This Is The Word

Temple Baptist Church - 2-5-2012

1 Peter 1:23-25

Introduction:

A. As bible believers, we make much of God’s Word and such should be the case. Psalm 138:2 describes how the Lord sees His word. He has magnified it above all His name.

1. The foundation for all faith is found within its pages.

2. The basis of our salvation is found in its truths.

3. The hope of our eternity is found in its promises.

4. The peace in our heart is found in its comfort.

5. The encouragement of our souls is found its guidance.

B. The King James Bible stands alone as one of a kind. There is none like it.

1. I love to read it; I love to study it; I love to preach it; and I love to share it.

2. I stand upon it and stand for it. I champion the King James Bible, God’s holy Word!

3. It saved me; it keeps me; and it changed me; it encourages me; it guides me; it convicts me; it admonishes me; it chastens me; it feeds me; and it illuminates me!

4. The bible is complete in its revelation; miraculous in its unity; powerful in its ability; wonderful in its knowledge; and blessed in its reading!

5. It is unique and the Jewel of the Ages! To deny it is foolish and to reject it is damning!

C. 1 Peter 1:23-25 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (25) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. In verse 23-25, we find:

1. Its purpose (being born again)

2. Its purity (incorruptible)

3. Its Person (God)

4. Its permanence (abideth for ever)

5. Its promise (endureth for ever)

6. Its power (gospel)

7. Its preaching (preached)

8. Its partaking (unto you)

D. We as an independent Bible-believing Baptist church base everything that we believe and preach upon the fact that the Bible is a miracle book! It is the foundation on which all faith and practice is based. Written by men who were supernaturally inspired, it is the only complete and final revelation of God to man. From Genesis to Revelation it stands unified without error or contradiction. I want to take another look at this miraculous book this morning.

1. The Bible Is Miraculous In Its Inspiration - 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

a. God breathed! Every word pure; every doctrine pure; every historical fact pure; every scientific fact pure; every prophecy perfect!

b. Inspiration is the determining influence that acted upon the sacred authors, moving them to put into writing the revelation which they had received from God.

c. We believe the Bible to be verbally inspired; that is every word is literally "God-breathed" so that we can look to the Scriptures and declare; "Thus saith the Lord!"

d. Everything we know about God, and all of our doctrine that is taught and preached is because God, through inspiration, has recorded His Word in the Bible!

2. The Bible Is Miraculous In Its revelation - 2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (This refers to the controlling influence which God exerted over the human authors by whom the Old and New Testaments were written. Revelation involved the communication of truth from God to man, and inspiration involved the recording of that truth.)

3. The Bible Is Miraculous In Its Compilation - 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (It is a book of marvelous unity and agreement.)

a. Its Authors – 40 different writers spanning over 1500 years without one contradiction or error.

b. Its Books - Books in the Bible: 66; Books in the Old Testament: 39; Books in the New Testament: 27

c. Its Chapters: Chapters in the Bible: 1189; Chapters in the Old Testament: 929; Chapters in the New Testament: 260.

d. Its Verses - Verses in the Bible: 31,173; Verses in the Old Testament: 23,214; Verses in the New Testament: 7,959

e. Its Words - Words in the Bible: 773,692; Words in the Old Testament: 592,439; Words in the New Testament: 181,253 (I said that to say this: no contradictions and no errors! More than amazing; it is divine.)

4. The Bible Is Miraculous In Its Illumination - Psalms 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. (Illumination is the supernatural help granted by the Spirit of God to the reader of Holy Scripture to enable him to lay hold on the divine message.)

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

5. The Bible Is Miraculous In Its Preservation - Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (7) Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

a. The Bible is a unique book: only a small percentage of books survive for more than a quarter of a century and even less survive for a hundred years with only a very small number survive for a 1000 years.

b. However, the Word of God has survived for thousands of years. No other book has survived the perils of the centuries as has the Bible.

c. Times have drastically changed; rulers have risen to power and fallen; the Word of God has been banned and burned; men have been commanded not to preach from its pages, yet it has always been preserved!

Matthew 24:35 says, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Luke 16:17 says, "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail."

6. The Bible Is Miraculous In Its Salvation - Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

a. It has the power to convict of sin - Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said, Men and brethren what shall we do?

b. It has the power to convert the sinner - 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever. (The human heart is the soil, the Word of God is the seed, God quickens it by the Holy Spirit, and the result is the salvation of man's soul! Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..." Romans 1:16.)

c. It has the power to change the saved - Ephesians 4:25b-26 Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word. (Sanctify and cleanse means that the Word has the power to purify our lives inside and out. Not only will the Word of God take the impurity out of the heart, but it will cleanse the outward life and make us usable in His service.)

Conclusion: We believe that we have a supernatural Bible! It is a miracle book! It is miraculous in its Inspiration, in its Preservation, and in its Power. Our position on the Bible separates us from many other churches and groups of believers. We are BIBLE BELIEVING BAPTISTS! We believe that the King James Bible is the final authority in matters of faith and practice. God inspired it, preserved it, and empowered it...we are privileged to proclaim it here and around the world! THIS IS THE WORD!