"Our SURE Foundation"

12/04/2015 12:57

Text: II Timothy 3:10-4:4

Title: The Solid Rock Upon Which We Stand

Introduction:

Paul said....1Ti 3:15 .... that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

exp. Pillars and ground (foundation) are important to the strength of the structure.

ill. blind Samson destroyed his enemies by destroying their pillars. Judges 16: 29-30 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Satan is no fool. He is going to attack the foundation and pillars of our faith. David said....

Psalm 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

He does this by attacking the truth of God's Word?

1) Why would MODERN churches embrace evolution? When God's Word clearly says that, "In the begining God created the Heaven and the Earth" (Genesis 1:1) All things were made by him;(note: Jesus) and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)

2.) Why would MODERN churches condone abortion? When God's Word says...."For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139: 13-16)

3.) Why would MODERN churches condone homosexual marriage?When God's Word says.... "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (Genesis 2:24) "Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." (Ephesians 5:33)

4.) Why would MODERN churches say that all religions are good? When Jesus said...."Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

question: If a religion does not teach the only way of salvation is Jesus - AS GOD'S WORD CLEARLY TEACHES - IS THAT A GOOD RELIGION?

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?.... So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:13-14, 17)

THE ONLY POSSIBLE REASON FOR DEVIATION FROM THE BIBLE IS UNBELIEF THAT THE BIBLE IS THE AUTHORITATIVE WORD OF GOD and a fear of man instead of a fear of GOD.

ill. When we were children, if a sibling came to us and told us to do something that we didn't want to do, we'd say, "Take a hike." If they came and said, "Dad said to....." We could still say, "Take a hike." (Expecially if we had friends nearby and we wanted to please them instead of our father.) But, if the message was from dad, we are in trouble - expecially if we beat up the messenger for telling us."

The problem with the world is that they keep beating up the messenger from God.

ill. It is very easy to illustrate this point from God's Word.

1.) What happened to Jeremiah because He preached God's message?

2.) What happened to Elijah because he preached God's message?

3.) What did the world do to JESUS when He preached God's message?

4.) What happened to Stephen when he preached God's message?

5.) What happened to Paul many times because people rejected God's message from his lips?

So then, the question before us is - do we have a message from God?

Our text this morning is II Timothy 3:13-4:4.

Paul begins by letting us know that SCRIPTURE IS UNDER ATTACK.

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

I. God's Word comes with assurances.

A. The Spirit of God verifies the truth of God's Word.

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,

exp. Paul commanded Timothy to continue in God's Word because he had received assurance that it was an authoritative message. He knew Timothy to be convinced of the truth of Scripture. How did he know that God had convinced Timothy of that?

exp. What internal assurance do we have that the Bible is the Word of God?

1Jo 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

ill. In ancient times, when a king would send a message, he would stamp it with a cylinder seal rolled on wax. That assured the reader that the message was from the king.

exp. Some may not know the King sent it, because they don't know the King's stamp.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

app. If you are saved this morning, you understand that the SPIRIT OF GOD gives ASSURANCE that this message is from God.

B. The source of God's Word gives security

knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

exp. Paul, Luke, Matthew, John, Peter, are all credible witnesses.

Acts 5: 30-32 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

app. We have credible sources this morning. These are men who lived and died for Jesus.

ill. Some thirty-eight hundred times the Bible declares, “God said,” or “Thus says the Lord” - www.bible.org - the written word of God.

app: They were either liars or we have a divine book.

II. God's word saves.

ill. In the past I've enjoyed watching a program about helicopter rescues in the highlands and waterways around Scotland. The winch is lowered and the person is brought up to the safety of the helicopter. They are saved because the winch cable has integrity. If that integrity was compromised the cable would break and the person would fall to their death.

exp. This book has rescued man a person from sin and the punishment of sin. For it to do so, it must have perfect integrity.

15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

exp. Over and over again God's Word goes down into a persons heart and brings them up to saving faith in JESUS CHRIST.

app. If you are not saved, you need the truth of God's Word. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

III. God's Word claims to be entirely from God.

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

exp. The word "inspiration" means that God breathed out his Word. God's Word claims that Scripture - in it's entirety is the very breath of God.

note: The Bible is 66 books written over 1500 years by 40 men and it all agrees.

· It is accurate scientifically, archeologically, historically, prophetically etc. Mankind has slandered God's Word but has not proved it false in any one of those categories.

· It has been translated into more languages than any other book.

· It has outsold every book every year.

· It has been accepted by the vast majority of mankind as the Word of God.

· The two most powerful nations (note: they are not the largest nations) in our modern world have legal systems based upon it.

app. Since God said it, dare I be brazen enough to change it? If some is not true, what is true and what is not? Who then becomes the judge of Scripture? What happens to the authority of God's Word? IS IT ANY WONDER THAT SATAN ATTACKS THIS BOOK UPON THIS VERY POINT?

IV. God's Word changes lives.

17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

exp. God's Word takes men from living against God to living for God.

ill. I'll often ask people when witnessing to them if they have ever known someone who is, "Born Again." Peter said, "My good girl friend became born again and it wrecked her. She stopped drinking at the pub with me and she stopped telling dirty jokes."

ill. George Minsick was in Al Campone's gang until he accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour.

ill. The Apostle Paul killed Christians until He took God's gift of salvation and stepped onto God's side.

ill. Edinburgh newspaper 100 years ago "The redeemed drunkards band gave short testimonies about (God's ability to change lives) a religion that can make drunkards good husbands and loving fathers is a religion worth having"

app. The proof is in the product. May God in His grace allow the world again to see the power of the Gospel to change lives.

V. God's word holds us accountable to God.

1 ¶ I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

exp. Timothy had a sacred trust given to Him with God's authoritative Word. He was not to please men. He was to please God.

question: Did Martin Luther and John Knox seek to please men. How about George Wischart or the Covenanters?

app. How can the Modern church hold it's head up when it has bowed to "political correctness" otherwise known as "the fear of man" instead of standing with God's Word.

question: Would you respect a Dr. who changed his statements about cancer because they were not acceptable to the board of health? If lives are at stake he has a duty to give the evidence as he has found it.

app. We will someday stand before God and give an account of how faithfully we have declared His Word.

VI. God's Word is our message.

2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

exp. A church that does not expound the Word of God - IS NO CHURCH AT ALL. The only message that any preacher has that will make any difference in any life - is the message that is from God. PREACH THE WORD......ALL LONG SUFFERING AND DOCTRINE.

exp. Reprove - reveal what is wrong.

Rebuke - challenge to deal with what is wrong.

Exhort - encourage to do what is right.

question. How can a church which does not believe in the inspiration of God's Word correct anything?

ill. Preacher says, "I think that is wrong." The congregation says"Why pastor?" The pastor responds, "I don't know, I just FEEL like it is wrong." (They have no authoritative message without God's Word.)

app. The problem with modern churches is that the preacher says, " We just need to love each other and get along. The great problem with our society is those who are intolerant and believe they are right." (Notice that this message does not come from God'sWord it comes from the world and it is against the Bible.)

VII. God's Word will face opposition.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

exp. People will cry out for the message THEY WANT TO HEAR instead of the message THEY NEED TO HEAR. And sadly, the modern churches will bow down to their demands.

note: No matter how badly they want to change God'sWord - THEY CAN NOT CHANGE IT THEY CAN ONLY DECEIVE THOSE WHO LISTEN TO THEM.

ill. Peter - 2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

app. Don't be suprised that the vast majority in our world today will reject the teaching of Scripture on inspiration! God'sWord has told us ahead of time that this will take place.

VIII. God's Word will be rejected.

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

exp. Our world wants Disney fantasies not Sodom and Gomorrah. They want their fun stories instead of life saving truth.

ill. Peter - 2Pe 1:16,19 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. ....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:

app. Christians we need to embrace God's truth. We are walking today through a dark and deceived world. They have placed darkness for light and accused light of darkness.

Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Ps 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

conclusion: This passage of Scripture needs to be preached in every church in our land. If it was preached and believed their would be a revival of religion and a return to morality.

How do we know that we have a message from God this morning?