and great to be with you in church this morning.
My name's Steve.
I've not met you before,
senior pastor here at St Paul's.
We are, as Asha said, we're in a series on the Bible.
It's good to be with you specifically in church.
Last week, I wasn't with the staff team.
We were away on retreat.
I'm in Bathurst, and you saw me preaching on the screen.
I just want to clear out one thing.
If you were here last week,
you would have seen fireworks.
The fireworks were unplanned.
We don't know where they came from.
Nick and I have got no idea what happened with that moment,
but take it as an act of God.
And so if you've not listened to that sermon yet,
you might want to go back and do that now.
So let me pray as we launch in to this morning
that there would be genuine fireworks in the heart.
Gracious God, we are grateful for you.
We are grateful for you,
the one who is the instigator of all things,
the one who created all things by the power of your word.
You speak and things happen.
We are grateful that you,
the almighty, the everlasting,
the one who never had a beginning,
never has an end,
you have spoken,
and you have spoken with clarity
so that we are not left without a knowledge of your will,
understanding of who we are,
who you are,
and the way to salvation.
We are grateful to you, God,
and I pray that your word will be clear to each of us
as we explore it this morning,
but as we explore it ourselves individually
in relationship with you.
Amen.
Now there's an ancient parable
that's found in both Hindu and Buddhist texts.
It is known as the parable of the blind man and the elephant.
A group of blind men heard that a strange animal
called an elephant had been brought to town
and they found it
and they were feeling around to work out
what is this strange animal.
The first person grabbed hold of the trunk
and said,
well, it's actually clearly a big, thick snake.
Another one grabs hold of the ear,
thought it seemed like some kind of fan.
Another blind man had his arms wrapped around the leg
and said,
elephants are like tree trunks.
The blind man who placed his hand on the side of the elephant
said,
no, no, it's a great wall.
Another who felt its tail says,
no, it's actually a rope is what it is.
The point of the parable,
it's an ancient parable,
the point of it is that
all people are blamed
when it comes to the things of the divine,
when it comes to God.
We know,
we might know part of him,
but we don't really know all of God.
We don't know all of the divine
and we can only ever know a little bit.
And so the conclusion is,
for all of humanity,
must tread carefully
when discussing anything to do with God.
and basically a whole great deal of humility.
So you don't call anything truth,
you just have perceptions,
is all you have.
Now there are two major problems with the parable.
Two major problems.
Firstly,
the whole parable
is told from the standpoint
of someone
who says that
they can see the entire elephant.
That's the first problem with it.
While the parable is making the point
that no one has the whole picture,
the narrator himself
clearly sees the whole picture
and says,
therefore no one has ultimate truth.
The second problem
is somewhat more serious.
While the parable
is perfectly good description
of human inability
in matters of the divine,
it doesn't consider
a paradigm
shattering question.
What if the elephant speaks?
What if the elephant could talk?
What if he was to tell the blind man
exactly who he is
or what he is?
Tell them who they are in fact
because they can't see the world.
Tell them what the world is like.
Would the blind man
in that moment
be considered humble
by ignoring the elephant
who says,
trees have got trunks
and they are green
with leaves?
Would they be considered humble
to ignore the elephant
at that point?
And so today
we're looking at
another attribute
of the word of God,
namely the clarity of scripture.
this is
the doctrine
of the clarity of scripture
is primarily
about God's character.
Is God
wise enough
to make himself known?
Is he good enough
to make himself
accessible?
Is he gracious enough
to communicate
in ways
that are understandable
to the meek
and the lowly
and the broken?
Or does God
give us commands
that we cannot
understand
and a self-revelation
that reveals
more questions
than answers
about life?
This is primarily
about the character
of God
and who he is.
So this is the third
attribute
of the Bible
that we're looking
at this morning.
God's word
is clear.
So I've got three points
I'm running through
this morning.
Clearing up clarity,
the Bible's clarity
and the Bible's
difficult clarity.
So clearing up clarity.
The clarity
of scripture
historically
this doctrine
has been known
as the perspicuity
of scripture
which isn't
a very clear word
to mean clarity.
But this is how
the Westminster
Confession
of Faith
describes
the clarity
of scripture.
All things
in scripture
are not alike
plain in themselves
nor alike
clear unto all
and yet
those things
which are necessary
to be known
believed
and observed
for salvation
are so clearly
propounded
and open
in some place
of scripture
or another
that not only
learned
but the unlearned
in a Jew's
set use
of the ordinary
means
may attain
unto a sufficient
understanding
of them.
Which basically
means that last
section is that
it's accessible
to everyone
if you use
the normal
means of reading.
That's basically
what that means.
Now there's a few
nuances there
which are really
helpful.
So let me just
quickly hit you
with the nuances.
Firstly,
some bits
of the Bible
are clearer
than others.
Not every
verse or
every section
has a simple
or an obvious
meaning.
Secondly,
the main things
that we need
to know,
we need to
believe
and we need
to do
are clearly
seen in
scripture.
Thirdly,
though the
essential doctrines
of Christianity
are not
equally clear
in every
passage of
the Bible,
they are
all made
clear
somewhere
in the
Bible.
Fourthly,
that which
is necessary
for salvation
can be
understood
by even
the uneducated.
Lastly,
the most
important point
in the
Bible
may not
be understood
perfectly
but they
can be
understood
sufficiently.
That's the
nuances that
are in there
in the Westminster
Confession.
So the best
way forward
for us is
to just jump
into the
second point
and have
a look at
one passage
in the
Bible,
the one
that Anne
just read
out,
which talks
about the
clarity of
scripture and
the simplicity
of scripture.
So let's
jump into
that one,
the book
of Deuteronomy.
So we're
into Deuteronomy
30,
if you want
to open
your Bible.
In fact,
I'd encourage
you to open
your Bible
at this
point,
Deuteronomy
30.
The book
of Deuteronomy
records the
second giving
of the law
of God,
just as the
Israelites are
there on the
brink of
entering the
promised land.
So let me
just work our
way backwards
in Deuteronomy
just to give
us a little bit
of clarity
of what's
going on
here.
In chapter
34 records
the death
of Moses.
Chapter
33, the
final blessing
of Moses.
Chapter
32, the
song of
Moses before
the blessing.
chapter 31,
the selection
of Joshua
to take
over from
Moses when
he dies.
And
chapters 1
to 30
is basically
just one
really long
sermon.
Don't ever
complain about
mine.
Just one
really long
sermon or
a bunch of
sermons.
Let's have a
five minute
break, stand
up, sit
down, and
then we can
jump back in
the next
one.
That's a
really long
sermon.
And it's
a covenant
renewal
ceremony
spoken by
God through
the mouth
of his
servant
Moses.
So
chapters
29 and
30 is
the climax.
It's the
conclusion of
Moses'
sermon.
And more
specifically,
chapter 30
verses 11
to 20 is
the final
appeal.
It's the
landing point,
the appeal.
Moses is
imploring the
people to
choose life,
not death,
choose life.
And choose
life by
keeping the
commandments and
the statutes
of the law.
That's
verses 15
to 20.
And right
there in
15 to 20
of chapter
30 is the
entire point
that Moses
has been
working towards
in the
previous 30
chapters.
verses 15
is the
key.
I
command you
today to
love the
Lord your
God, to
walk in
obedience to
him and
to keep
his commands,
decrees and
laws, and
then you will
live and
increase and
the Lord your
God will
bless you in
the land you
are entering
to possess.
promise.
It's a call
really to
commitment, it's
a call to
covenant
renewal.
It's a
deeply
personal and
whole of
life transforming
relationship is
what Moses is
calling Israel to
at this point.
And it's a
very basic
and straightforward
appeal, very
simple.
and just
before he
issues this
final appeal,
he makes it
clear to
them that
the appeal
itself and
all that's
required of
them is
not beyond
them.
Verse 11
to 14,
just read out
to us by
Anne, makes
it clear that
God's word,
all of his
statutes, all
of his commands
is not beyond
them and
therefore life
itself is not
beyond them,
not out of
their reach.
Moses says
it's really
clear, you
don't have to
go up to
heaven to
get God's
word, God's
word is not
out of reach,
you don't need
to get in a
spaceship and
launch up to
the Netherlands
to try and
find answers.
Verse 13,
nor is it
beyond the
sea so
that you
have to
ask who
will cross
the sea to
get it and
proclaim it
to us so
that we may
obey it.
In the
Bible, the
sea is a
symbol of
chaos and
destruction.
In fact,
Paul quotes
this verse
in Romans
chapter 10
and he
calls it
the abyss.
Revelation
9 calls it
the abyss.
It's the
place of
destruction,
of death,
of torment.
In
ancient times,
the sea
represented
death and
destruction.
Death was
sinking into
the abyss.
And the
great stories
of ancient
cultures were
the stories of
adventures taking
on the seas to
discover new
worlds and
explore uncharted
lands.
What Moses
is saying here
with these
images is we
do not relate
to God like
that.
It's not that
hard.
We don't have
to search the
heavens.
We don't have
to go on a
quest over the
seas.
God has
communicated to
us.
He says God
has come near
to us.
All ancient
cultures,
all ancient
cultures,
where the
divine secrets,
the mysteries of
how to live
life, the
secrets of
the universe,
defined
things known
only to the
gods.
And it was
only a very
few courageous
people in
those cultures
who were
willing to
go on the
quest beyond
civilized
lands to
connect with
the gods and
to bring back
the secrets of
the universe.
And Moses
doesn't buy into
that at all
in any way.
Deuteronomy
says the God
to whom highest
heaven cannot
contain has
descended to
us.
earth.
He came
down to
Mount Sinai
and he
spoke.
To access
the secret
universe,
you do not
need to be
an elite
scientist.
You don't
need to be a
gifted artist.
You don't
need to be a
regular attendee
at an exclusive
retreat in the
rainforest.
You don't
need to climb
to the top of
the highest
mountain or
dive into the
depths of
the sea.
The secrets
of the
universe have
traditionally been
virtually in
every hotel
room in the
Western world.
Just sitting
beside the
bed in a
drawer, top
drawer normally.
Placed there
by the
Gideons.
It's in the
Bible and the
Bible is
everywhere.
With
estimated total
sales of
over five
billion copies,
the Bible is
the best
selling publication
of all time.
It has had a
profound influence.
In fact, it has
shaped both
Western culture
and history
and most
cultures around
the globe.
And to
date, it is
translated or
currently being
translated into
about half of
the world's
languages.
The secret of
the universe is
right under our
noses and it
is accessible.
For sure, there
are some hard
things to
understand.
But the
core message of
the Bible is
unbelievably
accessible.
It is right
there.
What God
wants of us
is not hidden,
it's not far
off, it's not
locked up into
some vault.
The word of
God can be on
our lips and
taught to our
children.
It is right
in front of
us, ready to
be understood
and obeyed.
And yet,
this
accessibility and
simplicity can
be quite
deceptive.
Because
modern people
have the
same problem
as ancient
people.
We tend to
think that if
any insight to
be really
important,
then it has to
be brilliant,
it has to be
sophisticated,
it has to be
new.
And the Bible's
not any of
those things.
things.
And so let me
just say, if
you are
exploring
Christianity
right now,
don't be
offended by
the simplicity
and the
ordinariness
of the
Bible.
Even
Christians
struggle with
the simplicity
of their
faith and
the Bible.
people.
The Old
Testament says
we are
saved by
God's grace
to be his
special
possession.
That's the
summary of the
Old Testament,
saved by God's
grace to be
his special
possession.
And the New
Testament adds
that this is
done and
completed in
the person of
Jesus Christ.
It's as
simple as
that.
So why
is it so
hard?
Let's move
to the
final point,
the difficulty,
the Bible's
difficult
clarity.
The clarity
and simplicity
of God's
word is
in fact
its
difficulty.
The reason
we don't
need to
ascend to
heaven or
cross the
abyss is
because God
is near and
that means
his word
to us
is near.
God has
made himself
and the
way of
salvation
known to
us simply
and clearly.
These
analogies
that Moses
uses is a
roundabout way
of saying
that relationship
with God
is not
something that
we have to
pursue and
achieve
ourselves.
We don't
go on a
quest to
connect with
the divine
in order to
have a
relationship
with him.
The analogy
Moses uses
here is
to reveal
that God
comes to
us and
he saves
us by
his grace.
Relationship
with him is
something that
we receive,
not something
that we
achieve.
We also
see in the
second half of
the passage
that Moses
seems to
contradict
himself in
these verses.
How can
Moses say
things like
the commandment
is not
too hard
for you
in verse
11 and
that you
can do
it in
verse 14.
You don't
need to go
up to
heaven,
you don't
need to
cross the
sea,
it's right
in front
of you.
But then
he says
in verse
17,
but if
your heart
turns away
and you
are not
obedient and
if you
are drawn
away to
bow down
to other
gods and
worship them,
I declare to
you this day
that you will
certainly be
destroyed.
You will
not live
long in
the land
you are
crossing the
Jordan to
enter and
possess.
This day I
call the
heavens and
the earth
as witnesses
against you
that I have
set before
you life and
death,
blessings and
curses,
now choose
life.
So if
it's entirely
by God's
work to
establish
relationship
with us,
why does
he include
that?
Because on
the surface
when you
read that it
sounds very
much like
striving.
It sounds
very much
like put
your socks
up and
keep them
pulled up,
otherwise
you're done.
It seems
to contradict
the first
half of
the passage,
but it
doesn't.
The clue
in
understanding
this is
in fact the
entire
sermon of
Deuteronomy
is almost
the last
thing he
says in
chapter 30.
It's in
verse 20.
For the
Lord is
your life.
Not you
are your
life, not
your obedience
is your
life, the
Lord is
your life.
That is,
they have
life already,
so this
must be
referring to
something a
bit more
than just
the fact
that they're
alive, it's
referring to
spiritual life,
it's referring
to eternal
life.
Up to this
point in
Deuteronomy,
life is
connected to
obedience,
death is
connected to
disobedience.
obedience.
The Bible
is clear, it
is simple, it
is accessible,
and God
expects it to
be obeyed.
And so
life is
connected to
obedience and
death is
connected to
disobedience.
And yet,
they've already
failed multiple
times.
There's not a
single person
who's righteous,
Romans chapter
three.
because the
Bible also
reveals our
inability, our
powerlessness, it
reveals our
sin, our lack
of righteousness.
So verse 20
is not saying
that if you
obey God, he
will give you
life.
It is saying
he is your
life.
And Paul
explains it.
in Romans
chapter 10
when he
picks up
Deuteronomy
30.
As he's
proclaiming the
good news of
salvation in
Jesus Christ to
the church in
Rome.
I'm going to
read it to
you.
Christ is the
culmination of
the law so
that there may
be righteousness
for everyone
who believes.
Moses writes
this about the
righteous that is
by the law.
The person
who does
these things
will live
by them.
But the
righteous that
is by faith
says, do
not say in
your heart,
who will
ascend into
heaven?
That is to
bring Christ
down.
Or who
will descend
to the deep?
That is to
bring Christ
up from the
dead.
But what
does it say?
The word is
near you.
It is in your
mouth and in
your heart.
That is the
message concerning
faith that we
proclaim.
If you
declare with
your mouth
Jesus is
Lord and
believe in
your heart
that God
raised him
from the
dead, you
will be
saved.
What he
says there in
Romans 10 is
that Jesus
is the end
of the law
of righteousness.
The law
still exists
to please
God and to
change your
life, but it
is never meant
to be and
never will ever
meant to be a
means to stand
before God
justified and
accepted.
Why?
Because Jesus
came from
heaven to
us and
then not
just to us
but went
to the
abyss of
chaos and
destruction and
death to
bring eternal
life to
everyone who
will accept
him.
And that's
threatening.
It is so
simple.
The message
of the Bible
is so
simple.
Every bit
of it screams
out, look to
Jesus, look to
Jesus, every
bit of it.
And yet it
is so, so
hard.
So complex.
So
threatening.
Because what
kind of God
has a bar of
salvation that
is so low?
What kind of
God does
that?
A God of
grace who
allows anyone
to come.
A bar so
low that
anyone can
step over
it.
Because it's
a bar of
grace, not a
bar of
works.
And yet
it's not
such a low
bar, is
it?
Not
really.
It
demands that
we lose
our pride.
It
demands that
we lose
our pride
and the
right to
look down
on any
other human
being.
It also
demands that
we surrender
control of
our life.
life.
If we
are not
prepared to
let go of
ourselves,
we discover
that the
bar is in
fact far
too high
for us.
Far too
high.
This is the
threatening
costliness of
the free
grace of
God.
The message
of the
Bible is
so, so
simple.
It is so
clear.
And yet it is
so difficult
to take.
If you're
exploring
Christianity,
understand the
difficulty of
the simplicity
of the
Christian
faith.
However,
however,
grasping the
simplicity of
the Christian
faith as
it is
proclaimed in
the Bible,
in all of
its difficulty,
is in fact how
you become a
Christian.
In that
moment,
the moment the
clarity and
the simplicity
of the message
of God's
grace in
Jesus Christ
hits you
and you
are willing
to pay
the cost of
surrendering your
pride and
control of
your life,
is the
moment that
you enter
into a
relationship
with the
God who
holds all
the secrets
of the
universe.
It really
is that
simple and
it really
is that
difficult.
You see,
this clarity,
this doctrine
that we're
looking at
this morning,
the clarity
of Scripture,
historical
document,
is so
far,
so far
from some
dry
biblical
teaching,
Christian
teaching.
There is
so much
at stake
on the
clarity of
Scripture.
It insists
that even
the simplest
disciple can
understand the
message of the
Bible and be
saved.
The Bible
isn't just
for pastors
and scholars
with a working
knowledge of
Hebrew and
Greek.
You don't
need to know
about Second
Temple Judaism.
You don't
need to know
about Greco-Roman
customs nor
ancient Near East
religion.
Nor do you
need to be
schooled in
redaction
criticism,
source
criticism,
form
criticism,
and all
that other
stuff I
had to
do.
And still
trying to
work out.
God is
not the
God of
the smarty
pants only,
as much as
we might want
to make him
such on the
North Shore
of Sydney.
The clarity
of Scripture
reveals so
much about
the character
of God.
What kind
of God
would reveal
his love?
What kind
of God
would reveal
his redemption
in terms so
technical and
concepts so
profound that
only an elite
group of
professional scholars
could possibly
understand them?
Not the God
of the Bible.
Relationship
with him
is accessible
to all.
And so
if you are
a Christian,
say,
well,
I know the
gospel,
I don't need
to know
anything more,
I've got to
clear on the
gospel,
that's about
it I need.
If that is
your response,
you do not
yet know
the gospel.
You do
not yet
know the
gospel.
You must
mind the
depths,
the depths
of Scripture
to get
clearer and
clearer picture
of who
God is.
The majesty
of this
God.
William
Tindall's
life
was often
in danger
because of
his efforts
to translate
the Bible
into the
language of
the common
people.
It was his
goal in
life was
to make
sure that
the Bible
was accessible
to every
person in
the English
speaking world.
He was
once in
dispute with
what he
called a
learned man
about all
people having
access to
God's word
and this
learned man
said,
no way,
that's
ridiculous,
it's just
for the
pastors and
the preachers
and the
priests.
And he
said to
him what
is now
famous words,
if God
spare my
life before
many years
I will
cause a
boy that
drives the
plough,
that he
will have
more knowledge
of the
scriptures than
the Pope
himself.
Tindall's
pursuit of
the clarity
of scripture
for all
people ended
up costing
him his
life.
As he
died,
his final
cry out,
the final
thing he
said was
effectively a
prayer,
it was a
prayer,
Lord,
open the
king of
England's
eyes.
And I'm
assuming it's
because of
what I
preached last
week,
open his
eyes that
he might
see the
majesty and
the glory
of God
in
scripture.
The God
of grace
in scripture.
And so we
pray,
yes Lord,
open our
eyes too,
that we
might see the
power and
the privilege
that we
have in
reading the
Bible in
a language
that we
can
understand.
Open our
eyes,
Lord,
so that we
might see
clearly the
wonderful things
that are in
your word.
Open our
eyes to the
truth of
salvation by
grace through
Christ alone
that you have
clearly revealed
to us in
every page of
scripture.
Open our
eyes,
Lord,
that we
might see
your majesty
and your
meekness
for our
joy.
Amen.