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Romans 4 Intro · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Let me invite you to take your copy of God's Word and turn to Romans chapter 4.
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It's very good to be back with you this morning.
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I forgot about how many children this church has.
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I'm glad for each and every one of them.
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We've been working verse by verse through the book of Romans as I've had the occasion to preach.
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And the plan for this week was Romans chapter 4 verses 1 through 12.
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When the bulletins were produced on Thursday, folded and stapled very carefully by yours truly, this was the plan.
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But then I began to write the introduction to Romans chapter 4.
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We've been thinking a lot in these early chapters of the book of Romans about justification by grace alone,
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through faith alone, in Christ alone.
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I've said to you repeatedly, that's the theme of this letter.
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And it begins in Romans chapter 1 and verse 16.
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There Paul says he's not ashamed of the gospel, for it's the power of God for salvation to all who believe.
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For the righteous shall live by faith.
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And it begins to expound upon that.
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Why? Why do we need this alien righteousness, this righteousness that comes from God?
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And he begins to lay that out for us in verse 18 of chapter 1.
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And then he begins to think about and write about the relationship between the gospel and the Jewish people and the Gentile people.
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But again, driving this point all along.
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Justification comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
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And I've said to you, I think this is timely for our church, because if we don't get clear the gospel,
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if we're not redundantly clear on the gospel, then we're going to get distracted by other things.
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And so, as I come to chapter 4, and I'm looking to expound on these first 12 verses,
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if you're there now, you may have in your Bible a subheading similar to mine,
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Abraham justified by faith.
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He's going to go make an Old Testament argument to us about justification coming through faith from Abraham.
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And then he makes an argument from the mouth of David.
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And I begin to think, why are we still talking about this?
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And so I start to write an introduction to set you up for that.
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And it's an introduction that became a sermon itself in the process.
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I thought yesterday, I really need to do this first, and then we'll get back into Romans chapter 4.
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So, go with me, if you will, to 2 Timothy chapter 3.
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I want to talk in brief about the five solas of the Protestant Reformation,
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and then draw our attention more narrowly to sola scriptura.
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The Bible alone is God's final authority.
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In Latin, sola scriptura.
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And it is on its pages that we learn that we are saved by God's grace alone, sola gratia.
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Through faith alone, sola fide.
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In Jesus Christ alone, sola Christus.
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And this salvation and all things that exist for the glory of God alone.
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Soli Deo Gloria.
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We are Protestants.
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And this is not an insignificant declaration.
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More than 500 years ago, the Protestant Reformation began, and we are still protesting.
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Not just against Roman Catholicism, but also against any world system that says,
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you can be saved by your works.
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Which they all do.
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That is the mantra of our day.
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We are not Protestants in theory or by name only.
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It's not a tip of the hat to our history.
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A little more than five years ago, the leadership of your church had to stand against our own denomination's campus ministry.
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Because they thought it a good idea to partner with the Catholic organization on campus for an evangelistic event.
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And we cried, no.
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No.
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No.
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Justification comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
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Let us not be unclear about this.
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Let us not be a people who are distracted by lesser in-house disagreements.
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We need to grip tightly to the solas.
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For there is much work to be done.
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Beloved, the boldest thing you can do is not take to social media to decry or defend
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every disparate view.
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The boldest thing you can do is preach the good news of Jesus Christ to your children,
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to your spouse and other family members, to your neighbors and co-workers,
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and to one another.
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We are Protestants.
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We are Protestants.
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And we are at our best when we hold fast to the solas.
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We do not innovate.
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We hold.
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We do not waver.
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We hold.
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We do not become distracted.
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We hold.
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We hold.
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We hold.
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We contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
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And so you may see, as I begin to write an introduction,
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my concern is that you might get bored with the message of justification by grace alone,
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through faith alone, in Christ alone.
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My concern is that we have in us a desire to be innovative,
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to expand and to explore.
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And I want to call us this morning to the old ways.
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If you want to think of it as boring, go right on ahead.
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But the text, back to the text, back to the text, back to the text.
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May we never grow tired of hearing the gospel proclaimed.
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Now, I want to be clear.
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The Protestant Reformation was not the beginning of Christianity.
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Christianity.
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God has had a people that he has sovereignly rescued from the fall
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by a promise that has been fulfilled in Christ.
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The truth of God had not been lost to the world to be rediscovered by an Augustinian monk
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by the name of Martin Luther in the 16th century.
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The truth of God had been preserved by God,
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although largely lost to the Western world,
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buried in a Latin translation and by Roman Catholic tradition and papal infallibility,
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which at very best obscured the truth and at very worst replaced it.
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God had long been working among his people in Europe
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to ignite the purifying flame of the Protestant Reformation.
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A popular analogy goes that God had been stacking the kindling for centuries
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and that he used Martin Luther's writing as a spark to ignite the fire
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that burned so brightly across Europe to purify the church.
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Faithful men, known and unknown, were used of God.
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Men like John Wycliffe, who in the 14th century defied Rome
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and translated the Bible from Latin into English.
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They were all fallible men, but they were men used of God.
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Our history traces through redemptive history
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by way of the church we see in the book of Acts,
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through the Reformers and the Puritans to today.
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The events of the Reformation were significant
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and we would not exist as a people for God's possession if not for them.
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I am not saying that God couldn't have established a church in the Americas
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without the Reformation,
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but I am saying that God chose to start a church in the Americas
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with the Reformation,
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and we should want to know our history.
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We do not want to be known for what we are against,
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but sometimes to be clear about what you are for,
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you must state what you are against.
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The Protestant Reformation began as an attempt to bring correction
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to the Roman Catholic Church,
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but upon Rome's rejection of the plain teaching of Scripture,
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the Reformers abandoned Rome.
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We are Protestants,
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and we will protest any teaching,
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not just Roman Catholic teaching,
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any teaching against justification
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by grace alone,
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through faith alone,
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in Jesus Christ alone.
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We must be clear on this.
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Luther once said,
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the time for silence is past,
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and the time to speak has come.
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So let's talk just a bit about Martin Luther
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before we get into our text today,
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and the event that happened on October 31st, 1517,
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as well as the events that followed.
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Martin Luther was training to be a lawyer,
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and he was deeply troubled by the status of his soul.
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In a lightning storm,
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ironically praying to Saint Anne,
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Luther promised that if he survived the storm,
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he would become a monk.
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It was seen as the highest devotion to God in his day.
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Well, he did survive the storm,
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and he kept his promise.
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He became an Augustinian monk.
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Still troubled by the state of his soul,
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he was tasked with translating the book of Romans,
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and not far into chapter 1,
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he came to verse 17,
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and the phrase,
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the righteous shall live by faith.
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See, the trouble of his soul was that he thought,
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I can never do enough.
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I am not measuring up to God's law,
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and he was right about this.
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But then he saw the good news,
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that the righteous shall live by faith.
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On October 31st of 1517,
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Luther nailed a document that we know as the 95 Theses
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to the Wittenberg church door,
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which outlined 95 reasons
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that the selling of indulgences was not biblical.
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You see, the Roman Catholic Church had constructed,
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as all worldly moral systems do,
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a system of works-based salvation,
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do good and good will follow.
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And they had monetized it
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in order to build a massive building.
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At the end of February
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to the beginning of March of 1518,
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the 95 Theses were translated into German
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without Luther's permission
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by a printer and widely distributed.
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A lot of people want to give Luther all the credit.
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He did write the document,
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but didn't intend for it to be widely distributed.
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Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church
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in January of 1521,
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and he was then summoned to the Diet of Worms
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in April 17th of 1521,
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where he was asked the questions,
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Do you acknowledge the authorship of books
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that had been brought to the Diet
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and bore your name?
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And will you stand by them
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or retract anything in them?
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Luther asked for 24 hours
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to consider his response,
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and it was at the end of this 24-hour period
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on April 18th of 1521
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where he said the following famous words,
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Unless I am convinced
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by the testimony of Scripture
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or by clear reason,
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for I trust neither Pope nor Council alone,
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since it is well known
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that they have often erred
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and contradicted themselves,
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I am bound by the Scriptures
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I have cited,
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for my conscience is captive
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to the Word of God.
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I cannot and will not recant anything,
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since to act against one's conscience
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is neither safe nor right.
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I cannot do otherwise.
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Here I stand.
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May God help me.
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Martin Luther was declared a heretic
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and traitor to the state
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and sentenced to death.
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But a kidnapping was staged
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and he was hidden away in a castle
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where he promptly translated
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the New Testament
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into German
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in a matter of months.
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Why?
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Because he believed
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in sola scriptura.
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He saw the great importance
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of putting the Bible
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into the people's hands.
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And so let's look at 2 Timothy chapter 3,
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verse 14,
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and into chapter 4,
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and verse 4 briefly this morning.
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Before we read it,
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I would like to remind you,
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as I do each Lord's Day, beloved,
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that this is God's Word to us,
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written for His glory
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and our good.
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We would all do well
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to listen to it
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in order to believe its promises
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and obey its commands.
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Paul writes to Timothy,
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but as for you,
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continue in what you have learned
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and have firmly believed,
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knowing from whom you learned it.
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And now from childhood
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you have been acquainted
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with the sacred writings
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which are able to make you wise
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for salvation
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through faith in Christ Jesus.
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All scripture is breathed out by God
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and profitable for teaching,
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for reproof,
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for correction,
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and for training in righteousness,
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that the man of God
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may be complete,
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equipped for every good one.
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I charge you in the presence of God
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and of Christ Jesus
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who is to judge the living and the dead
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and by His appearing and His kingdom
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preach the word.
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Be ready in season and out of season.
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Reprove, rebuke, and exhort
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with complete patience and teaching.
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For the time is coming
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when people will not endure sound teaching,
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but having itching ears,
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they will accumulate for themselves
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teachers to suit their own passions
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and will turn away from listening
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to the truth
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and wander off into myths.
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So a brief outline for this morning.
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Number one,
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the scripture alone is God's final authority.
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Number two,
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the scripture alone is God's final authority
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for justification.
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And number three,
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the scripture alone is God's final authority
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for sanctification.
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So firstly,
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the scripture alone is God's final authority.
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We'll take the text a bit out of order.
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Look at chapter four,
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verses one through four.
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Here we see Paul give to Timothy
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a simple charge.
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A big charge,
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but a simple one.
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Two,
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verse two,
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preach the word.
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Be ready,
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all the time is what he's saying,
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to bring about the correction
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and the encouragement
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that the church is going to need.
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And at the end of verse two,
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he says,
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with complete patience
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and teaching.
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Do this work of preaching the word
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with patience
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and careful attention.
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Do it in season and out of season.
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Do it in various forms and fashions.
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It's important that you do this work,
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Timothy,
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because,
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verse three tells us,
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a time is coming,
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and I say to you,
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and is here,
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when people don't want to hear
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sound teaching.
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They don't want to sit
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under the plain explanation
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of scripture.
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They want it entrapped
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with lots of frivolities.
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Beloved,
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I will tell you,
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I am so tired of seeing
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the kind of youth group shenanigans
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that go on around us in church.
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It is absolute silliness
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that goes on
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in the churches of our age.
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Why is this allowed to happen?
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Why is it tolerated?
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I just look at these things
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and I go,
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you all would leave immediately
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if I did some of the things
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I see happening.
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Why do these guys get away
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with this stuff?
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It's because the people,
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they're gathering for themselves,
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they're accumulating teachers.
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There's lots of them
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piled up
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that are suiting their passions,
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their desire to be entertained,
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their desire to live the lives
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that they want to live,
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to make a Christ
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of their own creation.
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They're gathering teachers
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that will support
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this very thing,
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not men that will just boldly
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proclaim what the text says.
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And they're wandering off
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into myths,
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away from the truth.
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If there was ever a day
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to cry,
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Sola Scriptura,
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this is that day.
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Now the doctrine of Sola Scriptura
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is known
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as the formal principle.
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When the Supreme Court
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is trying a difficult case,
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they look to other legal decisions
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and laws
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to see what unites them
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or norms them.
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They look for precedent.
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They look to consensus
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among legal decisions
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and laws
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as an appeal
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to an authority
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that is greater
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than themselves.
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If you keep up
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with Supreme Court decisions,
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you'll hear much
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of this language.
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Martin Luther,
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during the Reformation,
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pulled in his legal training
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when referring
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to Scripture
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as the norm
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of norms
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that cannot
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be normed.
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Stating,
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it is the absolute
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authority
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because it is from
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God himself.
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Nothing else
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can change
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the meaning
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of the Scripture.
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The text,
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it stands
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on its own.
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The norm
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of norms
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that cannot be normed
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or,
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in the Latin,
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if you want to nerd
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with me for a moment,
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norma normus
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non normata,
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which is cooler to say.
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Norma normus
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non normata.
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All this to say,
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we believe
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in Sola Scriptura
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and saying that
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is to say
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that we believe
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that the Bible
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is God's
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final
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authority.
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It is a
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closed canon.
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We're not looking
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for extra
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revelatory
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information.
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God has spoken
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in
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his
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word.
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If somebody
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says to me,
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God told me,
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I say,
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book,
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chapter,
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and verse,
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please.
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How has God
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told you?
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from the text,
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I would love
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to see it
19:41
there.
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Now,
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to say that
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Scripture is the
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final authority
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is not to be
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misunderstood,
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that Scripture
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is the only
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authority.
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The Bible
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should not be
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read alone.
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Martin Luther
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once said,
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the Scripture's
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authority is not
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a naked
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authority.
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So we have
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helps as we
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open up
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the text.
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I'm glad for this.
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I don't sit
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in a cave
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just with
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the text.
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We have
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some helps
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and some
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ways that
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we can
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bring
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understanding
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and bearing
20:13
to the text.
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We have
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church history.
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We're making
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a bit of an
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appeal to that
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today,
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aren't we?
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Not as an
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ultimate
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authority,
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but as
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an authority.
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What has
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the church
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believed
20:27
about this,
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one doctrine
20:29
or another?
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If we find
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ourselves coming
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up with some
20:32
novel idea
20:33
about the
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Bible,
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it may
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be,
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likely is,
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dangerous.
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Something new
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to be discovered.
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Hmm.
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If perhaps no
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Christian in the
20:43
history of the
20:44
church has
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thought what
20:45
you think
20:45
could be a
20:46
problem for
20:47
your theology,
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what has
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time taught
20:50
us about
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any given
20:52
doctrine?
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And we see
20:55
helps from
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church history
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in the form
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of creeds,
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confessions,
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and catechisms.
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These tools
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are a great
21:03
way to
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discover what
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the church
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has believed
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historically.
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We have
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used here
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the Apostles
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Creed.
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That's
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found embedded
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in the
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Heidelberg
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Catechism.
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The Heidelberg
21:18
Catechism,
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as we've been
21:20
reciting it
21:20
together on
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Sunday mornings,
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has been
21:22
explaining
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the Apostles
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Creed,
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what is meant
21:25
by that.
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And you
21:27
will note,
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if you ever
21:28
look at any
21:29
of these
21:29
confessions,
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at the
21:30
footnoting
21:31
that's right
21:31
there in
21:31
your bulletin
21:32
for the
21:33
Scripture
21:33
reference,
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right?
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The Bible
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being the
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ultimate
21:37
authority,
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right?
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The Norma
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Normas
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Non
21:40
Normata,
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right?
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The confession
21:43
is not on the
21:43
same level
21:44
as the
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Scripture,
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but helps
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us to
21:46
understand
21:47
what the
21:47
Scripture
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teaches
21:49
on any
21:50
given
21:50
doctrine.
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These are
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helpful
21:53
things to
21:54
us.
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They ought
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to be
21:56
taken up
21:57
and
21:57
considered
21:58
carefully
21:58
as they
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read the
22:00
text.
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Jeremiah
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chapter 6
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and verse
22:04
16,
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there God
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says,
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stand by
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the roads
22:08
and look
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and ask
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for the
22:11
ancient
22:12
paths
22:13
where the
22:13
good way
22:14
is and
22:15
walk in
22:16
it and
22:16
find rest
22:17
for your
22:18
souls.
22:19
Isn't that
22:19
good?
22:20
Stand by
22:20
the roads
22:21
and look
22:21
and ask
22:22
for the
22:22
ancient
22:23
paths
22:23
where the
22:24
good way
22:25
is and
22:25
walk in
22:26
it and
22:27
find rest
22:27
for your
22:29
souls.
22:30
But then
22:30
God says
22:31
in Jeremiah
22:31
chapter 6
22:32
and verse
22:33
16 of
22:33
Israel,
22:34
but they
22:34
said,
22:35
we will
22:35
not walk
22:36
in it.
22:38
And I
22:38
pray that
22:38
we would
22:39
be ones
22:39
who say
22:40
we will
22:41
walk in
22:42
it,
22:42
right,
22:42
the good
22:43
way and
22:44
find rest
22:46
for our
22:47
souls.
22:49
You also
22:49
have,
22:50
along with
22:51
the Scripture
22:51
as a way
22:52
of reading
22:53
it and
22:53
understanding
22:54
it,
22:54
the teaching
22:55
of your
22:55
leaders.
22:57
The author
22:57
of Hebrews
22:58
says in
22:58
Hebrews 13
22:59
and verse
22:59
7,
22:59
remember
23:00
your
23:00
leaders,
23:01
those who
23:02
spoke to
23:02
you the
23:02
word of
23:04
God,
23:05
those who
23:06
worked to
23:07
faithfully
23:08
unpack the
23:09
text for
23:09
you,
23:10
those who
23:11
are considering
23:11
the culture
23:13
in which we
23:13
live and
23:14
the needs
23:15
of our
23:15
fellowship and
23:16
are working
23:16
prayerfully to
23:18
get out ahead
23:18
of you and
23:19
help equip you
23:20
for the days
23:21
in which we
23:22
live.
23:23
So the
23:24
Scripture
23:24
alone is
23:25
God's
23:26
final
23:27
authority.
23:28
Paul says
23:29
this to
23:30
Timothy,
23:31
you need
23:31
to continue
23:32
to preach
23:33
the word
23:34
because people
23:34
aren't going
23:35
to want to
23:35
hear it,
23:36
but keep
23:36
doing it
23:37
anyway.
23:38
And as
23:38
we'll see
23:39
at the very
23:40
end of
23:41
chapter 3,
23:41
it's because
23:42
God is
23:43
himself its
23:44
source and
23:44
it is a
23:45
sufficient
23:46
text.
23:47
Second
23:49
point,
23:49
the Scripture
23:49
alone is
23:50
God's
23:50
final
23:51
authority
23:51
for
23:52
justification.
23:54
If you're
23:55
unfamiliar with
23:56
this term,
23:56
it means
23:57
to be
23:57
declared
23:58
righteous,
24:00
holy,
24:01
without
24:01
wrong,
24:03
with all
24:04
the law
24:04
keeping
24:05
required of
24:05
you before
24:06
God.
24:07
You can see
24:07
why we use
24:08
the word
24:08
justification.
24:09
We're not
24:10
trying to be
24:10
churchy,
24:11
but it summarizes
24:12
a big
24:12
idea.
24:14
We will
24:14
all stand
24:15
before the
24:15
judgment of
24:16
God one
24:16
day.
24:18
We will
24:18
either be
24:19
sent to
24:19
eternal
24:19
punishment as
24:21
a reprobate,
24:21
or we
24:22
will be
24:23
seen as
24:24
justified,
24:25
as having
24:27
all of our
24:27
sins expunged
24:28
from our
24:29
record and
24:29
being given
24:30
righteousness
24:31
by Christ.
24:34
And the
24:34
Scripture
24:34
alone is
24:35
God's
24:36
authority
24:37
for
24:37
justification.
24:39
We see
24:39
this in
24:40
verse 14
24:40
and 15
24:41
of chapter
24:43
3.
24:44
There's this
24:45
exhortation
24:45
there to
24:46
Timothy to
24:47
continue in
24:48
what he
24:48
had learned,
24:49
what he
24:49
had learned
24:49
from Paul
24:50
and how
24:51
as a
24:52
child he
24:53
was acquainted
24:53
with the
24:54
writings by
24:55
his mother
24:56
and his
24:56
grandmother.
24:58
And at
24:59
the end of
24:59
verse 15,
25:01
Paul there
25:01
says,
25:02
which are
25:02
able to
25:03
make you
25:04
wise for
25:05
salvation
25:05
through faith
25:06
in Christ
25:08
Jesus.
25:10
The Scripture
25:10
teaches us that
25:11
we are saved
25:12
by grace
25:12
alone,
25:13
through faith
25:14
alone,
25:15
in Jesus
25:16
Christ
25:16
alone.
25:18
And we
25:18
must hear
25:19
this message.
25:21
It must be
25:22
taken up and
25:22
read.
25:23
It must be
25:23
proclaimed to
25:24
us.
25:25
We must
25:26
hear the
25:27
good news
25:28
of the
25:28
word that
25:30
we might
25:30
be saved.
25:33
I was
25:33
really grateful
25:34
for a bit
25:34
of an
25:35
anecdote.
25:35
Many years
25:36
ago I went
25:36
together for
25:37
the gospel
25:38
with some
25:38
men from
25:38
our church
25:39
and a
25:40
man named
25:41
Ash Harris
25:41
who some
25:41
of you
25:42
know was
25:43
there with
25:43
us.
25:44
And at
25:44
the beginning
25:44
as a
25:45
curiosity,
25:47
most of
25:48
the men
25:48
at this
25:49
conference
25:50
are leaders
25:51
in churches
25:51
or seminary
25:52
students.
25:54
And they
25:54
had us all
25:55
stand up
25:55
and then be
25:56
seated as
25:58
questions were
25:59
asked about
26:00
how it was
26:00
we heard
26:01
the gospel.
26:03
And I was
26:03
very encouraged
26:05
as a
26:06
pastor of,
26:07
a father of
26:08
children,
26:08
a pastor of
26:09
a church
26:10
full of
26:10
children,
26:11
that the
26:12
predominant
26:13
group that
26:14
sat,
26:14
sat when
26:15
the question
26:16
was asked
26:16
if your
26:17
parents shared
26:18
the gospel
26:19
with you
26:20
and you
26:20
came to
26:21
faith in
26:21
Christ because
26:22
of that
26:22
proclamation,
26:23
sit down.
26:23
And I mean
26:24
the stadium
26:25
was like
26:25
kind of
26:27
sitting.
26:28
A massive
26:29
number of
26:31
the people
26:31
in that
26:32
room came
26:33
to faith
26:33
because of
26:34
the faithful
26:35
preaching of
26:35
the gospel
26:36
by their
26:37
parents being
26:38
encouraged
26:39
parents.
26:40
But then I
26:41
was especially
26:41
encouraged as
26:43
Ash Harris did
26:44
not sit for
26:44
that or
26:45
many other
26:47
invitations to
26:48
sit and
26:49
finally he was
26:49
part of the
26:50
group of
26:50
like,
26:51
okay,
26:52
well any
26:52
other way I
26:52
can't think
26:53
of,
26:53
go ahead and
26:53
sit down.
26:54
And so I
26:55
just leaned
26:55
over and
26:56
said,
26:56
Ash,
26:56
when did
26:57
you first
26:58
hear the
26:58
gospel?
27:00
And Ash
27:01
first heard
27:01
the gospel
27:02
when he
27:02
was deployed
27:03
in Iraq
27:04
and had
27:05
been handed
27:05
a New
27:06
Testament
27:06
by a
27:07
military
27:08
chaplain
27:08
handing him
27:09
out and
27:10
Ash said,
27:11
this seems
27:11
important and
27:12
stuck it in
27:13
his pocket.
27:14
And he'd
27:14
come back
27:15
from a
27:15
particular
27:16
mission that
27:17
was rattling
27:20
to him and
27:21
he sat in the
27:22
shade of a
27:22
Humvee and
27:23
he opened up
27:24
the book of
27:24
John and
27:25
began to
27:25
read about
27:26
the word
27:27
made flesh.
27:29
And Ash
27:29
became a
27:30
Christian through
27:31
the reading
27:31
of the text.
27:33
So whether
27:33
it's proclaimed
27:35
from our
27:35
mouths or
27:36
taken up
27:37
and read,
27:38
the scripture
27:39
is what
27:39
teaches us
27:40
how it is
27:41
we come
27:41
to faith
27:42
in Christ.
27:45
Paul writes
27:46
in Romans 10,
27:46
I'll look forward
27:47
to unpacking
27:47
this in
27:48
some time,
27:50
a year
27:51
maybe.
27:52
How then
27:53
will they
27:54
call on him
27:54
in whom
27:55
they have
27:55
not believed?
27:56
And how
27:57
are they to
27:57
believe in
27:58
whom they
27:58
have never
27:59
heard?
28:00
And how
28:00
are they to
28:00
hear without
28:01
someone
28:02
preaching?
28:03
And how
28:03
are they to
28:04
preach unless
28:04
they are
28:05
sent?
28:06
As it is
28:06
written,
28:06
how beautiful
28:07
are the
28:07
feet of
28:08
those who
28:08
preach the
28:08
good news.
28:11
But they
28:11
have not all
28:11
obeyed the
28:12
gospel,
28:12
for Isaiah
28:13
says,
28:13
Lord,
28:13
who has
28:14
believed
28:14
what he
28:14
has heard
28:15
from us?
28:16
So faith
28:17
comes from
28:18
hearing,
28:19
and hearing
28:19
through the
28:20
word of
28:22
Christ.
28:23
Psalm 19,
28:24
verse 7 and
28:25
following,
28:26
the law of
28:27
the Lord is
28:27
perfect,
28:28
reviving the
28:29
soul.
28:30
The testimony
28:31
of the Lord
28:31
is sure,
28:32
making wise
28:33
the simple.
28:35
The precepts
28:35
of the Lord
28:36
are right,
28:36
rejoicing the
28:37
heart.
28:38
The commandment
28:38
of the Lord
28:39
is pure,
28:40
enlightening the
28:41
eyes.
28:42
The fear of
28:43
the Lord is
28:43
clean,
28:44
enduring forever.
28:45
The rules of
28:46
the Lord are
28:46
true and
28:47
righteous
28:48
altogether.
28:49
More to be
28:50
desired are
28:51
they than
28:51
gold,
28:52
even much
28:53
fine gold,
28:54
sweeter also
28:55
than honey and
28:56
drippings of
28:57
the honeycomb.
28:58
moreover,
28:59
by them
29:00
is your
29:00
servant warned,
29:01
and keeping
29:01
them there
29:03
is great
29:04
reward.
29:06
The Bible,
29:07
like sola
29:07
scriptura,
29:08
the Bible
29:09
alone is
29:10
God's
29:10
authority
29:11
for
29:12
justification.
29:13
It is
29:14
the way
29:14
in which
29:15
we are
29:15
made wise
29:16
for salvation
29:17
through faith
29:19
in Christ
29:20
Jesus.
29:21
Beloved,
29:22
we should be
29:22
a people
29:23
of the book
29:24
for our
29:25
sake,
29:26
for the sake
29:27
of others.
29:29
Thirdly,
29:29
the scripture
29:30
alone is
29:30
God's
29:31
final authority
29:31
for
29:32
sanctification.
29:34
Look at
29:34
verses 16
29:36
and 17.
29:38
For growing
29:39
up in the
29:40
faith,
29:40
having been
29:41
justified,
29:42
how is it
29:42
that we
29:43
then pursue
29:44
holiness?
29:45
We're given
29:46
the spirit
29:47
of Christ
29:48
that we
29:49
might
29:49
understand,
29:51
apply,
29:51
and be
29:52
empowered
29:52
to live
29:53
the word
29:54
of Christ.
29:55
Christ.
29:57
Here Paul
29:58
writes,
29:58
all scripture
29:59
breathed out
30:01
by God,
30:02
exhaled
30:03
by God,
30:04
he's the
30:05
very source
30:05
of it,
30:06
and it's
30:07
profitable
30:07
for teaching,
30:09
reproof,
30:09
correction,
30:10
and training
30:11
in righteousness,
30:13
in holiness,
30:15
in right
30:16
living,
30:16
in law
30:17
keeping.
30:19
It's
30:20
profitable
30:20
for these
30:20
things,
30:21
and it's
30:21
profitable
30:21
to the
30:22
extent,
30:23
he qualifies,
30:24
that the
30:25
man of
30:25
God may
30:26
be complete,
30:27
equipped for
30:29
every good
30:30
work.
30:33
Not some
30:33
good work.
30:35
We don't
30:35
need extra
30:35
revelation to
30:36
tell us
30:37
those things.
30:38
For every
30:39
good work,
30:41
it's a
30:41
sufficient
30:41
guide for
30:43
all
30:44
holiness.
30:47
Again,
30:48
Martin
30:49
Luther,
30:50
he said,
30:51
a simple
30:51
layman
30:51
armed
30:52
with
30:52
scripture
30:53
is to
30:53
be
30:53
believed
30:54
above
30:54
a
30:54
pope
30:54
or
30:55
a
30:55
council
30:56
without
30:57
it.
30:58
Scripture
30:59
is
30:59
powerful,
31:01
sharper
31:02
than any
31:02
two-edged
31:03
sword,
31:04
piercing
31:04
to the
31:04
joint
31:05
and the
31:07
marrow.
31:07
It lays
31:07
bare our
31:08
hearts.
31:09
It shows
31:10
us where
31:10
we need
31:11
to repent
31:11
and pray
31:13
for the
31:13
grace to
31:13
pursue
31:14
holiness
31:15
in Christ.
31:18
So we
31:19
should want
31:19
to hear
31:20
it.
31:20
We should
31:21
want to
31:21
hear its
31:22
corrections.
31:23
It should
31:24
be sweet
31:25
to us
31:25
to be
31:26
shown our
31:27
sin that
31:28
we might
31:28
repent
31:29
and pursue
31:30
Christ.
31:32
Psalm
31:33
119,
31:34
verse 9
31:34
and following,
31:35
how can a
31:35
young man
31:36
keep his
31:37
way pure?
31:38
By
31:39
guarding it
31:40
according to
31:40
your word.
31:42
With my
31:42
whole heart
31:43
I seek
31:44
you.
31:44
Let me
31:44
not wander
31:45
from your
31:46
commandments.
31:48
I have
31:48
stored up
31:49
your word
31:49
in my
31:50
heart
31:50
that I
31:51
might not
31:51
sin
31:52
against you.
31:56
So the
31:56
word is
31:57
of great
31:57
importance
31:58
and working
31:59
through it
32:00
with care
32:01
matters
32:02
greatly.
32:04
Coming
32:05
back
32:05
to what
32:07
may feel
32:08
like the
32:09
simple truth
32:09
of the
32:10
gospel.
32:11
We say
32:12
to you
32:12
beloved,
32:13
especially
32:13
men,
32:15
the hill
32:16
we need
32:17
to die
32:18
on.
32:19
The
32:19
justification
32:20
by grace
32:21
alone,
32:22
through faith
32:22
alone,
32:23
in Christ
32:24
alone.
32:25
Everything
32:25
else
32:26
is subservient
32:27
to this.
32:29
Things to
32:29
discuss and
32:30
consider,
32:31
but not
32:31
the hill
32:32
to die
32:34
on.
32:35
I am
32:36
grateful that
32:36
when we
32:37
began meeting
32:37
as a church
32:38
almost 15
32:39
years ago,
32:39
God had
32:40
firmly
32:40
concreted in
32:41
our hearts
32:42
the doctrine
32:42
of the
32:43
sufficiency
32:44
of scripture.
32:46
I am so
32:47
glad that
32:47
God had
32:48
exposed us
32:49
to the
32:50
Reformation
32:51
and to
32:51
the Puritans,
32:52
that we
32:53
could cry
32:54
together as
32:54
young men
32:55
sola
32:55
scriptura.
32:57
I am
32:58
grateful that
32:58
God kindly
32:59
took us to
33:00
the text
33:00
and to
33:01
faithful Christians
33:02
of the past
33:02
that took
33:03
us to
33:04
the text.
33:05
I am
33:06
grateful that
33:06
our great
33:07
desire was
33:08
to see
33:08
Christ
33:08
magnified
33:09
through the
33:09
teaching,
33:10
understanding,
33:11
and living
33:12
of his
33:13
word.
33:14
I am
33:15
grateful that
33:16
God has
33:16
gathered a
33:17
people who
33:18
desire the
33:19
same.
33:21
I am
33:21
grateful that
33:22
the pressure
33:22
I feel from
33:23
you is a
33:25
pressure toward
33:26
faithfulness.
33:27
I am so
33:28
glad for that.
33:30
I don't
33:31
stand up here
33:31
in opposition
33:32
to you as
33:33
I try to be
33:33
faithful with
33:34
the text.
33:34
I know you
33:35
want faithfulness.
33:36
That's such
33:36
an encouragement
33:37
to me and I
33:39
know to the
33:39
other men
33:39
who preach
33:40
on Sundays.
33:41
You just
33:42
want us to
33:42
bring you
33:43
the text.
33:44
Keep at
33:45
that.
33:45
Pressure us
33:46
in that
33:47
way.
33:49
I am
33:49
grateful that
33:50
you would
33:50
take serious
33:51
issue with
33:51
me dressing
33:52
up as a
33:53
Disney character
33:54
on a Sunday
33:55
morning.
33:57
Ask me if
33:58
you don't know
33:58
what I'm
33:58
talking about.
34:00
Fire me
34:01
the Sunday
34:01
that I do
34:02
it.
34:04
That's how
34:05
you know I'm
34:05
ready to be
34:05
fired, right?
34:06
I show up.
34:08
I show up as
34:08
a Disney
34:09
character.
34:11
I am
34:11
grateful that
34:13
next week you
34:14
will gather
34:14
once again and
34:15
hear me Lord
34:16
willing proclaim
34:17
the excellencies
34:18
of a salvation
34:19
that is told to
34:20
us in the
34:21
scripture alone
34:22
and that comes
34:23
to us by
34:24
grace alone
34:25
through faith
34:25
alone in
34:26
Jesus Christ
34:27
alone to
34:28
the glory of
34:29
God alone.
34:31
so that was
34:34
my introduction
34:34
to Romans
34:35
chapter 4
34:36
verses 1
34:37
through 12.
34:38
I hadn't
34:39
quite written
34:39
all that but
34:40
I had written
34:40
a lot of
34:41
it and so
34:41
we'll pick
34:43
up the text
34:44
next week
34:44
Lord willing
34:45
but in
34:46
closing let
34:47
me read to
34:47
you a
34:48
poem by
34:49
Martin
34:49
Luther.
34:51
Feelings
34:52
come and
34:53
feelings go
34:54
and feelings
34:55
are deceiving.
34:57
My warrant
34:58
is the word
34:59
of God not
35:00
else is worth
35:01
believing.
35:03
Though all
35:04
my heart
35:05
should feel
35:05
condemned for
35:06
want of some
35:07
sweet token
35:08
there is one
35:10
greater than
35:11
my heart
35:12
whose word
35:13
cannot be
35:14
broken.
35:16
I'll trust
35:17
in God's
35:18
unchanging
35:18
word till
35:19
soul and
35:20
body sever
35:21
for though
35:23
all things
35:24
shall pass
35:24
away his
35:26
word shall
35:27
stand forever.
35:29
Let's pray
35:30
together.
35:30
Let's pray
35:31
together.