. Hold fast the form of sound doctrine,
sound words, which you've heard of me, in faith and love, which
is in Christ Jesus. In faith and in love. In other
words, in your head and in your heart. Sound doctrine is just not learned
in the head, it's learned in the heart. So you hold fast in
your head and in your heart. Preach it with boldness, uncompromising,
but preach it in love and grace. That's what he's saying. Hold
it fast, that's sound doctrine. But adorn it with love, adorn
it with compassion, adorn it with affection. Adorn the doctrine
of God our Savior in all things. Don't be hard. Be gentle as a
nurse with a baby. That's what Scripture says. Just
as gentle as a mother soothes a crying baby. And let me show
you a verse of Scripture over here in 2 Timothy 2 verse 24. Now what he's saying here is
hold fast the doctrine. in faith and love, in your head
and in your heart, boldly uncompromising, but with love and compassion.
And here in 2 Timothy 2.25, in meekness, instructing those that
oppose themselves. You see, an unbeliever is his
own worst enemy. He's fighting himself. He's fighting
against that which will bless him. He's opposing himself. And
he doesn't know it. You know it, but he doesn't know
it. So listen, you instruct him meekly if God, per adventure,
will give him repentance. To the acknowledging of the truth,
he did you and he did me. He can him. He's like old William
J. This is John Newton, way back
John Newton. And when he walked in the study,
John Newton was sitting at his desk, he said, Brother Newton,
the Lord has saved That old Mr. Edwards up in Bath County. Newton
said, well, praise God. And William J. said, Mr. Newton,
I'll never despair of another sinner after he saved that guy. Newton said, Doug J., I've never
despaired of any sinner since he saved me. It does work that way, doesn't
it? He can save you, he can save anybody. So he said, he may, God may give
him repentance. Now watch verse 26, that they
may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who had
taken captive at his will. You see, turn back to chapter
1, verse 14, the good thing, the good thing which was committed
to you and me. You know what it is? It's the
good news that God's committed to us. We're not the bearers
of a doctrine only. We're the bearers of good news.
Good news from a far country. How beautiful are the feet of
them that bear good news from a far country. It's good news. We're talking about a good hope
through the grace of God. And you keep it now. Keep it. By the Holy Ghost which dwells
in you. That's why he's writing this,
stir up the gifts, be about to master this business, hold fast,
don't, immovable, uncompromising, boldly, but kindly, graciously,
and lovingly preach the gospel, the gospel, just this one. Here's
the third thing I see in this book, 2 Timothy 1. He says, Thou
therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus. Be strong inwardly, be strong
outwardly. Have a full persuasion of your
own interest in Christ, and defend it bravely. Be strong, be strong. Verse 2, And the things you have
heard of me among many witnesses, The same commitment out of faithful
men pass it along somebody else. Pass it along somebody else.
Is anybody sitting here tonight that you brought to hear the
Word? Can you look back over your life and see that you've
been the instrument in the hand of God to teach the gospel by
the power of the Spirit to somebody? And by your influence and leadership,
they know the gospel and they're passionate along. Well, that's
what he says, Timothy. You be strong, inwardly and outwardly. And you pass along to somebody
else. When these elders here stand up and preach, my heart
just pumps. I've passed along this glorious
gospel to somebody else. And when I'm dead and gone, he's
going to be standing here telling the good news. And that thrills
me. It thrills my heart. Pass it
along to a faithful man who can teach somebody else. And verse
3, and Timothy, endure hardship as a good soldier. It's going
to be tough. Everybody's not the friend of
grace. You know that, don't you? You know that better than I do
out there where you work and folks you associate with. But
be a good soldier. You know, I see people flying
their flags. And you fly yours. Wherever you work, wherever you
shop, wherever you are, wherever you live. Fly your flag. Christ Jesus, the gospel. And
watch this, Timothy. No man that worry entangles himself
with affairs of this life. So be careful, Timothy. And don't
become so entangled and taken up with the affairs of this life. Be more taken up with the affairs
of that life. Store up for yourself treasures
not on earth but in heaven. Don't, be careful now, be careful,
it's so easy to do, get so entangled in the affairs of this life and
of this world they hinder you and keep you from being a good
servant of him who hath chosen you. You see that? No man that
worth entangles himself with affairs of this life that he
may please him who chose him to be a soldier in his army. Then I say the fourth reason
for this epistle in chapter 3, Paul said, Timothy, perilous
times are coming. You heard Brother Frank read
this, verse 1, chapter 3, perilous times are coming when false preachers
and false religions shall abound and the love of men shall wax
cold. Let's read some of it. Verse 2, men shall be lovers
of their own selves. covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
truce-breakers, covenant-breakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, raging, despisers of those that are good, despisers
of those that believe God, despisers of those who love the Word of
God, traitors, heady, high-minded, intellectuals, Lovers of pleasure,
more than lovers of God. And here, right here, is the
mark of this day and of the day he's talking about. Having a
form of godliness. Having a form of religion. Buildings,
pastors, services, holy days, all of these things. Having a
form of godliness, but denying the what? The power. The power
there. God's power. Christ is the power
of God. God is able to save whom He will. God is able to save to the uttermost
them that come to Christ by Him, come to God by Christ. He's almighty. God is sovereign in providence
and creation and salvation. He's God. But the God I hear
preached today is not a God of power. He's not a God of purpose. He's not a God of providence.
He's a lesser God. Isn't that right? This describes
my day. They have a form of godliness.
Religion. Services. Ceremonies. They deny
the power of God. His power. His Lordship. And
verse 7. Here's another mark of our day.
Ever learning. My friends. Today, we have the
most educated religious ministry that's ever been on the face
of the earth. We've got masters of divinity, we've got doctors
of divinity, we've got PhDs of divinity, we've got bachelors
of divinity, we've got all this learning, learning, learning,
learning, learning, education. Most places where people preach,
you can't be a pastor without two degrees. One from a college,
one from a seminary. They demand it. They don't know
the truth. They don't preach the truth,
ever learning, studying, and never able to come to the knowledge
of the truth, the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. Paul said
of him, Thessalonians, turn to 2 Thessalonians. Listen to this. deceivableness, without chapter
2 of 2 Thessalonians verse 10, and with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive
not the love of the truth. They've got the form, but not
the power. They've got the learning, the
education, but not the truth, that they might be saved. And
verse 11 says, and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions
that they'll believe a lie. Even stand at the judgment and
say, Lord, we preached in your name. We did many wonderful works
in your name. Cast out demons. Never did it. And here is the fifth purpose
of this book, found in chapter 3, verse 14. Listen to this. But continue thou, but now Timothy,
I'm talking to you now. And although people depart from
the gospel of grace, and you're going to see them go, you're
going to see them depart. And although wickedness prevails,
men are lovers of themselves more than lovers of God. And
false doctrine abounds, and abounds, and abounds. And the enemies
of Christ reign in religious circles. But you, Timothy, continue
thou in the things which you've learned." And I'm talking to
us here now. You continue in the things you've
learned. And I sat down and thought about
that. What have I learned? What have you learned? Well,
we've got to sum it up. We don't have all night to tell
what we've learned, so let's find just one passage over here
in 2 Corinthians. Just one passage, I'll give you
the three most important things we've learned. Continue in these
things that you've learned. First thing I learned is who
God is. That's when the Lord revealed the gospel to me. I
found out who God is. I had a God, but not the God
of the Bible. I was even preaching a God, but
not the God of the Bible. preaching of Jesus, but not the
Christ of the Bible. It's like Paul described those
people in 2 Corinthians 11. He said they've got another Jesus,
another spirit, and another gospel. So I learned who God is. Look
at chapter 18. It says, and all things are of
God. That's who God is. All things
in creation. All things in providence. All
things in salvation. All things in heaven, all things
in earth, all things under there. All things in the past, all things
in the present, all things in the future. He's God. He said,
I, I'm the Lord. Listen, let me read you a scripture
over here in Isaiah. You listen while I just turn
and read it. Over here in Isaiah chapter 40, 45. This is what
I learned. I'm the Lord. There's none else. There's no God beside me. I girded
thee, though thou hast not known me. I knew you, for you knew
me. That they may know from the rising
of the sun and from the west, there's none beside me, I'm the
Lord, there's none else. I form the light, I create darkness.
I make peace, I create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things.
Listen to this. Remember the former things of
old, I'm the Lord. There's none else. I'm God. There's
none like me. I declared an end from the beginning
and from ancient times of things that are not yet done, saying,
My counsel shall stand, and I'll do all of my pleasure. And I
call a ravenous bird from the east. I call a man from the far
country that executed my counsel. I've spoken. I bring it to pass. I purpose it. My word will not
return unto me void, it shall accomplish that whereunto I have
sent it, and that which pleases me." That's God. That's our God. I learned that, and you did too.
Now you continue in that. You can't glorify God too much. You can't praise him too much.
You can't give him too much glory and honor, because it's all wrong,
all things of God. and hath given to us the minister
of reconciliation, to which God was in Christ." This man, Jesus
Christ, who was born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, born of a Jewish
maiden by the name of Mary of the house and lineage of David,
born of the Virgin, this man is God. This man is God. He's not just the Son of God.
He's not just a representative of God, He's God Almighty Himself
in human flesh. Without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
seen of the angels, justified in the spirit, preached to the
Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in the glory.
This is God. God was in Christ. What was He
doing? In Christ, as a man, our representative,
our federal head, for in Adam we die, in Christ we are made
alive. By one man's sin, we became sinners. By one man's obedience,
we became righteous. He is working out for us, in
his flesh, a perfect holiness. From the time he was born to
the time he died on the cross, he never offended the Father
in one jot or tittle. Perfect, perfect life. Then he went to the cross, and
there he bled under the judgment and wrath of God. There he suffered
as our justifier. God was in Christ justifying
us, sanctifying us, redeeming us, making us holy in order that
we might be accepted of God and God might be just and justifying
us. I learned that 51 years ago. I learned that. I learned more about it, but
I hadn't improved on it one bit. It's still the same message.
It's still the same gospel. I haven't altered it or changed
it or improved on it. I just learned more about it.
Who He is. And I found out who I am. Look
at that next verse. Verse 19, to which God was in
Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing our
trespasses. I'm a trespasser! I walk where
I wasn't supposed to walk. You ever been out hunting and
you saw that sign, no trespassing? Did you cross the fence? Well,
you're a trespasser, and you can't get shot. But we're trespassers. We've
stepped over the fence. We've stepped over the line again
and again and again and again and again. We're trespassers. And God has committed to us the
word of this reconciliation. Now then, we're ambassadors.
God's taken these trespassers and reconciled them, made them
ambassadors of his. As though God didn't beseech
you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be you reconciled to God. Lay down your shotgun. You see, God was in Christ, reconciling
us to himself. Now, God's not angry anymore.
He loves us in Christ. He's not angry. When Saul of
Tarsus was persecuting the Church, God wasn't angry with him, he
loved him in Christ. But Saul hated God. God didn't
hate him, he hated God. And when Saul heard the gospel,
he was reconciled to God. You see what I'm saying? Christ,
by his blood and righteousness, reconciled me to God. The Holy
Spirit, in bringing me the gospel, and crushing my wicked heart,
and giving me faith in him, he reconciled God to me, and me
to God. When Christ died, God laid down
his shotgun, and when you heard the gospel, you laid down yours.
He's friendly and we are too. You see? That's what he's saying
there. And here's the reason, the whole
thing, verse 21. Because he, God, made him, Christ,
to be sin. He actually was made sin. He
was made sin. He was made sin to such a degree
and such reality that God turned his back on him. That's right. Why have you forsaken me? Your
sins have separated you and your God. My sins? Yeah, they're yours. You bore them. You were made
sin. He made him to be sin for us that we might be made to be
sin, to be righteousness in him. Made righteous. Oh my goodness,
that's what we learn. And that's the gospel. And that's
the gospel. You learn that continuing what
you've learned. Now go back to my text. You've got to stay with this
now. If you continue in the things which you learned, and you continue
in those things, don't change that. That's all the hope you've
got. I've got two. The only guarantee that anybody
in here will be saved. Only guarantee. The fact that
God did it all is the only hope you've got. Me too. If there's
anything left for you to do, you're out of... nothing's going to happen for you. He did
it all. Now you continue in the things
which you've learned and have been assured. How are we assured? By His Word. That's how we're
assured, by His Word. Now this is what I'm working
on here, the Word of God. The title of this message is
the miracle of the book. This is our assurance, the word
of God. That's right. Our firm foundation, his thanks
to the Lord, is laid for your hope in his excellent word. Now
turn with me to two scriptures. Turn to Deuteronomy 18. Deuteronomy
chapter 18. The scriptures are my assurance,
the foundation of my faith. Now watch this, Deuteronomy 18,
verse 18. I'll read this verse, Deuteronomy
18, 18. I will raise them up a prophet
from among their brethren, like unto you, Moses. And I'll put
my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that
I shall command him. Now, the Father is talking about
Christ Jesus here. And he shall come to pass, that
whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he, my prophet,
shall speak in my name. I'll require it of him. But now
the prophet, notice in verse 18, that prophet is capitalized.
In verse 18, the first, I will raise up a prophet, capital P,
that's Christ. All right, verse 20 now, he's
talking about human prophets, preachers. But the prophet that
shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not
commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other
gods, That prophet shall die. And if thou say in thy heart,
well, how shall I know the word which the Lord hath spoken? How
am I going to tell the difference? In that capital P, prophet, his
son, and this prophet is lying. How am I going to tell the difference?
I'll give you the way God says. When a prophet speaks in the
name of the Lord, if the things follow not, In other words, the
prophet comes along preaching, and if it doesn't come to pass,
if what he preached doesn't come to pass, if it doesn't happen,
the Lord hasn't spoken through him. But the prophet hath spoken
it presumptuously. Thou shalt not be afraid of him.
Don't pay attention to him. The way you can tell a prophet
of God is what he says comes to pass. Our Lord Jesus Christ,
what he said in the Old Testament, came to pass in the New Testament.
Every prophecy, every promise, every word concerning Christ
came to pass. Let me show it to you. Acts,
now here's that other place. Acts 13. Acts 13. How do we know he's the Christ?
How do we know he's the one God sent? How do we know he's the
priest after all the Melchizedek? How do we know? Acts 13, verse
22. Now we're talking about the Old Testament scriptures now.
Acts 13, 27. For they that dwell at Jerusalem
and their rulers, because they knew him not. They didn't know
him. They didn't know the Lord Jesus
when he came. He was in the world, and the world knew him not. He
came to his own, and they received him not. Nor yet the voices of
the prophets, which are read every Sabbath day, they have
fulfilled them in condemning him. Read on. And though they found no cause
of death in him, yet desired Pilate Desired they pilate, he
should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all
that was written of him. The Old Testament Scriptures
talk about Christ coming, born of a virgin, how that Christ
would die and suffer. We read that in Luke 24. Moses,
Tom, the prophet, how that Christ would suffer. They fulfilled
all that was written of him. They took him down from the tree
and laid him in a sepulcher and God raised him from the dead.
And that was written in the Old Testament. You see, this Old
Testament is the story of Christ Jesus. He's coming into the world
and suffering and dying and redeeming a people, sending back to the
Father and coming again. Fulfilled. Fulfilled. That's our assurance. Now back
to the text. Be patient with that, I want
to give you a few more things here. Verse 14, continue thou
in the things which you've learned, and you've been assured by the
proof of the word, by the Old Testament, how God fulfilled
every promise, knowing of whom you learned them. Timothy, knowing
of whom you learned all this. Of whom did you learn it? Same
way Timothy did. And I'll tell you how Timothy
learned it. First, he heard it from his mama. He heard it from
his mother and his grandmother. That's right. Turn to 2 Timothy
1, verse 5. Paul said, Timothy, when I call
to remembrance the unfamed faith that is in you which dwelt first
in your grandmother, Lois, and in your mother, Eunice, and I'm
persuaded in you too. You see, his mother was a Jew.
His daddy was a Greek. But Timothy was the son of a
devout Jewish woman who taught her son the Word of God, as Jewish
mothers all did, from his mother. You heard it from your mama.
And your grandmother. Or secondly, he heard it from
the Apostle Paul. 2nd Timothy chapter 2. It says
here in chapter 2 verse 2, and the things which you heard of
me among many witnesses you commit to faithful men. He heard Paul.
But you know who else he heard? Turn to John chapter 5. He heard the one that a person
must hear. He may hear his mother, he may
hear an apostle, he may hear a preacher, He may hear the greatest
picture, but he's going to have to hear John 6, I'm sorry, John
chapter 6. He's going to have to hear from
him who speaks from heaven. In John 6, verse 44, no man can
come to me except my Father which sent me, John. And I raised him
up at the last day. It's written in the prophets.
This is written in the Old Testament. They shall be all, every believer,
all the elect, all the sheep, all the church of God, they shall
be all taught of God, and every man therefore that hears and
learns of the Father shall come to Christ. All right, let me make good on
one other thing here now. Back to my text, chapter 3, 2
Timothy verse 15. And that from a child, that's
what he's been talking to Timothy about. He said, of whom you learn
this gospel? You learn this gospel from your
mother, your grandmother. And you learned it hearing me
preach. But God taught you. And he says here, from a child,
you've known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise
unto salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ. Now
listen, real Catholic in there right now, everybody. Brother
Mews used to say, don't move a hand nor a hair. The Jews very early taught their
children the Holy Scriptures as we very early teach them here.
These ladies teaching these children start over there when they're
just wee fellas teaching them the word. Three years old. Teaching
the word. And then they go on up to get
to Bob's class and then they get to the preacher's class.
Sometimes they can get by all of them. Get right on by one of them.
And sit in the congregation unsaved. Because listen to me now, the
natural man does not receive the word nor understand it. But
Paul didn't say Timothy understood the scripture. He said you learned
it, but you may not understand it, you can still learn it. You
learned it from your mother and your grandmother and from your
daddy and brothers. Paul didn't say he understood
it. Paul didn't say he was wise. Paul didn't say he was saved.
He said, you learn the scriptures that are able to make you wise.
See what I'm saying? That are able to save you. For
without the scriptures, you're not going to be wise or saved.
Now that's just the way it is. The scriptures are received. The Word of God is received.
The sower went forth to sow. The sower is the Son of Man,
saved the Word of God. And he sows it. And we sow it
here when they're 3 years old, and 4 years old, and 6 years
old, and 10 years old, and 20 years old. We keep sowing it
when they're 30 years old. Paul said, I plan to polish waters,
but only God can give me an answer. But let me tell you this. He
has to hear the Word. The Word is able to make one
wise under salvation. Because it's by the Word of God
that men are convinced of sin. It's by the Word of God that
God begets life. Of his own will beget he us with
the Word. We're born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of the Word of God. It's the Word which reveals Christ,
person and work. Whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be saved. But how shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed, and how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? So he said, Timothy, I don't know how old Timothy
was when he came to know Christ, but I know how old he was when
he started hearing about him. Just a little kid. Just a little
kid. And Paul says that word, from
a child you have known the Holy Scripture. And I can look out
here at this congregation and point to every young person here
and say the same thing about you. From a child you have known
in your head the Holy Scripture. You know who God is. In your
head you do. You know who God is. You know
who Christ is. You know what you are. You know
these things. You can visit another church
and you say, they don't preach what my pastor preaches. They
don't preach what God says. That's what our young people
say. And they're able. God is able. These scriptures
are able to make you wise to salvation. If I listen to verse
16. All Scripture, all of this book, this miracle
book, all Scripture, all the Bible, all the Old Testament,
New Testament, is the Word of God. Listen, all Scripture is
given by inspiration of God. You know what that word inspiration
is? God breathed. God breathed. Listen to what David said over
here. Listen, he said, The Spirit of
the Lord spake by me. His Word was in my tongue. When David wrote the Psalms,
he said, The Spirit of God spake by me. His Word was in my tongue. Holy men of God spake as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is God breathed. God breathed. Here's a book. We'll talk about this book now.
Here's a book the Lord used Moses to begin writing it. 3,500 years
ago. 3,500 years ago. And 1,500 years ago, the Apostle
John wrote the last page on the Isle of Patmos. And since Moses
began this book and John closed it, although it's been handled
by thousands of scribes and teachers, some true and some false, Translators,
no one has been permitted by God to take away the message
or add to or basically change the message and the gospel of
this book. It's still the same. You read
Moses today, it's still the same. It's Christ. You read Isaiah,
still Christ. You read Psalm, still Christ.
You read Jeremiah, you read Zechariah, you read Malachi, the messenger,
the covenant. It has not been changed. Basically,
the message of this book is not changed. It's still the gospel
that Luther preached 500 years ago, and Ignatius preached 1,500
years ago, and somebody else preached 2,000 years ago, and
Moses wrote 3,500 years ago. They're the same message. And
God used 40 men, from all walks of life, to breathe into their
souls and hearts this word. He used kings, he used shepherds,
He used fishermen, he used tent makers, he used physicians, he
used preachers. And they wrote on every subject
in this book. Yet this book tells one story.
For all who know it, it tells one story. What's that, preacher? It tells the blessed story of
God's wonderful love in Christ for sinners. That's what it's
about. The very cause and foundation
of everything God does for sinners is because God so loved, that's
right, that he gave. It tells the story of God's grace
and mercy to sinners in Christ Jesus. And all 66 books are written
with a single purpose, to exalt the Lamb of God who died on the
cross to save us from sin. And John chapter 20 verse 31
sums it up. Many things our Lord did which
are not written in this book, because if everything he did
was written in the book, the world wouldn't contain the books.
But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and believing you might have life in his name.
That's why it's written. Millions of copies of this book
are printed every year in over 900 languages. Did you know that?
Every language on this earth has a Bible. This Bible. Right. It has overcome the barrier of
time. Where are the books of men which
have endured 3,500 years? Or even 2,000 years? Or even
1,000? Where are the writings of men?
This book is still the same. It's overcome the barriers of
age. Little children read this book. Old men read this book. Presidents read this book. Pulpits
read this book. It's overcome the barrier of
nationality and culture. David, a Jewish shepherd, said,
I love thy word. Solomon, the wisest man that
ever lived, loved the word. The Ethiopian eunuch embraced
it. Rahab, a harlot, embraced it.
Onesimus, a slave. and an intellectual religious
Pharisee like Saul of Tarsus. Died before the world. This Bible has endured the hatred
of kings and philosophers and intellectuals and infidels and
dictators. Even religious translators trying
to tone down its message. They've got a hundred translations
around. This one's still the same. That's
right. Maybe a thousand translations,
I don't know, but they keep trying to tone it down, tone it down,
take the edges off, take the offense out of the car. Men have
tried to destroy it, they've tried to disprove it in every
imaginable way. They've tried logic, they've
tried philosophy, they've tried theories, they've tried science,
they've tried to excavate bones and relics, but after they have
done all they can do. And after they've written their
last denials, after they've taught their last class on evolution,
after they've had their final say, their breath stops, and
they lie in death. And while their bodies are being
eaten of the worms, this precious book, God's Word, goes on unchanged,
undisturbed, revealing Christ to seeking sinners, bringing
good news to the lost, bringing joy and hope to all who believe,
bringing comfort and consolation to broken hearts. And it goes
on accomplishing. He said, that which I please. I love that scripture. My word
will not return unto me, for it shall accomplish that which
I please. And that One, two, I sing it. The Miracle Book. It's got one
story. And it's a story of good news. How a sinner can attain eternal
glory through Christ Jesus. I love it, don't you? The Word
of God.