You Can Trust the Word of God

John 8:31-32

Despite it’s critics, the Bible remains the best selling book year after year!  It is the most translated book in the world!  It is the most read book in the world!  Odds are you yourself own more copies of the Bible than you do any other book in your home!  It is - by far - the most influential book ever written!

Our series explores how we can learn, love and live from the Word of God.  Last week we saw that the Bible should be the foundation of our lives, and we looked at 4 ways to begin that process.  This morning we’re going to look at the trustworthiness of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, the Holy Bible.  

When it comes to the topic of Biblical truth, it really does matter who you listen to. Time Magazine, December 1995 - quotes John Van Seters of the University of North Carolina.  “There was no Moses, no crossing of the sea, no revelation on Mount Sinai.”  These types of stories should not worry or trouble us.  A book this influential is guaranteed to have nay sayers and critics.  This should not be a surprise to us.  

Timothy warned the Church long ago, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths,” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

THESIS:  THIS MORNING WE ARE GOING TO SEE HOW THE BIBLE IS FACT - HOW IT IS THE TRUSTED WORD OF GOD.  YOU CAN TRUST THE BIBLE BECAUSE…

IT IS HISTORICAL

Why is the Bible accurate?  Because God cannot lie!  Hebrews 6:18, “It is impossible for God to lie.”  Psalm 33:4, “The word of the LORD is right and true.”

Jim Wallace is a retired Los Angelos Cold-case Homicide Detective - who decided to use his investigate skills to determine if he could trust the Bible.  So he did.  He applied adductive reasoning, the nature of circumstantial evidence, eye witness testimony, language, and chain of custody - and he concluded that the Bible is historically reliable. 

IT IS SCIENTIFIC

While the Bible is not a science textbook, and doesn’t use scientific language - it never gives bad science!  And there’s a very simple explanation for this - the laws of the universe are God’s laws!  Psalm 148:3-6, “Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.  Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, and he established them for ever and ever—he issued a decree that will never pass away.

Science is always changing.  The Louvre Library has 3 1/2 miles of old, out dated, obsolete science books.  In 1861 the French Academy of Science published “51 Incontrovertible Scientific Facts that prove the Bible is Wrong.”  Today, all 51 facts have been proven wrong by Science!

IT IS AUTHORITATIVE

By authoritative, we mean the Word of God.  Now, folks say “how can God be the author, if Matthew, Mark and Luke are the authors?”  It’s called dual authorship - the idea that the Bible was written by both God and humans.  It’s a divine-human collaboration.  Each book has it’s authors unique style, flavor and phraseology - but the content is God’s.  This is how Timothy and Peter - two different people - can say the same thing with their own unique style.   2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in at righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Peter 1:21, “For 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.”

The Bible is one book containing 66 books.  It was written - by 40 different authors, over 1,600 years, in over 12 countries and 3 continents, in at least 3 languages, by people of all walks of life (farmers, kings, soldiers, shepherds, princes, priests, historians, fisherman, tax collectors, scholars, businessmen, MDs), and in a variety of places (caves, ships, palaces, prisons and deserts) - AND YET IT IS AMAZINGLY THEMATIC.

It is the most miraculous book in existence!  It’s consistency and theme are attributed to the fact that it was influenced, inspired and directed by God Himself!

IT IS LIFE CHANGING

Nothing can change your life like the Word of God.  Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” (John 8:31-32).  Do you believe everything you read online?  No, of course not.  The reason the authority and inerrancy of God’s Word is so important is because your salvation depends on it!  

Next Sunday we will dive deeper into the transforming power of the Word of God.  But this morning, let me leave you with a challenge.  What do you trust to be the authority for your life?  The world of man or the Word of God?  Everyone - whether they realize it or not - is putting their trust in something or someone to shape their worldview.  Paul reminds us in Romans 12 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”