Holding Fast in 2016 - Committed to Contending

Temple Baptist Church - 1-10-2016

Matthew 4:1-11

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  I have been preaching on “Holding Fast in 2016” to introduce the New Year of 2016.  I preached on “Losing Your Grip” and “Holding Fast Our Commitment.” 

 

1.  This morning, I want to preach on “Committed to Contending.”  Contending is something that most of us do not like to do but is necessary in the days that we live.  Jude 3 says, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

 

2.  “Once delivered unto the saints” speaks of the divine inspiration of the Word of God!  God spoke it once and will not speak it again.  We do not believe in double inspiration!  We are exhorted to “earnestly contend” for the Word of God!  To stand for it; to fight for it!  It is a fight because we are surrounded and badly outnumbered today by liberal Bible scholars who spend much of their time attacking us for our Biblical stand on the Bible!

 

3.  This year will be no different.  We, like the Nation of Israel, have no place to retreat to.  Our backs are to the “sea” and the enemies of God’s Word surround us.  They do not care if they capitulate because they have no Bible stand but, if we capitulate, then we become no better than they!

 

B.  On the Mount of Temptation, our Lord was tempted in three areas and, each time, answered Satan with the Word of God: “It is written.” 

 

1.  How important is God’s Word if our Lord used it as His only defense and argument?  Today, we are told by the “Bible Scholars” that inerrancy and infallibility is not an important doctrine.  We who hold to the perfection of the Bible are “majoring on a minor” according to their “worldly wisdom.” 

 

2. The inerrancy and infallibility of the Word of God is the most important doctrine in the Bible because it is the foundation upon which all other doctrines are founded!  “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  (Psalms 11:3) 

 

3.  We battle for the Bible on almost every hand!  Every major denomination has fallen because of “false teachers” and Biblically liberal colleges and universities.  When one denies inerrancy and infallibility of the Word of God, you can easily identify whose side he/she is on.

 

C.  In our text, our Lord said, “Man shall not live … by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God!”  “Proceedeth out of the mouth of God” is Biblical inspiration!  If I read my Bible right, God said that we are to live by every “inspired” word that God spoke! 

 

D.  The liberal Bible correctors of the Wescott-Hort persuasion predominately use one of two so called bibles: the NASV and the ESV.  I do not normally quote from them but did take the time to see what they had to say about verse 4 and here they are:

 

1.  NASV – “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

 

2.  ESV – “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God!”

 

E.  Both of these liberal “bibles” from the liberal “text” say that “man shall live … by (or on) EVERY WORD that preceeds (or comes) out of (or from) THE MOUTH OF GOD!  That still means that man must live by the inspired Word of God and, to live by it, THEY MUST HAVE IT!  Somebody erred, either the Lord Jesus Christ or the liberal scholars.  Since my Lord cannot err or lie, I choose the liberal scholars!  Their “bible” doctrine defies the very “bible” verses that they hold dear!

 

F.  Those who stand firm on the King James Bible do not have to worry about its continual changing or evolving.  The liberal theologians must contend with the continual evolution of their bibles though they are all based upon the same perverted text.  The perverted text has not changed!  IN ORDER TO GET A COPYRIGHT AND, THEREFORE, ROYALTIES, THEIR BIBLES MUST EVOLVE OR CONSTANTLY CHANGE!  Filthy lucre at its worst is the driving force behind the liberals and their so-called bibles.  The liberal’s faith is in constant transition.

 

G.  Now, let me call your attention to the words “It is written.” 

 

1.  With each of the three temptations, our Lord quoted from the written Word of God.  “It is written!!”  Our Lord had nothing new to say to old Slew Foot.  Our Lord quoted what God had already inspired and preserved! 

 

2.  Our Lord lived in the era of the New Testament and had only copies of the original manuscripts.  What was already inspired by God was sufficient!  If God’s written Word was sufficient for the Lord, it is also sufficient for us today.

 

H.  I want to quickly break down verse 4: Matthew 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  Now, let us look at what Christ was telling Satan, leaving out the part about the bread.  The bread has to do with our physical life but the words of God deal with our spiritual life.  “Man shall … live … by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 

1.  Man shall … live!  You cannot live spiritually otherwise.

 

2.  Every word!  You MUST have every word!  It is essential that we have the very Word of God today!

 

3.  That proceedeth out of the mouth of God!  You must have the inspired, preserved Word of God to live.

 

I.  The Word of God was once delivered to the Old Testament saints and was certainly earnestly contended for by those who preserved it.  Preservation is an act of God but God used men to get the job done.  That is what Paul told young Timothy to maintain the old ways through the inspired Scriptures that he had known from his youth.

 

2 Timothy 3:14-17  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;  (15)  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  (16)  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

 

J.  Let us look at these verses for a few minute:

 

1.  Timothy had the preserved Word of God. Vs. 15  “From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures”  The “holy scriptures” that Timothy had known from a child was the Old Testament which had been preserved for hundreds of years.  As so often quoted from Psalm 12, the Lord kept His promise to preserve His Word to the generations that followed.  We still have that preserved Word of God!

 

2.  Timothy had the perfect Word of God.  Vs 16  “All scripture”  All means all and that’s all all means!  Every verse, every word of the Bible is correct and does not need the human reasoning of liberal Bible scholars to place their hands upon it!  Leave the Bible alone and preach it; leave the Bible alone and apply it; leave the Bible alone and heed it!

 

3.  Timothy had the inspired Word of God. Vs 16  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God”   Verse 16 is a description of the “holy scriptures” that Timothy was raised under, not the original manuscripts!  GOD CALLED THEM INSPIRED though they were preserved copies.  God told Timothy that the Scriptures that he held so dear could be fully trusted!

 

4.  Timothy had the profitable Word of God.  “And IS profitable”  Is, not was!  God told Timothy that the inspired Scriptures that he was brought up under were still sufficient for his doctrine, his reproof, his correction, his instruction, and his thoroughly furnishing for both a godly life and the ministry for which he was prepared.  If this had referenced the original manuscripts which were no longer available, then that which was gone could not be profitable to Timothy.  The inspired Scriptures that Timothy still worked with the approval of God upon them!

 

Conclusion:  God has called us to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered!  The King James Bible is perfectly preserved, perfectly inspired, and works perfectly in our day.  Never be ashamed of what you believe because what you believe about your Bible is what God said about your Bible!   “It is written” is still sufficient!  If you hear someone tell you different, remember these verses: 

 

Romans 3:3-4  For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?  (4)  God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.