Sermon Notes for September 21, 2003

The Vision of Christ Covenant

Our Vision Of Teaching

II Timothy 3:15-17

Introduction

What Is AVISION?
George Barna – Vision for ministry is a clear mental image of a preferable future imparted by God to His chosen servants and is based upon an accurate understanding of God, self and circumstances.”
Burt Nanus - Visionary Leadership – “There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than an attractive, worthwhile, achievable vision for the future, widely shared.”

What Is OUR VISION?
Over the next several weeks, we will be discussing the vision of our church in the following critical areas:
preaching
worship
teaching
fellowship
discipleship
ministry
prayer
evangelism
missions
mercy
impact on our culture
What Is GOD’S VISION?
Today we look at our vision of teaching at Christ Covenant.
And most importantly, teaching from the Word of God.
After all, that is why we are here at all. To teach and preach the infallible, inerrant Word of God.
In 1472 the finest university library in the world was Queen’s College, Cambridge. It contained 199 books.
Now there are 60,000 new books released in the USA each year,
300,000 worldwide.
18,000 magazines published in the USA alone.
400,000 ‘scholarly’ journals published annually in the world.
15 billion catalogues delivered last year to American homes.
1.6 trillion pieces of paper circulate in US offices each year.
I love what Pastor John MacArthur said about the Word of God and his church’s relationship to that Word: “We are definitely a church committed to God’s Word. We endeavor to teach God’s Word, to preach God’s Word, to implement God’s Word, to live God’s Word, to proclaim God’s Word, to exalt God’s Word. It is the focal point of everything that we do. When God speaks, we listen.”

I. The INSPIRATION Of The Scriptures.

MAN’S VIEW Of The Scriptures.

1. The natural man.

a. the man who is not a Christian CANNOT understand and believe the
Word of God.

1. he may have been “taught” that it is the Word of God, but in his
heart he will not believe it and in his practice he will not read
it.

2. I Corinthians 2:14 – “The man without the Spirit does not
accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them,
because they are spiritually discerned.”

b. God must change a man’s heart before he loves and respects the Word of
God.

2. The liberal church.

a. a poll of Protestant clergymen was conducted by sociologist Jeffrey
Hayden. He surveyed some 10,000 clergymen of whom 7,441 replied.

1. Question #1 – Do you accept Jesus physical resurrection as
a fact?

a. 51% of Methodist said no

b. 35% of United Presbyterians said no

c. 35% of Episcopalians said no

d. 33% of American Lutherans said no

2. Question #2 – Did they believe that the Scriptures are the
inspired and inerrant Word of God?

a. 87% of Methodists said no

b. 82% of Presbyterians said no

c. 95% of Episcopalians said no

d. 77% of American Lutherans said no

e. 67% of American Baptists said no

b. I saw this “up close and personal” when I was a member of the more
moderate Southern Presbyterian Church.

1. a Pastor was being called to be an assistant at a church in our
Presbytery.

2. he was asked whether he believed in a “literal Adam” – he
responded – no.

3. I asked him if he believed in a “literal” Noah.

a. since II Peter 2:5 mentioned a “literal Noah” and since
there were only 5 chapters separating Adam from Noah
I didn’t see how he could believe in a “literal” Noah.

b. he responded that he did believe in a literal Noah since
there were “historical accounts of the flood.”

4. Dr. William Evans, who pastored College Church from 1906-
1909, was an unusually accomplished man. He had the entire

King James Version of the Bible memorized as well as the
New Testament of the American Standard Version. Dr. Evans

also authored over fifty books. His son, Louis, became one of the best-known preachers in America and for many years pastored the eminent First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. When Dr. William Evans retired, he moved to Hollywood to be near his son, and when Louis was away he would substitute for him.

One unforgettable Sunday Dr. William, as he was
affectionately called, spoke on the virgin birth. All were amazed when he raised his Bible and tore out the pages that narrate the birth of the Lord. As the tattered scraps floated down toward the congregation, he shouted, “If we can’t believe in the virgin birth, let’s tear it out of the Bible!” And then as he drove home his point, he tore out the resurrection chapters, then the miracle narratives, then anything conveying the supernatural. The floor was littered with mutilated pages.

Finally, with immense drama he held up the only remaining portion and said, “And this is all we have left – the Sermon on the Mount. And that has no authority for me if a divine Christ didn’t preach it.”

c. in speaking to the view of liberals, can I take the liberty this morning to
encourage each of you as to the dependability and accuracy of God’s
Word?

1. the Dead Sea Scrolls

a. liberal theologians, for years, have attempted to say that
the book of Isaiah could not have been written by one
person since the prophet prophesized some 150 years
before it happened that King Cyrus deliver the
Israelites from their captivity in Babylon (mentioned in
Chapters 44-45).

b. as a result of this liberal view – liberal scholars have
taught that there may have been at least two, if not three,
different authors of the book of Isaiah.

c. However, in 1947, a young Bedouin boy near the Dead
Sea in Israel, threw a rock into a cave to try to find some
of his goats and heard the rock hit something. In fact,
the rock struck a pot, a pot filled with copies of the Old
Testament. It was discovered that in that cave were
more than 800 copies of the Old Testament. Due to this
discovery, scholars discovered:

1. the earliest copies of Isaiah up to that time were
from 900 A.D. The Dead Sea Scrolls dated back
to 125 B.C., some 1000 years earlier.

2. the book of Isaiah was one of the books
uncovered: it was

a. only one copy - there were no “breaks”
in the book.

b. when compared to the previously
discovered (900 A.D.) copy of Isaiah, of
166 words in Isaiah 53, there were only
17 letters in question.

1. ten of these letters were a matter
of spelling 2. four more letters were minor
stylistic changes

3. thus, in one chapter of 166 words,
there was only one word, with
three letters, in question after
1000 years of transmission – and
this word did not significantly
change the meaning of the
passage

d. E.J. Young – “Of himself, Isaiah of course could not
have known his name, but as a true prophet, inspired by
the Holy Spirit, he could have spoken the name of Cyrus
in this definite manner.”

2. Messianic prophecy

a. there are some 300 prophecies concerning the life and
ministry of Jesus Christ

b. Peter Stoner in Science Speakssays:“the mathematical
probability of eight prophecies being fulfilled by one
man is 1 in 1017 (1 with 17 zeros behind it). To get a
picture of this very large number, the illustration is
given using silver dollars. 1017 silver dollars would
cover the face of Texas two feet deep. The mathe-
matical probability is likened to marking one of the
silver dollars, mixing them up, and blindfolding a
man and having him pick the marked silver dollar
on the first try.

c. The mathematical probability of forty-eight prophecies
being fulfilled by one man naturally is 1 in 10,157 (1
with 157 zeros behind it). The electron is the smallest
object we know of. The electron is so small that it takes
2.5 times 1015 of them laid side by side to make a single
line one inch long. If we were going to count all the
electrons in that line and count 250 of them each
minute, day and night, it would take 19 million years
to count just a one-inch line of electrons. If you had
a cubit inch of electrons, numbering 10,157, and
counted them the same way it would take 19 million
times, 19 million times, 19 million or 6.9 times 1021
years to count all the electrons in a cubic inch. 1 in
10,157 is analogous to, again, marking one of the
electrons, mixing them up and blindfolding a man
and having him pick the right one on the first try.

GOD’S VIEW Of The Scriptures.

1. The definition of Inspiration.

a. the Greek word is theopneustos – “God breathed.”

b. when God “breathes” into something, it changes the character of that
thing

God breathed into man.

Genesis 2:7 – “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of
the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and
the man became a living being.”

a. God made man different than the animals and the plants

b. God gave man “a soul”

2. God breathed into the Scriptures.

a. God wrote through fallible, sinful men, but when they
wrote, they wrote the Word of God.

b. as man wrote, God breathed into the Scriptures and gave
the Scriptures a “soul”

c. so that this book, the Bible, is something very, very
special.

1. it is God’s very, literal word and words.

2. and although Biblical writers wrote some other
letters, as Paul did, they were not inspired.

d. I like what the International Council on Biblical
Inerrancy once said (October 1978) “Being wholly
and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error
or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states
about God’s acts in creation, about the events of
world history, and about its own literacy and origins
under God, than in its witness to God’s saving grace
in individual lives.”

2. The dedication to Inspiration.

a. the view of Jesus of the Scriptures

1. when attacked by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus responded by
quoting the Scriptures (Matthew 4:1-11).

2. John 6:63 – “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”

3. Luke 24:25-32 - He said to them, "How foolish you are, and
how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have
spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then
enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the
Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the
Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village
to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going
farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is
nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay
with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread,
gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their
eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared
from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts
burning within us while he talked with us on the road and
opened the Scriptures to us?"

b. the view of the church of the Scriptures.

1. Augustine – “I have learned to hold the Scriptures alone
inerrant.”

2. Irenaeus – “Most properly assured that the Scriptures are
indeed perfect, since they were spoken by the Word of God and
His Spirit.”

3. Martin Luther stood before the Roman Catholic Church on
April 15, 1521 and was asked to renounce his position. He
responded: “Unless I am convinced by testimonies of
Scripture or by evident reason – for I believe neither the Pope
nor Councils alone, since it is established that they have often
erred and contradicted themselves – I am the prisoner of the
Scriptures cited by me, and my conscience has been taken
captive by the Word of God. Here I stand. I can do no other.
God help me. Amen.”

4. John Calvin – “We owe to the Scripture the same reverence
which we owe to God; because it has proceeded from Him
alone, and has nothing belonging to man mixed with it.”

5. Francis Schaffer – “The Bible is without mistake because it
is God’s inspired Word and . . . God cannot lie or contradict
Himself.”

c. the view of God of the Scriptures.

1. Scripture refers some 4,000 times to itself as God’s Word.

2. Psalm 119 is an entire Psalm dedicated to the Word of God.

a. the entire Hebrew alphabet sets the chapter apart
into 22 sections

b. Ps. 119:159-160 – “See how I love your precepts;
preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love. All
your words are true; all your righteous laws are
eternal.”

3. II Peter 1:20-21 – “Above all, you must understand that no
prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own
interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of
man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by
the Holy Spirit.”

4. The verses for today’s text – II Timothy 3:15-17 – “And how
from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are
able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ
Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so
that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every
good work.”

II. The INTENT Of The Scripture.

A. The PROFIT Of The Scripture.

1. The word useful in the NIV means:

a. profitable

b. beneficial

c. sufficient

2. Notice how “complete” the Scriptures are as seen in Psalm 19:7-13 – “The law
of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are
trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right,

giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.”

a. in verses 7-9, David refers to God’s Word with six different titles:

1. the Law of the Lord

2. statutes

3. precepts

4. commands

5. fear

6. ordinances

b. in those same verses, he mentions six characteristics of God’s Word:

1. perfect

2. trustworthy

3. radiant

4. pure

5. sure

6. righteous

c. also, in 7-13 are seen six blessings:

1. reviving the soul

2. making wise the simple

3. giving joy to the heart

4. giving light to the eyes

5. enduring forever

6. in keeping them there is great reward

The PURPOSE Of The Scripture.

1. To teach what is right

a. this word teach refers not so much to teaching as it does to WHAT we
teach

1. this word teach tells us that we are to be committed to the
Scripture as THE TRUTH.

a. THE TRUTH about God

b. THE TRUTH about life

c. THE TRUTH about family

d. THE TRUTH about money

e. THE TURHT about TRUTH

2. this is a Reformation principle called “Sola Scriptura”

a. the Reformers wanted ONLY to depend and be directed
by the Word of God, not the word of the Roman
Catholic Church.

b. this is a cardinal fact that should direct EVERY
CHURCH AND EVERY CHRISTIAN.

3. Scripture becomes the “measuring rod” of all that we are as a
church.

a. a tape measure – golf tournament ball looked like it was
15 feet away from the flag – it was actually 12 feet 8
inches

b. In Washington D.C. there is a building called the
“National Institute of Standards and Technology.”
This facility is responsible for storing perfect samples
of weights and measurements. They have what are
called “prototypes” of pound weights and kilograms.
Measuring rods for feet, yards and metric
measurements like meters. For example, they have
“Meter Standard” a reinforced bar of platinum alloyed
with exactly 10% iridium. When they want to know the
exact measurement of a “meter” they cool this bar down
to 0 degrees Celsius at a sea level of 45 degrees latitude,
then they know they will have the exact tip to tip
measurement of a meter.

b. we must build our church on the TRUTH of the Word of God and upon
NOTHING ELSE!

1. as we make decisions as a church, we seek FIRST the Word of
God.

2. when we make decisions about life, we seek FIRST the Word
of God.

3. we don’t seek FIRST:

a. man’s philosophy

b. man’s psychology

c. behavioral studies

d. my own traditions or feelings

2. To rebuke what is wrong

a. if we have a “standard of measure” in the Word of God, then there will
often be a time that we fail to meet that “standard.”

1. we will listen to the world

2. or . . . we will listen to our flesh

b. it is the ministry of the Word of God to rebuke us when we are wrong

1. this word rebuke is actually a negative word

a. in fact, the goal of this word is to convict

b. Hebrews 4:12-13 – “For the word of God is living and
active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and
marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the
heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's
sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the
eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

2. notice how Scripture can rebuke

a. Mark 12:29-31 - "The most important one," answered
Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the
Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your mind
and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love
your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment

greater than these."

b. Acts 20:35 - In everything I did, I showed you that by
this kind of hard work we must help the weak,
remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It
is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

c. I Corinthians 13:4-7 – “Love is patient, love is kind. It
does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is
not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in
evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”