Is The Bible Relevant Today

The Sermon portion of the video begins at about 17 minutes into the video. The Communion is about the first 10 minutes followed by a song and then the sermon.

2 Tim 3:16-17
16 Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another — showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. 17 Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Is The Bible Relevant Today

 (2 Tim. 3:10-17)

 

Intro:

               A.  He lived from 1694 to 1778, he was a playwright, satirist, and philosopher.  He wrote at a time when church and state were united and both corrupt.  He trumpeted the separation of church and state that we now have today.  The notion that the monarchy was ordained of God was ridiculous to him.  Unlike Martin Luther who attempted to reform the church or the Anabaptists who started their own, this man sought to bring doubt to the minds of Christians concerning the divine authority of the Bible.  We know this man as Voltaire.

               B.  His words became like leaven in a lump of dough.  His belief that there is no biblical doctrine has led churches over the last 250 years to abandon Biblical teachings for man’s philosophies.  It is said that Voltaire made the statement that “within 100 year the Bible will only be a relic of antiquity.” 

               C.  It’s been almost 250 years since his death and the Bible is far from being only a relic of antiquity.  But it doesn’t stop people from buying into the belief that Bible is not relevant to us today.  It was good back then, good for shepherds and scribes, but it is seems far removed from today, where fixing my transmission or resurrecting my crashed hard drive is a major concern.

               D.  We live in a day when morality is viewed by what makes me happy or makes me feel good.  We live in a nation that seeks to use the political and legal system to fix injustices.  Yet, those things cannot and do not speak to the heart of the problem or the solution.

               E.  All this begs the question, “Is the Bible relevant and authoritative today?”  Before I seek to answer that question, I want us to look into the words of the Bible and hear what it has to say for itself.

 

I.  Willing To Pay The Price

               A.  Peter makes his position clear when he tells about what he saw and heard when Jesus was transfigured in front of him (READ 2 Pet. 1:16-20). There is so much evidence that Bible is more than just words that men wrote.  The evidence of its authenticity is also evidence of its divine guidance.

               B.  Archeology, science and mathematics all speak to the evidences that help us to put our faith in the written word being the word of God.  But I want to you to think about the people who wrote and lived and died for what they knew was truth.  One such person is Paul.  His story is told from Acts through his writings to people and churches.  But in our study of 2 Timothy we find him helping Timothy to stand with the doctrines found in God’s revelation.  Understand, Timothy would never have seen or heard Jesus in person.  He would only know Jesus as a second generation believer.  So his lack of personal connection, yet great faith in what Paul teaches, is another evidence of truth.

               C. One person may live a lie, go through pain and suffering for that lie, but when hundreds are willing to die, you have to step back and ask why would they do that for a lie? Prophets of old were killed for telling their people God’s word. Christians died at the hands of people who wanted them to deny Jesus and the resurrection.  But they did not, because they believed it was truth.

               D.  Listen to the praise Paul has for Timothy and the warning given to him for following the doctrines of God as relevant (READ 2 Tim. 3:10-13).

               E.  If you really believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…If you really believe that Jesus died for your sins and was raised so you could have eternal life…If you really believe that God’s teaching on how to live your life – morally, ethically, spiritually and every other “ly,” then understand this truth; “the world will not like you and will want to change you.”  The world will seek to intimidate you, mock you or say all kinds of evil about you.  The world will call you a hypocrite simply to shut you up from speaking up about the one who lifts you up – Jesus Christ.  That what Paul says to Timothy.

 

II.  Is The Bible STILL Relevant?

               A.  Some of you or others, may say, “I get that, but still, the Bible doesn’t seem relevant to me today.”  Let me address that statement by making sure we understand the intent of God’s word to mankind. 

               B.  First, let’s start with what Jesus says concerning the Jewish Bible, what we call the OT.  Listen to John 5:39-40.  Jesus says that the OT had as its purpose to guide the Hebrew people to Him.  It is why we read about Stephen, Apollos, Paul and others all arguing from Scripture about how the Christ had to die.  They used scripture to bring people to Jesus.  If you ask Christian people, “Is Jesus still relevant today?” most will answer, “yes.”  Scripture was the schoolmaster, teacher, guide, that brought us to an understanding of what it meant to say Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

               C.  What is the purpose of the Bible?  The Hebrew writer tells us that the word of God digs deep within us because it is “living and active.”  Paul instructs Timothy with these words (READ 2 Tim. 3:14-17).

               D.  The purpose of God’s written word, whether OT or NT, is to make us wise for salvation though Christ Jesus.  It gives us the very breath of God – the message of God.  And Paul’s statement is God’s inspired written word is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.  When that take place, then the man of God, any Christian who lives by God’s message, is competent, equipped for every good work.

               E.  The Bible is more than prop, it’s the property of God message for how to live today.  It teaches me that loving my neighbor is not about doing that only if that neighbor meets some standard that I have decided; it loving that person for who they because they were first loved by God.  Their gender, ethnicity, financial status or spiritual walk has nothing to do with do I love them and show mercy to them in their hour of need. 

               F.  The Bible corrects my actions and character by molding me to become the ambassador of Jesus.  It teaches me how to honor God in my life and my worship.

Conclusion:

               A.  The Bible is not intended to be a rule book to beat me up, but letter of love to bring me home.  It makes me the type of person God created me to be in the first place. 

               B.  I am not going to argue about translations and the problems that have happened over the years by taking the Bible from one language to another.  Yes, there are errors in every translation because words influence out understanding, but they don’t negate the authenticity or the authority of God message today.

               C.  I can guarantee, because God already has, that if I live by faith in Him, walk in the light as He is the Light, meditate upon His word and allow it transform me into child of God he created me to be, YOU will be blessed because of what Jesus is doing in me today.  You may not like me, accept me, or appreciate me, but you will be blessed because of me.

               D.  You can point out every failure of my character, every sin I have committed and every time I have not stood up for those who need me, but God’s word is not at fault for my failures.  It is relevant to the heart that is open to hear it the message of good news and be changed by the work of the Holy Spirit.

               E.  It is my prayer that the Bible lived by us is better than it being only quoted by us. 

 

Because of Jesus,

Jeffrey Dillinger, minister