Rev. David Holwick X
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
July 18, 1999
Jeremiah 36:1-3, 16-23
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SERMON SUMMARY: Is the Bible the inspired Word of God or a purely human
document? Why Christians should believe in inspiration and the
impact this doctrine has on churches.
I. The battle over the Bible.
A. Narrow-minded hayseeds.
Back in April, Tim Neugent of Mena, Arkansas, was watching the
TV program "THE PRACTICE."
In this particular episode the mother of one of the lawyers
decided she was gay.
She wanted her son to go to court to help her get a marriage
license to marry her 'partner.'
Tim was irritated enough to write an email to ABC.
He wrote:
ABC is obsessed (or should I say abscessed) with the
subject of homosexuality.
I will no longer watch any of your attempts to convince
the world that homosexuality is OK.
THE PRACTICE can be a fairly good show but last night's
program was so typical of your agenda.
You picked the 'dufus' of the office to be the one who was
against the idea of his mother being gay and made him
look like a whiner because he had convictions.
This type of mentality calls people like me "gay basher."
Read the first chapter of Romans (that's in the Bible) and
see what the apostle Paul had to say about it...
Jim did not expect to get a reply - but he did.
The ABC online Webmaster wrote:
How about getting your nose out of the Bible (which is ONLY
a book of stories compiled by MANY different writers
hundreds of years ago) and read the Declaration of
Independence (what our nation is built on) where it says
"All Men are Created Equal" -- and try treating them
that way for a change!?
Or better yet, try thinking for yourself and stop using an
archaic book of stories as your crutch for your existence.
#4681
B. One Bible, two interpretations.
1) Liberal view:
a) Bible is purely human document with many authors.
b) The individual books were pasted together, and some
are falsely claimed to be by important figures.
c) The books were written long after the actual events
and were warped by later generations.
d) The Bible is full of myths and legends, and the science
and history in it are full of errors.
e) It reflects an ancient world filled with the miraculous
and demons, which is not reality.
f) The Bible gives us spiritual stories, but most of it
is useless and some is downright dangerous.
g) Like KING JEHOIAKIM, they freely whack off what they
don't want.
2) Conservative view.
a) The Bible is the Word of God.
b) It was written by humans in human words, but has a
special inspiration.
c) The Bible is accurate in what it teaches.
d) Those who accept it, and what it teaches, will find
eternal life.
C. How can we tell who is correct?
II. What Bible claims for itself.
A. Inspiration.
1) Views of Jesus.
a) John 10:35.
1> Jesus Christ - "Scripture cannot be broken."
b) Passages often introduced with, "God says..."
1> What Scripture says, God says.
2) These words are God's words.
a) Romans 3:1-2.
1> Jews entrusted with "very words of God."
b) 1 Thess 2:13.
1> Apostles' message was Word of God.
c) 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
1> All Scripture inspired, and practical.
d) 2 Peter 1:20-21.
1> Not made up by humans.
2> Variety of transmission: visions, sermons, letters.
3) Conservatives often accused of "literalism."
a) We understand figures of speech.
b) But we take Bible at face value.
B. Consistent message.
1) Bible refers to previous events and authors.
2) Common thread of history.
3) From beginning to end, the redemption of mankind.
III. The support of history.
A. Fulfilled prophecies.
1) Greatest ones were fulfilled by Jesus.
a) Period of his coming and his death predicted in Daniel.
b) Manner of his death predicted in Isaiah and Psalms.
2) Survival of the Jews.
B. Dead Sea scrolls and papyrus.
Sir Frederic G. Kenyon, director and principal librarian of
the British Museum:
"The interval between the dates of original composition and
the earliest existing evidence becomes so small as to be
in fact negligible.
The last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have
come down to us substantially as they were written has
now been removed.
Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books
of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established."
#4683
C. Factual accuracy.
1) Nelson Glueck, former president of Jewish Theological
Seminary in the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati
and one of the greatest archaeologiest ever:
"I have been accused of teaching the verbal inspiration
of the Scripture.
I want it to be understood that I have never taught
this.
All I have ever said is that in all of my archeological
investigation I have never found one artifact of antiquity
that contradicts any statement of the Word of God."
#4684
D. Documentary theories unsupportable.
1) Some verses are attributed to three different authors.
a) But criteria are questionable.
2) Differences are often due to ancient literary styles.
a) Doubling of accounts (two creation stories)
b) Layout of book (Deuteronomy)
IV. Personal experience. (testimony of God)
A. The Bible is its own best defense.
Rev. Jeffrey McCleary
[Responding to a professor who questioned the accuracy of
the Bible...]
"I believe the Bible is accurate not because I can prove
it completely
(that would require God's Word to submit to my limited
abilities and knowledge)
but because by His grace He opened my eyes to see that
Scripture is, by nature, divinely inspired, produced
by God who was capable of guarding it against error."
#4677
Billy Graham said,
"Early in my ministry some intellectual theologians
challenged me because they felt I was naive when it
came to understanding the Scriptures.
As I listened to them, I began to question what I believed.
One moonlit night I walked into the woods and spread my
Bible over the stump of a tree.
'Lord,' I said, 'I don't understand everything in this book.
But I accept it by faith as your divine Word.'
From that moment on, I've not had a doubt that the Bible is
God's inspired Word.
The Scriptures have remained my constant guide."
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B. The Bible tells it like it is. Hebrews 4:12
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart.
1) Exposing ourselves to the Bible makes us aware of how
far we have fallen from God.
2) It then gives us the hope that we can be saved by God.
J. David Hoke:
"The Bible is alive.
Its truth pierces through all of the facade,
all of the plastic pretense of who we claim to be.
It speaks powerfully to who we really are.
If you don't believe it, then read it.
Its truth will powerfully grip you.
Your inner spirit will agree with the words you read.
And God, by His Spirit, will begin to open your eyes to
the truth."
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V. It makes a difference.
A. The Bible must be our standard.
1) All ideas about God must be compared with Scripture.
2) Churches are dividing as a result of views of Bible.
a) Bishop Spong rejected Jesus' view of Bible, and now
rejects traditional view of God.
b) All denominations are affected.
B. Two ways we can know about God.
1) Personal experience.
a) Ours, or someone else's.
b) Good, but can be manipulated.
2) Revelation.
a) God reveals himself to us.
C. Be willing to let God speak to you.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
This sermon borrowed heavily from "The Bible" by Rev. J. David Hoke.
Over 275 of his sermons are in a free Microsoft Access 97 database at
http://members.xoom.com/dholwick/serm-dat.html
#4575 American Baptist Evangelicals online discussion web, May 14, 1999;
response of Jeffrey McCleary (jmcc@acsworld.net) to Dr. Kille.
#4677 Sermon by Rev. Bruce Fraser, Atlanta, Texas: "Miracles: Are You
Opened Or Closed?", January 18, 1998.
#4681 Email from Tim Neugent, Mena, Arkansas, to ABC Entertainment,
forwarded April 9, 1999, by Rev. Wayne Cowhick.
#4683 "The Bible," sermon by Rev. J. David Hoke, New Horizons Community
Church, Voorhees, New Jersey, September 12, 1993.
#4684 "The Bible," sermon by Rev. J. David Hoke, New Horizons Community
Church, Voorhees, New Jersey, September 12, 1993.
#4685 "The Bible," sermon by Rev. J. David Hoke, New Horizons Community
Church, Voorhees, New Jersey, September 12, 1993.
These and 4,500 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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