Biblical Authority

David Johnson

Core Values • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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Core Values

Today we are starting a new series on Core Values

Core values are really the core convictions of who we are as a church

They are how we operate…Our Non negotiables for how we will operate as a church

Now as a church we could have 400 core values but we have specifically chosen to have 5. and we think these 5 cover a ton of territory

Our board and staff teams got together earlier in the year and had a core values day where we specifically prayed and just did this…

Then we agonized about it for months and ran it by a bunch of other people and we have finally landed on these 5 values to share with you

So our first value that we want to share with you is Biblical Authority

The Bible is God’s Holy word. It is the highest source of written authority regarding God's plan for His people. It reveals how to live out that plan, individually and corporately. Beliefs, practices, priorities, and our mission are to be anchored in clear biblical teachings.

This means that everything that we do here is anchored in scripture because we believe that the 66 books of the Bible are God’s truth reveled to humanity

So it is our hope to not just tell you why we believe in these so strongly but to show you…So before I start teaching today on Biblical Authority I want to invite up Jill Lituszek to share her story:

Testimony: Jill Lituszek

I was raised Roman Catholic, and as a little girl I really loved God. I would write out to God from the time I could barely even write and draw Him pictures in crayon. God just felt so close when I was little.

This disposition changed as I grew though and it turned into really wanting to know about teachings of the Church. Being Catholic, the number one thing was “transubstantiation.” This is the belief that Jesus Christ is really physically present in the eucharist (communion). That is the reason why missing mass, or communion, is a mortal sin. It is the reason we genuflect in church … because the Eucharist is there. The Eucharist is Jesus, and we receive Jesus through the Eucharist. I had sincere questions about this and other things, on which my faith hinged. Unfortunately, being a young teenager, these questions were posed in a challenging way to my poor confirmation teacher who was just trying to serve the church. Naturally, at some point, she tired of me causing a disruption and just said, “if you don’t believe the Eucharist is Christ then you’re not Catholic!” I said, okay and told the adults that I didn’t believe in the core of the faith and I expected this would be a problem. It wasn’t. The expectation was that I would just get confirmed anyway. At this point, I questioned if anyone really believed any of this then … are we just going through the motions? So, I got confirmed, as was expected of me, and as the priest was putting the oil on my head I was praying, “Jesus, I believe in You, but not in this …” I tried to be devout for a while after confirmation, but I could never wrap my mind around the core teachings and eventually my faith just fell apart.

As a young adult I called myself “spiritual.” I explored all kinds of eastern meditation and philosophies. It was a search where anything goes and anything can be true. I could determine what I believed what I thought was false. This was my belief for about 20 years. I thought I could believe anything and it didn’t really matter – and that anything I believed that was spiritual made me “good.” I began to see Christianity as having your beliefs in a box -- my ego proudly rejected such narrow thinking. At some point, I didn’t even call myself a Christian anymore, in fact I would openly reject it. God became a vending machine to me at-best, to whom I would turn only when I wanted something. And even then, I just imagined I was praying to some kind of cosmic field of energy. Even in all this, God didn’t let me go.

By my early 40’s my self-made faith was beyond dead, and I was broken as a person. I was going through a traumatic marriage/divorce; and I was riddled with uncontrollable, chronic anxiety. At this time, one night I was watching a CNN documentary on the Turin Shroud. I’m not saying this is the basis of my faith, but during this at-best agnostic period in my life I realized that I do believe in the resurrection of the biblical Jesus Christ. I was shocked. This sent me on a 2-year search for Truth. In the world and in politics everyone seemed to exploiting God and Christianity – He’s on the right, he’s on the left – what is true? I remember praying again to God, who ARE you? I didn’t even care what the truth was anymore – I had no vested interest in it at this point – I just knew the truth wasn’t in me to choose. I don’t decide the truth. Which religion is right – what is true about God? This drove me. Eventually this turned into, does God even know me? I asked these questions in earnest and searched for the truth with all my heart. I had no idea this search for truth would become the most beautiful journey of faith. I didn’t know this at the time, but both the old and the new testament tell us that when we seek God (or draw close to Him) with your whole heart, we will find Him. This is true. This was my experience.

I think I knew enough to know that I was going to be a follower of Jesus at this point, but who is Jesus? I didn’t even know the Bible. Back in the day I would have said I was an expert because I knew about the kid stories: Adam and eve, Noah’s ark, the Christmas story and the Easter story. I wasn’t so sure about myself anymore. So, there was this Christian Bible store in Elk Grove at the time, where I live, and I remember going in there just wanting to be invisible. I snuck in there, terrified that anyone would try and talk to me, found an Amplified Bible (with all the word choices) and got out of there as soon as I could before anyone could tell me about God. I didn’t want their opinions, I just wanted the truth. And in that I felt like I had to at least know what the Bible said. I read it and read it but it didn’t make sense yet. I searched and I prayed and I was open to anything that was true for about 2 years. “God show me. I don’t care if the Bible is true, or what it is … just help me find it.” God put new neighbors next to me who were devout Christians and they were so loving. The way they lived their lives inspired me and they let me ask all kinds of questions. They talked to me, they had beautiful faith, they knew the Bible. God also put a person at work who would let me bring all my questions, “Why does Paul say that about women? Why does Revelation say that about dogs?” Again I just got love, patience, discussion, and prayers. I know they were praying for me. All of it.

June 30, 2018 at about 10:30 in the morning I felt the typical paralysis of a panic attack coming on. The anxiety of knowing that you’re going to have a panic attack is terrifying. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move. I fervently called out to who I knew for sure to God in the Bible – so I called to YHWH. YHWH help me, help me I prayed through tears and torture all by myself at home. Something happened when I prayed this – something I never expected. I felt God near me again, I felt him in my spirit, in my heart – not audibly but in my soul I heard so clearly – later I read it in Galatians 4.6 what this felt like for me - “The spirit of the son is sent into our hearts and calls out Abba Father.” It was not just words, it was truth I knew it was true … I heard/felt, “I created you” “I love you” “you are mine” verbatim, and before I even knew these things were biblical. I knew I was His child, and God was my father. It felt so close again – just like when I was little, but more so. The anxiety tears turned into tears that come only when you understand how deeply you’re loved by God. Not describable. My whole life, the way I lived it so vain, selfish, and proud, I didn’t deserve this. But I knew it was real, it was true – God is a person – not a cosmic vending machine. He is a person whom I have denied for most of my life. He is all powerful and all love and I am all ego and just this little peon of a being. He is the creator and I am the creation. My search for truth ended right there. My years-long chronic anxiety also ended in that moment and never returned. The chains were truly broken for me. What I knew is … I needed to know the Bible. As much as I could learn. God put a hunger in me for His Word that compared to nothing else I’ve experienced before – nothing compared, nothing was more interesting. I started to look at protestant churches and was confused. I took the teaching at a granular level and with the same inquisitiveness that I had as a teenager. Eventually, I wanted to learn from a multi-denomination seminary so I started to audit Biblical Interpretation classes and found programs that could teach me from the granular level. What I mean by this is the details of each book, of the whole Bible, and of major theological systems so I could understand. This was 4 years ago, and it was after a lot of study, a lot of thought, and a lot guidance that I came to realize my biblically-based beliefs line up best with Classical Arminianism, or Wesleyanism. I started attending REC last fall, and just recently became a member of this church. This is the first and only Church I have ever been a formal member of (as an adult) in my entire life. It was not a fast decision, it was a long decision. It was based in a very real love of God, and a deep dive into the Bible and theology. But I know God is real, and that His Word is true – and that when you search for Him, with a sincere heart … He will respond.

God’s word Has Authority

As we consider Jill’s story it is amazing to see how her story was a fundamentally a search for truth

And the reason why our number one core value here is Biblical authority is that we believe that this book reveals a living and active and loving God that wants to transform you.

There is a theological word called salvific…Which literally means that something has the power to bring about redemption

We believe that God’s word is salvific…Meaning if you are here and you are not saved that if you spend time in this book you will find salvation in Jesus

There are many books out there that are good…I can just stand here all day and talk about authors as if they are my long time friends…people I have never met…

I could tell you what Klyne Snodgrass thinks about NT Wright’s Parable interpretations…I could tell you about Dallas Willard’s articulation of the gospel or how Darrel Johnson and Bruce Metzger’s view of revelation is fundamentally different

I have spent my entire adult life learning from these authors and many more…And I agree with some and disagree with others but what I can tell you that all of us believe that the bible is salvific…it can lead to salvation

Whereas there books are great commentaries but they lack that power!

So there is this problem when talking about biblical authority…And hopefully I have solved the problem up front and now we can dive into the Bible...

So here is the problem that is unique to speaking about Biblical Authority. When you begin using a bunch of bible verses to show how there is authority in the Bible then it begins to look like circular reasoning…

The Bible has authority because it says it does!

So I wanted to show you first an example: The Bible has authority in Jill’s life because God used it to reveal himself to her

And this shows something....In one sense the Bible is God’s tool that he uses to reveal himself to the world.

God doesn’t need the Bible…We know that in the Muslim world, the fastest way that people are coming to faith is through dreams and visions…Jesus is literally revealing himself to this world through their dreams...

God is not the Bible, but God uses the Bible to reveal himself.

So there is this danger in going too far in biblical authority…The danger and many churches have had to navigate this…Is that the Trinity is the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit

But the danger is that we say the trinity is the father, the son and the holy bible!…The Bible is not God but it is the greatest tool that we have to reveal God…and I do believe that it is God’s holy word!

God is truth and He is revealed through the Scripture

So when we talk about biblical authority I want to start here

We have to start with the presupposition that God is absolute truth

Jesus is being asked by his disciple Thomas, how he can know the way to following God and here is what Jesus says:

John 14:6 NIV

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Our modern society hates this verse. They really do . We live in a pluralistic society who says, this is arrogant to claim that you are the only way.

Honestly what Jesus says here turns people off of following him because it seems cocky of Jesus to assert such a thing.

But the reality is that it is not arrogant to take what is offered by no one else...

Jesus is offering a way to the father. And he says that he is the truth…he is the door.

And how do we know about Jesus? Well we have to read the Bible!

There is a similar verse in the Old Testament

Isaiah 55:8–9 NIV

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Let me give you this verse in a very basic way:

God is smarter than you

God knows the right way, you are marred by sin

You need God’s ways if you’re ever going to make it…and the door to God’s ways is Jesus.

I have shared this verse with you before and it is central that we grasp this as truth, especially in today’s society

I think that one of the biggest sins that we unconsciously commit is that we believe that our own way is best…We believe that we have all the answers…that we know the truth..>

See when we don’t even consider the possibility that we don’t have the answers then who do we even need to read God’s word?

One of my favorite authors, Dallas Willard says this about truth

The bitterness of truth is its total indifference to human will and desire together with the fact that human desire and will is set to reshaping reality and therefore truth to suit itself -Dallas Willard

What willard is saying is that there is a certain brutality to truth.

Human desire is constantly shifting sand…Human desire changes all the time and the brutality of truth is that it is indifferent to human desire…

To say it more plainly the truth is the truth is the truth and it doesn’t care bend to our desires!

That is why people don’t like the truth

And we serve a God who claims that he is the truth and that his ways are higher than our ways!

I always find it hilarious when people say, well I don’t believe in XYZ so it doesn't matter!

Reality and truth are indifferent to our beliefs!

I cant tell you how many people I have ever spoken with about Hell, and I don’t even bring it up they do…and they say…Well I don’t believe in it so it isn’t true

The arrogance of that is that you believe that whatever you think can become actual reality!

for hundreds of years, our culture has been attempting to reshape reality and call things true that will never be true.

In fact our society has said that absolute truth just doesn't exist.

But the Bible reveals a God who contains in himself all knowledge and truth…And that truth is not a concept…but a person!

Truth has to have authority in our life

If you agree that God is the way the truth and the life, if you agree that his ways are higher than your ways and that is is smarter than you

Then

Biblical authority imposes obligations on the lives of readers and hearers. To say the Bible is authoritative is to say that it governs all of human life

We can not restrict the Bible to govern just Sundays...

It is God’s word revealed and his ways are higher than our ways

And the absolute brutality of truth is the next fill in!

Belief must accommodate truth. Truth does not have to accommodate belief

Read that statement over and over again

Then go home today and write down your strongly held beliefs then test them against the scriptures!

Ok Let me give you the rest of Isaiah 55 because we could be here for hours

We looked at this verse in the book of Mark series where we talked about the seed sowing parable

Isaiah 55:10–11 NIV

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

God is telling these people in this ancient prophetic book that is awaiting the messiah that his word is like seed and it will accomplish all of God’s desires

God’s word does work because it is authoritative!

When God speaks, the world is created

See we live in a culture and in a society who actually believes that their words are authoritative...

I cant tell you how many times I have heard christians talking about vision boards and manifesting stuff...

if your here and your in to that stuff…That is a world of emptiness deceiving you that your word has authority and power…its actually actively keeping you from a deeper relationship with God!

and that is an attempt at becoming God! Go throw that stuff away!

But God has all authority so his words actually do work lets fast forward:

So Isaiah 55 says that God’s word doesn’t return empty and it accomplishes his purposes

John 1:1 NIV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 NIV

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the embodiment of God’s word! See only God’s words return fruit…God’s word became flesh!

And truth

Jesus believed in Biblical Authority

So Jesus is asked to weigh in on a rabbinical debate

The rabbis of the time are torn between two interpretations of marriage

Matthew 19:3–6 NIV

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Ok so at the time there are two interpretations of Old Testament divorce law and here is what Jesus does...

He doesn't buy into either rabbinical debate

he says: This is what scripture actually says!

Let’s look at one more

Jesus and his disciples didn’t wash their hands according to Jewish law once before they ate and here is the question that Jesus gets

Mark 7:5 NIV

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

So it is impotrant to remove all notions of modern hygiene!

Biblical law only required for priest to wash before they entered the tabernacle and for people in certain situations where you touched something unclean like a dead body or a bodily discharge...

So as rabbinical thought developed over the years the logic was…you might not know if you touched something that was unclean…so just to be safe…wash your hands in all circumstances... Now from a modern hygiene perspective, they were probably right

But they took the biblical thought and added tons of extra onto it…and they imposed human tradition on people that wasn't in the Bible

Jesus elevated biblical authority over human tradition.

This is why in Mark 7:8 Jesus says

Mark 7:8 NIV

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

Our actions in our lives reveal the extent to which we believe the Bible has authority.

Are we following culture? or are we following Scripture?

If Jesus were here today would he accuse us of holding on to human tradition?

There is so much more that I can share with you today but I want to end on this verse:

Paul has been pouring into his disciple Timothy...

And he wants him to get that if your going to spiritually lead people then you need to have all of your basis in scripture!

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

All scripture is God-breathed!

Literally influenced by the Holy Spirit!

Scripture should hold a high place in our lives! and even more in our church!

The Bible is God’s Holy word. It is the highest source of written authority regarding God's plan for His people. It reveals how to live out that plan, individually and corporately. Beliefs, practices, priorities, and our mission are to be anchored in clear biblical teachings.

Three Responses:

Does the Bible have actual authority in your life as God’s word?

Seek truth! There is a bitterness to truth that means that some of our beliefs are false!