WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.679 What does the Bible t you? 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:06.879 It's hard to explain, but it's too big for my brain to conceptualize. 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:15.599 So it's kind of our guide to the way we like to live our life and have a connection with God and Jesus. 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:17.679 The instruction manual for life. 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:24.480 A collection of books that reminds us how uh we should be living our lives and what we should be following every day. 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:28.719 A tool that we're able to use to connect and learn more about Him. 00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:30.640 It's it's hope for the world. 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:36.240 Helps me stay on path for what I believe and like what I want to continue to show other people as well. 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:40.880 It gives my direction, but it gives me love with Jesus. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:45.359 So it's the way of salvation and it's my pathway to eternity. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:53.200 The Bible is love, the Bible is what we need in this lifetime to be peaceful and grateful. 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:54.399 So yeah. 00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:58.320 Yeah, you can give clap. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:00.320 I didn't know I there was like a tentativeness. 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:06.239 Could we just say to those who are brave enough to be on video before you thank you for sharing your thoughts? 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:08.239 Um, also to the choir. 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:11.439 Would you just give it up for the choir leading us in worship today? 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:15.200 I just want to welcome those online, say we're so glad you're here. 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:17.760 Those of you in the room, so thankful that you're here as well. 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:27.519 Uh, today, also after the message, we'll have uh a very, very focused time for those of you who are in a back to school season, teachers, students, parents, etc. 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:31.359 And so we're just going to uh pray and ask God's blessings on all of you. 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:33.680 But we're so incredibly glad you're here. 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:35.760 We're gonna do something we don't usually do here. 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:40.719 Would you stand with me for the reading of God's word uh before I preach through this passage? 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:41.760 We're gonna read this out loud. 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:46.560 So, 2 Timothy uh chapter 3, I'm gonna start reading in verse 14. 00:01:46.799 --> 00:02:03.599 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you have learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:19.759 All scripture is give is God breathed, and it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:20.719 This is God's word. 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:22.080 You can be seated. 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:27.520 What do you do in life that is good for you? 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:37.520 Like on a on a regular basis, uh weekly or or even daily, what do you do that it's good for you? 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:41.520 Maybe it doesn't always feel good, but it's good for you. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:46.240 Exercising doesn't always feel good, but it's good for you, right? 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:50.400 Uh responsibilities, parenting doesn't always feel good. 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:52.400 It's good for somebody. 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:58.319 Um helping someone doesn't always feel good, but it's good for you. 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:02.879 I was asking myself these questions this week and it dawned on me. 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:07.439 I think my wife and I are better parents than my parents were. 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:08.960 Sorry, mom and dad. 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:11.599 Let me tell you why. 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:16.479 Um, when our kids were young, we we wanted them to do things that were good for them, right? 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:23.840 We we wanted them to get good sleep, we wanted them to exercise or play or whatever, we wanted them to eat good foods. 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:26.800 But our son, our he's our youngest of our three. 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:29.919 Our son was like the pickiest eater for a season that you could imagine. 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:31.840 Any of you have one of those in your home. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.400 Okay, any of you, you are the picky person. 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:37.280 Okay, we'll have a group for you later. 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:46.560 Um, but like my son would have gladly survived on Dino Nuggets, Fruit Loops, chips, and Wendy's 99 cent menu. 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:48.719 Remember when Wendy's had a 99 cent? 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:53.520 Like, we were broke, and that was like splurging for the day to go to Wendy's 99 cent. 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:56.240 Uh when it came to healthy eating, he was the worst. 00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:03.680 But somewhere along the way, we to our surprise, one day we discovered, but he sort of liked broccoli. 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:10.479 Now, broccoli's not usually the gateway vegetable to other vegetables, but in his case, he he liked broccoli. 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:18.160 Now, smothered in cheese and sriracha was my specialty for broccoli, but nonetheless, he sort of grew to love broccoli a little bit, I guess. 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:24.959 Um, I am a better parent than my parent because it took me in my 20s or 30s before I ever thought veggies were good. 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:29.439 And we figured it out for him, like at a young, young age. 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:33.519 But it's not good enough to just eat broccoli once. 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:41.360 No health benefits, really, to be honest with you, if you eat broccoli once and you're like, check, did it. 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:45.360 It's when the healthy habits become a part of our life, a rhythm. 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:48.720 We continue in them, we do them over and over and over again. 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:56.399 So we're gonna talk about the Bible, but we're gonna talk about the power of staying, continuing, engaging in the scripture. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:05.199 So I've already read what we're gonna talk about, but if you have a Bible, I'd love for you to find 2 Timothy chapter 3, and we'll start in verse 14 in just a moment. 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:06.800 Let me set a context. 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:14.319 Uh, the apostle Paul writes 2 Timothy, after he wrote 1 Timothy, it's a letter to a young man named Timothy. 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:23.600 We we think that most likely uh Paul met Timothy, I think it's Acts 16, when Timothy was like maybe 19 or 20 years old, roughly around that. 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:30.079 He he comes to this town where Timothy lives, and all the older people in town are like, Paul, you've got to meet this young man. 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:32.000 He is remarkable. 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:35.120 And so the apostle Paul meets him, gets to know him a little bit. 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:40.800 Fast forward years and years later, Timothy is probably like mid-30s-ish. 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:42.639 Mid-30s-ish. 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:46.800 He's the pastor, we think, he's the pastor of the church in Ephesus. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:52.399 So he is a like a very um responsible leader and a gifted pastor. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:53.839 He has a lot on his plate. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:57.519 And Paul writes him this letter, or these letters. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:02.639 In one place, what Paul says to Timothy is don't let anybody look down on you because of your youth. 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:08.639 That's not because he's 12, it's because in that Jewish world anybody like under 40 was young. 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:11.199 Can I get an amen from you under 40? 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:13.920 Um, and for us over 50, like, uh-oh. 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:20.480 So Paul is writing to Timothy to say, I need you to stay in these things that you know. 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:24.560 So 2 Timothy chapter 3, let me read the first half of verse 14. 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:30.000 Paul writes, Timothy, look, listen, as for you, continue. 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:31.759 Okay, I'm gonna point out a few words. 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:32.319 Continue. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:34.160 Can we all just say continue together? 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:35.120 Continue. 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:37.519 This is the driving word of this whole passage. 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:40.879 It's the only command, it's the only thing that Paul says, you've got to do this. 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:46.480 You've got to continue in what you have learned and what you have become convinced of. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:53.439 Paul's pointing out like this necessity of the regular, the consistent engagement of the Word of God. 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:55.439 He's like, you've got to continue in this. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:57.680 Look at the next part of verse 14. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:05.439 Because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures. 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:07.360 I don't know what age infancy starts. 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:11.120 That's pretty young that Timothy knew the scriptures from a young, young, young age. 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:17.439 You've known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:28.240 So Paul is writing and he's he's trying to help us understand God's word plus godly people in our lives, like in Timothy's life, gets the scriptures in us. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:32.800 It's Paul sort of acknowledging he wasn't the first to make an investment in Timothy. 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:37.120 Timothy's mother and his grandmother, go back and read chapter one of 2 Timothy. 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:51.439 Uh, Eunice and Lois, his mother, his grandmother were pouring into Timothy from a young age the word of God, which is just a reminder, parents, we have the primary responsibility of training and nurturing our children in the ways of God. 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:54.079 That should have been a really good spot for an amen. 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:59.519 Parents, we have primary responsibility to nurture and train our children in the ways of God. 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:03.199 It's not bring them to church and let them do it. 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:05.759 It's we have a greater influence on them. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:14.560 And Paul is acknowledging the influence of godly family and home in Timothy's life, but then he's also calling him out, and he's calling him out. 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:17.600 You know these scriptures that make you wise unto salvation. 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:20.879 So he's saying, first of all, scriptures have a role in salvation. 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:24.160 They reveal to us that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:26.560 No one comes to the Father except through him. 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:32.399 Salvation, but also you'll see in the rest of these verses, it doesn't just stop when you're saved. 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:33.919 There's this big theological word. 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:36.639 Scriptures are also for sanctification. 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:37.759 How do we grow? 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:38.639 How do we develop? 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:42.320 How do we mature into the people that God wants us to be? 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:45.840 And so Paul is trying to help Timothy understand this in another place. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:48.879 Romans 10, the apostle Paul writes these words. 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:50.080 He says, What does it say? 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:51.600 What do the scriptures say? 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:53.440 The word, he's talking about the scripture. 00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:57.679 It's near you, it's in your mouth, and it's in your heart. 00:08:57.840 --> 00:08:59.360 I hope that could be said of us today. 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:01.919 It's near us in our mouths, in our hearts. 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:05.919 That is the message concerning faith that we proclaim. 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:13.200 If you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and you believe in your heart God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:16.159 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified. 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:19.440 It is with your mouth you profess your faith and are saved. 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:23.600 So Paul is saying, Hey, Timothy, remember these scriptures, they lead us to salvation. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:28.080 They lead us to the place where by faith we declare Jesus is Lord. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:31.200 We turn from our sins and we turn to Jesus. 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:33.279 Verse 16, Paul continues. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:36.480 Timothy, remember, verse 16. 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:38.000 All scripture. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:40.000 Would you just say all scripture with me? 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:41.279 All scripture. 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:44.799 You can emphasize either word, both words, all scripture is the point. 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:52.399 Is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:53.759 Just leave that up there for a second. 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:55.279 All scripture is really important. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:57.279 God breathed is really important. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:00.240 Useful is really important to understand those latter four. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:01.759 We'll go through those in just a second. 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:13.759 But what he's trying to get Timothy to understand is, and for us today, the scriptures that we hold in our hands, there's something unique about them. 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:20.879 It's not like another book, it's not like any other kind of literature, it's not like any kind of other holy book. 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:24.799 There's something uniquely divine about scripture. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:28.000 And Paul wants Timothy and he wants us to understand this. 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:31.919 I hinted hinted at this last week, but it's not just like this is a book. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:34.240 This is like a library of books. 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:41.759 It's like if you went into a bookstore or a library, it's going into the scriptures, you got to know, like there's different sections. 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:49.360 There's history section, there's poetry or songs, psalms section, there's prophetic and there's gospel. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:50.960 You've got to know where you're at. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:56.879 But Paul's saying, but you gotta know this, it is all inspired by God. 00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:59.360 And he uses a very interesting word. 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:06.159 In fact, the only time this word is used anywhere in scripture, Paul says it's God breathed. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:11.039 It is inspired, it is breathed out by God. 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:12.799 Could you just do something with me? 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:16.080 Would you just take a couple of really deep inhales? 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:23.039 I didn't tell you to exhale. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:28.879 But in order to take that second inhale, you really do have to exhale, right? 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:34.320 And it's as if scripture is God breathing out truth. 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:37.679 It's like CPR for our souls. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:49.279 God is breathing into us what is going to bring life, what is going to nurture and cultivate like his work and his ways in our life, and he's breathing it out. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:50.559 It's inspired. 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:54.320 I personally think we throw words like inspired around way too much. 00:11:54.559 --> 00:12:02.080 I probably do too, but like if you're watching the Olympics a couple years ago and Steph Curry in the final game of the Olympics, you're like, he was inspired. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:06.240 Or you see an artist that you love or something, you're like, Yep, they were inspired. 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:10.960 Those versions of inspired don't even come close to this version of inspired. 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:14.240 It is breathed out by God. 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:34.320 Gary Brashier's, in an article called The Bible is inspired by God, says, inspiration is a divine work where he, God, providentially prepared and moved the human authors, enabling them to receive and communicate according to their individual personalities and styles and situations. 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:42.720 God sovereignly breathed in to humans and with their own personalities and with the culture that they were in. 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:54.480 And that may be the only time in the New Testament that word is used, but inspiration is all throughout Scripture. 00:12:54.720 --> 00:13:02.879 Thousands of times in the Old Testament, there's words like the Lord said, or if you're old school King James, thus saith the Lord. 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:04.320 That sounds more authoritative. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:07.039 But that's like a that's a call that this is inspired. 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:08.799 You read the New Testament, you see this. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:14.480 But more than anything, you read Jesus' words and he believes Scripture's inspired. 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:21.519 And if the guy who died on a cross and rose from a dead said the scriptures are inspired, I'm going with that guy. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:25.279 We trust the scriptures because Jesus says they are. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:28.320 Here's a couple of passages of scripture that affirm this. 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:29.360 Hebrews. 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:31.120 Chapter 1, verse 1. 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:34.399 In the past, God spoke, but they take it as a fact. 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:40.240 God spoke to our ancestors, to the prophets, at many times and in various ways. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:44.799 But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:57.679 God spoken most clearly through Jesus, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe, the creator God didn't create it and leave it to figure it out. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:00.480 He keeps on speaking. 00:14:00.799 --> 00:14:03.120 Second Peter chapter 1, Peter writes these words. 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:15.360 God uses them in a powerful way. 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:25.519 Prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:27.360 They're carried along by the Spirit of God. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:30.639 And if you're here last week, that's why we prayed out of John 16. 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:34.240 Spirit of truth, guide us into all truth. 00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:41.759 Because the Spirit leads us, guides us, carries us, and helps us understand these things that have been revealed. 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:47.759 Throughout the ages, there are always assaults on the authority, the integrity of scripture. 00:14:47.919 --> 00:15:04.240 One of those was in the late 70s, and a group of evangelical leaders gathered in Chicago in 1978, and they created what was known as the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy because they were trying to defend this is the word of God in a cultural moment where people were saying, No, it's not. 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:07.039 And they came up with this as part of their statement. 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:21.440 Holy Scripture, being God's own word, written by men, prepared, and superintended by the His Spirit, meaning the Spirit, use them, engage them, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon what it touches. 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:23.919 Look at these declarations. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:28.639 It is to be believed as God's instruction in all that it affirms. 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:35.279 Obeyed as God's command in all that it requires, embraced as God's pledge in all that it promises. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:35.840 Look at that. 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:39.679 It's to be believed, it's to be obeyed, it's to be embraced. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:43.919 As God breathes out his word. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:46.159 We believe this is the word of God. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.639 We obey it as the very words of God. 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:52.159 We embrace it as oxygen for our soul. 00:15:53.039 --> 00:16:02.000 To say, yes, we want to line our lives up to your word for a bunch of reasons, but in this passage specifically, because it's useful. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:04.240 It's useful. 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:06.559 That's that's why Paul writes these words. 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:09.679 All scripture is God breathed, and it's useful. 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:11.120 Could you say useful with me? 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:16.720 It's useful, it's profitable, it's advantageous to us. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:20.879 Again, what's useful to you in life? 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:23.759 What's good for you in life? 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:25.840 Getting a good education? 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:27.120 Like, that's useful. 00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:30.080 Get a good job, make money, that's that's useful. 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:31.840 Work hard, that's useful. 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:36.559 Some of you are like seven to nine hours of sleep a night, that's useful. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:39.200 And wishful thinking for some of you. 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:40.799 Uh it's advantageous. 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:44.399 Others of you, you're like spending time with family, time with loved ones. 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:46.480 That's useful, that's good, that's profitable. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:50.320 Some of you are like eating healthy, that's useful, that's good for me. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.480 Others of you are like, nah, no, thanks. 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:56.159 Some of you are like, exercise, that's useful, that's good for me. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:58.960 Again, others of you are like, yeah, they can have it. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:06.240 In um another place, Paul writes to Timothy, 1 Timothy 4, for physical training is of some value. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:09.759 That's the same word, useful, profitable, good. 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:14.400 And so he says, Oh, exercise, that's your thing? 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:16.160 That's of some value. 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:17.039 I like that. 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:23.920 Like eating right, that's of some value, but godliness has value, it's profitable for all things. 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:28.319 Holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:30.880 He's like, You think exercise is valuable? 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:32.640 It is, but not ultimately valuable. 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:35.839 You think eating right is valuable, sleep is valuable, work? 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:42.240 Let me tell you how valuable scripture is. 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:46.559 It's useful, it's profitable. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:51.279 In the 16th century, the the reformation took place. 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:52.720 That's a historical fact. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:56.160 But what did the reformation bring to us? 00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:02.480 Most of us have no idea how different faith and things before the reformation were. 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:16.079 But the reformers, Martin Luther and Calvin, some of those people, they came up with these ideas that we are trying to reform the church to get back to some of the biblical ways where the church has maybe gone a little bit astray. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:20.000 And so they one of the phrases they came up with was sola scriptura. 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:23.359 Means the Bible alone, scripture alone. 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:26.400 And some of the implications of that are very interesting for us today. 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:27.279 Just look at this. 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:30.640 This is from an article, the real meaning of sola scriptura. 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:35.440 That first of all, what they were saying is scripture is the supreme authority over the church. 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:41.200 That the supreme authority by which we would submit to and obey is scripture. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:45.359 Now, sometimes they're misunderstood as if they said, forget reason. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:48.880 Don't use your mind, they didn't say that, or forget tradition. 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:49.839 It's ridiculous. 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:50.640 They didn't say that. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:57.200 They just said things like reason, tradition come under the authority of this is the ultimate supreme authority. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:18:59.279 What does the scripture say? 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:04.559 They they came up with an idea of scripture, the Bible is sufficient for final salvation. 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:06.079 It's sufficient. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:11.920 See, there's always been religions, there's always been religious people who say, this may be good, it's just not enough. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:12.720 We need more. 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:16.559 We need another revelation to fill in the gaps that this left. 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:18.079 And what they said is, no, no, no. 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:19.920 This is sufficient. 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:21.039 It's sufficient. 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:26.400 These 66 books are sufficient for all things salvation and sanctification. 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:28.240 You don't need to add anything. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:30.400 And God says, don't add anything. 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:32.400 And then they came up with this third idea. 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:36.720 Scripture is clear for any person to read and discover salvation. 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:45.680 They were in a world where people were being taught, no, no, no, no, no, just the experts with degrees can read and interpret scripture for you. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:55.039 Yet the Bible says that every single one of us who's a follower of Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit living inside of us, and the Spirit guides all of us into truth. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:57.519 And the Spirit can take these words. 00:19:57.680 --> 00:19:58.240 It's clear. 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:01.519 Now that doesn't mean it's crystal clear like we understand it, right? 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.160 Ever read the Bible and not understand it? 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:04.799 Me? 00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:09.920 It doesn't mean it's crystal clear, it means it's clear in the things related to salvation. 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:16.960 And in the places where it's not clear, maybe by reading in other places you start to connect the dots and see how it comes alive. 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:27.039 And they were saying we need to remember how useful scripture is for each of us personally and us corporately together. 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:29.279 And so Paul rattles off four things. 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:30.960 He says scripture is useful for. 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:34.640 The first is this that scripture is useful for teaching. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:36.079 It's useful for teaching. 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:39.039 This is a word that means doctrine or instruction. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:40.960 It's why we're doing a series like this. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:42.160 What do we believe? 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:43.920 And why does it matter? 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:48.319 Because what we believe, we don't think it's up to us to determine. 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:51.920 We think it's up to scripture that it's been revealed what we believe. 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:54.799 So our teaching isn't a bunch of opinions, hopefully. 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:58.000 It's what has God said in his word. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:04.880 So our the teaching is aligning our lives to what is true and good and beautiful as God has revealed it. 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:14.160 Jesus spoke to this idea in Matthew 18 when he wrote, These people, and he's quoting Isaiah 29, these people, and he's talking about religious people. 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:17.839 They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:20.640 They say the right thing, but their hearts are far away. 00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:22.079 They worship me in vain. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:28.640 He's like they sing the songs, but in vain, because their teaching are merely human rules. 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:36.000 But this is the same word for teaching that Paul says, Scripture is useful for teaching, but we've got to make sure it's the truth of scripture. 00:21:36.319 --> 00:21:51.519 In Romans 15, the Apostle Paul also writes this 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. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:52.720 Leave that up real quick. 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:57.359 Anyone need some endurance because the journey is long and hard? 00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:59.759 Anybody need encouragement because you feel the weight. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:16.160 Of the world in anxiety that scripture provides endurance, encouragement, so that we could have hope and trust in Christ and see God in the midst of our lives because scripture is useful for teaching. 00:22:16.400 --> 00:22:20.480 Secondly, scripture is useful for rebuking, Paul says. 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:21.839 Useful for rebuking. 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:25.920 Now, how many of you use the word rebuke in a in like a weekly kind of occurrence? 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:30.000 That's a little bit of an older word, but it simply means conviction. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:34.000 Spirit is useful for con the scripture is useful for conviction. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:36.799 It's to reprove us, it's to rebuke us. 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:46.240 There are some times when we'll read scripture and it will feel like that is a word right for us, and God is trying to convict us of something because he loves us. 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:48.160 Anybody ever have that happen? 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:50.319 I didn't expect you to raise your hand. 00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:51.119 That's okay, don't. 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:52.799 Because this next statement. 00:22:53.759 --> 00:23:04.960 If you've never read scripture and felt like God has never convicted you, if if you've read scripture and felt like God has never convicted you, that may be a problem. 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:12.000 Because God, we'll see in a moment, He corrects his children. 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:15.200 And rebuking is a part of that. 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:17.680 And here's the danger in that. 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:21.759 Scripture is useful for rebuking, but here's the danger. 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:27.839 I can teach every week of the year, which I don't, the Bible. 00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:34.880 And 99% of you wouldn't have a clue there's something missing in my life. 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:39.359 As long as I preach a good sermon, you're like, he must be good with God. 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:41.440 And I would just say, not necessarily. 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:49.119 Because often there's a gap in our lives between the truth of Scripture and the reality of our faith and practice, right? 00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:55.519 The scripture's calling us to something, and there's a gap between how we're actually believing and living. 00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:56.720 There's often a gap. 00:23:56.880 --> 00:23:58.799 That's called being human. 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:00.240 And all of us have that. 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:02.880 There's areas in our life where we haven't gotten there yet. 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:09.680 That's why we're talking about this process of sanctification, because if we were already perfect, we would be in heaven with God. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:14.559 But there's still work that God is trying to do in our life, so rebuke is necessary. 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:24.000 And the truth is, 99, whatever the number I gave was, percent of you wouldn't even know if there's a gap in my life from my obedience to the truth of scripture. 00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:26.400 But my wife does. 00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:31.200 Her name is Holly, and I call her my Holly Spirit. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:37.200 Because right beside the Holy Spirit, I got the Holly Spirit living in my house, and she'll be quick to let me know. 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:40.160 She's quick to rebuke me in love. 00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:45.519 You may never know, but my kids will. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:08.079 And so scripture rebukes to get us into a right place when greed has captured your heart. 00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:12.160 Scripture addresses it. 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:15.440 It says you better be careful of all kinds of greed. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:19.440 And let you know the antidote of part of that is to be a generous person. 00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:22.000 Break the power of greed. 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:26.720 It'll let you know when you're talking really religious, but you're living godless. 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:28.799 Scripture will address it. 00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:33.440 Scripture will address it when you're sleeping with someone you're not married to and you're like, uh-oh. 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:36.160 So what do we do about it? 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:41.599 We let the scripture rebuke us because it's out of God's love. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:45.359 Third, scripture is useful for correction. 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:46.640 These two words go together. 00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:48.640 Rebuke is a little bit of the negative. 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:52.559 Correction is the positive call that it would have. 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:57.839 The word in secular Greek literature means that something has fallen over, like this has fallen over. 00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:03.519 And to correct it is to set it back up straight, is to restore it. 00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:12.240 If rebuking is stop, you're going the wrong way, correction is getting them back on the right path. 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:22.240 If correction is stop eating animal style fries, if that's rebuke, correction is instead broccoli. 00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:25.680 See what I did there? 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:30.559 It's giving you the positive, the helpful, the good. 00:26:31.599 --> 00:26:35.680 As you try to say, God, by your strength, I gotta get rid of that negative. 00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:40.319 It's to replace it with what is good and pure and true and helpful. 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:43.680 And fourth, scripture is useful for training. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:45.680 It's useful for training. 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:48.480 Scripture is absolutely useful for training. 00:26:48.640 --> 00:27:03.680 Now that word in 2 Timothy 3 for training, it's a fairly common Greek word used for the entire development nurturing process of a child from like a young infancy into like a level of maturity. 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:05.759 It's the whole developmental process. 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:15.599 And so what Paul is telling Timothy is scripture is useful from taking us, no matter how old we are, when we're new to faith, we are a baby in Christ. 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:20.000 I don't care if you're 89 or 9, when you come to Christ, you're a baby in Christ. 00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:25.599 And scripture is able to take us from being a babe in Christ to be mature men and women in Christ. 00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:29.440 It's a part of the training process of our lives. 00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:33.039 It's helping us to grow, it's helping us to understand what it's like. 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:35.440 It's changing attitudes and things in our life. 00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:39.200 And sometimes, like in parenting, it requires discipline. 00:27:39.440 --> 00:27:42.640 But discipline, rightly done, is always out of love. 00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:49.680 And Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews, picks up this concept in chapter 12 and writes this: endure hardship as discipline. 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:51.920 God is treating you as his children. 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:54.559 For what children are not disciplined by their father? 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:56.559 You know the answer to that question? 00:27:57.279 --> 00:27:59.920 What children are not disciplined by the father? 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:03.599 Children who don't have a truly loving father. 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:10.960 If you're not disciplined and everyone undergoes discipline, then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:14.079 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. 00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:24.400 Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been, there's our word, trained by it. 00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:25.839 Trained by it. 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:31.200 A lot can happen and take place in our life if we endure training. 00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:32.960 I've said it this way before. 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:37.599 I could not wake up tomorrow morning and try to run a marathon. 00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:44.559 But I could wake up tomorrow and train to run a marathon and in a few months probably do it. 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:47.279 There's a difference between trying and training. 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:54.000 And so allowing scripture to train us by discipline, by continuing in it, by being faithful in it. 00:28:54.319 --> 00:29:04.480 Years, years ago, when I was uh like a senior in high school, early in college, the church that I was at in North Carolina, we brought in this Bible study called Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:21.599 And I think it was on the video portion that I just remember vividly Henry Blackaby saying these words that he had people in his life that he would talk about prayer and he would passionately invite them to pray, and they were like, I believe in prayer, I totally believe in prayer, I just struggle to do it, and I just can't find the discipline and I never do it. 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:23.359 And he's like, There's your problem. 00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:26.640 You don't actually believe in it. 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:28.880 And you're trying to convince yourself you do. 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:32.000 If you really believed in it, you would do it. 00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:35.279 And I was just reminded by that this week. 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:37.279 It's one thing to say, I love God's word. 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:39.759 I'm gonna read God's word and study God's word. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:42.640 I just never get around to doing it, but I love it. 00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:48.079 Henry Blackby would say, if you don't engage with it, you don't actually love it. 00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:54.000