Noah

Temple Baptist Church - 3-10-2013

 

Hebrews 11:7; Genesis 6:1-14a

 

Introduction:

A. So much of the preaching concerning Noah and the days he lived in has been application instead of interpretation and much speculation and postulation on these subjects has caused unnecessary confusion.

1. Before practical application is made, biblical proper interpretation must always be given. If a proper interpretation is not given, then the application may or may not be a biblical one. Genesis 6-7 has become fertile ground for such unbiblical assumptions.

2. Previous to this chapter, we find few or no areas of such controversy arising!

a) Abel’s sacrifice was a beautiful type of our faith in the blood of Christ that brings salvation. Salvation is through propitiation and forgiveness of sin comes only through blood.

b) Enoch’s pleasing walk with God is a beautiful type of our ability to please God in the same manner. In a progressively sinful society, this man chose to commit his life to his Saviour and the result was pleasing to God.

B. The reliance on “theories” by theologians to convey scriptural truth always genders questions while reliance upon revealed truth of scripture brings answers!

Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

Theory - a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural and subject to experimentation, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact. A theory is an unproven hypothesis! We cannot base doctrinal truth upon supposition! It must be established on biblical fact.

C. One such theory is called “The Gap Theory.” This theory teaches a vast amount of time elapsed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (These verses need to be interpreted in light of other verses on the subject such as:)

Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth (that is Genesis 1:1), the sea, and all that in them is (that is Genesis 1:2 and following), and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (God created the heaven and earth in six literal days and rested on the seventh. The Bible is also clear on the description of those days as it repeatedly says, “And the evening and the morning” which is a direct reference to the Jewish 24 hour day that began in the evening. I find no biblical basis for this theory found in the Bible.)

D. Genesis is called the Book of Beginnings and also the Seedbed of the Bible. The rule of First Mention is predominant in this book of the Bible. In the first mention of this subject, God stated His mind and never varied in the progressive biblical revelation on that subject!

E. There are several questions that arise among God’s men in when dealing with Genesis 6-9. God’s men are often divided over what God does not say in the bible. Here are a few of those questions that I believe need to be looked at in order to make a proper interpretation.

1. Who were the sons of God?

a. Here, the Angel Theory comes into play as a lot of ill-informed preachers teach that these “sons of God” were angels and base their assumption upon the Book of Job. I believe the bible is consistent in using the term “sons of God” to both men and angels. We are the “sons of God!” (1 John 3:1)

b. By using the Context Principle of Bible Interpretation, we find a fact that cannot be denied: Genesis 4:17-24 gives the genealogy of Cain or the ungodly line of man; Genesis 4:25-5:32 give the genealogy of Seth or the godly, Messianic line of Christ; Genesis 6:9 declares that Noah was “perfect in his generations” which means he married within the godly line of Seth; Genesis 10 gives the genealogy of Noah’s sons. Genesis 6, which is in the middle of these chapters, begins with “And!”

c. It lies within the recorded genealogy of mankind and sets forth the two lines: the sons of God and the sons of men. The sons of God were the Messianic Line of Seth who took wives of the ungodly line of Cain. There is no mention of angels found anywhere in the Bible to this point so angels cannot be interjected into these verses. There are no verses of scripture that even hint that angels have reproductive powers.

Mark 12:23-25 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. (24) And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? (25) For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. (Some say that the angels who are in heaven are not like angels on earth who always take the male form. They still do not reproduce! God made a certain number of angels and that is all that there are.)

d. Had these “sons of God” been angels in Genesis 6, they would have produced a race of half man half human. The bible is clear as to the reason for the destruction of mankind: in verses 1-7, God clearly declares in each verse that the sinfulness of “man” brought about their destruction, not the sinfulness of angels!

2. Where did the giants come from in verse 4?

a. The bible does not say, therefore, there is no need for speculation! It does say that “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that.” If giants were a result of an angelic-human union, then they all died in the flood and were gone. Yet, we find the mention of these giants once again in the land of Canaan during the days of Moses and Joshua. These giants had to be the offspring of Noah and his sons!

b. The statement in Genesis 6:4 is just a statement of fact and the offspring of the sinful union of the godly and the ungodly produced some (not all) men of renown. After the flood, in Genesis 10, we find once again men of renown born with the principal one being Nimrod. He was the offspring of Noah’s sons also!

3. Was Noah saved by building an ark?

a. The answer is no. In Genesis 6:8, the bible is clear that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord before the building of the ark was commanded or built. Salvation has always been and will always be by the grace of God.

b. Some Men teach salvation by grace mixed with works before Christ and after the rapture of the church. Solomon declared that there was not a just man in all the earth that doeth good and sinneth not!

Acts 15:10-11 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? (11) But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (The Old Testament saints were saved by the grace of God just as we are.)

4. Was the ark a type of salvation?

a. Once again, the answer to this question is “No.” If salvation is by grace through faith (and it is) then the building of an ark was obedience that followed salvation. Noah builds the ark with his own hands and then later removed the window and climbs out of it when he was finished. What would have happened if Noah had been disobedient? He would have drowned with the rest of that disobedient crowd.

b. God has always judged the disobedience of His children and often visited death upon the perpetrator. The New Testament declares that the ark was an ark of safety where Noah, having believed God about the judgment to come, build an ark to “the saving of his house” in our text (Hebrews 11:7). The ark is a type of safety through obedience.

5. Did all who died in the flood go to hell and all who got on the ark go to heaven? The ark is a type of safety through obedience. Was everyone who died lost? I do not know. Was everyone on the ark spiritually saved? I do not know and the bible does not say. I know that those on the ark lived and those who did not get on died. We will leave this one up to the Lord.

6. Does Noah’s ark represent baptismal regeneration? 1 Peter 3:18-21 compares the ark with water baptism.

1 Peter 3:18-21 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (19) By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; (20) Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (21) The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

a. I believe that all of us know the answer to this question but, if you are one who believes that all who died were lost and all who lived were saved, then you will have trouble with our verse:

b. These verses clearly say that Noah’s family was saved by water and baptism saves us also. We understand that salvation is not through the baptismal pool but through the precious blood of Christ. It is all of grace; it has always been all of grace; and it will always be of grace. The grace of God plus nothing, minus nothing, and mixed with nothing.

c. The key is found in the word “figure.” A “figure” is a “symbol” or “type.” What is the message found in these verses? The ark being built and boarded comes after salvation making it “safety through obedience.” That is what baptism is: obedience!

7. Now, we can go back to Hebrews 11:7. I believe that some things needed to be explained in order to get to the truth of our text verse. We will never have all of these answers in this life but there are some things that we can take away with us concerning Noah.

a. Noah’s Person - Noah was a saved man! “just”; Noah was a separated man! “perfect in his generations”; Noah was a godly man! “walked with God”

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

b. Noah’s Surroundings - Noah lived in a wicked day! “imagination … only evil continually”; it is completely possible for you and I to live for the Lord in the midst of a wicked and perverse nation.

Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

c. Noah’s Faith – “By faith … moved with fear” Noah believed God for “things not seen as yet”; God has made us promises that are beyond the realm of possibility and yet all things are possible with God.

Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

c. Noah’s Promise – “saving of his house” The Lord takes care of those who know and serve Him. One day, it will be worth it all when we see Christ and that day is quickly approaching.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. (7) I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (8) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

d. Noah’s Prophecy – “condemned the world” These words are prophetic of the end time in which we live. God will chasten and correct!

Matthew 24:37-38 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

Luke 17:26-27 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (27) They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

2 Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

e. Noah’s Future – “heir of the righteousness which is by faith” God rewards righteousness both now and in eternity to come. Yes, life is hard, but I can look back on my life and report that the Lord has been good to me in spite of often dire circumstances.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Conclusion: Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

A Pastor’s Concern for the Church

Temple Baptist Church - 3-6-2013

 

Colossians 2:1-4

 

Introduction:

A. Once again, let me remind you that the Apostle Paul is writing to a church he had never been to and to a people he had never met. These verses expose several things:

1. Paul’s care for the local church. He loved the church! That’s God’s man!

2. Paul’s compassion for the saints. He loved the saints! That’s God’s man!

3. Paul’s concern for the welfare of both. He was concerned for the church corporately: both the people and the purpose! That’s God’s man!

B. As a general rule, satanic error is seductive in nature. It is very subtle, deceptive, and divisive. The word beguiled means to seduce. Seduction always intends to deceive or to lead astray.

1. In the beginning, Satan divided man and wife; he divided man and wife from God; then, as they accused others, he divided again and again.

Genesis 3:12-13 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. (13) And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

2. Thus, it is divisive as it causes divisions within the church body as good people begin to take sides. When false doctrine begins to divide, it preys upon the weak as the strong know what the Bible says and will not be “blown about” with every wind of doctrine. Once again, as a general rule, Bible doctrine is simple and easily understood while false doctrine introduces the believer to the confusion of “deep things.”

2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

C. The Holy Spirit, on more than one occasion, gives a look into the heart of the great apostle in these verses.

1. Paul was concerned about the state of their hearts. “comforted” 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (5) For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

a. Sufferings abound in the lives of God’s people as life is hard and often unfair. Being overcome with “overmuch sorrow” becomes a constant threat as it will cause even the strong to faint in the day of adversity.

b. In our day, it seems that God’s people are under constant attack from both without and within. Satan does his best to keep us discouraged and beat down with our circumstances.

2. Paul was concerned about the state of their love. “knit” Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.

a. Their lives were to be interwoven, not just meet for a while on the church’s scheduled services and then depart with no interaction or concern for each other until assembled again. Unfortunately, most churches are full of individuals or individual families instead of being a family.

b. The church in Acts 2 was full of people whose lives were interwoven on a daily basis. We may not see each other during the week as they did because of the change in times, but we can interact through daily prayer and be there for each other during difficult times. We need to “think” upon each other, have compassion upon each other, and be there for each other.

3. Paul was concerned about the state of their understanding. “full assurance” Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

a. Times were hard for the believers in Asia Minor as persecution was the rule of the day and it was easy to become discouraged with what was transpiring. They needed to understand that the world hates Christ, therefore, it hates His children. They needed to understand that where truth is, often error invades. Where there are fundamental churches, liberals infiltrate.

b. The same problems exist today. We know what “time” it is spiritually and, yet, often get our eyes on the “change and decay” that we see around us—especially in the spiritual realm. As Bible believers, we battle “change and decay” daily. If we fail to hold fast the foundations of fundamentalism, then they will die with us!

4. Paul was concerned with the state of their spiritual maturity. “hid all the treasures” Ephesians 4:11-15 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (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; (15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

a. The light of the child of God is still the Word of God and the knowledge that, in Christ, is all wisdom and knowledge. Our spiritual growth affects every part of our lives. As goes the inner, spiritual man, so goes the man!

b. If we do well spiritually, then we tend to live quiet, peaceful lives by trusting in the Lord. Such trust comes from the knowledge of Him! He is God and this is the basis for our trust.

5. Paul was concerned with the state of their doctrinal stability. “beguile…enticing words” 2 Peter 2:1-2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2) And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

a. False brethren and teachers were a persistent problem in the days of the apostles as they are in our day. From Genesis 3 until the end of time, the possibility of deception remains great. These false teachers use every means to infiltrate with their damnable heresies and God’s men (true men of God) must be constantly on the lookout by overseeing the local church and warning God’s people.)

b. Paul wrote to the Thessalonican believers concerning spiritual deception as spirit, word, and “letter as from us” was already a happening in the churches. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 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.

Godliness With Contentment

Temple Baptist Church - 3-3-2013

 

1 Timothy 6:3-6:11a

 

Introduction:

A. In our Laodicean society, we find discontentedness on every hand.

1. Everyone wants everything without working for anything.

2. Everyone wants everything now without being able to afford anything.

3. Too many place their trust and hope in these perishable things.

B. This Laodicean Church Age has affected God’s children in the same ways. We have been and are blessed! We must be careful not to let these blessings becoming cursing’s by:

1. Misplaced values. Placing things above our relationship with and work for Christ.

2. Misplaced trust. Placing our trust in these temporal things instead of in our loving Lord.

C. Then we have the reality and effects of Prosperity Preaching across our land. (6:5) “supposing that gain is godliness”

1. God’s faithful people have hard times financially.

2. Prosperity or the lack of it is not a sign of either God’s approval or disapproval of our lives.

1. We need to have a right perspective of finances.

a. There is nothing wrong with hard work and the financial rewards that go with it. 2 Thessalonians 3:10, 2 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. … (12) Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. (Notice the reward of work is that THEY eat! In today’s politics, people are demonized for success in business. The laborer is worthy of his hire and these people who have excelled should be properly rewarded. Those who will not work (notice I said “will not”) should not eat.)

b. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the fruit of one’s labors. Ecclesiastes 8:15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. (The Bible has no problem with people enjoying the fruit of their labors. That enjoyment should be done according to biblical principles.)

2. Material things are temporal while the eternal are just that: eternal. 1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. ("He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." ~ Jim Elliot)

3. Material things can be a recipe for disaster. Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (As many strange women stole the heart of Solomon, too many things cause our hearts to turn from our God. Where our treasure (things that we value) are is where our hearts will be.)

Matthew 6:31-34 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Philippians 4:10-13 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. (11) Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (12) I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (13) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

For Without Faith - Part 2

Temple Baptist Church - 3-3-2013

 

Hebrews 11:6

 

Introduction:

A. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him!” This statement is clear, is it not? If faith is essential to salvation, sanctification, service, and the pleasing of our Lord, then it is imperative that faith have an immovable foundation. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do!

1. The foundation of our faith cannot be found in man for man is fallible. There is not a just man in all the earth that doeth good and sinneth not! Any two Bible scholars cannot agree on every point. Pastors differ, evangelists differ, churches differ, schools and seminaries differ, and brothers differ; therefore, the foundation of our faith cannot rest upon the foundations of men.

2. The foundation of our faith cannot be found in personal preference. Men may want to serve God and live for Him with all of their hearts, but—unfortunately—will do what they want much of the time. You and I have preferences, right or wrong.

3. The foundation of our faith must be found in God’s Word! “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God!”

B. Therefore, we must conclude that faith’s foundation must be based upon the supernatural, not upon the natural.

1. I am a King James Bible believer and I believe that everyone here knows that by now, so when I say “Bible,” you will understand what I mean. There are no other reliable translations! They may contain truth to some measure but either: 1) one Bible is correct and all others incorrect or 2) they are all incorrect for they all disagree with each other to one extent or another. ONE IS CORRECT and I am preaching out of it this morning.

2. This is the most amazing Book that has ever been recorded in the English language! I have read history books, biographies, autobiographies, fiction, religious books such as the Book of Mormon, writings of Charles Taze Russell, parts of the Quran, etc. and have never found any to be either competitive or equal to the one that I hold in my hand!

1) The King James Bible remains one of the most widely read versions in the English speaking world.

2) The King James Bible is the most printed book in the history of the world.

3) The King James Bible is the most important publication in history.

4) The King James Bible is certainly the work of divine preservation. Its editorial staff was the greatest of any book ever produced. Fifty-four leading theologians and scholars spent years investing their lives in this translation effort.

5) King James Bible is unsurpassed in its linguistic beauty, breadth of information, purity of truth, and longevity of shelf life.

6) The King James Bible was the Bible of America’s Founding Fathers.

The early Congress of the USA had a definite commitment to the King James Bible. In Sept. 1782 Congress passed a resolution commending the first printing of the Bible in the USA.

7) The King James Bible was the Bible of the 1^st and 2^nd Great Awakening Revivals.

8) The King James Bible was the Bible used in the modern missionary movement.

9) The King James Bible makes more of Jesus, for He is God, than any translation ever made. The rest take away from His deity and add words that would make Him less than He is.

C. The Unity of the Book - The Bible is a Book authored by some 40 human writers and compiled over 1,600 years -- yet it has an incredible doctrinal and structural unity! There is one theme; and no conflict! No other piece of literature, sacred or secular, has anything approaching this. Not one mistake or contradiction by any of those whom God used to write this wonderful book.

“The Book of God, Not of Men!”

The Holy Bible must have been

Inspired of God and not of men.

I could not, if I would, believe

That good men wrote it to deceive;

And bad men could not, if they would,

And surely would not, if they could,

Proceed to write a book so good.

And certainly no crazy

Could e’er conceive its wondrous plan.

And pray, what other kinds of men

Than do these three groups comprehend?

Hence it must be that God inspired

The Word which souls of prophets fired.

D. The Bible declares itself to be inerrant, infallible, perfect, inspired, and preserved. I believe that. Not because I have been taught to believe (though I have) but because the Bible declares itself to be so. Let God be true and every man a liar when they disagree with the Bible. The Bible is correct! Let me brag on this Book for a few minutes.

1. Its scientifically correct. Although the Bible does not claim to be a book of science, it is correct wherever it addresses scientific matters. It has never had to be revised to harmonize with established scientific facts!!! (And NEVER will!)

a) "Every-day" Scientific Facts -- such as Human anatomy, Botany, Geography and Astronomy are always correct in the Bible and were stated long before scientists “discovered” them.

b) The Importance Of The Blood - Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (As late as the 18^th Century, doctors still treated certain sicknesses with bloodletting.)

c) The Earth’s Position In Space - Job 26:7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. (Not on a turtle’s back or held up by Hercules!)

d) The Existence Of Jet Streams - Ecclesiastes 1:6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

e) The Fact That Air Has Weight - Job 28:25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

f) The Hydrologic Cycle - Ecclesiastes 1:6-7 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. (7) All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

g) The Fact That The Earth Was Round - Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Ecclesiastes 1:5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

h) That The Stars Were Innumerable - Jeremiah 33:22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. (The universe may glitter with far more stars than even Carl Sagan imagined when he rhapsodized about billions upon billions. A new study suggests there are a mind-blowing 300 sextillion of them, or three times as many as scientists previously calculated. That is a 3 followed by 23 zeros. Or 3 trillion times 100 billion.)

i) That There Is An Empty Place Over The North - Job 26:7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. (The universe has a huge hole in it that dwarfs anything else of its kind. The discovery caught astronomers by surprise. It is not a black hole, which is a small sphere of densely packed matter. Rather, this one is mostly devoid of stars, gas and other normal matter, and it's also strangely empty of the mysterious "dark matter" that permeates the cosmos. Other space voids have been found before, but nothing on this scale. This "gap" is in the Northern Hemisphere, lying in the general direction of the constellation Bootes. This "hole in space" is a 300 million light year gap in the distribution of galaxies, has taken cosmologists by surprise, not because it exists, but because it is so big. Indeed, He stretches out the north over the empty place.)

j) That Man Could Be Put To Sleep In Order To Perform Surgery - Genesis 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

k) The Fact That All Men Have The Same Blood - Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; (Until recent times, it was believed there was significant differences in the blood of various human races. However statistical divisions of humanity based on different kinds of genetic data do not group people consistently into races. Blood is separated by type, not race.)

l) The List could go on but I think that the accuracy of the Bible in matters of space, medicine, and general health—prior to discovery by others—is conclusive that this is God’s Word.

2. It is prophetically correct. A major portion of the Bible was prophetic at the time of its writing, and much of this has already been fulfilled in the minutest detail! This is one of the strongest internal proofs of Inspiration. For example, over 300 prophecies about the birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ have already been fulfilled. In the 24-hr period of the crucifixion, some 21 different prophecies were fulfilled. The odds of this being mere chances are staggering! The Bible alone predicts the future with 100 % accuracy! It has never been proven to be wrong. As the prophecies concerning the 1^st coming of Christ have been 100 % accurate, those concerning the 2^nd coming of Christ will also surely come to pass. You can read the newspaper headlines withing the prophecies of this bless old Book.

3. It is judicially correct. Our laws find their basis within this wonderful Book. If man will live by God’s law, he will do well. If man will judge by God’s law, society will do well.

4. It is archaeologically correct - This is perhaps the greatest of external proofs -- no archaeological discovery has ever contradicted the Word of God!

a) Topographical & Geographical—The hills, valleys, plains, deserts and mountains are all where the Bible says they are.

b) Ethnological—The family tree of the nations in Genesis 10, and the various migrations mentioned in the Bible have been verified. (Contrasted by the embarrassing situation with the Book of Mormon!) E.g., the ancestry of the Hebrews from Mesopotamia through Abraham has been verified. Excavations at Ur reveal it to be the idolatrous pagan city so stated in Joshua 24:2.

c) Chronological—All of the pertinent evidence uncovered has supported the record and order of Biblical events and the circumstances involved.

d) Historical—The collapse of the Jericho walls, the presence of Hebrews in Egypt, and a number of other startling archaeological discoveries have confirmed the historical trustworthiness of the Word of God.

E. It is imperative that we have God’s Word in order to have a God pleasing faith.

1. Our Salvation Depends Upon It. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Without the Word of God, there can be no salvation. If it is not the Word of God, it cannot save.)

2. Our Sound Doctrine Demands It. Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. (The “faithful word” is the only basis for “sound doctrine!” If the Word is not faithful, then we cannot be assured that our doctrine is sound!)

3. Our Christian Growth Requires It. Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (Without God’s Word, we could not grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is through the “milk” of God’s Word that spiritual babes grow and the “meat” of God’s Word that we become to full maturity. Churches are filled with spiritual babes because of the lack of biblical feeding by pastors who are called to “feed the flock of God.”)

4. Our Daily Guidance Necessitates It. Psalms 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (God’s Word for spiritual cleansing.)

5. Our Exposing Of False Teachers Requires It. Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. (We are to mark and avoid false doctrine and false teachers. It always surprises me how many believers get upset when false teachers, false churches, etc. are exposed and yet the Bible commands the pastor to do so. If it is a snake, mark it so that everyone will know to avoid it. If the preacher, teacher, church, doctrine, or sinful brother is not marked the people of the church will be deceived and tainted.)

6. The Proof Of Our Love For God Is Manifested Through It. 1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (There is an old saying, “Don’t tell me you love me, show me that you love me!” “Oh, how I love Jesus” are cheap words without the actions and obedience of love manifested.)

Conclusion: Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.