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December 18, 2016

"It's Like a Hammer!"

Series: The Voice of Thunder Passage: Jeremiah 23:29, 1 Corinthians 14:37

Key Passages: Jeremiah 23:29; 1 Corinthians 14:37

 

“ …every academic discipline and every sphere of human inquiry rests on authority. Whether we realize it or not, we all give someone or something the last word— our parents, our culture, our community, our feelings, the government, peer-reviewed journals, opinion polls, impressions, or a holy book. We all have someone or something that we turn to as the final arbiter of truth claims. For Christians, this authority is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Of course, we can misunderstand and misapply the word of God. But when interpreted correctly— paying attention to the original context, considering the literary genre, thinking through authorial intent— the Bible is never wrong in what it affirms and must never be marginalized as anything less than the last word on everything it teaches.” DeYoung, Kevin

1. God’s Voice is Sufficient because it reveals to us His Son perfectly, and He is more than enough, Hebrews 1-13; 1:1-4; John 14-16; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Isaiah 8:19-20; Jeremiah 23:29.

2. God’s voice is Understandable; it is clear because Jesus has explained the Father perfectly; Deuteronomy 30:11-14; John 1:18; Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:1-4.

“The eternal, absolute original is seen as true and beautiful not because he coheres with what we know but because all the truth and beauty we know coheres in him. It is measured by him, and it is seen flowing from him. He does not make sense, and thus have plausibility, in the light of this world. He brings sense to the world. He is sense. The light that we have in the world does not shine on him and reveal his truth. He is the light of the world, and in his light we see light.” Piper, John

3. God’s Voice is our highest Authority. Jesus is the perfect Word of God, John 1:1-18; 12:49.

  A. Jesus has no equal, John 7:45-46.

  B. He speaks for God, His words are the words of God; therefore, His words have authority and power, John 12: 49; John 14:24.

  C. His supernatural powers are shown in His words, John 11:43; Mark 1:27.

  D. He only, no one else, has the words of eternal life, John 6:68; 12:48-50.

  E. His words cause and awaken faith, John 5:24.

  F. His commands are needed to live, John 8:37.

  G. Those who hear Him, and respond in belief and obedience, are assured of their own sheep- ish-ness, John 10:37.

  H. His words will never pass away, Mark 13:31.

  I. Receiving His commands causes great joy, John 15:11; 17:13.

  J. Those who receive His Words, bear much fruit. Without His words you can do nothing, John 15:1-1.

“I have no authority in myself. I don’t want people to just take my word for it. God’s people should be testing everything against God’s word. Whether we are the ones teaching or listening, we need to have our Bibles open like the Bereans. Every day the Bereans searched the Scriptures to see if Paul’s gospel had divine authority. And they confirmed that what they heard was true to Scripture, and ‘therefore [they] believed’, Acts 17:12. The Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonians because they were utterly submissive to the Scriptures.” DeYoung, Kevin.

4. God’s Voice is Necessary.

other sermons in this series

Dec 11

2016

"The un-Gagging of God"

Passage: Deuteronomy 30:11–14 Series: The Voice of Thunder

Nov 27

2016

“Gospel Wakefulness”

Passage: Romans 8:1–9, Romans 10:17, 2 Corinthians 2:9–16 Series: The Voice of Thunder