Temple Baptist Church - 3-30-2016
Jude 3
Introduction:
A. I want to identify the enemies of God’s Word tonight. It
is a very clear message tonight because you are either on the right
side of God’s Word or you are on the wrong side. There is no middle
ground with God or the Bible.
1. Some people are on the wrong side of the Bible but
are there because of ignorance. These may be saved but are being
destroyed for lack of knowledge. Their “shepherds” are guilty of ear
tickling and compromise because of their love of money.
Ezekiel 34:1-2 And
the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, prophesy
against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith
the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that
do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
2. Some people are on the wrong side of the Bible
because they do not believe the Bible. These are destroyed because of a
rejection of knowledge. Let me give you an example of these who are
willfully ignorant because they will be the focus of this message.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge,
I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing
thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
B. The message tonight is also a hard one! The
Word of God divides us from people that we love and are friends with!
The Bible divides us from the churches and schools that we once
attended. I owe no allegiance to the church that I was saved in nor to
the Bible schools that I graduated from. As long as they stay with the
right doctrine, I will stay with them. When they stray from right
doctrine or the Bible, I leave them. Period!
Matthew 10:32-37 Whosoever
therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before
my Father which is in heaven. (33) But whosoever shall deny me before
men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. (34)
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (35) For I am come to set a man at variance (to alienate) against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (36) And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
(37) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me:
and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
C. If we are to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered, we MUST be steadfast and willing to pay the price for the Bible. Others paid with their lives, can we do any less?
D. To stand for error and fallibility
of the Bible is to declare that the Bible is wrong and cannot be
trusted fully. I want to look at a couple of verses to prove my point.
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. (There are 4 things in these 3 verses that I want us to take note ofJ
1. “Incorruptible.” This word means un-decaying. Let me give you a Biblical example of what “incorruptible” means. Acts 13:35-37 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
(36) For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of
God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
(37) But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
(The body of our Lord Jesus saw no corruption or decay! Even most
liberal will agree with this statement because, if they are saved, they
must believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord. “Incorruptible
means just that, absolutely no decay at all!)
2. “Abideth for ever.” This words means to continue, to be present, to remain. It is something that cannot and will not change. 2 Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
(Our Lord Jesus Christ “abideth” faithful because not to would be a
denial of all that He is. He never changes as He is the same,
Yesterday, today, and forever. The Word of God “abideth for ever!”)
3. “Endureth for ever.”
It is of interest that the King James Bible translates the same Greek
word differently here. The word “abideth” and the word “endureth” come
from the same word. Why? “Abideth for ever” means that it will never
change while “endureth for ever” means that it will perfectly resist
every attack or effort of man and devil the change it.)
Psalms 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
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.
4. “This is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” “Is preached” is in the present tense as the Word of God was in hand to these people.
2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: (We have a Word that is more sure than angels or even God Himself speaking from heaven. It is a Word that continues to remain.)
2 Peter 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 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.
E. The Bible is very clear when
it speaks of inerrancy and infallibility. I will say without apology
that these so-called theologians who attack the inerrancy and
infallibility of the Bible are on Satan’s side of the battle. They may
claim to be fundamental and Bible believing but they call God a liar.
It all boils down to this: you either believe what God says or you do
not.
F. Satan hates the Bible because of what it gives. Satan’s attack upon the Word of God is purposed, planned, and manned!
1. It gives us Eternal Salvation - John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
2. It gives us Blessed Assurance - 1 John 5:13
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the
Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of God.
3. It gives us Doctrinal Purity - 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
4. It gives us Spiritual Maturity - 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
5. It gives us Satanic Exposure - Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
6. It gives them Everlasting Damnation - John 12:48
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth
him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last
day.
G. Let us look at a few of the tools that liberal theologians use in their attack upon the Bible.
1. The Tool Of Intellectualism - 2 Peter 1:16-17
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known
unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were
eyewitnesses of his majesty. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to
preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom,
declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know
any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was
with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech
and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. (Almost
every denomination or religious group has fallen through their
institutions of higher learning. Seminaries have become breeding places
for heretical teachers who undercut the authority and veracity of God’s
Word.)
Colossians 2:8
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after
the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after
Christ. (Philo-sophia or the love of wisdom. The wisdom of man is foolishness with God and the wisdom of God is foolishness to man.)
Matthew 23:7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. (Rabbi
means “My Master.” One who is over another. Rabbi means “Teacher” or
one trained in Jewish Law. Today it is “Doctor, doctor!” I have no
problem with education but education does not equate spirituality nor
does it make one superior in any respect.)
2. The Tool Of Dishonesty - 2 Corinthians 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. (By
deviously rendering the Word of God is such a way as to make it agree
with false teachings. Romans 1 says that they change the truth of God
into a lie. Where I come from, the only thing that we rendered was pig
fat in order to make lard! In Bible Colleges as well as many pulpits,
the teacher or pastor will read King James English and then contradict
the Scripture by said, “This word could have been translated” or “This
word should have been translated!” It makes the pastor or professor the
final authority as he corrects the Bible instead of allowing the Bible
to be the final authority as it corrects him.)
3. The Tool Of Textual Criticism - 2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Jeremiah 36:22-24 Now the king (Jehoiakim) sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. (Textual
Criticism is the science of studying ancient manuscripts to determine
the authentic text of the Bible. It is sometimes called Lower Criticism. Many elevate
the Minority Text over the Majority Text and teaching people that the
King James was either inaccurately translated or is archaic and in need
of constant revision.)
4. The Tool Of Deception - Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.
Jude 3-4
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. (4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (These
men pretend to be Bible believers while infiltrating the fundamental
ranks and later showing their true colors by leading others astray from
the “Old Paths.” These are “ungodly men!” Enemies of the Word of God
are enemies of the Lord God!)
5. The Tool Of Confusion - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
1 Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
1 Timothy 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
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