Sermon Tone Analysis

Text:"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

(, NASB95)

Text:"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

(, NASB95)

Theme: Christians need a commitment to the Word of God.

Theme: Christians need a commitment to the Word of God.

Date: 06/25/15 File name: Romans45.wpd

ID Number: 111

Date: 06/25/15 File name: Romans45.wpd

ID Number: 111

The Apostle is right in the middle of a discourse on disputable matters and Christian Liberty when he drops a in a golden nugget of theological truth.

I refers to the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ who became our substitute on the cross.

In verse 3 he writes, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

All the contemp, all the reproach, all the scorn, and all the disrespect that sinners have directed toward God in their rebellion against Him, was borne by the Christ in his suffering on the cross.

We are transgressors, broken by sin, but God offers us a fix for our sin through the shed blood of His Son.

Christ died in the sinner’s place, taking upon himself the wrath that was meant for us.

The Apostle is right in the middle of a discourse on disputable matters and Christian Liberty when he drops a in a golden nugget of theological truth.

I refers to the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ who became our substitute on the cross.

In verse 3 he writes, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

All the contemp, all the reproach, all the scorn, and all the disrespect that sinners have directed toward God in their rebellion against Him, was borne by the Christ in his suffering on the cross.

We are transgressors, broken by sin, but God offers us a fix for our sin through the shed blood of His Son.

Christ died in the sinner’s place, taking upon himself the wrath that was meant for us.

But there is another golden nugget in this discourse, and it comes in vs. 4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

(, NIV84).

Everything the Apostle has written here has been written about before in the past that we might be encouraged in the faith, and maintain our hope in God.

He’s referring of course to the Jewish Scriptures — our Old Testament.

The Jewish Scriptures are also our Scriptures and everything ... everything ... in them was written for our edification, and our hope.

And of course we have a New Testament that tells us the story of our Christ, and his Church.

For Confessing Christians the Scriptures are our absolute authority for faith and practice.

Billy Graham calls the bible, “The constitution of Christianity.”

When any question of doctrine or practice arises within the church, we ask—or at least we should ask—only one question: “What does the Bible say?”

So what should we believe about the Bible.

Let me offer two propositions and a summary statement.

I. PROPOSITION #1: THE BIBLE IS TRUTH WITHOUT ANY MIXTURE OF ERROR

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” (, NIV)

1. inerrancy is a major tenant of belief of Confessing Christians

a. liberal theologians and pastors generally approach the Bible as a series of historical documents written by very human authors who were trying to promote their own agendas and theological beliefs

documents written by very human authors who were trying to promote their own agendas and theological beliefs

1) they believe that — like any other historical document — the Bible contains factual errors, distortions, religious propaganda and exaggerations

factual errors, distortions, religious propaganda and exaggerations

b.

Confessing theologians and pastors approach the Bible as a work written by men, but inspired by God the Father through the God the Holy Spirit

men, but inspired by God the Father through the God the Holy Spirit

1) guided by the Holy Spirit, the various authors of the 66 books of the Bible, wrote exactly what God wanted the readers to hear

exactly what God wanted the readers to hear

2) the guiding inspiration of the Holy Spirit kept their writing free of error

c. unfortunately the doctrine of the Inspiration of the Scriptures is perhaps the chief theological divide in the church today

theological divide in the church today

1) there are many denominations that abandoned their belief in an inerrant Bible a long time ago

Bible a long time ago

2) call me naive ... call me stupid ... but I believe God gave us our Bible, and it is truth without any mixture of error

truth without any mixture of error

2. the Bible is a book that all church members need to own, to read, to study and to bring with them when they come to church

with them when they come to church

a. why? our central text gives us the reason . . .

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

(, NIV)

ILLUS.

If you don’t want to spend $125 on a leather-bound, gold-edged, study bible that’s fine ... you can download the Bible onto your iPhone for free!

that’s fine ... you can download the Bible onto your iPhone for free!

b. the Apostle Paul emphatically tells us that everything written in these pages was written to teach us about God and how to have a relationship with Him

written to teach us about God and how to have a relationship with Him

1) without the Bible, we would be groping in the dark for truth about eternal matters

There Are Three Words We Use to Describe the Bible: Inspired, Infallible, and Authoritative

There Are Three Words We Use to Describe the Bible: Inspired, Infallible, and Authoritative

A. 1st, THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED BY GOD AND REVEALS GOD TO MEN

A. 1st, THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED BY GOD AND REVEALS GOD TO MEN

1.

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man.

It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction.

It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.

Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.

to man.

It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction.

It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.

Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.

a. that statement comes right out of our congregation’s Confession of Faith and I believe it’s a statement that supports the inspiration, infallibility, and authority of the Bible

believe it’s a statement that supports the inspiration, infallibility, and authority of the Bible

2. we believe this because the Scriptures themselves maintain that they are inspired by God alone

God alone

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (, KJV 1900)

a. the word inspiration in the Greek is theopneustos, and literally means God- breathed

breathed

b. through the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit, the writers of the Bible wrote exactly what God wanted us to know

what God wanted us to know

c. God used each writer’s unique writing style, cultural background and vocabulary, but the true author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit

but the true author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit

ILLUS.

You might say those men and women who penned the Bible were ghost writers ... Holy Ghost writers

writers ... Holy Ghost writers

3. because the author of Scripture is God Himself, the Bible does not merely contain a word from God, it is the revelation of God to men

a word from God, it is the revelation of God to men

a. it is completely true from through

1) some of you may be thinking, “Come on, Pastor.

Do you really believe all the Bible is accurate in all it claims?”

Bible is accurate in all it claims?”

ILLUS.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, leading Evangelical theologians and pastors were growing ever more concerned with the increasing influence of liberal scholarship in Evangelical pulpits, colleges, and seminaries.

The veracity of the Scriptures were being questioned, and some were openly denying its truthfulness.

In October 1978, 300 of the world’s leading conservative biblical scholars gathered in Chicago for the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy.

During that conference, a subcommittee produced a “Statement on Biblical Inerrancy” that was subsequently signed by all those attending the conference.