Sola Scriptura-The Authority of Scripture-Week 1-Sermon Only

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Sola Scriptura-The Authority of Scripture-Week 1-Sermon Only
Sola Scriptura
The Authority of Scripture
February 9th 2025
2 Peter 1:16-21; 3:14-16; 2 Timothy 3:16,17
Introduction
The Cambridge Declaration written in 1996 says this, “Scripture alone is the inerrant rule of the church’s life, but the evangelical church today has separated Scripture from its authoritative function. In practice, the church is guided, far too often, by the culture. Therapeutic technique, marketing strategies, and the beat of the entertainment world often have far more to say about what the church wants, how it functions and what it offers, than does the Word of God.”
God’s Word is the Supreme and Infallible Authority for Our Lives
I. The Authority of Scripture
What makes the Scriptures the infallible authority in our lives? It is authoritative because scriptures are ‘breathed out’ by God or inspiration of God.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God…” 2 Timothy 3:16
“The inspiration of Scripture refers to that act whereby the Holy Spirit came upon the authors of Scripture, causing them to write exactly what God intended, while simultaneously preserving each author’s writing style and personality. This supernatural work of the Holy Spirit upon the human authors means. That the author’s words are God’s words and therefore are reliable, trustworthy and authoritative.”
“The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.” Wayne Grudem
The Word of God is Central to Our Faith
The Scriptures are how God has revealed Himself to us and how God has given us a way to be reconciled to Him. His plan from the beginning of time was shown to us in Jesus.
One cannot know Jesus Christ, who is called the Word (John 1:1,14), without knowing the Scriptures (John 5:39). One cannot love Jesus Christ without loving and obeying the Scriptures (John 14:21). The only way to clearly know and follow Him is through knowing and believing the Bible (John 5:24).
The Word of God is Central to Our Life (more on this next week)
Question: Is the Bible central in your life? If not, why not? If yes, why is it?
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16,17
Jesus when he is tempted in the dessert says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Another way we grow in our life is through the local church with it pastors and people!
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:11-16
The Word of God is Central to Our Worship
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Rom 12:1
“preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” II Timothy 4:2-4
II. Conclusion
Loving God by loving His Word, or living sola Scriptura, is what being a disciple of Jesus is all about (Psalm 119:97)!