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[0:00] My word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

[0:13] ! What is authority?

[0:37] It's legal power or the right to command, the right to rule, to govern, to judge. The concept of authority means the right for dominance, the right to exercise control within certain bounds.

[0:53] And we all have various kinds of authority in our lives, various kinds of power at play in our lives, all around us. For some, self is their authority.

[1:04] They are their own authority. Some people are like those of Judges 17 verse 6 where there was no king. Some people were determined to do what is right in their own eyes.

[1:17] In their own eyes. This is what Israel did when it had no king. Some are like the citizens of whom it says in Luke 19, 14. They said, we will not have this man reign over us.

[1:30] That's what some people say about our Lord today, isn't it? Of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. They say, we will not have this man reign over us. And for some, their authority is in other things.

[1:42] For example, for some their authority is the crowd. Popular opinion. You know, what's popular? Or rationalism. Or high learning. Or some it's their own traditions built up over long time.

[1:56] Or their own personal desires. Some place their authority as such a thing. And some people show little regard for authority. For what is right. And I'm sure we'd all agree there's an ongoing problem with authority today.

[2:12] A problem with authority. You could say an authority crisis in planet Earth today. In our society. In our world. Why is this so? Why is this authority crisis happening?

[2:25] Man rebelled against God. Man rebelled against God. Back in Genesis 3. Man rebelled. Right back in Genesis chapter 3. And man has always had this problem submitting to God.

[2:38] And his authority right down through history. People have been questioning God's authority since the beginning of time. As the serpent beguiled Eve. And man disobeyed God. It all started right back at the beginning.

[2:51] And people have sought to replace God's authority. To replace it with other things. And really it's a lawlessness that pervades our world today. Honestly, you know, as we get to know what's around about.

[3:04] And I'm sure some can speak from personal experience. And are seeing what the police force has to put up with. Lawlessness is a feature of the times in which we live.

[3:15] And the Lord Jesus said this. What happened in Matthew 24 verse 12. He says, And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

[3:26] Now this word iniquity is like to another word translated lawlessness. Lawlessness. Lawlessness will be a feature of the end times. We see our Lord foretells.

[3:37] A related word to the word iniquity is elsewhere translated lawless. And so Jesus says iniquity or lawlessness shall abound in these latter days.

[3:49] And in these end times we see where people are questioning. Where they're trying to overthrow or undermine. They will not be governed. You know, you see that especially in some countries where they're rioting.

[4:01] On the streets. And you know, there's an undercurrent against the government. Where there's other religions coming in. Trying to overthrow the established rule.

[4:12] And we see where people will not bow to the rightful authority. And friends today, who is the rightful authority? The Lord our King. The Lord our God.

[4:23] The King of glory. And people today are rejecting his outright authority. They're rejecting his rightful authority over them. And think of it. Just as you think about authority.

[4:35] This concept of authority. That God's authority is being replaced. God's authority is being replaced with men's traditions. With science falsely so called.

[4:46] With human reasoning. Or the supposed wisdom of men. It's all around about us. We see that. And faith is attacked in the universities. In the so called institutions of higher learning.

[4:59] And people, some are saying today, why should it matter? Why should it matter that your basis of authority is one thing. I can choose. My basis of authority might be another.

[5:12] Can't we just take our peak? Can't we just do what suits ourselves? Why do we need authority? We need rightful authority because it's important.

[5:23] It just makes sense in the world at large. It makes sense. It's the rightful thing for us. For our families. For our society. To thrive. To be blessed. Think of it.

[5:34] Of a family without authority. In the family unit. God tells the family that there's an order. There's a structure. There's a needful authority. A basis for authority.

[5:45] And when the fathers are in authority. When the parents are in authority. There is a godly blessing. That is ordered there. And without some basis for authority.

[5:58] For law and order. We'd have a lawless people. Without direction or stability. Don't we have that today? It's increasingly the case. That we have that today. We need authority.

[6:09] We need authority because it creates harmony. It brings order. Order in the home. When we have order in the home. When we have order in the home. Then there's order in society and so on.

[6:20] In the world. And how children and youth need authority. It's so vital isn't it? And where we have fatherless families.

[6:32] Where we have children running amok. Where youth are disordered and without necessary authority over them. We see disaster. Where fathers aren't standing as the authority.

[6:44] Where parents aren't respected as their authority by their children. And we see this carrying through and pervading society at large. Where we have peoples and states and nations.

[6:55] Where there's no authority there. Imagine players at a match. Surely they need authority. Just imagine having a footy game without a referee. It would be mayhem wouldn't it?

[7:06] No rules. No authority. It would be complete mayhem out at the footy field. Imagine the city streets without speeds limits or road signs.

[7:17] Or traffic lights or the boys in blue. Imagine a city without such authority. It would be complete disaster. It is bad enough now.

[7:28] And when we disobey rightful authority. We get in trouble. Just ask the people in prison. Needful rightful authority is good and helpful and necessary for us.

[7:42] It serves an important purpose for us to have authority and to obey it. So just to recap thus far. We've seen what is authority. It's the legal right to command.

[7:55] We've seen why we need authority. Why do we need authority? Because it brings order and harmony. So where? Where can we find authority?

[8:06] Where can we find authority? What authority can we truly rely on? And where can people find this when there's such a lack of order and a lack of law?

[8:18] As it were lawlessness and disorder. And people are searching for certainty. People are striving for stability. They're looking for something they can depend on.

[8:29] Someone they can trust. Someone they can believe in. And people are looking for authority figures. Someone they can follow. Someone they can trust. Someone who will tell them the truth.

[8:41] And authority is found in a person. In a person today. It is important to consider in our lives who has authority. We know that necessary authority is all around us in authority figures.

[8:56] And authority figures take many shapes and sizes. God has set authority. For example, as governors. The government. The governors over us. God has set them in authority.

[9:08] We may not always like who is in power. But nevertheless, the governors are set by God's authority. Teachers have set authority. Judges. Police.

[9:19] Husbands. Parents. Employers. In churches there are elders and deacons. But it's important to note. Especially in the church.

[9:30] This is not unfettered authority. Unfettered authority. Sometimes. In churches. And in all kinds of areas of authority. Authority can go beyond the bounds of what God would have it to do.

[9:43] Unfettered authority. Is dangerous. As authority must be exercised in accordance with God's word. As we see. As in 1 Peter 5. In Peter's day.

[9:54] There were some. In some churches. They were overlording others. Overlording them. 1 Peter 5 verse 3. Now that's plain wrong. It's plain wrong. For the elder to overlord.

[10:07] Because God's authority structure. Is one of a mutual submission. And of shepherds. Caring and feeding. And serving as examples for the flock.

[10:18] That's 1 Peter 5. In that context. So God has established authority in the nation. Through governments. Through. In the family. Through parents and husbands. Fathers.

[10:29] He's established authority in the churches. Through elders. Deacons. Shepherds. God has established authority. And people's security. Comes by that authority.

[10:41] When we've got a government. That governs wisely and rightly. There is. Blessing. You know. The word says. When the righteous are in authority. There's much rejoicing. And there's blessing there.

[10:52] Romans 13. 1. It says. Let every soul. Be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power. But of God. The powers that be. Are ordained of God. So there's established authorities.

[11:03] That we are subject to. When you see that stop sign. You don't. You don't question. What it says to do. Well. You're not supposed to. Are you? The stop sign is an established authority. To be obeyed. And we see authority.

[11:14] It takes various forms. The legislation of a ruler. When there's a legislation. That has to be obeyed. When there's orders issued by the supreme commander. The troops don't get to choose which ones they obey. And which ones they don't. So without due authority in place. There's chaos. And anarchy.

[11:25] Where due authority is not in place. And it's not respected. Friends. I urge you to consider today. That. That. That. That. That. That. That.

[11:36] That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That.

[11:47] That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That.

[11:58] That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That.

[12:09] That. That. That. That. That. Fathers are not fathering. Governments are not governing righteously.

[12:22] Elders and pastors are not shepherding in Christlikeness. Lawmakers are not legislating justly. Educators are sometimes teaching lies in many ways.

[12:34] And you learn your degree when you go along with the lies in some places. And you won't pass without conforming to the lies in some places.

[12:46] There's an authority crisis today and why so? It's called sin. It's called sin. The rebellion of Genesis 3.

[12:57] It's sin. Rebellion is at the heart of it all. It's at the heart of this problem with authority. It started way back in the Garden of Eden and it's continued right through.

[13:08] As we see right through history, we see right through the hard-heartedness, the stiff-neckedness of the people through the ages. And we see the signs still today.

[13:21] It's an increasingly lawless world. Still a problem for us today, just as it was in Eden. We're in the midst of an authority crisis. Our generation has a problem with authority.

[13:35] What have we seen thus far? Authority is the legal right to command. Authority brings harmony and order. Authority is important like the laws of a nation. Like the orders of a commanding officer to the troops.

[13:49] We face an authority crisis. What do we often hear today? What is often the response that we hear when it's some wayward teenager who gets told, you need to do this and you can't do that.

[14:02] You need to stop doing that. You need to start doing this. What do they say? What if the response we sometimes hear when some people are challenged, they say, says who? Says who?

[14:14] With a snarl on their lips. Who says so? Or why should I? Or you can't tell me what to do. Authority.

[14:25] Question. It's questioned all the time. All around. Authority is getting questioned and challenged. And this is what happened here in our text that we started with. Even our Lord's own authority was challenged and questioned under attack.

[14:41] Here is God, veiled in human flesh, the eternal King. And sinful man dares to question him. The chief priests and the scribes, they were the proud intellectuals and scholars of their day.

[14:55] They questioned the Lord Jesus. They questioned this one, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. And they said, tell us, by what authority doest thou these things?

[15:09] Or who is he that gave thee this authority? You can hear the cynicism in their voices as it were. The Lord Jesus was a threat to them.

[15:20] He was the one who was the Lord God Almighty, the King of Kings. The one with authority, a hallmark of his ministry was its authority. The Lord Jesus preached and taught with authority.

[15:34] Authority. We see that word oft times through the Gospels. Mark 1, 22. And they were astonished at his doctrine. For he taught them as one that had authority and not as the scribes.

[15:48] Astonished at his doctrine. Why? Because he taught with authority. Luke 4, 32. And they were astonished at his doctrine. For his word was with power. Now this word power is elsewhere translated authority.

[16:02] For his word was with power. You could say, truly, for his word was with authority. They were astonished at his word, at his doctrine. The Lord Jesus, when he spoke to his authority, he ordered the demons to flee with his authority.

[16:18] In Luke 4, 36 it says, and they were all amazed and spake among themselves, saying, What word is this? For with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits and they come out.

[16:31] Mark 1, 27. And they were all amazed in so much that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits and they obey him.

[16:57] He commanded demons with authority. His doctrine, his teaching was with authority and it astonished them. His word was with power. His word was with authority.

[17:10] That voice that spoke life into Lazarus' tomb. That voice that commanded healing for the sick. That commanded the lame to walk, the blind to see. And he sent out his disciples with authority.

[17:22] In Luke 9, he delegated his authority. He called his 12 disciples together and he gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases.

[17:34] And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. The Lord Jesus has authority. Authority to judge. In John 5, 27 it says, The Father hath given him authority to execute judgment.

[17:52] So there's a wonderful blessing we can know in the authority of our King. The authority of our Lord. His voice speaks with authority still. His voice speaks to the captive still.

[18:05] And his voice speaks truth. He says, Verily I say unto you. Verily I say unto you. In other words, truly. We can have assurance.

[18:17] He says, Verily I say unto you. We can know it's very true. In a way it's not surprising that the Lord, the authority of the word of John 1, is the voice that spoke the world into existence, isn't it?

[18:32] In the beginning was the word. And the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us. And he created all things. His voice was the voice that spoke the world into existence.

[18:47] And this is the one to whom these chief priests and scribes come. And they question him. They themselves had a measure of authority. They had authority. The scribes and the chief priests, they had authority.

[18:59] They had rightful authority. And they asked of our Lord, Tell us by what authority doest thou these things? Or who is he that gave thee this authority?

[19:10] It's an important question to consider. When authority, we can take our pick of different kinds of authority. What matters is what is the highest authority?

[19:22] What is the highest authority? He was standing there right in front of them. He was standing there. The word, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was standing there right in front of them.

[19:34] Of whom it says in Colossians 1, He is the head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, That in all things he might have the preeminence. The preeminence.

[19:45] He is the one who should be preeminent. In Colossians 2.10, Causing the head of all principality and power. And this word power is again elsewhere translated authority.

[19:58] He is the head of all principality and power. Of authority. He is the chief authority, if you like. So where can we turn when we want authority?

[20:10] Turn to him. Turn to the Lord, the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. He is the ultimate, ultimate source of authority. And he is to be obeyed. He is the king, the judge, the ruler.

[20:23] And his word is with power, with authority. His voice spoke the world into existence. And friends today, we can know his authority over our lives.

[20:34] We can know him personally as our own king and Lord. As our own personal chief authority. God is the final authority.

[20:45] And we need to recognise that. So how do we know what is the truth? Who decides? Who says so? Who judges? Who decides what's the final authority?

[20:59] God. God. The Lord God. The Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord God is the final authority. God is authoritative.

[21:10] And his words are absolutely authoritative. His word is with power, with authority. So God has authority. His due rightful honour and power as our Lord and King.

[21:21] And we are to live under his authority. If you're not living under the authority of this king, then you're under the authority of another king. Of another kingdom. And you know, Paul writes of the kingdom of darkness.

[21:36] And contrasts that with the kingdom of light. With the authority of the king of kings and the Lord of lords. It's very important that we all personally get to grips with that.

[21:49] Personally. Has God got authority over me? Am I coming under his authority? The rightful honour and power over me? Am I living under his authority? When I do so, I'll find his peace, his help, his hope and harmony.

[22:04] Ecclesiastes 8 verse 4 it says, Where the word of a king is, there is power. Where the word of a king is, there is power.

[22:15] And the king has authority as does his word. And by his word he imparts his life to us. It's how we know what he's saying as we trust him.

[22:27] God has authority and God's word has authority. The scriptures are his words. His word and his words.

[22:40] The final authority in our lives. It's called one of the solas. The solas. Or the slogans if you like. Of the reformation. Now we know the reformation corrected some things that were quite wrong.

[22:55] I believe the remnant church was right there before the reformation happened. And right through. The reformation did some good things. It established some five foundational principles.

[23:06] Five solas. Five foundational doctrinal principles. Sola fide by faith alone. Sola scriptura by scripture alone. Solas Christus through Christ alone.

[23:19] Sola gratia by grace alone. And soli dio gloria. Glory to God alone. I'll just say that again. Faith alone. Scripture alone. Through Christ alone.

[23:31] By grace alone. Glory to God alone. Five foundational principles of the reformers in those dark ages. When the church was dark. Very dark. When apostasy reigned.

[23:42] When apostasy reigned. In the reign of the Pope. And of the Roman Catholic falsehood of the time.

[23:56] And one of these five solas was sola scriptura. It says the Bible is the only inspired and authoritative word of God. It's the only source for Christian doctrine.

[24:09] And that's really. Is something that's common to really. Pretty much every foundational Christian statement of faith. Everyone could say that.

[24:20] That the Bible is the only inspired and authoritative word of God. In other words. It's the only source for Christian doctrine. And when the reformation happened. There was an authority there.

[24:32] An ecclesiastical authority. But who was at the head of it? Wasn't Christ the head of the church. That was the Pope. The imposter. The anti-Christ. The one standing in the place of Christ.

[24:46] There was an ecclesiastical authority. The authority within the church of the day. But it had gone wrong. It had gone into darkness. It had gone astray. It had followed the word of a Pope. And men's traditions had replaced the simple truths of God's doctrine and teaching.

[25:03] In effect that outright disobeyed the word of God. And during this time of reformation. There was a great darkness. That enveloped the world of that day.

[25:14] And in the reformation. The church emerged. From those dark ages. Luther. Luther had the same Bible that we have. The German Luther Bible. You know Luther for all his faults. He had the Bible in German. He had rediscovered God's word. Amen. It was rediscovered.

[25:25] It was rediscovered. As it was in the Geneva Bible. The Bishop's Bible. And so on. he had the bible in german he had rediscovered god's word amen it was rediscovered as it was in the geneva bible the bishop's bible and so on the people discovered the word of god again it brought light into the darkness of the dark ages the light shone again in those dark ages as god's remnant church through the ages had held it fast and upheld it upheld the authority of the scriptures right through what does the church call the pillar and ground of the truth the ground and the pillar of the truth the church is called the pillar or the column and the ground or foundation of the truth and we see that it's evident that the church had the same word right through from antioch the same word that was received the same word that was received by god's people it's interesting to take your concordance and look up the word received and received and word they received the word it was a common truth the word was received by god's people and this same word that they received this same bible that we know and love the received text it's the same bible that we know and love today and it was continually there right through history from the in the genuine church right through history right from the very beginning of the book of acts where they were first called christians at antioch and it says in the word of god that the word of god grew mightily and it prevailed in acts 13 it says they were glad they received they glorified the word of the lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed and the word of the lord was published throughout all the region it was published throughout all the region so what that's telling us is there was a manifold distribution of the bible text and in acts 12 24 it says much the same the word of god grew and multiplied it was multiplied it was multiplied copies of the bible of course they didn't have printing presses as we in this lux luxury that we have they had to manually write it all down fastidiously hand write it in different manuscripts and documents and papyri and and such things but friends it's telling us here in acts 12 and as as it says in acts 13 that it was published that it grew that it multiplied it was evidently manifestly um manifest right widely distributed and multiplied now it's interesting that the same bible we know and love today is the one that is overwhelmingly supported by 99 of the manuscript evidence that is the telling truth it was the word that was received was published and was multiplied 99 of the manuscript evidence supports the bible the bible that we love the bible is stamped with god's authority and it's from antioch not from alexandria egypt it's from antioch where they were first called christians where the church that is the pillar and ground of the truth held it fast the church held it fast through all those ages even through the dark ages and they ended up having the latin vulgate a contrary bible where corruptions were evident the bible of the vatican was the it was basically choose the bible of the reformation or choose the bible of the vatican

[29:42] and the bible that we hold in our hands today friends i urge you it has god's authority i'm not saying that to be controversial but i'm saying it because it's true god's church held it fast it's only in these latter times that the critical text was formed as late as 1898 and that's when the critical text was formed when textual critics composed by some committee votes and determination and authority of their own determined what the critical text would be and we've had potential confusion ever since then and it's based essentially on just two manuscripts essentially two were found by a man called tischendorf in a vatican uh room and in a monastery two manuscripts and ever since then uh this essentially the vatican bible has caused this questioning of god's authority right beginning right through from that time it's like as some would have bibles that virtually say in the footnotes yea hath god said yea hath god said in other words this may not be in the original manuscripts well the early church had this same bible right through it's stamped with god's authority i urge you to trust it it's one of the key foundation stones of the time of the reformation scriptura alone the bible alone it's our highest authority so moving on when a person in authority speaks as to enacting laws or commands the law of the lord as to enacting laws or issuing commands we are to come under its authority the bible has an authority for us you know whether you believe what i've just said or not the bible is given by inspiration yeah it's something we can know god has inspired it god breathed it out from his very breath from his very lips the bible is authoritative for us it's the authoritative word of god it's god's final revelation to man and it stands alone as uniquely from god we've got to have a basis for authority this is it the bible yeah we need look for no other authority and the scriptures openly claim authority for themselves the lord jesus says thy word is truth the word of god it says it is written 46 times scripture says seven times according to the scriptures when we're looking for authority when you're looking for authority today you can look no further when you're looking for authority and truth and when you're inclined to say as some would say who says so it says thus saith the lord that's what it says it is written we don't approach god's word in doubt as the serpent who said yea hath god said we handle it with awe in the fear of god and we tremble at its truth and its contents and its message that penetrates and pierces to our very hearts and convicts us as we tremble at its truth the bible that we love has an unqualified authority an unqualified authority and as god's people we can live under god's authority under biblical authority not under the creeds and traditions of men or some dictates of popes or some critics criticism of scholars but we have his very word verily i say unto you we can be like the disciples who sat at his feet and communed with him and heard his word as students receptive receiving the word and we can implicitly trust his word we can trust it today just as they trusted it then just as they trusted it in antioch we can trust it from cover to cover because it's essentially the same bible text that they had tell us by what authority

[33:50] do us down these things or who is he that gave thee this authority the authority is from god god is the authority he's the author his word speaks with his authority there are many voices that we can tune into today many voices some voices we need to deliberately tune out but most important of all is that we hear his voice hear his voice hear his voice and we can still hear his voice today john 10 it says my sheep hear my voice and i know them and they follow me and i give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand my sheep hear my voice god's people will hear his voice and his voice is his word it's not as someone think god told me this or god told me that or some latter-day extra-biblical revelation where they try to virtually add to the bible with their own imaginations but we have a more sure sure word of prophecy and it's an authority that's ultimate and unique consider that today consider be encouraged this is an encouragement not a um not a criticism this message is intended as an encouragement to you to treasure this treasure and love his word love his word consider the authority of it and don't question his authority come under his authority his word has stood the test of time the lord jesus says the scripture cannot be broken john 10 35 he says heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away his words shall not pass away psalm 119 89 it says forever o lord thy word is settled in heaven now the word settled um i understand has a significance here it has the significance of us to stand or to govern thy word is settled in heaven and all as it governs there's a government of the word of god there's a governing of us of the life of the believer and i pray that we each one as god's people gathering as god's children as that old-fashioned church that believes the bible will believe the literal word of god and hold it fast hold fast its complete authenticity it's a fundamental doctrine of the faith as some as much as some might argue about the king james issue that the doctrine of the authority of the bible is a doctrine that is a common doctrine and the bible is the complete and infallible guide it's the standard of authority in all manners of life of believing of living as someone has said whatever it teaches is to be believed whatever it commands is to be obeyed whatever it commands is to be accepted as both right and useful and whatever it condemns is to be avoided as both wrong and harmful what it teaches to be believed what it commands to be obeyed it's got absolute sufficiency and young people older people older people people of god here today you can trust this book you can trust this book with your life with your faith with your eternity the message of this book is steadfast and sure and true and trustworthy and trustworthy and the bible has power it has power today as someone has put it it's got power to create the word of god the word created power to judge power to convict power to deliver and the word of god it opens eyes still opens eyes still in the darkened darkness of this kingdom of darkness that prevails on this planet that there is still light and the light of the word

[37:53] it's light to our path it brings joy it converts it cleanses it warns it rewards as psalm 19 which was read earlier says we have one basis for truth today our truth is not founded in cream not in human opinion not in a pope or a bishop or a bishop or a denomination but in the written word of god that is our authority that is where our truth is found we have a final authority to live by a final authority over all areas of faith and practice so when it comes to our worship it needs to be in accordance with the final authority when it comes to our doctrine it needs to be founded on the authority of the scriptures when it comes to our life decisions that to be made with reference to the light of god's word why do people get in all sorts of trouble when they do things contrary to the word of god it's an important truth to consider today what is the highest authority the highest authority the absolute authority on what do i rest my faith is it on man's creeds or some pope or some pastor some tele-evangelist or is it on the highest authority what god says this must be what guides us and this is why we must read the bible and love the bible and study the bible and research and dig deep into your bible see if these things are so and you'll find that they are they are so it is not that we rest our faith on man's authority but on the king and his word on his word on our god and his word amen god's word is pure it says proverbs 30 verse 5 every word of god is pure he has a shield unto them that trust in him psalm 119 verse 114 the psalmist says thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it god's word is pure there's a purifying here that there's no dross there's nothing added ought to be taken away it's pure therefore thy servant loveth it and god's word is true 719 verse 160 it says thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever god's word is true true when we hear so many voices casting doubt we can know a truth that endures forever it's eternal it's trustworthy and reliable and in these days friends where we hear voices of discord to the authority of god i urge you to trust him to trust him the one who is our final authority the one you can trust with your life and your eternity the one you can know as lord and savior of your life and where bible critics abound and there's a defiance of authority that's endemic in the society that we live in and even in churches we can have a faith that holds fast the word of god the faithful word even while faith and belief is being attacked and undermined all around us in the colleges and the universities even in bible colleges in bible seminaries people come out more confused than when they went in because they don't know if they've got the word of god anymore that's the sick reality but you can have authority you can know it's true and you can have total trust in it 99 of the manuscript evidence as i say stands supporting this bible that we know and love

[42:04] we can have a sure conviction and believe god take him and his word his promises are sure and true he's promised to give us his word so protect preserve and provided and he has done we can strive to learn it to know it better we can get help to understand some of the tricky bits god will help us to do that god's word when received and believed effects a heart change you know the bible says being born again being born again one peter 1 23 of not of corruptible scene in other words saying that um decays and becomes faulty and worthless but of incorruptible a seed that is everlasting that cannot corrupt away or decay or become faulty born again by the word of god which liveth and abideth forever he's promised to preserve his word it doesn't need to be um corrected it needs to be rediscovered just as the reformers and revivalists trusted it we can trust it still today it's sure and true friends we know we're living in a time of an authority crisis and people are questioning god's authority and the bible is under attack today but we can trust it implicitly trust it we could do more to better understand it there's hard bits in there but he'll help us with that we'll give us this truth he'll help us rightly divide it and understand it and apply it let us pray a lot of times

[44:16] Thank you.