WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.000 If you don't know me, my name is Niels. I'm part of the staff team. I'll be preaching today in a moment. 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:11.000 But I thought I'd first give a little introduction because we're starting a new series today. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:15.000 ! If we all have a seat. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:21.000 Great. A lot of parents still coming back. We love children. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:24.000 So what are we doing in this new series? 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:30.000 Well, you may know that Watermark is 16 years old and that's great. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:36.000 And for some of you, 16 years feels like a long time. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:40.000 But actually, in the wider scheme of things, it's not that long, right? 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:44.000 Because the church is 2,000 years old ever since Jesus founded it. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:47.000 And lots of things have happened during those 2,000 years. 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:53.000 And one of the greatest events probably was in the 16th century was known as the Reformation. 00:00:53.000 --> 00:01:00.000 It's one of the times when people rediscovered the gospel that was obscured for centuries. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:04.000 Now today is, in many churches, today is Reformation Sunday. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:08.000 Because it's the Sunday closest to 31 October. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:13.000 And that day was significant because, as you may know, on 31 October 1517, 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:20.000 a German monk called Martin Luther, a professor in moral theology at the University of Wittenberg, 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:23.000 he nailed 95 theses to a church door. 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:29.000 And many people see that as kind of, yeah, that's like a symbolic start of the Reformation. 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.000 Let me give some background. 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:35.000 Back then, I mean, the church in Europe, Europe was like a Christian continent. 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:39.000 And so the church had a lot of power. 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:41.000 And that attracted some of the wrong people. 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:47.000 And basically, over the years, over the centuries, the gospel became less and less clear 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:54.000 and became more and more obscured with church rituals, with the authority of the Pope and other things. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:58.000 The gospel sometimes was preached here and there, but it was few and far between. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:02.000 But that came to a head in 1517. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:09.000 The Pope, he wanted to build St. Peter's in Rome, and he needed a lot of money for that. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:12.000 And so he had a new scheme. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:14.000 He promoted the selling of indulgences. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:16.000 I don't know what you think an indulgence is. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:19.000 It's like a piece of paper that you buy and that forgives sins. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.000 Maybe your own sins, right? 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:24.000 You can indulge in sin, that's why it's called an indulgence. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:26.000 Or maybe sins of your loved ones. 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:28.000 Maybe your mom, she died. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:33.000 She's now in a place called Purgatory, being purged from her sins. 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:34.000 It's very painful. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:37.000 Well, if you buy this, she can go straight to heaven. 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:38.000 Isn't that wonderful? 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.000 Basically, so yeah, give us your money. 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:43.000 And so, yeah, people went around selling that. 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:46.000 And near Wittenberg, there was a monk called Johann Tetzel. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:48.000 He was selling those. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:50.000 He had this great catchphrase, 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:55.000 As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, the soul from Purgatory springs. 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:58.000 And, well, lots of people bought that. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:01.000 Well, in Wittenberg, there was this monk, Martin Luther. 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:03.000 He had been studying the Bible. 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:06.000 He had been wrestling with it, wrestling with the gospel. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:07.000 He was on a journey. 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:11.000 And he saw the people going to buy that, and that this is not right. 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:12.000 This is wrong. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:17.000 And so, yeah, he wrote down those 95 theses, attacking indulgences. 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:20.000 He nailed it to the church door. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.000 And he wasn't planning to start a revolution or something. 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:25.000 It was just, you know, he's a professor. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:27.000 This is how you start a debate. 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:29.000 You send it to the prince, and you nail it to the church door. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:31.000 Hey, let's talk about these things. 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:35.000 The only thing is it kind of became a kind of revolution, 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:38.000 because the printing press had just been invented. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:40.000 His theses were translated into German. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:42.000 They were sent everywhere. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:46.000 They became very popular with the people and very unpopular with the church, 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:49.000 as you can imagine, because it said that, you know, 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:53.000 it kind of attacked the pope and the money schemes and those kind of things. 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:57.000 And so there was more and more pressure on him to stop. 00:03:57.000 --> 00:04:02.000 It came to the head a few years later, 1521, in a place called Worms. 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:05.000 There was a big meeting where he was called, and, you know, 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:07.000 here are all your books, and you need to choose. 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:11.000 Either you renounce all these things, or we're going to kick you out of the church. 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:12.000 We're going to brand you a heretic. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:14.000 What are you going to do? 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:15.000 And he refused. 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:17.000 I stand by this. 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:19.000 I can't refuse this. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:21.000 And so they kicked him out. 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:26.000 So that led to starting off new churches, Protestant churches, as you may know. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.000 The word Protestant comes from there. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:33.000 It's spread in Germany, in Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, all over Europe. 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:35.000 There were now these new churches. 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:38.000 And, you know, the gospel was kind of rediscovered. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.000 Those churches, they preached the gospel from the Bible. 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:43.000 Many people were saved. 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:45.000 It was an amazing time, in a way. 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:46.000 Very tumultuous time. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:48.000 Also war and bloodshed. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:52.000 There was a lot of politics in the mix, but it was an amazing time, in a way. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:55.000 And, yeah, that's the Reformation. 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:58.000 And as people look back later on the Reformation, 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:04.000 well, there were a few key emphases, key slogans that all the reformers emphasized. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:06.000 And they're known as the five solas. 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:08.000 Now, sola means alone. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:14.000 Because, you know, the Catholic Church, they believed in faith, but also faith and works. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:16.000 And the reformers had faith alone. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:19.000 They believed in grace plus human efforts. 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:21.000 The reformers had now grace alone. 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:23.000 And so basically the five alones. 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:26.000 Yeah, you may have heard that phrase. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:32.000 And so because we have a month, we have five weeks, we thought, why don't we do a sermon series on this? 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:37.000 These key aspects of the gospel that are so important. 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:40.000 So that's what we're going to do these five weeks. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:42.000 It's going to be a topical series. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.000 So normally we don't do this. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:47.000 Normally we preach through a book, passage by passage, as you know. 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:48.000 We think that's the best way to preach. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:50.000 But sometimes it's good to do topics. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:52.000 So this is what we're going to do. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:58.000 And I hope it will, again, open our eyes as we look at some of the key aspects of the gospel. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:00.000 And we get excited about it. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:02.000 And we want to be clear and bold in our day. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:04.000 And maybe you're here, you're not a Christian. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:07.000 And actually this is going to be very helpful for you, right? 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:09.000 You wonder what the gospel is really about. 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:13.000 But if you look below the surface, what does it come down to? 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:16.000 These are going to be some really helpful sermons for you. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:20.000 So, with that out of the way, I hope that kind of sets the context. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.000 Okay, this is the series we're going to do. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:23.000 Why don't I pray? 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:31.000 Our Father, we thank you that you're always at work. 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:34.000 You've always been at work in your church for 2,000 years. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:39.000 And as we think about what you did those years ago and what that means for the gospel, would you speak to us? 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:41.000 Would things be clear? 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:42.000 Would it not be a lecture? 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.000 But would you speak to our hearts by your spirit? 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:55.000 As we read your words, as we think about this together, would it be so encouraging and so precious and so beautiful what the truth of the gospel really is? 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:57.000 So, yeah, speak to us. 00:06:57.000 --> 00:06:59.000 We commit this time to you in Jesus' name. 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:00.000 Amen. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:03.000 And Annabelle will come and read a passage from Scripture. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:17.000 Today's scripture reading is taken from Mark, chapter 7, verses 1 through 13. 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:20.000 Please follow along in your Bibles. 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:26.000 If you don't have a Bible, please do get them from the front of the stage or at the back near the door. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:33.000 Our passage is taken from page 791, 791 of the church Bible. 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:38.000 Hear then God's word to us today. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:46.000 Now, when the Pharisees gathered to him with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:53.000 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 00:07:53.000 --> 00:08:02.000 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:08.000 And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:17.000 And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches. 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:21.000 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:30.000 Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands? 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:33.000 And he said to them, 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:38.000 Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites. 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:39.000 As it is written, 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:45.000 This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts is far from me. 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:51.000 In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:57.000 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of man. 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:00.000 And he said to them, 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:06.000 You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:08.000 For Moses said, 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:09.000 He said, 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:11.000 Honour your father and your mother. 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:16.000 And whoever reviles father or mother must surely die. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:18.000 But you say, 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:21.000 If a man tells his father or his mother, 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:27.000 Whatever you would have gained from me is corbin, that is, given to God, 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:31.000 Then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother. 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:37.000 Thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:40.000 And many such things you do. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:45.000 Let us believe and respond to God's true and living word. 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:50.000 Great. Thank you Annabelle. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:53.000 Yeah, we'll come back to this passage at some point. 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.000 We won't look at it in detail. 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:58.000 Though if you have any questions, please ask me. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:02.000 But, yeah, what is the first of these five? 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:04.000 The one that always comes first. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:05.000 There isn't like a fixed order, 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:08.000 But the one they always first mention is, 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:10.000 Sola Scriptura. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:11.000 Scripture alone. 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:14.000 That is what we're going to talk about. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:17.000 And to just get to the importance of that. 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:21.000 Well, I think we need a fortative truth. 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:23.000 What do I mean? 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:27.000 Have you ever tried to make a decision and you got conflicting advice? 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:28.000 Right? You need to make some life decision. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.000 And you ask your parents. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:32.000 And they say, well, maybe you should do this. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:33.000 And you ask your friends. 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:35.000 And they say, well, you should do that. 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:38.000 And you go to JetGPT, as people do these days. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:41.000 And, well, JetGPT says you do this. 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:44.000 Which of the three are you supposed to do? 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:45.000 Or maybe a fourth one? 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:47.000 That's the thing, right? 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:49.000 How do you know? 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:52.000 Maybe this is an important decision. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:54.000 The thing is, we are just small. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:55.000 We don't know the future. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:56.000 We don't know all the details. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:57.000 We don't know people's hearts. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:59.000 We don't know the future consequences. 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:01.000 There's so much we don't know. 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:04.000 And so we need someone to tell us the truth. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:06.000 But, yeah, who can tell us the truth? 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.000 Who can tell us what is right? 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:11.000 That's the problem we basically have, right? 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:12.000 As human beings. 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:15.000 Of course, the more significant decision, 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:17.000 the more we feel that. 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:19.000 Maybe you've had to choose between two jobs. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:23.000 And, you know, you're so anxious to choose the right one. 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:25.000 Well, how about eternity? 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:27.000 How do you get to heaven? 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:29.000 And you have a few different religions, 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:32.000 and they all say, well, follow me. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:34.000 Who are you going to follow, right? 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:36.000 Who should you trust? 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:39.000 It's almost the same as we had in the Reformation, right? 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:42.000 Imagine you're just a normal farmer in Germany. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:44.000 Who are you going to believe? 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:45.000 Here's the Catholic Church. 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:48.000 And they say, no, you need to have faith, 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:51.000 but also you really need good works to be forgot. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:54.000 And here's Luther, and he says, no, you need to trust in Jesus alone. 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.000 And if you trust in your good works, you will not be saved. 00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:00.000 They're kind of contradictory. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.000 Who are you going to believe? 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:04.000 How do you know the truth? 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:05.000 That's the thing, right? 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:07.000 We need to know the truth. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:10.000 But where can we find it? 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:12.000 And all these arguments about the gospel, 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:14.000 where do we find the gospel? 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:17.000 As Christians, we need truth. 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:19.000 Human beings need truth. 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:20.000 And where do we find it? 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:23.000 Well, the performers, they said, we find it in the Bible, 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:26.000 in the scriptures, right? 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:28.000 Scripture and in scripture alone. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:30.000 Now, the Catholic Church, they believe in scripture, of course. 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:31.000 It's God's word. 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:32.000 It's inspired. 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:33.000 It's inherent. 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:34.000 But it's not the only source of truth. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:36.000 There's also our traditions. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:37.000 And there's the Pope. 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:39.000 And they also tell us truth. 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:43.000 And so we have these free sources of truth. 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:47.000 The only thing is, like I said, what happens if they conflict? 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:52.000 What do you do if the Pope and the Bible say something else? 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:53.000 Right? 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:54.000 You need to... 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:55.000 Who is going to be the ultimate authority? 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:56.000 Who wins? 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:00.000 Now, of course, in Catholic theology, it's very clear who wins. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:01.000 It's the Pope who wins. 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:03.000 That's not because the Bible is wrong. 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:07.000 No, that's because, you know, normal people can't understand the Bible. 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:11.000 If the Pope says A and the Bible says B, well, Catholics would say, 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:13.000 well, look, there's only... 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:15.000 It looks like it says B, but actually it says A, 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:17.000 if you really understood it like the Pope does. 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:18.000 So don't worry. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:19.000 Just trust the Pope. 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:20.000 It is A. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:23.000 That's kind of their theology. 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:26.000 But that is not, I think, what the reformers said, right? 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.000 They said, no, no, actually, scripture wins. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:30.000 Scripture should win. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:31.000 Tradition doesn't win. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:33.000 The Pope doesn't win. 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:37.000 The Bible ultimately is, yeah, our final authority. 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:39.000 I mentioned Luther was on trial. 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:44.000 Hey, renounce these things or you get kicked out. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:46.000 This is what he said. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:50.000 Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the scriptures or by clear reason, 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:53.000 I'm bound to the scriptures I've quoted, 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:56.000 and my conscience is captive to the word of God. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:57.000 Right? 00:13:57.000 --> 00:13:58.000 I have to follow the Bible. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:03.000 Over against tradition, over against the Pope, I need to follow the Bible. 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:07.000 I guess most of us, we are not really tempted by traditions or the Pope, 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:08.000 but I don't know. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:10.000 How about your own thinking, your own reason? 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:11.000 Right? 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:15.000 If you think something and the Bible says something else, who's going to win? 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:17.000 Ah, the Bible probably got it. 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:18.000 I've got it right. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:19.000 Or is the Bible right? 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:21.000 And maybe my thinking is wrong. 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:24.000 Who gets the final say? 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:26.000 I guess it's a big question for us, right? 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:30.000 And it's a massive claim that, yeah, the Bible is that source. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:32.000 The Bible is the ultimate authority. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:34.000 And that's what we're going to talk about. 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:35.000 Why? 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:37.000 And, well, that is the case, and why it's the case, 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:39.000 and what it means for our lives. 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:43.000 So I guess first of all, I mean, I think most of us would say, 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:48.000 certainly in the Bible, Scripture is in the Bible the ultimate authority. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:52.000 I mean, traditionally, everyone respects the Bible, right? 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.000 I mean, even apart from the Bible. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:57.000 Have you ever met a church where the Bible is not important? 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:00.000 Every church believes in the Bible. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:02.000 So the Catholics, they still think the Bible is inspired. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:04.000 The Orthodox say that. 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:07.000 You know, Mormons. 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:09.000 Have you ever met Mormons? 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:10.000 Yeah? 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:11.000 Of course, they go to the Book of Mormon. 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:14.000 But they say the Mormons, the Bible is really the Word of God. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:18.000 Jehovah's Witnesses, they say the Bible is the Word of God. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.000 They change it, but, right? 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:24.000 Every Christian group, every tradition, they all, you know, 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:26.000 because you can't get away from the Bible. 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:29.000 Everyone knows throughout history the Bible is so important. 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:32.000 But the Bible itself says it, right? 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:36.000 If you've been in CG, my guess is you looked at a study this week, 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:39.000 there were some passages about that. 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:41.000 In the Bible, always scripture wins. 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:43.000 So we just had a passage. 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:46.000 The Pharisees was a religious group in Jesus' day, 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:48.000 and they had their traditions. 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:52.000 And, hey, Jesus, what you're doing is not according to tradition. 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:53.000 And what does Jesus say? 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:57.000 Well, yeah, he doesn't think very highly of the traditions, right? 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:00.000 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:03.000 You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:05.000 in order to establish your tradition. 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:09.000 You're making void the Word of God by your tradition that you've handed down. 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.000 And it's not a good thing. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:15.000 You should have sticking with what God says and not what your tradition says. 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:16.000 Tradition? 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:18.000 No, it comes below scripture. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.000 There's other passages, right? 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:25.000 Matthew 22, again, the Sadducees come to Jesus. 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:27.000 The Sadducees was another religious group, 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:31.000 and they didn't believe in the resurrection from the dead 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:33.000 because for them that was just a silly idea. 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:35.000 And they came to Jesus, 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:37.000 Hey, Jesus, look at this silly example, right? 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:42.000 So there's a woman, and she's married, and her husband dies, and she remarries. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:45.000 And, you know, and he dies, and she remarries. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:49.000 And so she's married seven times, and then they get all risen from the dead. 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:51.000 And now she has seven husbands. 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:52.000 What a ridiculous idea, right? 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:54.000 Come on, there's no resurrection. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:56.000 Well, how does Jesus answer them? 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.000 Hmm, good point. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:16:59.000 No, right? 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:00.000 But Jesus answered them, 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:04.000 You are wrong because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:07.000 And he said, Have you not read what was said to you by God? 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:08.000 Right? 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:09.000 He goes to the Bible. 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:11.000 Look what the Bible says. 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:13.000 And, you know, you may think it's ridiculous. 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:15.000 The Bible says it's true. 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:17.000 And, of course, there's reasons for that. 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:20.000 Last week we looked at prophecy. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:21.000 Right? 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:22.000 Prophecy. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:24.000 God gives you a message. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:25.000 Wow. 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:28.000 But Paul says, Well, do not quench the spirit. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:31.000 Do not despise prophecies, but test everything. 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:33.000 Prophecies need to be tested. 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:36.000 Which kind of suggests that they're not ultimate, right? 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:38.000 If they need to be tested. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:39.000 Other passages. 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:42.000 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they're from God. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:43.000 Right? 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:45.000 Prophecies need to be tested. 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:49.000 And that kind of implies, well, here is another reformer, Melanchthon. 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:51.000 He worked with Luther. 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:57.000 Well, I ask you how we shall test the spirits unless they are measured against a definite standard. 00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:00.000 And you need a higher standard if you want to test something. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:03.000 And surely that must be scripture. 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:05.000 You need a higher, there must be a higher standard. 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:06.000 Preachers. 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:09.000 So in Acts, Paul comes to some town. 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:11.000 What do people do? 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:13.000 They test it against scripture. 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:16.000 And when Paul and Silas arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:19.000 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:24.000 They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:26.000 These guys were good guys. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:27.000 Why? 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:29.000 Because they checked everything against the Bible. 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:32.000 They didn't just swallow everything that this new preacher says. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:36.000 Now, does it fit with scripture? 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:39.000 Even an angel or something. 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:40.000 Right? 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:45.000 Galatians, a bunch of churches, they've gone astray after false teachers with a false gospel. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:53.000 Paul says, even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:53.000 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:54.000 There's a standard. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:55.000 Right? 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:57.000 The gospel that we've, the apostolic gospel. 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:01.000 And if an angel comes to your house, I mean, you'd be pretty impressed. 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:02.000 Right? 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:06.000 If that angel says something different from scripture, then, well, let him be cursed. 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:08.000 I don't know if you would do that. 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:11.000 But that's what Paul says. 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:15.000 An angel can show up and he is not as high as scripture. 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:18.000 All through the Bible, you can look everywhere. 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:20.000 Scripture never needs testing. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.000 Never needs correcting. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:25.000 It's always, yeah, it judges everything else. 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:27.000 Now, why is that? 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:30.000 Why is scripture number one? 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:37.000 And I guess we all knew this was coming, but because it is God's inspired and inerrant words. 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:45.000 What makes the word different from anything else, the Bible different, is that it is, it's 100% inspired by God. 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:47.000 And we know some of those famous verses, right? 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:49.000 To Timothy 3. 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:52.000 All scripture is breathed out by God. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:56.000 And profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:58.000 It's breathed out by God. 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:00.000 Breath is the same word as spirit. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:02.000 So it's spirited by God. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:04.000 That's where inspired comes from. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:06.000 It is all scripture. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:11.000 Every single scripture, it's, well, it's from the spirit. 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:12.000 Peter says the same thing. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:13.000 It's not just Paul. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:15.000 To Peter 1. 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:22.000 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but man spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:24.000 This is talking about Old Testament prophecy. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:25.000 It talks about the Old Testament. 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:28.000 It wasn't produced by people. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:31.000 It was produced by the Holy Spirit as people spoke from God. 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:32.000 Carried along. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.000 It's like a sailing boat. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.000 A sailing boat, it never moves by itself, right? 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:38.000 How does a sailing boat move? 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:40.000 It's the spirit pushing it. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:42.000 And so the wind. 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.000 And the wind, spirit, same word. 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:46.000 That's the idea. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:48.000 All of the Bible, it's from the spirit. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.000 It's God's speech. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:52.000 It is God's word. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:59.000 Every sentence, it's written by people, but behind it, it is all from the Holy Spirit. 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:03.000 And if it's God's speech, well, it reflects God's nature, right? 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:07.000 If you listen to my speech, you get an idea of who I am, right? 00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:11.000 And if you listen, you know, if what God is like, that's what his speech is like, right? 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:13.000 And of course, God never lies. 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:14.000 God doesn't change. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:16.000 God always tells the truth. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:24.000 And so, Bullinger, a Swiss performer, well, God of himself naturally speaks truth. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:28.000 He is just, good, pure, immortal, eternal. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:36.000 Therefore, it follows that the word of God also, which comes out of the mouth of God, is true, just, without deceit and guile, 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:43.000 without error or evil affection, holy, pure, good, immortal, and everlasting. 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:44.000 Right? It makes sense. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:46.000 If this is God's speech, it reflects God's nature. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:50.000 And so, yeah, the Bible speaks so highly of God's word. 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:54.000 Psalm 19, the law of the Lord is perfect. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:56.000 The testimony of the Lord is sure. 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:58.000 The precepts of the Lord are right. 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:00.000 The commandment of the Lord is pure. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.000 The rules of the Lord are true and righteous all together, right? 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:12.000 All these adjectives that just talk about 100% pure, 100% perfect, 100% true. 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:13.000 That's the idea. 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:15.000 Jesus said, your word is truth. 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:17.000 Not just it has some truth, it is truth. 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:21.000 He said, scripture cannot be broken. 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:22.000 There's no error. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:24.000 No, nothing false. 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:32.000 So, we have a book that is 100% from God, and so it's 100% true, without errors. 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:36.000 Of course, that means it's going to be authoritative, right? 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:40.000 If this is God's speech, then, well, we should accept it as God's word. 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:43.000 I mean, we saw Thessalonians, the past few weeks we've been working through that book. 00:22:43.000 --> 00:22:45.000 What did they do that was so good? 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:51.000 Well, they accepted what Paul said, not as the word of man, but as what it really is, the word of God. 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:52.000 Right? 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:56.000 If God wrote something, you accept it as coming from him. 00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:01.000 I mean, if you send me an email, I should treat it as if it really comes from you. 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:02.000 Right? 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:05.000 If I hit delete, that's not just your email. 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:07.000 I'm treating you very badly, right? 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:12.000 If, and so this is, if this is really from God, I should accept it. 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:15.000 If it's 100% from God, I should accept 100%. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:16.000 Yeah? 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:21.000 It comes with God's authority, and how you treat the word is how you treat God. 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:25.000 That's basically, yeah, the Christian position. 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:26.000 That's how we should see God's word. 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:30.000 This is inspired, inerrant, affordative. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:35.000 We have 100% true truth from God. 00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:42.000 By the way, maybe you're here, you're not a Christian, and I'm not trying to prove to you that the Bible is true right now. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:46.000 Because I know what you will say, this is a circular argument, right? 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:48.000 The Bible is true, well, because the Bible says it's true. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:50.000 It's a circular argument. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:52.000 I fully admit that. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:57.000 The only thing I would say, ultimate authority is always a circular argument. 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:04.000 I mean, you probably think, well, what's true is that I can, well, what my reason accepts, right? 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:08.000 If I think it's true, if my reason, if it makes sense to me, then it's true. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:09.000 Why do you believe that? 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:13.000 Why would you say that your reason is the best judge of things? 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:15.000 Well, presumably because that makes sense to you. 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:16.000 Right? 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:17.000 Right? 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:18.000 It makes sense to me. 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:20.000 Everything should make sense to me because that makes sense to me. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:21.000 It's just as circular. 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:22.000 Right? 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:24.000 The final authority is always circular. 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:26.000 So, have a think about that. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:28.000 Maybe come and talk to me later. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:32.000 I'm not now giving a talk on the reliability of the Bible. 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:34.000 Although, if you're interested, I'd say look at Jesus. 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:35.000 Right? 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:36.000 Jesus is a historical person. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:40.000 If you think this person was the son of God, then maybe we should listen to what he says. 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:43.000 And he says, well, scripture is the word of God. 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:45.000 That's maybe a way into the circle. 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:51.000 But, okay, we have a book that is 100% true from God. 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:56.000 And the thing is, no other authority is inerrant, right? 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:58.000 Nothing else is, I think, inerrant. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:01.000 I mean, we saw from those passages we looked at. 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:03.000 Tradition can go wrong. 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:05.000 Leaders can go wrong. 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:06.000 Right? 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:07.000 Counsels can go wrong. 00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:08.000 Reason can go wrong. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:09.000 Right? 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:10.000 Feelings can go wrong. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:12.000 Angels can go wrong. 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:13.000 Right? 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:15.000 Everything is below scripture. 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:16.000 Right? 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:23.000 You know, if these things can be from God, you know, people who say, well, the traditions are inspired by God. 00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:25.000 Well, how would we know? 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:26.000 Of course, they say it. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:30.000 But, you know, one thing we do know is from God, these other things. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:34.000 Why does God never say, oh, by the way, you should also trust the Pope? 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:37.000 It would be helpful if he said that in the Bible, but he doesn't. 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:46.000 And the thing is, you know, for the reformers certainly, you know, traditions and popes, they don't have a very good track record. 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:47.000 Right? 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:49.000 That's a good thing to check. 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:51.000 Do they contradict themselves? 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:52.000 And they do, right? 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:56.000 So Luther, when he made his stand, I left some part out. 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:57.000 I've put it back in. 00:25:57.000 --> 00:26:05.000 Unless I'm convinced by the testimony of the scriptures or by clear reason, for I do not trust either in the Pope or in councils alone, 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:08.000 since it's well known that they have often erred and contradict themselves. 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:10.000 And so I'm bound to the scriptures. 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:11.000 Right? 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:12.000 You look at church history. 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:15.000 You look at how things have changed over the years. 00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:18.000 How can it be from God if it's been changing? 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:19.000 God's word hasn't changed. 00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:21.000 Traditions have changed. 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:23.000 What the Pope has said has changed. 00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:26.000 How can it be unchanging truth? 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:31.000 How can it be the same as the apostles, as if it's different? 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:34.000 So, again, Buhlinger. 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:45.000 Compare the things which these fellows set to sail under the color of the apostles' traditions, told by word of mouth and not by writing, with the manifest writing of the apostles. 00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:48.000 So, okay, hey, you say these traditions are from Paul. 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:50.000 Well, here we have a letter from Paul. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:51.000 Well, let's compare the two. 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:53.000 They're both from Paul, you say. 00:26:53.000 --> 00:27:03.000 Well, if in any place you shall perceive those traditions to disagree with the scriptures, then gather by and by that it is the forged invention of men, not the apostles' tradition. 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:04.000 Tradition, right? 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:10.000 Tradition and the scriptures should say the same if they're both from God, if they're both from the apostles. 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:11.000 They're not. 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:14.000 And so they can't both be from God, right? 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:15.000 And we know the Bible's from God. 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:18.000 Well, the other one can't be from God, basically. 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:19.000 Right? 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:22.000 So that's why the reformers were so clear. 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:24.000 Well, no, it's scripture alone. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:26.000 We know scripture is inherent. 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:29.000 We have no reason to believe anything else is inherent. 00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:30.000 Right? 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:33.000 And so, yeah, scripture alone. 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:38.000 Now, when I say this, of course, you may have some other questions, right? 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:41.000 I want to make a few caveats. 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:47.000 What do we do with, you know, what do we do with our statement of faith as a church? 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:48.000 Right? 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:52.000 We have a statement of faith, and if you want to be a member, you need to sign up for that. 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:54.000 Isn't that going beyond the Bible? 00:27:54.000 --> 00:27:59.000 Well, you know, this doesn't mean you can't have lesser authorities. 00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:01.000 It doesn't mean you can't have a statement of faith. 00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:06.000 I mean, if we just say, hey, you have to believe the Bible, but the Bible is such a big book, right? 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:07.000 It's just helpful to make a summary. 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:10.000 Okay, this is what Christians have always agreed the Bible says. 00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:12.000 Do you agree with that? 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:13.000 That's a helpful thing. 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:15.000 It's not inherent. 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:20.000 If you come to us and say, hey, I've looked at your statement of faith, and I've compared it with the Bible, 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:24.000 and, yeah, I think it's wrong because of this and this and this, please show us. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:30.000 It's not inherent, but, you know, if this is something that a lot of Christians have believed over time, 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:32.000 you should take it seriously. 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:33.000 It's important. 00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:34.000 It's important. 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:38.000 We need to distinguish the Bible with our interpretation. 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:41.000 Your interpretation, the Bible is 100% true. 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:45.000 Your understanding of the Bible is maybe not 100% true, right? 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:47.000 Because, hey, I know myself. 00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:48.000 I'm limited. 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:49.000 I'm sinful. 00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:51.000 I know I'm not all knowing. 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:52.000 I may have it wrong. 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:53.000 I may have it wrong. 00:28:53.000 --> 00:29:00.000 And especially the more unusual and the more rare what I think is, the more I'm likely to be wrong. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:01.000 Right? 00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:08.000 If I think, oh, this passage says X, and for 2,000 years Christians have said it's not X, I'm very likely to be wrong. 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:12.000 I mean, Luther, he felt that. 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.000 I mean, people said it about him, right? 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:16.000 The emperor, what did he say about Luther? 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:22.000 Well, a single friar who goes against the faith of all Christendom for 1,000 years must be wrong. 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:23.000 Right? 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:24.000 How can this guy be right? 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:28.000 It's just one guy against 1,000 years of tradition. 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:30.000 And it has some weight. 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:31.000 And Luther really struggled with that. 00:29:31.000 --> 00:29:32.000 He agonized. 00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:35.000 You know, I'm going against so many people. 00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:38.000 I'm going against so much tradition by saying this. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:42.000 But in the end, he was convinced, no, this is what the Bible says. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:45.000 And, yeah, this is right. 00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:47.000 And so I have to take a stand. 00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:48.000 Yeah? 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:52.000 So, yeah, it can happen, though it's not very likely. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:55.000 I mean, there's other examples, right? 00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:56.000 Galileo. 00:29:56.000 --> 00:30:00.000 The church always thought that the sun goes around the earth. 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:02.000 Actually, the earth goes around the sun. 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:05.000 And there's just a misunderstanding of the Bible. 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:09.000 They thought, et cetera, in poetry, the Lord has set the earth on its foundations. 00:30:09.000 --> 00:30:11.000 Oh, therefore the earth is fixed. 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:12.000 No, that's not what it means. 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:13.000 It's just poetry. 00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:15.000 People misunderstand the Bible. 00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:20.000 So, yeah, so don't confuse the Bible with your interpretation. 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:25.000 But if you're a good reader, then the main things of the Bible, hopefully they are clear. 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:29.000 And that kind of also explains maybe people have this question. 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:32.000 How about different denominations? 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:38.000 Because, you know, we believe in the Bible, and then you go to St. Andrews, and they also believe in the Bible. 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:40.000 But they baptize babies and we don't. 00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:42.000 How can that be? 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:44.000 Surely we both read the Bible. 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:47.000 Well, it's a complicated topic. 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:49.000 There's so much that goes into that. 00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:52.000 It's just not easy to really know the truth. 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:55.000 And so we think we're right, but we may be wrong. 00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:58.000 And they think they are right, but they think, well, maybe we're wrong. 00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:02.000 And so, you know, we kind of, okay, we do our own thing. 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:05.000 But we, yeah, we leave it. 00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:10.000 We still work together because we recognize humbly that we may be wrong about this. 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:13.000 All right, there may be other things, and you can't be wrong about that. 00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:16.000 The Bible is so clear that, you know, Jesus rose from the dead. 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:17.000 You can't deny that. 00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:22.000 But something like infant baptism, to be baptized babies, that just is more vague. 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:23.000 It's less clear. 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:29.000 I hope that kind of gives a few caveats that people always have when I talk about this. 00:31:29.000 --> 00:31:32.000 But let's go back to the main point, right? 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:37.000 We have the Bible, and it's 100% truth from God. 00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:42.000 And it should be, yeah, the final authority in our lives. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:44.000 Now, what does that mean for us? 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:46.000 How do we apply that? 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:51.000 Well, I think the first thing, and treasure that we have the truth. 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:54.000 Treasure that we have the truth, right? 00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:56.000 God has revealed himself, right? 00:31:56.000 --> 00:32:02.000 He could have just left us in the dark, not given us anything, and we just have to make it up for our own, which we can't. 00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:07.000 He has given us a book with 100% truth that we can read. 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:09.000 Isn't that such a wonderful gift, right? 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:16.000 We don't have to be anxious about how do we know God, and what is he like, and what is right and wrong, and how do we get to heaven. 00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:22.000 We have a book that tells us, that tells us without any error, 100% true, clearly. 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:24.000 Isn't that wonderful? 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:24.000 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:26.000 It's so wonderful to have the truth. 00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:28.000 I don't know if you ever think about that. 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:30.000 Again, think about you're trying to make a decision. 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.000 Isn't it nice to have someone who tells you exactly the truth? 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:39.000 He may not tell you exactly what to do, but it gives you all the important things 100% true. 00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:41.000 That's a wonderful thing, right? 00:32:41.000 --> 00:32:44.000 And if we're not the Bible, where would we be? 00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:52.000 If we didn't have the truth, then we're just lost, and we have to figure it out on our own, and I know I can't figure things out on my own. 00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:57.000 Even if you think, well, the Bible is 90% true. 00:32:57.000 --> 00:32:59.000 Okay, which 90%? 00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:02.000 Well, which 10% should we reject? 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:08.000 We don't know, and so impractically then, we've lost the Bible, and again, we're lost at sea, and we don't know the truth. 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:12.000 Actually, if the Bible is, I want this to be true, right? 00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:15.000 100% truth given to us, such a wonderful thing. 00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:23.000 Which means that if we believe that, well, second, of course, well, let the Bible be your final authority, right? 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:27.000 Let the Bible be the thing that always wins. 00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:32.000 I guess many of us, we don't follow the Pope or traditions or those kind of things. 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:36.000 I don't know, some of us maybe watch the wrong preachers on the internet. 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:40.000 Check them against scripture before you do what they say. 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:42.000 That might be helpful. 00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:45.000 But maybe other things, how about, well, your reason? 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:48.000 You read something in the Bible, nah, this can't be true. 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:51.000 Nah, that doesn't make sense to me. 00:33:51.000 --> 00:33:53.000 Well, who wins? 00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:56.000 Okay, maybe you've misunderstood the Bible. 00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:59.000 Maybe it doesn't say exactly what you think it says. 00:33:59.000 --> 00:34:02.000 But still, ultimately, the Bible should win, right? 00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:09.000 And I need to change my thinking about what is true about human beings, about those kind of things. 00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:11.000 How about your feelings? 00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:13.000 Often we put our feelings, right? 00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:16.000 In this world where your feelings must be true. 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:19.000 I fall in love with someone. 00:34:19.000 --> 00:34:21.000 And the Bible says it's an inappropriate relationship. 00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:23.000 Well, this is real love. 00:34:23.000 --> 00:34:24.000 I know it's true. 00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:28.000 Well, then you're putting your feelings above the Bible, right? 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:30.000 The Bible should come first. 00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:35.000 Or the Christian who visits a mosque and, oh, I really felt the presence of God there. 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:36.000 I met these people. 00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:37.000 They're so nice. 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:41.000 Even though they don't know Jesus, they must have a relationship with God. 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:45.000 Well, that's your feelings. 00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:46.000 What is the truth? 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:48.000 The Bible has the truth, right? 00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:51.000 Again, the Bible is inerrant. 00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:52.000 The Bible is 100% true. 00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:54.000 Are your feelings 100% true? 00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:56.000 Is your thinking 100% true? 00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:58.000 I don't want to say that of myself. 00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:03.000 I think it's pretty arrogant to say that, okay, I'm more correct than the Bible. 00:35:03.000 --> 00:35:05.000 But that's basically what we need to watch out for, right? 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:09.000 Let the Bible be your final authority. 00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:14.000 Actually, again, I think this is such a positive thing, right? 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:16.000 I don't have to work it out myself. 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:18.000 I can just trust God. 00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:20.000 God's given me the truth. 00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:23.000 I don't need to work it out for myself. 00:35:23.000 --> 00:35:24.000 I can just follow this. 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:25.000 That's a wonderful gift. 00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:26.000 It's liberating. 00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:27.000 I don't need to be anxious. 00:35:27.000 --> 00:35:28.000 Is this right or wrong? 00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:30.000 Well, what does God say? 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:31.000 I've got the answer. 00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:32.000 Wonderful. 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:40.000 And so, yeah, of course, then the last thing we need to do, well, get to know and understand it, right? 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:45.000 If this is wonderful truth from God, let's get to know it, right? 00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:51.000 I mean, I haven't even talked about the power of God's word and how it's living and active 00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:54.000 and how you encounter God and how you meet Jesus and all that stuff. 00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:56.000 You can listen to other talks I've given. 00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:59.000 I've just treated this as a source of true information. 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:01.000 But even if it's just information, right? 00:36:01.000 --> 00:36:07.000 Don't you want to know it so you can live by it, so you can test things by it, right? 00:36:07.000 --> 00:36:08.000 You want to know this. 00:36:08.000 --> 00:36:11.000 And so, yeah, read the word personally. 00:36:11.000 --> 00:36:17.000 Learn to read it properly so that you have more confidence that, you know, you really hear what God is saying. 00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:20.000 Read it as a CG, right? 00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:22.000 I hope your CG, you're looking at the Bible together. 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:25.000 I know some CGs, they love to listen to each other. 00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:27.000 And, of course, it's good to hear from each other. 00:36:27.000 --> 00:36:29.000 But, you know, your group members are not inspired. 00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:30.000 They're not 100% true. 00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:32.000 Paul is 100% true. 00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:35.000 So let's listen to Paul, first of all, right? 00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:37.000 Read it as a family. 00:36:37.000 --> 00:36:39.000 You know, make sure your children get to know the Bible. 00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:44.000 Make sure you live by the word and your children see that, all those things, right? 00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:48.000 After all, how did the Reformation happen? 00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:49.000 Just think back about that. 00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:51.000 How did Luther discover the Gospel? 00:36:51.000 --> 00:36:54.000 Was he having a shower and it just happened? 00:36:54.000 --> 00:36:55.000 No, right? 00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:56.000 He was reading the Bible. 00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:58.000 He was studying the Bible. 00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:01.000 He was wrestling with the Bible, trying to understand it. 00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:07.000 And that's when it came to him that, you know, he had the righteousness of God through Jesus. 00:37:07.000 --> 00:37:08.000 Right? 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:10.000 It was through the Bible. 00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:13.000 How did this idea spread so powerfully? 00:37:13.000 --> 00:37:16.000 Well, that's because of the printing press. 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:18.000 And Bibles didn't need to be copied by hand anymore. 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:20.000 You could just print them. 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:22.000 And so German Bibles went everywhere. 00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:26.000 And that's how so many people saw the truth and believed, right? 00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:27.000 They did the Gospel spread. 00:37:27.000 --> 00:37:29.000 But how did the Gospel spread? 00:37:29.000 --> 00:37:30.000 Through the Bible. 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:34.000 Because it's in the Bible that we find the Gospel. 00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:37.000 And so we'd love the Gospel to have a huge impact today. 00:37:37.000 --> 00:37:39.000 How is it going to have a huge impact today? 00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:41.000 Well, through the Bible, right? 00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:42.000 As we read the Word. 00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:43.000 As we study the Word. 00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:44.000 As we live by the Word. 00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:46.000 As we spread the Word. 00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:50.000 And then maybe God will do an amazing thing in our time as well. 00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:51.000 So, yeah. 00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:52.000 I hope that makes sense. 00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:54.000 I'm sure you have a lot of questions. 00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:55.000 Please come and talk to me. 00:37:55.000 --> 00:38:02.000 But I hope we will, yeah, love the wonderful 100% truth of God's Word. 00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:03.000 Why don't we pray? 00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:04.000 Why don't we pray? 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:05.000 Why don't we pray? 00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:07.000 Why don't we pray? 00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:08.000 Why don't we pray? 00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:18.000 Father, thank you for this wonderful gift that is true and pure and perfect and righteous altogether. 00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:21.000 Thank you that you didn't leave us in the dark. 00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:25.000 I mean, you could have left us in the dark because we're sinners who turned away from you. 00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:26.000 You've given your grace. 00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:31.000 You've provided salvation in Jesus and then you told us about it in your Word. 00:38:31.000 --> 00:38:33.000 Thank you that we have that. 00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:34.000 Thank you we can rely on it. 00:38:34.000 --> 00:38:36.000 Thank you we can build our lives on it. 00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:38.000 Please would we do that, Lord? 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:40.000 Would the Word be precious to us? 00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:43.000 Would we read it, study it, spread it, live by it? 00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:46.000 And, yeah, would you do a great work in our days, Lord? 00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:47.000 We thank you what you did back then. 00:38:47.000 --> 00:38:52.000 Would you again do amazing things as the Gospel is preached through your Word. 00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:54.000 And we ask this in Jesus' name. 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:55.000 Amen.