The Authority of God's Word

Praise the Lord, everyone. So good to be here this morning with you. Uh and having this opportunity uh to teach the adult Bible class. The irony has not escaped me on this when Brother Spaw asked me to do this, uh, my mind immediately went back about I don't know, almost 40 years. Uh, to when another Brother Billy was preaching or teaching in this apostolic or adult uh, Bible class and uh, I was expressing that to someone the other day and they were like, "Well, don't you feel old?" And I'm like, "No, I know I am I don't feel old.

My dad is old." I don't feel old, but but yes, I it's it's what a pri- a pleasure and what a uh, opportunity to be with you this morning. Um, as Brother Spaw mentioned, we're going to continue to uh, look into Brother Bernard's book, uh, The Infallible or God's Infallible Word. Um, we're going to focus this morning on chapter three, which is entitled The Authority of God's Word. Um, this chapter, uh, presents the case or argument that uh, not only is scripture um, God's Word and inspired by him, but it also carries the authority in and what we believe as well.

Both generally as Christians, but specifically, uh, in our apostolic uh, faith and practice. Now, we've already established that through previous lessons that one, the Bible is God's Word. And a couple weeks ago, we also learned that it's inspired. It's it's written by human writers, but inspired by God. Uh however, there is a distinct difference between what it looks like or between possessing that belief. Are we okay? All right. All right. So, there's a distinct difference between possessing that belief that this is God's word, this is God's inspired word, and ultimately allowing scripture to be the authority of our in our lives.

We kind of touched on this a little bit in our sound mind series on Wednesday nights earlier this year. In that in order to you know, I can acknowledge that I have the knowledge of truth. I can acknowledge that I believe uh scripture is true and and and what is in it is uh pertains to me and has facts, but there's a difference between that and when I say I'm submitting myself to that belief or to that authority of the word. In other words, it means it's going to compel me to obey it and take action on it.

So, that should be the case where we should ask ourselves some questions as we look into this. Uh what or who determines uh what truth is in our life? And what makes this so different that it commands us or compels us to to submit to its authority. So, let's talk about that and look at that just a little bit. The source of I I say also too at the beginning, if you're looking at the book or have a digital copy of the book I'm not following his Dr.

Bernard's points per se in the book but I am going to be drawing from each section here. The source of biblical authority. The Bible itself has authority because it originates from God himself. If we look at 1 Timothy or excuse me not 1 Timothy 6 2 Timothy chapter 3 16 through 17 all scripture is given by inspiration of God and it is profitable for doctrine for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Scripture is the divine origin and revelation to humanity to the humanity. These two verses tell us what the purpose of scripture is. It tells us how we should receive it, what we should be doing with it why it's important for us as human beings to equip ourselves with it. But it says before we you know as we look at that as it's in its divine origin and revelation before we can acknowledge its absolute authority we must acknowledge that scripture is that communicated word from God to us.

So what does that mean conversely for us? That must mean that the authority of scripture does not come from things such as human wisdom historical norms or influence popular opinion or even church tradition alone. If God is the source, and God is truthful and sovereign, then his communicated word carries binding authority, and that authority comes from divine inspiration. God breathed his message through human writers, all the while preserving his truth and the continuity of that message. I think it's amazing, we should all should be amazed that through hundreds of thousands of years that the entire Old Testament pointed to Jesus Christ.

And then we have the arrival of Christ in the Gospels, and then we have the Epistles and other books in Revelation that point back to Jesus Christ and say, "This is how you live. This is the example. This is who you should be like." That continuity through all that gives us a respect and authority for uh the word of God. He preserved that truth. He preserved that continuity even through all those different writers. We have supporting scripture for this in 2 Peter 1 verses 20 and 21, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation, for pri- for prophecy never came by the will of the of man, but holy men of God that were moved by the Holy Spirit." If we look at Isaiah 55:11, it says, "So shall my word be that goes from my mouth.

It shall not return void to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." And we always uh we've the familiar verse from David in Psalms 19:89, "Forever, O Lord, is your word settled in heaven." God's word and its divine origin confers an authority that reaches out and makes a claim on its listeners, on its readers. In other words, authority demands action. We can use that example when we see the preached word go forth or someone might be ministering in in in focusing on repentance.

Someone in that congregation or in that audience of who's being who's hearing that word may feel conviction or regret or remorse or they feel a pulling or a tugging at as a response to the preached word on repentance. And that causes someone to say, "Okay, I've got to make a choice or a decision." And by submitting to the authority of that word, and I'm going to say, "I'm sorry. I'm going to turn away from what I've been doing or I'm going to change the ways that I've been acting or whatever I might be having done.

Or am I going to reject that feeling? Am I going to reject that authority from it?" So, it's easy for me to say, "Yes, I feel bad or I feel uneasy about something I'm doing." But, that's difference in submitting to the authority of God is saying, "Okay, I'm going to make a change." Or I'm going to step in the aisle and walk to an altar. Does that make sense? I'm going to do something rather than just listen or hear it. So, if God is the author, then his word deserves our complete trust and obedience.

Also, the Bible should stand as our final standard for truth. Amen. Where should we get our doctrine? Where should we get our belief system? Where should we get uh our uh instructions for how to act or to behave or whichever you may think. Human opinions on these things change uh constantly, right? But, God's word remains constant. The Bible is the only authority for preaching and teaching in the church. Modern culture is full of examples, correct, that disagree with biblical instruction. Morality is up to interpretation. Uh marriage is up to different different uh uh definitions.

Uh what integrity looks like, what forgiveness looks like, and even what holiness looks like. But, the word of God says, "Preach the word." Doesn't say, "Formulate an essay or a a paper." It says, "Preach the word." Convince, rebuke, exhort, and then has that little phrase, "with all long-suffering and teaching." Second Timothy 4:2, right? Thus, this is further reinforced when we look at Titus 1, when Paul is instructing Titus in the appointment of elders and how they should be holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both exhort and convict those who can contradict.

That's Titus 1:9. And then of course David says again in uh chapter or Psalms 119, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." What does What are those scriptures conveying to us? What are they telling us? God's word should be the standard or the beacon for what we should believe. Its authority should be the beacon of how we can uh that instructs us how we should conduct ourselves. And specifically for for David's words, God's word serves as a beacon of how we should seek our direction.

How we should seek our path. How we should seek his will. Even when Paul preached at Berea scripture states that some of the noble or more educated that were there and had heard him It says this in Acts 17 received the word with readiness. But then it says this and searched the scripture daily to find out whether these things were true. Didn't accept it at face value. Didn't accept it simply because it was the words of an apostle. Or even because it was a word of a a converted persecutor of of you know of the of Christian Christian uh But sucks uh they tested what Paul was saying uh against scripture and and re-insuring themselves that truth was being spoken.

So, the authority of scripture even superseded what Paul was saying or at least said had to be in congruence or had to be in uh obedience or uh in aligned with the scripture. Preachers and teachers are infal- are fallible. Not Not like the word of God, but we are infal- are fallible. And our experiences are rather objective. But, the word of God is uh I should say our experiences are are subjective, excuse me. But, the word of God has it has objective truth. Uh uh we should never forget that what takes place or what is in the word of God, it should take precedence over everything else.

Every opinion, every statement, every other word that's not included in this book falls below or falls under the authority of what this scripture holds. Peter, he cites his own experience of on the Mount of Transfiguration later in the New Testament and but what he doesn't let that experience do is stand alone. He states after he's told about it in in experience, you know, hey, we saw this happen, he goes, and so, we have the prophetic word confirmed. Which you do well to heed as a light and shine in a dark place that shines in a dark place.

In other words, he wasn't letting that personal experience or or relaying that personal experience be the sole aspect or sole convincing point in his uh what he was communicating. He says, "This is backed up with scripture. It's It's been prophesied. It came to be fulfilled not only just through my experience, but also through the word of God." So, our personal experience will never contradict and it never supersedes the word of God, but it will always confirm it. It will always align with it. When Paul was speaking to the Galatians and and he was he was reinforcing this standard of truth when he stated, "Even if I preach something different or anybody else preaches something different." Says, you know, essentially throw them out of the city, get them out of there, let them be accursed.

He says, "It doesn't align with what I'm talking the teaching you now. So, if I come back with a different theory, if I come back with a different opinion, you should ignore me. You should ignore me. You should You go back to the word of God." Um And he gets he feel It's one of the few times or or not I you know emphatic times that he he something gets repeated in scripture and he comes back and says, "I'm going to say it to you again.

If anyone comes back here and teaches a different gospel, let him be accursed." So, yes, we we Bible has a source for authority. The Bible has should be our standard and should be our uh standard of truth in doctrinal things as well. But let's take a look also at what Jesus thought about scripture. We do call ourselves followers of Christ, right? So, what is his attitude and what is his outlook or what is his perspective on scripture? Maybe one of the strongest arguments for the authority of scripture is the attitude that Jesus Christ takes toward it.

Um if we do claim to follow him, then perhaps we should also adopt that view. He never treated scripture as outdated. He didn't treat it as symbolic. He didn't treat it uh as um optional. Um he believed too that it was inspired, trustworthy, and authoritative. Uh the best example I can think of or maybe one of the better examples is in Matthew 4. After fasting 40 days, Jesus was approached by Satan and tempted in the wilderness and each time his response was not to reason with Satan.

Was not to respond emotionally to him. Uh or demonstrating his miraculous power. Each time he responded, three times with those words, it is written. He quoted Deuteronomy each time that Satan had given him a temptation. That first temptation to turn stones into into bread, Deuteronomy 8:3, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The second temptation, the to throw himself off the temple, Deuteronomy 6:16, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. That's establishing some authority, I believe.

Uh the third temptation to be gifted all the kingdoms of the world. And uh to worship Satan. Deuteronomy 16, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve. Every temptation that Jesus faced, he answered with scripture. So, what's the takeaway from this? Well, one, God's authority or God the God's the authority of God's word is our greatest spiritual weapon. Scripture has the authority over our enemy. Scripture has the authority over our circumstance. Scripture has the authority over our situations. Victory of the enemy comes with knowledge of the word, obedience, and submitting to the authority of God's word.

Jesus could have simply commanded Satan to leave or use his power to dispatch him, but he demonstrated the power and authority of God's word and provided us an example for every believer to follow. Pardon the the term, but Jesus also used this algorithm, so to speak, to correct false teaching. Um he repeatedly corrected uh religious leaders by appealing to scripture. Um notice from you know, these familiar phrases. Have you not read? It is written. The scripture sayeth. Rather than debating the religious held traditions that he was looking at, rather than uh arguing with him, he just said, "I'm going to direct you back to the word.

I'm going to direct you back to law." Um We see it in Mark 7 when he demonstrates that mark, you know, religious traditions must always submit to scripture and not the other way around. Scripture doesn't submit to tradition. Tradition submits to scripture. Plus, I personally like when Jesus references Isaiah and he's talking to to these uh Pharisees and he's going, "Well, Isaiah did prophesy of you hypocrites." And then quoting scripture again. Um so, Jesus also believed that every part of scripture was reliable, could be counted on, could be referenced back to, could be the foundation of our beliefs, and for foundation of our even our debating and arguments.

It has to go back to the authority of God's word. When Jesus was providing the argument that he did not come to destroy or contradict the law or the prophets, but to fulfill it, he made this statement, "Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will not pass from the law until all of it is fulfilled." That phrase or those words jot was the smallest human or excuse me, jot was the smallest Hebrew letter. And a tittle was a tiny mark that distinguished uh one Hebrew letter from another.

And what Jesus was teaching was that even the smallest details of scripture matter. They're relevant. And they would remain true until all of his purposes were fulfilled. This tells us three things. God's word is accurate. God's word is permanent. And God's word cannot fail. If Jesus trusted every detail of scripture, we should trust it in its totality. Relevant to this, Jesus also stated that scripture cannot be broken. This brief and parenthetical statement reveals Jesus' complete confidence in scripture. Scripture cannot be overturned. Scripture cannot be invalidated.

Scripture cannot fail. And scripture will forever stand. Similar to the parable of the two houses, Jesus was saying to us, "Go live in the house built on something firm. The word of God. Go live in the house built on a rock. But built on stone. Built on something firm that will allow you." And he also did uh and referred to Old Testament events when he was uh speaking. He also returned to the word of God in historical uh as as as historical fact. So, if he looked at the Old Testament or quoted or referenced the Old Testament, he he referenced them in a way that showed that they were accurate and they were part of history.

For sake of some time, I'm going to go deep dive into this, but many people question historical accuracy of the Bible itself, right? Um or the historical accuracy specifically of the Old Testament. Jesus did not. And we do have some archaeological archaeological evidence that supports this as well. Um, but he spoke of events in scripture as definitive history. And not as folklore, not as a parable. Um, if you look at I'm not going to read all of these, but I'm going to mention them. If you look at Matthew 19 in the mention of Adam and Eve.

If you look at Matthew 24, uh, Noah and the flood. Matthew 12, Jonah and the whale. John 5, he speaks about Moses' experience. And then of course Abraham's experience in John 8. Jesus was affirming these as actual events. They weren't myths or legends. He was refor- reinforcing that if Christ accepted the historic reliability of scripture, then his followers should as well. So, if Jesus was fulfilling scripture and submitted himself to it and its authority, then maybe we who call him Lord should not merely admire and joy- admire it, but joyfully submit to it as well.

That same authority of the word of God. The Bible also serves as our doctrinal authority. Not just how we live as Christians or how we behave or how we should conduct ourselves, but from a doctrinal standpoint, uh, once again, if the Bible serves as our authority, that doctrine should come from and align with scripture. Not traditional or social societal norms, not denominational history or popular opinion, but rooted and guided in scripture. In Acts 2:42, it says, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking in of bread, and in prayers.

In other words, the other church early church did not drop a charter or create a board of directors or uh make bylaws or or create some kind of new message. They had already had its example. They They They received what Jesus had said through and also through the experience of his death, burial, and resurrection. So, they didn't preach new teachings. They didn't create their own message. They didn't create another you know, a new way of thinking. They relied on what they had been taught and what they experienced through Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection.

So, our final authority, we must evaluate every doctrinal stance against the word of God. Is it Again, I'm not going to read every verse, but his authority of scripture this authority of the word of God reveals the oneness of God. Deuteronomy 6:4. Isaiah 44:6, Isaiah 45:5, Mark 12:29, Colossians 2:9. We could go on and on. The oneness of God is not based on a theory. It's not based on an opinion, but it's based on a clear testimony of scripture. The authority of scripture guides us in biblical baptized baptism, Jesus' name baptism.

Acts 2:38, Acts 8:16, Acts 10:48, and Acts 19:5. Those are just a few examples where the commitment to biblical authority means we seek to follow the apostolic pattern of scripture. And finally, the authority of scripture supports the experience of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2 1 through 4, Acts 10 44 through 46, Acts 19 1 through 6. Just again as few uh samples of that. We believe as Pentecostals the experience of spirit baptism is not simply merely a historical fact of record in the Bible. But it's And it's not something that was just experienced by the early church, but scripture asserts its authority by proclaiming it as a promise.

Proclaiming it as a promise for believers not just then but today and part of God's plan for the church. And yes, to all who are afar off. If we say we believe the word of God, it's absolute authority, then we don't ask what we don't ask the question, "What does tradition say? What does popular opinion say? Or what is the popular stance at the moment?" We continually go back to the word of God. The question we should ask is, "What does the word of God say about this?

What does the word of God teach? What does the word of God exhort? What does the word of God say?" When scripture is the final authority in our lives, we believe what it teaches, we practice what it commands, we we proclaim what the apostles preach. And we submit ourselves to action when in in our belief. As apostates, we aren't seeking to be different just for the sake of being different. We seek to submit ourselves completely to the word of God. Every doctrine, every practice, every experience must be tested by scripture.

And I said earlier that it's one thing to believe and another to submit. And of course, when we submit, that means we have to respond in some manner to the authority of of of the word of God. Uh the true measure of our faith is not simply to know, but it is to act upon what we believe and what we hear and what we've heard being preached and taught and and taught. God's word was never meant to be or never meant to simply inform us. It was meant to transform us.

Um the authority of scripture demands a response. Every time we hear the word of God, we are faced with a choice. Will I heed it? Will I ignore it? Or will I reject what God is saying to me? James made it very clear when he stated it probably the best in chapter 1 of verse 22 or in verse 22. But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving Yourselves. Check compares God's word to a mirror. A mirror reflects our true identity. Our true character.

It is what we truly look like and what we truly see of ourselves. If we see something that needs attention, if I got a spot on my suit, but I walk away from the mirror without making any corrective action, I still have the spot on my suit. The mirror has done its job. It's shown me the problem. It's shown me the issue. And the Bible does the same thing. It shows that it can reflect our strengths, it can reflect our weaknesses, it can reflect our sins and shortcomings.

It can reflect what God's will should be for our life. The changes he desires to make in us. The blessing comes not from simply noticing those things, but it comes from obeying and responding to the word of the Lord. Because we desire it to be the authority. We desire it to be what guides and directs us. And and and we want to submit to those things. I love that we don't have to simply hear that, but we also have examples in scripture of that very thing.

When the book of the law was was discovered in the Old Testament and and read before King Josiah, he immediately recognized immediately recognized that Judah was not where it should be. His response was not to excuse the nation's behavior and the nation's uh disobedience, but to repent, humble himself, and lead the people to a spiritual renewal. We see the same thing in the Bereans when as like I mentioned before, they eagerly listened to Paul's preaching, but they did not accept his message blindly. They compared it to the scripture to understand if it was true.

That example alone tells us that we should love God's word, study it diligently, compare it to what our world is saying and what uh uh con- what is contrary to it, evaluate every teaching by reflecting it against God's word. Revival doesn't start huh with with a worship song. Revival starts with genuinely falling in love and submitting ourselves to the word of God. That's where revival happens in scripture. We see the exact opposite that related to us in Mark 10, the young, rich ruler eager to approach Jesus eager to find out what eternal life was and wanting that.

But when Jesus confronted him in one area one area of his life he was unwilling to surrender to that. And he walks away sorrowfully. He accepted He accepted Jesus as and He accepted Jesus and his word as being a teacher being a man of God but rejected his authority over the possessions of his life. So, those common responses again to authority of scripture are we reject it we selectively obey selectively obey it take the stuff we like and push away the stuff we don't or we fully submit to it.

So, what do we do? What should we be asking ourselves? Is there an area in my life where I resist God's word? Is there some place in my life I'm coming up short in obeying and submitting myself to that? Do I allow scripture to correct me? That's a tough one. Am I committed to obeying God's word even when it's challenging or even when it's difficult? To answer those questions we have to remember what we've already discussed today. The Bible is the source of authority. The Bible is our standard for truth.

The Bible is our standard for doctrine. Jesus believed in scripture. He believed in its authority. He believed in it in in its the word of God and the stance of it. And God's authority requires us to respond to the word of God. Stand with me this morning. I want us to pray for just one moment before we take a break, but I want us to ask the Lord to allow his word to take authority in our life. Not just that we read it to check off a box or that we uh read it to be in agreement and and show that ourselves you know, that we're being spiritual or that we're being uh you know, an example, but it we are actually letting the word of God sink in and letting the word of God become the metric that we use to guide and direct our lives.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for giving us your word. Forgive us, God, of those times that we've trusted our own understanding and our own ability above what your truth shows us. Help us to love your word, study it faithfully, and obey it completely. May your word guide us and direct us every decision and everything that every step that we take. We ask this, God, all in your name, in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Appreciate you being part of this class and being here this morning.