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Lessons and Sermons from the Longmire Road church of Christ in Conroe Texas USA
I am debtor, both to the Greeks and to the
barbarians,
both to the wise and to the unwise.
And so as much as in me is, I am ready to
preach the gospel to you that
are in Rome also. For I'm not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believes
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For therein is the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith,
as it is written, the just.
Shall live by faith. For the wrath of God
has been revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men
who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
So hold the truth in unrighteousness.
And because that which may be known of him
in God is manifest in them,
for God has showed it unto them.
Notice this. For the invisible attributes
of him from creation
of the world are clearly seen.
Being understood, perceived, by the things
which are made,
even his eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse.
The Lord says that the Gentile world,
in contextually what the Apostle Paul is
referring to,
they have no excuse for not obeying God
and
for not knowing who God is. In fact,
the world has no excuse.
Why? Because God has painted his name
across this world,
even in us. God has shown them by the
things that
are created. Now, if you walk outside and
you go and look at nature,
you will not see God's name painted on the
trees.
You will not see it on a mountainside.
By the way, there is a designer,
and his name is Jehovah.
You will not see that. What God expects us
to do is use
our reasoning capabilities that He blessed
us with to deduce,
to come to an understanding that there is
a creator.
He expects us to do that. In fact,
He will hold us accountable when we don't
do that.
That's the entire premise here.
That God has given sufficient evidence of
his existence.
God has not only revealed himself.
God has also shown through creation that
he exists,
and he expects us to use reason to be able
to come to that conclusion.
It is the same reasoning ability that we
use to understand the Bible.
It's the same reasoning ability that we
have to be able to read
the scriptures and understand what God is
saying in it.
But a perfect book.
That no man can grasp, that no man can
understand,
is of no more use to us than a locked
door.
If we cannot understand the Bible,
even though we have this reasoning
ability,
then what good is the Bible and what good
is our reasoning ability if
we cannot even use it in the most critical
thing in relation to our existence?
The psalmist said in Psalm 133 and verse
1,
a song of ascends, how beautiful,
the psalmist says. Behold, how good and
how pleasant it is for brethren
to dwell together in unity. We could not
even have unity.
There is no unity without common
understanding,
if this book cannot be understood alike.
And the psalmist would be writing a
beautiful impossibility.
There can be no unity. I once heard a
so-called preacher,
member of the body of Christ, sadly say
that we simply cannot understand it.
We will one day understand, but we cannot
understand the scriptures right now.
What's the point? How can I know how to
live?
It's funny to me how we can comprehend and
understand every piece
of literature written. But for some
reason,
when it comes to the one book that tells
us how to live our lives in righteousness,
we just can't understand it. We just can't
understand it.
No. The Bible can be understood,
and it can be understood by everyone.
Alike. And so tonight we want to consider
two things in relation to our study
in the Bible. We want to take a look first
at the deniers of that claim.
Those who deny the doctrine that the Bible
can be understood.
And then we want to take a look at the
demonstrations of that doctrine
in Scripture that shows that the Bible can
be understood.
First, let's take a look at the deniers of
that claim.
When it comes to the understanding of
Scripture.
There are three groups that have done more
harm to the cause of knowing that
we can understand the scriptures than ~
that has been set forth than these three
groups. No more has more has no one has
done more harm than these three groups,
in my estimation. They are number one,
the agnostic. The agnostic.
Who is the agnostic? Well, first of all,
let's consider that the Greek word for to
know something is.
Gnosis in the Greek. And so when you put
the negative on there,
you put the alpha in front of it,
it conveys the negative. And so the
agnostic is to not know.
Is to not know. And the basic philosophy
of agnosticism is as follows.
Agnosticism maintains that the nature and
the attributes of God are beyond
the grasp of man's finite and limited
mind.
Generally,
They claim either that it is not possible
to have an absolute
or certain knowledge of the existence or
non-existence of God,
or that while individual certainty may be
possible,
they personally have no knowledge
whatsoever.
And so to sum it up, the agnostics mindset
is I don't know,
I can't say, hard to tell. That's the
agnostic's mindset.
I just don't know. Even though I have
sixty-six books.
I just don't know. Even though God has
laid it out for me in creation
and in revelation, the agnostic mind says,
I just don't know. This doctrine is
loosely held by many,
and in my estimation, it is the
fundamental excuse for profligacy.
It is the fundamental excuse for
immorality because we ask the question,
is it really wrong? We really don't know
whether it's right or wrong.
And since we don't know whether it's right
or wrong,
it's okay for us to continue in that.
The presence of truth demands a response.
A response contrary to the truth will then
produce guilt.
So to mitigate the guilt, we shut down the
truth.
We can't understand it. And if we can't
understand it,
then I'm not liable to it and I have no
guilt about it.
It's very easy to say, well, I just don't
understand,
and then walk away guilt-free,
if you will, or at least with a mindset
that thinks you're guilt-free.
But that's the agnostic mindset.
The agnostic mindset chooses the passive
response and merely says,
We do not know. So no further action is
required.
I don't know. They shrug the shoulders and
then walk away
and call themselves guiltless because they
don't know.
And if we cannot know whether God exists,
then we cannot prove that the Bible is the
word of God.
And if we cannot be certain of its divine
origin,
we certainly cannot be sure of its
comprehension.
Strangely enough, the agnostic knows for
certain that he cannot know anything
for certain. Right? How does he know he
cannot know?
But anyway, John's letter dispels the idea
of an unattainable comprehension.
John clearly writes against agnosticism,
which was a problem during his time.
And first John chapter 2 and verse 3,
notice what John says, and this is clearly
written against the concept that
we just cannot know. Because the Gnostics
and the agnostics and the
and and those who would
Who would be living in that time,
they would say, Well, we just cannot know
certain things.
And he says, And hereby do we know that we
know him if
we keep his commandments? Can you know
God?
Yes. Can you know that you know him?
Yes, John says, If you keep his
commandments,
the things which are contained in the
book.
Go to verse 21 of first John chapter 2.
And notice what John says I have not
written unto you because you know
not the truth, but because you know it,
and that no lie is of a truth.
I'm writing to you because you know the
truth.
John, are you telling us that you can know
truth?
The agnostic says you can't know truth.
John says you can know truth. In fact,
he says they already know the truth.
In first John chapter 3 and verse 14,
he says, We know that we have passed from
deaf to life.
Because we love the brethren. This is one
of those statements that is made
by the Apostle John here on how you also
know that you are saved.
It is not. It is a litmus test,
he says, because we love these people who
are not of our own family.
We love the brethren, he says.
You know you've passed from death unto
life because we love the brethren.
I'm excited for this study. In the next
couple of ~ months,
we'll be diving into the books of 1st,
2nd, and 3rd John and Jude on Sunday
mornings,
if we can get done with this worship
series.
1 John chapter 5 verses 19 through 20.
Notice what it says. 1 John chapter 5
verses 19 through 20.
And we know that we are of God,
and the whole world lieth in wickedness,
and we know that the Son of God is come
and have given us an understanding that
we may know him that is true. Five times
in one letter.
We know, we we know, we know, we know.
And so John is writing emphatically
against a mindset that says we just can't
know.
We can't know anything. You can't know
what's in the scriptures,
you can't know what's right and wrong.
And so you have the agnostic that denies
the idea that the Bible can be understood.
But not only do you have the agnostic,
you also have what I have called the
religious agnostic.
The religious agnostic. These are the
individuals.
Individuals who say that since we cannot
understand the Bible,
we need a direct operation of the Holy
Spirit
to illuminate the mind so that we can.
So we cannot understand the scriptures as
it is.
In order for me to understand the
scriptures,
I need the Holy Spirit to come and
directly operate on my mind.
I need him to lay it on my heart.
To lay it on my heart so that I can know
what the Bible says.
I joked with my life this morning,
was up early this morning, and I had to
make some changes to the sermon.
Sometimes it happens. I change it while
I'm walking to the to the pulpit.
And I had to make some changes and I joked
with I said,
Well, the Holy Spirit laid something in my
heart this morning.
I had to go change it. But this is the
mindset that some have that
the Holy Spirit is laying something on
their heart.
That's the only way you can understand the
Bible.
You cannot understand it.
Without the aid of the Holy Spirit,
without illumination. And so they are
religious agnostics.
We can't know unless we have assistance.
Now we have to ask the question to the
religious agnostic:
how is faith then produced in the
unbeliever?
How is faith produced in the unbeliever?
What does the Bible say? Can we perhaps
find a scripture somewhere that
the Bible tells us of how faith is
produced?
Well, the Apostle Paul wrote an entire
treatise about it.
He speaks about how faith is produced in
the Gentile in the same
way that is produced in the Jew.
He says, so then faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.
That's how faith is produced. And so when
we go through the annals of conversion,
this is what we see. The religious
agnostic says,
Well, we just cannot know, we just cannot
know anything.
Until a special unction or a special
illumination is given to us by the Holy
Spirit.
Well, hold up just a second. Let's see
what the scriptures say.
Let's let's talk about the eunuch for a
second.
He did not understand what he was reading
in Acts chapter 8,
the Bible says. He was reading Isaiah
chapter 53,
and the text clearly says that he did not
understand.
Now I want you to consider who is present
here.
Who is present during the eunuch's ~ into
the Phillips interaction with the eunuch?
There's an angel there. The angel is
giving a message to Philip.
But not only is the angel there,
the Holy Spirit is also there.
When Philip gets to the carriage or close
to it,
the Holy Spirit is pointing and saying,
There's the carriage over there.
Go join yourself to it. So you have an
angel,
and you have the Holy Spirit present in
this account.
Right there next to the chariot in verse
29 of chapter 8.
But what does your Bible say about this
man's conversion?
Notice what it says in verses 30 and 31.
So Philip ran thither and heard him
reading the prophet Isaiah and said,
Do you understand what you are reading?
And he said, How can I except the Holy
Spirit lay it on my heart?
How can I except I receive illumination
from the Holy Spirit?
That's not what he said. He said,
How can I accept someone guides me?
And he asked Philip that he would come and
sit with him.
What is the impetus here? I'm asking you,
Philip, to come and sit with me.
Why? So that we can have some tea?
No. He wants Philip to teach him,
to guide him, to instruct him.
When you go down to verse 35, then Philip
opened his mouth and beginning
at the same scripture, what did he do?
He preached unto him Jesus. And when he
preached unto him Jesus,
the eunuch reached the conclusion that he
has to be baptized.
He has to be baptized for the remission of
sins,
and he's saying, You know what?
What's stopping me from being baptized if
you believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God? How is it that the eunuch
was able to understand
the scriptures without the assistance of
the Holy Spirit illumination,
if you will? The Holy Spirit pointed the
way to the preacher,
as Romans chapter 10 and verse 17 tells
us.
But what about Cornelius?
Where the religious agnostic says that you
cannot possibly understand
the scriptures unless the Holy Spirit lays
it on your heart.
Let's go to Cornelius then and ask the
question of him.
In Acts chapter 11 and verse 13 and 14,
it says, And he showed us, Cornelius,
how he had seen an angel. Once again,
an angel is present, which stood and said
unto him,
Send men to Joppa and call for Simon,
whose surname is Peter, who shall tell
thee what?
Words whereby thy and all thy house should
be saved.
He received a vision, did he not?
There was a vision that would receive,
but he received no interpretation.
He received a vision, but no
interpretation.
He was told to go and get a man who's
gonna do what?
Preach to him and tell him what he needs
to do.
Why isn't the Spirit right there?
He's right there. The angel that appeared
unto him could have told him.
Could have preached the gospel unto him?
Could he have not done that? Not his job.
The Holy Spirit could he was right there.
That's not what he came to do.
That's not what Jesus sent the Spirit to
do,
to go out and evangelize. That wasn't the
Holy Spirit's job.
That's our job. The evangelism takes place
by those who have been baptized into
Christ. And so when that man came,
he preached, Acts chapter 10, verses 34
through 43.
He preached the gospel. The spirit fell
upon Cornelius.
For understanding, did it? No.
For confirmation. The spirit fell upon
Cornelius,
by the way, before he was baptized.
Why? Was it for Cornelius' sake?
No, it wasn't for Cornelius' sake.
It was for the Jews' sake. So that they
can see that God is no respecter of
persons.
So that they can see that, yes,
in all things God accepts those.
Who are willing to follow into
righteousness,
verse 45 of Acts chapter 10. And so
Cornelius here,
he understood the word of God by the
preaching of the gospel,
not because the Holy Spirit laid it on his
heart.
What about Apollos? Consider this at Acts
chapter 18,
verses 24 and 26. A certain Jew named
Apollos,
born at Alexandra, an eloquent man.
This is a beautiful text. An eloquent man
and mighty in the scriptures.
He's a smart guy.
Mighty in the scriptures. This man was
instructed in the way of the Lord,
and being fervent in the Spirit,
he spake and taught diligently the things
of the Lord,
knowing only the baptism of John.
That's all he knew. He knew only the
baptism of John,
and he began to speak boldly in the
synagogue,
whom when Aquila and Priscilla heard,
they took him aside and expounded unto him
the way
of God more perfectly. He knew only the
baptism of John.
How did he come to a better comprehension?
He knew only the baptism of which John
preached,
the repentance, because the kingdom is at
hand.
That's the only thing he knew.
But there was a new baptism. There was a
different baptism for the remission
of sins that started on the day of
Pentecost.
He didn't know anything about that
baptism.
By the way, it tells you you can't just
get wet,
right? You can't just be dunked in water
for any old baptism.
They could be baptized for the remission
of sins to be added to the body of Christ.
And so he here, he believed in baptism,
but it's the wrong kind of baptism.
Who brought him right? Who taught him?
Was it the Holy Spirit that laid something
on his heart,
and now all of a sudden he understood?
No, two Christians sat him down and
explained to him this is what you need to
do.
And so the religious agnostic says that
you just you just cannot know
the scriptures until the Holy Spirit does
something to your mind so that you're able
to understand the things.
That you are reading. We do not have the
time to get into the fact that there were
those who were even inspired, the
prophets,
who desired to look into the things.
They didn't know. They had inspiration,
but yet they didn't fully understand.
That's what the Apostle Paul's point is in
First Corinthians chapter two,
where he says that it has not been
revealed unto them,
but now it has been revealed.
And so it is the case that the Holy Spirit
does not have to illuminate
the mind for us to understand the
scriptures.
Why? Because God gave it for us to be able
to underst to understand.
And so the Spirit gave the information,
but He does not provide comprehension.
Sometimes I think you know, people are
just they stand with their hand out.
That's how I feel about some people in
this world religiously.
They stand with their hand out.
God already gave his son to die on the
cross to save you from your sins.
And all you have to do.
Is pick up the book and study it,
but you don't even want to do that.
You just want to stand, well, I just
expect God to just zap me
and I'll understand it. That's just pure
laziness.
Right? Do something. Faith without works
is dead,
the Bible said somewhere. But what about
another group of people?
Let's spend some time over here.
This is what we're dealing with in this
country.
Our country is now a postmodern society.
This is who we are.
You will not find many professing
agnostics in our day,
but you will find postmodernists
everywhere,
even in the body of Christ. Postmodernism
is something that came after liberalism.
You see, if you thought liberalism was a
problem,
when liberalism came along, it was,
well, we believe the scriptures,
but but we, you know what, you can
interpret it this way and that way.
When postmodernism came along,
it looked at liberalism and said,
Well, that's too rigid. We don't even
believe in the scriptures.
We don't believe in truth whatsoever.
Postmodernism is essentially a mid to late
20th century theory of knowledge,
which states that there is no real
knowledge,
at least not in the objective external
world,
that can be perceived by the human senses.
And so what does that mean? The
postmodernist asserts that there are no
facts,
only interpretations. Let that sink in.
You understand it one way and I understand
it another way,
and that's okay. We can have differing
interpretations because there
is no such thing as a fact. Well,
that's just your interpretation.
Have you heard people tell you that?
That's just your interpretation.
Well, I see a mountain over there,
and there's a there's an orange tree on
the mountain.
Well, that's just your interpretation.
I think actually that's an apple tree.
Well, let's go to the tree.
Let's pick of the fruit. What is it?
Well, it actually is an orange.
Well, I don't know about that.
That's the postmodernist mindset.
What does this verse mean to you?
I hate that question. What does it doesn't
matter what it means to you.
What is it teaching? Now I can understand
and I can accept.
Well, you know what? This verse means
something personal to me because
I went through something and this verse
kept me here and all of those type
of things. I'm not talking about that.
I'm talking about preachers and teachers
who stand in the pulpit and ask,
what does this verse mean? It means
exactly what God said it means.
It means whatever is in the context.
It means whatever is in the remote,
the immediate context. That's what it
means.
What I think it means is irrelevant.
But the postmodern mindset says,
Well, what does it mean to you?
And so 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 20
answers that question and says that
no prophecy of scripture is of any private
interpretation.
It doesn't matter what my interpretation
is.
Why? Because that's not how God inspired
his word.
If the Lord said this book is not private
interpretation,
what makes us think that we can have our
own interpretation?
And so the postmodernist says there are no
facts,
there are only interpretations.
The postmodernist says there are no
absolutes.
There is no absolute truth. There is no
universal or uniform reality.
Their view is that no one can know
anything for sure.
Except that you cannot know anything for
sure.
And so the absurdity of the doctrine is
seen in itself-defeating thesis.
Postmodernism must be accepted as true in
order for the truth to be rejected.
And so the agnostic says the truth is out
there,
but unattainable. The modernist says truth
is what you make of it.
And the postmodernist says absolute truth
does not exist at all.
Now you may have heard this from our
politicians.
You may have heard this from your friend.
Those, that's your truth.
That's your truth, and I have my truth.
What does that even mean? You since when
do we get our own truth?
I didn't know we we got our own truth.
I thought truth was not subject to our
whims.
Our society loves this doctrine.
I can do whatever I want in the absence of
absolute truth.
I can do whatever I want. Imagine if you
will,
there is a bridge out there, and you're
walking towards the bridge,
and there is a sign that says.
bridge out. And you read the sign and the
pr you you say,
well the bridge is out and someone else
comes along and you stop them and you say,
Listen, this bridge is out. And they say,
Well that's just your truth.
They're going to find out the hard way,
and they're going to realize that no,
that's not just your truth. That's truth
for everyone.
Why? Because when truth is set forth,
it applies to everyone, not just what you
think about it.
And so you can question the sign,
you can criticize the warning,
you can ridicule the person trying to stop
you from crossing the bridge.
But when you reach the edge, you're going
to get a reality check.
Why? Because truth is not subject to your
personal whims.
Proverbs chapter 12 and verse 15 says the
way of the fool is right in his own eyes,
but he who heats counsel is wise.
The postmodernist confuses the freedom to
believe something with the
To make it true. I believe up there are
people out there who believe there are
cats.
I saw a man on social media and he had
paid thousands of dollars.
I think I shared this with you last year.
He had paid thousands of dollars to make
himself look like a dog.
He believes he's a dog. Is that man a dog?
No, he's not. He's right,
he's not a dog.
Irrespective of what he believes,
but the postmodernist says you can have
your truth and I can have mine.
But not only does the postmodernist say
there are no facts,
only interpretations, not only does the
postmodernist say there are no absolutes,
the postmodernist also believes that truth
is made wholly dependent
on individual feelings. That our feelings
govern what is true and what is not.
In fact, George Barner wrote in the
American Moral Behavior,
he wrote, in a postmodern society,
people do not acknowledge any moral
absolutes.
If a person feels justified in engaging in
a specific behavior,
then they do not make a connection with
the immoral nature of that action.
If it feels right, it is right.
You don't have to ask any other question
besides that.
How do you feel about it? How do you feel
about it in your heart?
Do whatever feels right. Do whatever you
think is right.
And so this doctrine, when you consider
it,
is not applied equally. It is not applied
equally.
Because the individuals who promote this
doctrine and say,
Well, people feel a certain way and you
can't say anything about it,
while someone may came come along and say,
Well, I believe that there are five
thousand different genders.
And someone will say, Well, you know what?
That's how they feel, and we have to
respect that because that's how they feel.
You come along and you say, Well,
I think there's only two. What are you
called?
A bigot, prejudice, homophobe,
whatever the case. Why is it that only a
certain group of people can feel
a certain way and their truth is accepted,
and you over here, you can't feel
anything.
That is separate and apart from theirs.
See, this doctrine is not about promoting
individualized truth,
it's about justifying immoral behavior.
That's what it's about. You see,
I can get away with just about anything.
Judges chapter 17 and verse 6.
In those days, there were no king in
Israel,
but every man did that which was right in
his own eyes.
Same sin, different sinners. And so the
postmodernists believe that you
can base the truth, or truth is,
Based on your individual feelings.
But then also consider this. The
postmodernist believes that truth
is dependent on culture and societal
constructs.
What is true is determined by the culture.
And so the society deems acceptable
becomes,
or what society deems acceptable becomes
the standard.
William Dever wrote, he says, I think this
is in one of his books,
is not a good teacher. All claims to
truth,
to meaning, to value are merely social
constructs.
They are therefore impressionistic,
relative, rather than absolute,
largely fictive and subject to erasure.
So basically, whatever a generation or a
culture believes,
that is true for them. If another culture
comes along and says something different,
that's true for them, and you go through
the list.
The previous generation believed A,
we believe B, it was right for them,
and it is right for us at the same time.
Even though we believe two opposite views,
that's where culture determines what is
true.
All right, all right. Slavery.
What about slavery? Right or wrong?
Well, everybody would say, well,
no, that was wrong. Well, just a second.
Just a second. You said culture determines
what is right and what is wrong.
It was right over there. Was it right?
According to whose standard was it wrong?
It couldn't be culture standard because
culture accepted it widely.
What about Hitler? Right or wrong what he
did.
It wasn't against the laws of Germany.
He made those laws, right? Him killing the
Jews was not against Germany's law.
Was it against what law? Culture's law?
Their culture? No, that's what they wanted
to do.
So what are you going to indict the man
on?
You can't say that culture determines what
is right and wrong,
and at the same time
Denounce the things in our past and in
other nations past that were so atrocious.
You can't do both at the same time.
What this eventually comes down to is
majority rule.
That's what it comes down to, that culture
and society determines what is true.
Exodus chapter 23 and verse 2,
the Lord said, You shall not follow a
crowd to do evil,
nor shall you testify in a dispute so as
to turn aside after many
to pervert justice.
He says, Don't follow the multitude to do
evil.
If everybody says it's right it's right,
when you know it's wrong, you stand your
ground.
Don't testify. He says, Don't get onto the
stand,
and you know that that's wrong,
and and the other jurors say it's it's
right,
you stand your ground. It's wrong.
It's wrong to murder your children,
irrespective of what. Romans chapter 12
and verse 2 says,
And be not conformed to this world,
but be he transformed by the renewing of
your mind.
What?
That you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
Don't be conformed to everyone else around
you,
the Lord says. But postmodernist says,
no, if the whole crowd believes it's
right,
then they can go with that, or that is
truth.
Truth is not dependent on the fickle
nature of culture or the shifting trends.
Truth is constant, truth is reliable,
it is sustainable in every avenue because
it bears the marks,
it bears the marks of the God who.
Gave it. And it is eternal. That's why the
psalmist could write in Psalm
100 and verse 5, For the Lord is good,
his mercy is everlasting, and his truth
endures to what?
All cultures and all generations.
I've heard brethren say this in the
church.
When I've preached on the role of the
woman in the home,
what is the role of the woman though?
she's the homemaker. That's what she is.
Well, that was for that culture and at
that time.
Slow down now. Who decided that?
Who decided that?
Let me know, because I didn't see the
verse in the scriptures that says,
by the way, what Paul said in that section
no longer applies to
any other culture after that. We have to
be careful that we don't make
the truth what we want it to be,
because that's postmodernism. The truth is
what it is,
and ultimately the view that the Bible
cannot be understood or cannot
be understood alike leads to a pluralistic
Christianity.
It leads to denominationalism,
and here we are. A Christianity where you
Have to accept every flavor of religious
service and practice,
regardless of what the book says.
We have to accept everyone. We have to be
agreeable to everyone,
regardless of what they do down the
street.
We can judge them. Yes, we can,
and we should. John is clear, judge
righteous judgment.
When I look down the street and I say,
Listen, you've brought in the instrument,
you have women over here preaching and
teaching and doing all sorts of things.
I can judge you that you are unrighteous
in your actions.
Not because Mornay said so, but because
the truth says so.
And so we can look at those things and we
can clearly concede,
or rather, clearly identify the deniers of
this doctrine,
the agnostic, the religious agnostic,
and the postmodern mindset. For the
remainder of our time,
very quickly, let's consider
demonstrations of this doctrine.
The very notion
That the Bible cannot be understood flies
in the face of the existence of the Bible.
God gave us a book, preserved it for
thousands of years.
by the way, you can't understand it.
I saved it, but you can't understand it.
And so our God is not a God of ~
confusion,
but He is a God of information.
He wants His people to be in the know.
He does not want us walking around
wondering what He wants from us.
And so that's why Second Timothy chapter
2.
Or chapter 3, verses 16 to 17 is in the
Bible.
All scripture is given by the inspiration
of God,
and it is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness,
so that you and I, the man of God,
may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works.
I gave it to you so that you can be what I
want you to be.
And if God gave it to us so that we can be
what we what He wants us to be,
then we should be able to understand it.
Because if we cannot understand it,
then that verse doesn't make sense.
But consider also the account of Nehemiah.
What a beautiful passage. Nehemiah chapter
eight,
verses five and eight. They're rebuilding
the walls of Jerusalem,
and Ezra opened the book in the sight of
all the people,
for he was above the people. And when he
opened it,
all the people stood up. What a beautiful
sign.
And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God,
and all the people answered, Amen,
Amen, with lifting up of their hands,
and they bowed their heads and worshiped
the Lord with their faces to the ground.
And what did he do after he opened the
book of the law?
Verse 8, it says, So they read in the book
of the law of God distinctly,
gave the sense, and caused people to
understand the reading.
Three words that are used here in this
text,
distinctly. That is to make clear.
To distinguish, to explain. That's what
Ezra did.
He made the law clear, he distinguished
it,
he explained it. He gave the sense that is
intelligence,
good sense. Intelligence here,
according to the word scholars,
it says it's more than just knowledge of
books or learning,
it has a greater significance and it means
insight.
He didn't just explain it, he told them
how to understand it.
He gave them insight into it, he caused
them to understand.
That is to separate mentally, to
distinguish,
to understand. And so when Ezra read the
law of the Lord,
the people were able to intellectually
discern what he said.
They were able to walk away. There was no
ambiguity.
There was no uncertainty. There was no
differing interpretations.
They didn't walk away from Ezra and said,
Well, what do you think that meant to you?
When he said, Keep the Sabbath holy,
did he mean that? What does it mean to
you?
How do you interpret that? When he said
you shall not take the Lord's name,
how do you interpret that? When he said
you shall not steal or do,
how do you interpret? They didn't say any
of those things.
He read it, he explained it, they accepted
it and said,
Amen. And so we have in the scriptures,
the fact is seeing the response of the
people in Nehemiah chapter 8 and verse 12,
and all the people went their way to eat
and to drink and to send portions
and to make great mirth, because they had
what?
Understood the words that were declared
unto them.
The people understood when the preacher
sat down.
That's what we want when we preach.
We want people to be able to understand.
If you walk away from the sermon and you
don't understand,
then I've not done my job. Or maybe I have
done my job and
you just don't understand. I don't know.
It may be one of the two, right?
But the case here is that God has written
his books so that we can understand it.
John said,
That it is not heavy. The commandments of
God are not heavy.
First John chapter 5 and verse 3,
it says, For this is the love of God that
we keep his commandments,
and his commandments are not barus is that
word,
grievous. The word there is unsparing,
heavy in weight, or burdensome.
God's commandments are not hard to keep.
You know what makes it hard? We do.
Is it hard to be here on the first day of
the week?
No, it's not. You know what makes it hard?
Your desire to be somewhere else.
Is it hard to keep the things of God?
No, it is not. It is our desire for other
things that make it hard.
And so God's word is not heavy to the
point where his creation cannot carry it.
It's it's not so heavy that we we can't
understand it.
It's just too hard to comprehend.
John says that is not the case.
His word may challenge our resolve,
but he did not make obedience impossible
by making his commands unknowable.
The Hebrews writer.
Laid the blame where it belongs.
In Hebrews chapter 5, verses 11 through
14.
Notice what he says: Of whom, speaking of
Jesus,
we have many things to say and hard to be
uttered.
Some things are harder to understand.
It's going to require a little bit more
study,
he says. Peter said the same thing.
There are just some things, especially
stuff Paul wrote,
he said, a little bit hard to understand.
It's not that it cannot be understood,
but here.
The the the Hebrews writer says there are
certain things about the Christ that
are a little bit hard to understand,
since you have become lazy in your
hearing.
The word dull there is lazy. You're lazy
in your learning.
That's why I can't teach you about Jesus
the Christ.
He lays it at their feet, not that the
Bible is not understandable.
He says this is because of you.
For when the time you ought to be
teachers,
verse 12.
You have need that one teach you again,
which be the first principles of the
oracles of God,
and are become such as have need of milk,
and not of strong meat. For every one that
useth milk is unskillful in
the word of righteousness, for he is a
babe.
But strong meat belongeth to them that are
full age,
even those who by reason of use have their
senses exercised,
notice this, to discern, to distinguish
between good and evil.
He says, The reason you do not understand
the word of God.
The reason I can't preach to you more
things about Jesus is because you're too
lazy.
You're not studying the way you should.
The spiritually immature person has no
desire to hear the word of God,
and that's why he cannot understand it.
Well, I just don't understand.
Study more. Well, I just don't study more.
The answer is always study more.
Because the book was written so that we
can understand.
Jesus expected men to understand it.
When the Pharisees came to Jesus and they
they asked him a question.
About marriage, and they asked him a
question about those who would
be given in marriage. Notice what the Lord
responded.
Jesus answered and said unto them in verse
29 of Matthew chapter 22.
Jesus answered and said unto them,
You do err, not knowing the scriptures,
nor the power of God. The impetus here is:
you should know the scriptures.
You should understand this, but you don't.
On numerous occasions, Jesus would ask
them,
Have you not read?
Mark chapter 12 in verse 10, Luke chapter
6 in verse 3,
have you not read? The word read there is
anagonosko.
It means to distinguish between,
to recognize, to know accurately,
to acknowledge. The Lord says,
Have you not looked in the scriptures and
distinguished it?
You're supposed to do that. Why have you
not done that?
Jesus would rebuke them. And so Jesus
expected the Jews to know.
And to understand what they read in the
Old Testament scriptures.
Paul went further and said that we can all
understand it alike.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 10,
it says, Now I beseech you, brethren,
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you all speak the same thing.
That there be no divisions among you,
but that he be perfectly joined together
in the same mind in the same judgment.
Our denominational friends will say,
Well, we can't all speak the same thing.
Yes, we can.
The Lord said we should. It's not only
that we can,
we should be speaking the same things.
And why would we speak differing things?
We're reading the same book. We should
come away with the same thing.
If the Lord told us there is one way to be
saved,
and that is through his son, Jesus the
Christ,
then how are you coming away with
something else?
We're reading the same thing. And so the
Apostle Paul,
he did not simply say we can all
understand it alike.
But he also rebuked the Galatians for
receiving another gospel.
He assumed they would know better.
He said in Galatians chapter one,
verses six and seven, I marvel that ye are
so soon removed from him
who hath called you unto the grace of God
unto another gospel,
which is not another, but there be some
that trouble you and would pervert
the gospel of Christ. But wait a second,
Paul. That's just your opinion.
And this is their opinion, and we have our
opinion.
Why are you rebuking us for going with
their opinion?
Because there is no such thing.
That's why the Apostle Paul is astounded
that they would leave
the facts of the gospel for something that
someone else said.
Why? Because the facts of the gospel
cannot be changed,
brethren. The truth of the gospel cannot
be changed.
When you consider what happened.
In Acts chapter 2. What a beautiful
picture in Acts chapter 2.
When the Lord inspired
men to speak in different languages
so that everyone there can do what?
Understand. Does that seem like a God who
is trying to keep information from you?
No. The very fact that there were all of
these languages.
Proves to the point that God wants men to
hear
his gospel and understand it.
He made it that easy. He has preserved
this book.
We even have it in our own language.
We can understand what is said.
We can read it. We can take it home with
us.
We can have it with us all the time.
Do some parts need to be studied a little
harder and a little longer?
Yes, we'll talk more about that later.
But you can get this book. You can
understand it.
And brethren, if it can be understood,
it can be kept. If I can understand what
is in it,
then I can keep what is in it.
And maybe that, maybe that's the sticking
point.
If you have not studied the Bible as you
ought,
and maybe you tonight as a Christian have
taken this book and have placed
it on your coffee table and you've said,
you know what? I just can't understand it.
I'm not going to do it anymore.
Please don't lay that claim at God's feet.
He gave you a book that can be understood.
What you need to do is put some more time
and effort into it
and employ the resource, employ the
resources that God has given us to
be able to understand, to be able to
reason correctly.
There are too many Bible studies in this
congregation.
There are too many Bible studies going on,
both privately, in person, and over here
all week long and in other places,
for us to say that we just don't know.
No, there's plenty of opportunity for us
to know.
So maybe it is the case that we're just
not applying ourselves.
The way we should. We should also be
careful and make sure that we don't fall
into
the postmodern trap, that we don't believe
the lies that the world
is spinning and saying that everyone can
have their own truth.
Brethren, there is one truth, there is one
faith,
there is one baptism, there is one Lord,
there is one God, and there is one church.
And if anybody else says anything
different,
they're fighting against God and his
truth.
Heaven's invitation is extended tonight,
not only to us as Christians, to make sure
that we're walking in
the truth and keeping it, but also the
plain and simple truth about
the gospel is set forth for us in the
scriptures.
The Lord said, in order for us to be
saved,
in order for an individual to be saved,
you have to obey his glorious gospel.
And what is his gospel? It is the death,
the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus
Christ to the salvation of your soul.
That is his gospel.
As 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 1
through 4 lays out for us very
beautifully.
And the fact is this that the Bible gives
us the way to be saved,
and it says a person who believes the
gospel,
who repents of sins, who confesses the
name of Christ,
can be immersed in water to have their
sins washed away,
and the Lord will add them to his church.
That's what God has set forth in his
scriptures.
Now, you can try to get over it.
You can try to get under it, you can try
to get around it,
but you won't. Because that's the truth
and it's not going to go anywhere.
And so instead of fighting with the truth
that God has given,
why not obey it? So that you can have your
soul saved while we stand and as we sing.