The Bible’s Authority • 10.06.24
Nick Lees   -   October 10, 2024

The Bible’s Authority

Responding rightly to the truth about Scripture

  1. Begins with recognizing God’s authority
  2. As God’s Word, Scripture is authoritative
  3. I must submit to God’s authoritative word

Good morning church family! (Welcome guests + introduce self. Thank them for serving at the Work Day yesterday.)

Before we dive into our study…

Dismiss 4th + 5th graders

Ushers + Bibles (Genesis 1)

Today we are kicking off a new series for the month of October called The Word of God. While our normal habit for studying Scripture at Harvest is to do a verse-by-verse study of books of the Bible, from time to time we pause from that to trace a particular topic or theme throughout the Scriptures. That is what we’ll be doing in each of the sermons in this series as we develop our understanding and awe of the Word of God, the Bible. My hope is that this series will not only fill your heart with incredible truths about God’s Word but that it will move you to respond appropriately in your lives. I hope to see lives transformed by the power of God’s Word.

The pastor team seeks to be very intentional in the sermon series we choose for the church each year. One of the consistent comments that comes out of our annual sermon planning meetings is “We want our people to grow in their love for the Word.” We’d really like to be a church of the Word, where it is increasingly common to hear fellow brothers and sisters in Christ sharing what God is teaching them and how he is changing their lives through Scripture! So, as we made decisions for 2024, we decided a series like this would be beneficial for us because trusting in and turning to the Bible is of the utmost importance for our lives, both individually and corporately, as the church.

As we say in our doctrine statement:

We believe the Scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament are verbally inspired by God and inerrant in their original writings. We believe the 66 books of the Old Testament and the New Testament are God’s complete and sufficient revelation and therefore carry God’s authority for the total well-being of mankind (Psalm 119:97-104; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 5:18; John 5:46-47; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-16).

If we truly believe this, then the Word of God should be precious to us. If we literally have God’s words to us, then how could we not want to read them and live by them? Your Creator has given you truth to live by! He has warned you about the ways that lead to death and the way that leads to life. Does your life reflect that you value this divine revelation? If not, I hope you’ll allow this series to grow your love for God’s Word.

Today I have the privilege of taking us on a study of The Bible’s Authority. We’re going to move between Old and New Testaments as we study today, so I’ll put the passages on the screen behind me as we go.

Our aim this morning is…

Responding rightly to the truth about Scripture

First let’s focus on learning truth about Scripture, and then we’ll get into practical ways for us to respond rightly to what we learn. Our journey begins in the very first verses of the Bible.

Genesis 1:1–3 (ESV)

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

There are many observations we could make from such powerful verses of the Bible; however, I want to focus on one in particular. God has authority. This passage kicks off an incredible couple of chapters that unpack the creative power and authority of our God. When there was nothing but Him, He spoke, and things came into existence. If we were to continue reading in Genesis 1-2, we would hear repeatedly, “And God said…” followed by the response of whatever he was speaking about coming into existence.

May we not take this for granted. May we not be quick to brush by it. These are POWERFUL statements and truth claims about the nature of our Creator and the authority He wields. The very first words of the Scriptures point us to the existence of the eternal, powerful, creator God. It is not my intent today to provide a full-fledged defense of the reality of God, however, we will get to study the nature and character of God in more depth in our December series Let God Reign.

For today, we are starting from the position of belief that there is a God who has made all things. It is the only logically consistent position for the intelligent design we see in our world. What I want you to recognize here is that responding rightly to the truth about Scripture…

  1. Begins with recognizing God’s authority

Authority – the right to control or command (BDAG); also the power or ability to do something (Lexham Theological Workbook)

What we find revealed in the pages of Scripture is that God has all authority. He has the supreme right to control or command and the power or ability to do all that He desires. This should not be surprising to us as He is the pre-eminent being, the Holy God. There is no one greater or higher, thus He is the source of all authority.

The proof of His authority is demonstrated in numerous ways. We’ve already heard from the creation account. But how about the authority of God on display in the Exodus account. Our student ministry is studying Exodus right now, and they’re going to be learning about the authority of God on display as He mocks the false Egyptian gods and rulers through the 10 plagues. In these accounts, which you can read about in Exodus chapters 7-12, God repeatedly pronounces what He is going to do (before he does it) and then brings it to pass. These plagues are miraculous works that reveal the authority of God!

This revelation of God’s comprehensive authority continues as God provides for and protects His people on their journey to the Promised Land. By his authority, He parts the Red Sea. By his authority, He conquers enemy armies and kings along the way. No one can successfully stand in God’s way.

We also see the authority of God on display in the fulfilled prophecies of the Old and New Testaments. Most recently, our church has studied the book of Isaiah, and we heard several times where God told the Kings of Judah how things would go before it happened. And then he brought it to pass just as He foretold. These were demonstrations of God’s authority over the nations.

When we arrive in the New Testament, we encounter God the Son taking on human form as Jesus of Nazareth. As Jesus walked this earth, he demonstrated the authority of God by healing the sick, raising the dead, multiplying the bread, calming the waves, driving out demons, and forgiving sin.

Matthew 4:23–25 (ESV)

23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

These miracles were proof that Jesus was God and carried the authority of God with him. The author of Hebrews challenges us to have an even greater understanding of God’s authority through Jesus in Hebrews 1:1-3.

Hebrews 1:1–3 (ESV)

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Jesus demonstrates the authority of God in upholding our universe as well as accomplishing the redemption of sinful people. These are INCREDIBLE displays of the authority of God! They ought to cause our jaws to drop in amazement. The only reason you continue to draw breath and exist right now is due to God’s authority exercised on your behalf.

Not only that, but notice that this passage in Hebrews tells us the manner in which God communicates/demonstrates his authority. He speaks. The author of Hebrews highlights God speaking through the prophets and ultimately His Son, which resonates with what we saw in Genesis 1. God spoke to create all things. Throughout the Bible, God speaks to demonstrate/communicate his authority. And His spoken word became the written word as the prophets and apostles wrote it down for our benefit.

I’ve recently had the privilege of reading through the Gospel of John and this theme of authority and the words of God was repeated throughout it. I’d like to share a couple of them with you. Listen to how Jesus speaks about God the Father’s shared authority with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

John 12:44–50 (ESV)

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

The words that Jesus spoke are from the Father and have the Father’s authority. Jesus fulfilled the command of the Father by sharing the way to eternal life through faith in Him. His ministry of calling people to faith and repentance are loaded with authority.

John 16:12–15 (ESV)

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Jesus knew he was about to go to the Cross and die for the sins of his people. He knew that he would depart from them, but he promised them that another would come – the Spirit of truth. God the Holy Spirit would also speak with the Father’s authority to help them remember, record, and obey all that God had said. And this happened exactly as Jesus said. The Apostle Peter even testifies to it in one of his letters:

2 Peter 1:20–21 (ESV)

20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Peter’s testimony is that mere men did not come up with the Word of God based on their own finite interpretations and understanding. The Word of God was spoken and then written down as men were guided by God through the Holy Spirit. This is essential to understand because it connects the authority of God with the Scriptures. Because the Scriptures are God’s Word, they carry his authority. This leads us to our second truth to help us in responding rightly to the truth about Scripture.

  1. As God’s Word, Scripture is authoritative

As Peter just told us, Scripture is the very words of God. But he is not the only one who makes such a claim. Listen to the teaching of the Apostle Paul:

2 Timothy 3:15–17 (ESV)

15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Paul writes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God” or theopneustos – meaning it has its origin in God. Or to put it another “inspired by God”. Paul agrees with Peter that Scripture is not created by man but God. This is tremendously important in our discussion because it drives our second main truth (Main points) – “As God’s Word, Scripture is authoritative.”

Let me share with you a helpful quote on this matter:

Throughout salvation history God effected an identity between the words of the various biblical writers and his words through the process/event of inspiration. What the writers mean, God means.

(Schnabel, E. J. “Scripture.” In New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, edited by T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner. Electronic ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.)

What the writers mean, God means. Or as another author stated, “What the Scripture says and what God says are the same thing.” Because God carried the writers along by His Holy Spirit. These are His Words, and they carry His authority! And, as Paul explained, God has a purpose for the Scriptures in our lives. He has given them to us because they are profitable for our growth in holiness, that we might be the godly men and women that he created us to be!

We hear the first profitable outworking of the authority of Scripture in 2 Timothy 3:15 – “the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” It is through the study of the Scriptures that you can learn about the source of salvation – Jesus Christ! I can’t help but think of some of the ways this is revealed:

John 14:6 (ESV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

OR

1 John 5:13 (ESV)

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

OR

Romans 10:9–13 (ESV)

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

You could appeal even more broadly to the entirety of Scripture, as it all points to Jesus. The Old Testament points ahead to the need for a Savior and the New Testament reveals the Savior as Jesus!

How amazing that these truths are revealed to sinners like us who are ~2,000 years removed from the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful treasure we have! Praise God for revealing his authority to forgive our sins through faith in Jesus in His Word!

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we see a few other outworkings of authority related to God’s Word.

  • It is profitable for teaching
  • It is profitable for reproving
  • It is profitable for correcting
  • It is profitable for training in righteousness

God’s Word has authority to positively equip you in the ways you need to grow in holiness. And it has authority to confront and rebuke you for the ways in which you need to change when you get off-track. The Word of God has everything you need for life and godliness! The outcome that is promised is that you will be complete, equipped for every good work. Meaning, as you submit yourself to it, you will develop into the man or woman of God that He desires you to be! What better outcome is there? If this is the promised outcome, then why do we put off studying and obeying His Word? We all need to wrestle with that!

The Word of God is the verbal expression of the authority of God, and it has answers for your life. You do not have to stay stuck in brokenness and sin. You do not have to repeat the same patterns of thinking or acting ad nauseum! It is POSSIBLE to change, and God’s Word rightly interpreted and applied by His Holy Spirit to your life WILL bring it about.

I have had the privilege of sitting on the front row seat of God at work in people’s lives in the counseling room. What seems like a hopeless situation in the beginning quickly changes as God’s Word is brought to bear on it. Enslavement to sin does not have to be the final word. You can be set free. You can walk in the light. Your marriage can be restored. Your thought life can change. Your despair can be replaced with hope and joy. This is the power of God at work through His Word in the life of His people! Please do not shortchange yourself and dishonor God by neglecting to study and obey the Word.

The authority of God’s Word extends over every area it touches/addresses. We’ve highlighted a few today but I believe Jack will talk in more detail about this when he addresses The Bible’s Sufficiency next week. For today, I want to spend the rest of our time talking about our right response to the truth about Scripture. Here it is…

  1. I must submit to God’s authoritative word

Say that aloud with me.

If God has all authority, and he has communicated that authority through his Word, then I must respond appropriately to his Word. And that appropriate response is submission.

To submit means to be in subjection or subordinated; under the authority of another. (BDAG) In this case, it means I am recognizing the authority of God’s Word and rightly putting myself under it. This is the right and expected response of every man, woman, boy and girl who walks this earth because God reigns and He has revealed His will in His Word.

If you are here this morning and you have never trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation, then that is the appropriate response for you. Submission unto salvation. This is the call of Jesus when he began his public ministry:

Mark 1:14–15 (ESV)

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

The entire Bible points to the necessity of salvation for every single one of us. We are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s standard of perfection. A single lie. A single lustful look. A single angry thought is enough to condemn us before a perfectly righteous God. As the Psalmist says and Paul repeats, “There is none righteous, no not one.” That is God’s authoritative declaration about the state of mankind outside of faith in Jesus. Dead in sin.

But God has revealed His plan of salvation for the sinner. By sending His Son as a sacrifice in our place. The perfect, sinless One going to the Cross to bear the wrath of God for those who are imperfect sinners! Oh, what a Savior! He bore the wrath, so I don’t have to. He bore the wrath, so you don’t have to! Will you confess your need for a Savior today and receive the gift of forgiveness and salvation from Him? He stands ready to save your soul, but you must turn from your sin and follow Him.

Jesus said:

Luke 9:23 (ESV)

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

What is keeping you from denying yourself, taking up your cross (dying to your proud self-will), and following Christ? *pause*

As the ancient hymn Rock of Ages so beautifully says:

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

I pray that today would be the day of salvation for someone listening to this sermon. That you would walk out of darkness into His marvelous light. That is the power of His authority to save! *pause* (I would love to talk with you more about this after the service.)

But many of you have believed and are seeking to walk in the light. Praise God for that! For you (and me) we are called to submission unto sanctification. Ours is the call to grow in holiness until we are complete, equipped for every good work. This is truly a life-long process of refinement and growth. Let’s discuss what that will look like…

It is our privilege as Christians to grow in our delight in the Law of the Lord. We see such examples of this delight in the Psalms. Consider Psalm 19:

Psalm 19:7–11 (ESV)

   7      The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul;

          the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

   8      the precepts of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

 

          the commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

   9      the fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

          the rules of the Lord are true,

and righteous altogether.

 

10      More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

          sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

11      Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

King David did not pen this Psalm after one day of studying God’s Word. His life was saturated with the Word. This kind of deep love and desire for the Word is the mark of a mature man who has sat under its teachings for years. It is evidence of one who has tasted and seen that the Lord is good through obedience to God.

Perhaps the most well-known example of such delight and love for the Word is found in Psalm 119. This is the longest chapter in the Bible at 176 verses and every single one is devoted to singing the praises of God’s Word. It is a literary masterpiece as each of its 22 stanzas begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. That means someone gave a lot of time and attention to thinking through how to respond in submission and praise of the Word!

What would it look like for you to cultivate such delight in the Word? *pause*

I have found consistent daily study of the Word to be the most helpful practice in cultivating delight. The more I am in it, the more I see it changing my life, and the more I want to be in it. I have also benefited greatly from interacting with what I am learning in the Word by journaling. Over the years I have shared 4 questions to help you interact with the Word. Here they are again:

  • What does this teach me about God?
  • What does this teach me about mankind/myself?
  • How do I need to rejoice as a result of what I’ve read?
  • How do I need to change as a result of what I’ve read?

These four questions will help you interact with the Word and put it into practice. This is all part of growing in our delight for the Law of the Lord.

Another way believers submit to God’s Word is by allowing it to dictate your doctrine. We do not have the freedom to believe whatever we want. We must diligently study the Word and allow it to teach us what to believe. Too often we try to reverse that and come to the Bible with our preconceived notions of what is true and then look for support for it in the text. If you have a habit of doing that, ask God to help you change and to submit to His Word.

Some of us may have been taught unhelpful or untrue things over the course of our lives. We may have to go through a season of unlearning the false teachings and relearning what is true. I would encourage you to take heart from the Bereans in Acts 17:

Acts 17:11 (ESV)

11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

It is good and right for you to evaluate everything you hear taught by the Word. Don’t just take my word for it, check the Scriptures!

As you study the Scriptures, your next step in submission unto sanctification is to grow in your wisdom by applying what you learn. As we recently heard in our study of James, it is of no use to be a HEARER only. A godly man/woman is a HEARER and a DOER of the Word.

Jesus taught about the difference between a wise man and a foolish man:

Matthew 7:24–27 (ESV)

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Do you hear the difference? Both heard the word, but only one put it into practice. Be the wise man/woman who hears and obeys. Look for the next step of growth that you can take. What is the next right thing to do? Then do it. Maybe that’s putting off cursing. Maybe it’s putting off sinful anger. Maybe it’s asking for accountability for lustful thoughts. Whatever it is, identify that step and take it, in faith.

For some of you, submission to God’s Word means accepting correction/reproof. There are areas of your life that are out of line with holiness. You have been living sinfully and it must stop. If you respond poorly when corrected, then you are proving yourself a fool, for the Bible tells us:

Proverbs 9:8 (ESV)

   8      Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;

reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

The wise person recognizes it is for their good that they are corrected. Heed this warning if you are angry when corrected… it will not end well for you.

Proverbs 29:1 (ESV)

He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,

will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

If you know someone who is living sinfully, then go after them, in love. Seek to restore them to the truth. It is unloving to stand idly by while they walk down the path of destruction! Recall this great counsel we heard at the end of James last week.

James 5:19–20 (ESV)

19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

What a privilege to be a part of calling someone back to the Lord!

For all of us who call ourselves Christians, we must realize that our aim is righteousness. The goal is completion/holiness/being equipped for every good work. I love Paul’s testimony. He is a great example of counting the cost of following Christ:

Philippians 3:7–11 (ESV)

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him,

not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Paul says that the things that used to be important to him are now counted as rubbish in order that he may gain Christ. He wants Christ’s righteousness. He wants to be the man of God that he was created to be, and this led him to a radically different lifestyle. Everything changed for Paul. What about for you? Are you still living with one foot in and one foot out of your faith? May it never be! Confess and cling to Jesus.

Remember the warnings that Jesus gave to the churches in Revelation. Though they were doing some things well, the call was to repent and follow Him whole-heartedly.

Revelation 2:3–5 (ESV)

3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

They were doing some things really well, but they were neglecting love for Christ in other areas. It will not do for us to be half-heartedly following Christ. We are called to a whole-souled, whole-bodied faith in Him!

Matthew 22:37–39 (ESV)

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

This is the life-changing faith that you have been called to! Will you embrace it?

Given that God’s Word has authority, will you trust what it says regarding the promises for the future? Will you endure suffering knowing that a day is coming when the God of all grace will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you?

This is one of many promises about the future found in His Word in 1 Peter 5. Will you submit to promises like these and order your life accordingly?

Finally, will you follow the lead of passages that invite you to respond to God’s glory and revelation? The psalms are a great example of this… Earlier this year we memorized Psalm 103 as part of our FighterVerse challenge.

Psalm 103:1–5 (ESV)

1      Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name!

2      Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits,

3      who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

4      who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5      who satisfies you with good

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Will you bless the LORD as God’s Word commands? Will you sing praises to Him? Will you lament over the brokenness of this world and the sin within it? These are all examples of submitting to the authority of God’s Word unto sanctification. We are practically bowing the knee to God, and we are responding rightly to the truth of His Word.

What a rich faith we have. What a wonderful treasure we have in the Word. Let us not take it for granted any longer.

Let’s pray.

Pray

Jesus Over Everything

Dismiss (Visitor Table, Prayer Team)