THE WORD OF GOD IS OUR ONLY TRUE AUTHORITY - 3
The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans
16:16)
1. We have
learned that man will use his religious experience,
a. his church traditions
or doctrines, and his
own reason or opinions
b. as the source
of spiritual Authority.
2. However, from the beginning of the Bible unto its end,
a. God has used an enormous amount of words
b. to make clear to men that the only belief
or act (in religion) which
is pleasing to Him
c. is one which is authorized by His word.
3. Of the matter of authority, the apostle Paul said, "And
whatsoever ye
do, in word or in deed,
do
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father through him” (Col. 3:17).
4. The expression "in the name of the Lord" means “by the
authority of
the Lord.”
a. Therefore, to do
something “in the name of the
Lord”
b. is to do it by
His authority - His word
- the Bible.
5. Please turn and read in your Bible Acts 4:5-10.
a. After the lame
man had been healed, the
Jewish rulers asked Peter and John,
"By
what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" (vs.
7).
b. In Peter's
reply, he said, "...By the
name of Jesus of Nazareth...doth this man stand here
before you whole" (Acts 4:10).
6. After conferring among themselves,
a. the Jews charged Peter and John
b. not to teach any more in the name of Jesus
(vs. 15-18).
7. From this
passage the following THREE matters are clear:
a. First, the Jews
asked Peter and John
by whose authority they had so acted.
b. Second, Peter
told them they had acted
by the authority or name of Jesus Christ.
1. And third, the Jews
told them not to teach any more
2. the
message which Jesus had authorized them
to preach.
8. How did the apostles respond to these Religious Leaders?
a. The Bible says, “But Peter and John
answered and said to them, whether
it is right
in
the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
For we cannot
but
speak the things which we have seen and heard” (vs. 19-20).
b. Later, before
this same council, the
apostles plainly said,
“We
ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
9. Friends, this is the theme of all our teaching.
a. In each lesson
we present
b. we are endeavoring to get each of you
c. to obey God rather
than men.
10. We are NOT asking anyone to obey us, Billy Graham,
a. the pope, Joseph
Smith, Jr., or your “reverend/pastor.”
b. We want you to take God’s word, the
Bible,
1. and make it your
only Authority in matters of religion.
2. Then we want you to
teach this message to the lost (cf. Ezra
7:10).
11. 2 John 9-11 states, "Whosoever goeth
onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ,
hath
not God: He that abideth in the teaching, the same hath
both the Father and the Son.
If
anyone cometh unto you, and bringeth not this doctrine, receive
him not into your house,
and
give him no greeting: for he that giveth
him greeting partaketh in his evil works."
12. In short, this passage makes clear
a. that anyone who does
that which is not authorized
by the word of God
b. (the Gospel,
the faith, the New Covenant,
etc.) sins in so doing;
c. and thus, does not have God's
approval in that matter.
13. Friends, to be pleasing to God
a. one must have the proper authority for what
he does in religion.
b. It is absolutely
crucial that men walk
by faith (2 Cor. 5:7),
c. and that they recognize where faith comes
from.
14. The Bible says, “faith comes by hearing...the word of God” (Rom.
10:17).
a. No one's faith
can "out-run" his knowledge
of the word of God.
b. Everything that
a man believes, does,
or is in (a member of),
1. he believes, does,
or is in either by God's authority
2. or
by mere HUMAN authority.
15. The Bible makes clear that in matters of religious faith and
practice
a. God NEVER accepts that which is believed or
done
b. by mere HUMAN authority (cf. Mark 7:6-13).