THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT

Program Air Date – 11-28-10

LESSON TITLE: “BEHOLD ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW: A NEW DOCTRINE”

WELCOME

The inspired James wrote, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” So how about it, are you a believer in the power of prayer? Furthermore, are you striving to be righteous that your prayers may be heard and answered?

Thanks for joining us this morning for God’s Living Word. Let me remind us again this day of the privilege we will have together to Praise our God in song, through prayer, as well as in the study of His Word. What a privilege it is to be a Child of the King!

So, as we begin our offering to God on this first day of the week, will you bow with me before His throne in prayer!

(PRAYER)

Think for a moment about what guides you in this life. The fact is, we can turn to one source for perfect and complete guidance. Our first song of the morning talks about Jesus our Wondrous Guide! So at this time let’s join together in our first hymn of the day, its name, “He Leadeth Me.”

(SONG # 1)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

Sometimes, I often wonder if we really understand the idea presented to us in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,…” Inspiration is a beautiful concept which proves to us that the Bible is not just another book; rather it is the very Word of God! In fact, the word inspiration itself actually refers to the idea of a “breathing through one,” meaning that God breathed His message through those who wrote.

I think Peter helps us understand this concept a little better. In 2 Peter 3:20-21, we read, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” You see God actually “moved” the writers of the Bible in order that they would write exactly what He desired so that we might know His perfect Truth.

So now that we know that the Bible says that it is from God and that it is His very Word, notice what it can do for us. Back in 2 Timothy 3:16, that verse goes on to say, “And is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Verse 17 also adds, “That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Here we learn that God’s Word is complete and that it gives us all we need in this life to live, move and have our being - according to the way God wants us to.

A final verse I would like us to consider is found back in 2 Peter, again chapter 1, verse 3. There we read, “…His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” God has truly given us all that we need in this life, that we might know His Will. No wonder Jesus told us that we can “know the truth and the truth will make us free.” How could Jesus make this claim? He knew that God had given all the necessary knowledge which man needs to know His divine Will. Furthermore, how wonderful it is to know that we can be saved, through the knowledge of His divine Will and an obedience to it. Do you respect, honor and obey the Bible as God’s true, complete and divine Will?

As far as our topic of the day, this morning we will continue our series entitled, “Behold All Things Have Become New.” Our specific lesson of the day will focus on the, “A New Doctrine!” So please stay with us and I will lead us in this study after our next song together.

Now it’s time to return to our songs of praise. So won’t you join in our second song of the morning, the name of the hymn, “He Lives?”

(SONG # 2)

LESSON

By Ray Sullins

There’s a really neat event that takes place in the life of Paul in Acts chapter 17. It was there that he arrived in Athens and actually verse 1 says, “He was awaiting for the coming of Silas and Timothy,” and as he was there, he actually went to a place it calls the Areopagus or Mars Hill, a place of great philosophy. And as he was there, his desire not only having proclaimed in the synagogue but also at this place where the philosophers were that they might hear of the true God. Why? Well again verse 16 talks about the fact that Paul noticed that this place, Athens, was entrenched in idolatry.

Now as he was asked by those of Mars Hill and that region to say why he was there and what it was that he desired to tell them, I want you to notice with me in verse 19 what it is that Paul tells them. It says there that, “They took him and brought him to the Areopagus saying, ‘May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak.’”

For several weeks now, we have been looking at this idea of “The New Creation,” the fact that through Jesus Christ all things have been made new. And we have talked together about not only the idea of a “New Creation” and leaving the old behind and living in the new, but we’ve also looked at the idea last week of a “New Name.” This day we want to look at the concept of a “New Doctrine,” because that is the very question of those in Athens in this day as they ask Paul to tell us what this new doctrine is, “that which we have not heard of.” No doubt being of Athens or any other major city in the Roman Empire, they would have all been aware of Judaism and they would have all been familiar with the concepts of the Jewish faiths that Paul once had been in, but their desire now was to know more about this concept of Christianity. What is this new doctrine of Christ they wanted to know the details and certainly Paul goes on to talk about that in the same text.

The fact is God determined that when Jesus came and died, He would enact a New Covenant, a New Doctrine. There are words that basically are in scriptures used interchangeably and I believe we will even note that today in our study together because this concept of a New Law or a New Covenant and the concept of that which was old or left behind is also thus referred to as “A Doctrine” and guess what, the doctrine of none other than Jesus Christ Himself.

To see this, we might begin in a text found in the book of 2 John. It was here that a warning was given to those that are faithful, a warning about not listening to other doctrines or even receiving those who taught different doctrines. I want you to notice what verse 9 says there again in 2 John. It says, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” Twice in one verse the concept of a doctrine of Christ is presented. What does that mean? It means those rules or standards given to us by whom? Specifically here Christ and so therefore it says that we must preach or stand in the doctrine of Christ and this verse tells us that when we do we abide in both the Father above and the Son, who at this time had come to the earth and was now known as the Man Jesus Christ. But also we find the idea here that if anyone does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, these Christians were told to not have any communication with them. In fact, verse 10 says that “you should not bring them into your house” and that you “should not greet them” because verse 11 says, “In so doing you are guilty of the false doctrine that they teach.” Do you see the fact is that there is such a thing as True Doctrine and false doctrine? The doctrine that you and I want to search for in the scriptures is the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

Now what about that doctrine of Christ? Who is it that Jesus said He got this doctrine from?

Well we can back up to the gospel of John there in John chapter 7 and verse 16 and notice what Jesus said in answer to the fact of where His Word or doctrine came from. Jesus actually says in verse 16, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” Then He says in verse 17, “If anyone wills to do His Will (that is the Father’s) he shall know concerning the doctrine whether it is from God or whether I speak of My own authority.” What did He say? “My doctrine is not My own. It is that which comes from the Father. You can tell by what I say it is the same as the Father says.” Why? John 7, “I and the Father are one, one God.” So now we know that there was such a thing as the Doctrine of Christ. Christ Himself says His doctrine was based on the Word that the Father gave Him. Oh yeah, by the way, in John 17:17, Jesus also said, “By Word (the Bible) is Truth,” and guess what the Truth is described as. The Truth is described as “The doctrine of Christ.” The Truth is described as “The gospel of Jesus Christ.” What we’re talking about is God’s Will. There is only one place to find it and that is this book, the Bible, the Word. And so therefore Jesus says, “My Words are from the Father.”

Now the next thing that we want to know is: Where do we learn that today? Where are the Father’s Words given to us by the Son, but revealed and written with the help of the Holy Spirit? We saw that in some of our introductory remarks this morning and the fact is that scripture is that which contains the doctrine of God.

We mentioned there earlier 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16, but now I want you to notice with me specifically what it says in relationship to our discussion. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable,” and guess what. What is the first word? “It is profitable for doctrine.” It goes on as we said earlier to say that it provides or completely furnishes us unto all good works. It is everything that we need. It is the Word of God, and in it is the doctrine of God. God the Father spoke His doctrine through Jesus. Jesus said, “My doctrine is the doctrine of the Father.” So what we are talking about is God’s Word, the doctrine that we are able to share, the new doctrine. Not the doctrine of the world. Not the doctrine of the Jews that we would learn there even in the book of Hebrews chapters 8 and 9 that would be replaced. Why? Because Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31 spoke of the day that was coming when “a new covenant would be enacted.”

Then in verse 13 of Hebrews 8 it actually says, “And when that new covenant comes…” The new covenant of what? The new covenant of God through Jesus Christ with you and I. When that new covenant comes, the first covenant is made what? Obsolete. You can’t serve two masters. You can’t serve what Moses said and what Jesus said because Jesus is greater. Hebrews chapter 3 and also chapter 4 deal with that very point. So we must know and follow and obey the doctrine of Christ.

Another way that Paul told Timothy about the doctrine is found there in 2 Timothy chapter 1. Look specifically at verse 10 with me as we again find this concept of “the doctrine” in relationship to the “Gospel of Christ.” If you’ll notice there verse 8 talks about the testimony of the Lord. At the latter part of verse 8 it says, “Which is the power of God.” Then in verse 9 he says, “Who shall save us and call us with a holy calling according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Jesus Christ before time began. Where is that power unto salvation? The gospel! That gospel that is designed for us here as being clearly found in the Word of God.

We go now to verse 13 in that same text. He says, “Then hold fast the pattern of sound words.” He says that there is such a thing as that which is a sound word or that which is an unsound word based on the Word of God. So true doctrine, as you and I would understand it, or untrue doctrine. So once again we find the need to understand that the doctrine is of God.

In verse 10 again in 2 Timothy chapter 1 he goes on to talk about the fact that we have been brought life and immortality to life through the gospel.

Then moving on into the verse that we looked at earlier the fact of where that is then that we find that pattern, that pattern of sound doctrine or sound words.

Now then if you’ll also think with me for a moment of how sad it is that so many in the world reject the doctrine of Christ. There are so many verses in the Bible that begin to open up our eyes to those who reject the doctrine of God. Perhaps one of the most familiar to us would be found in Matthew 15 there in verse 8, you’ll remember a quote given about the people of that day but yet it was the same problem Isaiah had shared in. Verse 8 of Matthew 15 says, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth and they honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.” What was the problem? There were those in Isaiah’s day and there were those in the day of Jesus who taught their own doctrine, the doctrines of men as if they were the doctrines of God. What do we know about that? It is unacceptable. If you bring any other doctrine, you are accursed. You are not of God. You cannot be accepted (2 John and verse 9). You should be rejected by the faithful in the fact that you bring a different doctrine.

In Ephesians chapter 4 again in verse 14 it says, “We should be no longer children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine because of the trickery of men and their cunning craftiness as they deceitfully plot to move us away from our God.”

What should we do? Stand in the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

Even Timothy again was warned. If we go back again to our familiar text of 2 Timothy but now chapter 4 and verse 3. He even warned that, “In that day some will have itching ears. They will not endure the sound doctrine and they will heap up for themselves teachers that teach things that are doctrines of men rather than the doctrine of God.” Heaven forbid! Because what are we to do? Even verse 2 of that same text says, “Preach the Word.” Preach the Bible. Preach the doctrine of Christ.

Brethren, are we willing to do it God’s way? Are we willing to lay aside those things that I want, that I think, and that I like and that you think and you want and you like? And are we just willing to do it God’s way, just read His Word and simply obey it? Are we willing to set aside our culture and our concepts of what we believe that we can or cannot do and again just ask a question: What does God want? And accept that and follow that, and instead of trying to justify that and make acceptable anything and everything that we want to do or that others want to do or that our family is doing and we then feel a need to justify.

It is impossible to please God without proper faith if we look into strange doctrines that are not of God. In fact, that is what the Hebrew writer warned even the brethren about in his book there in chapter 13. If you will look with me there in verse 9 he actually says this, “Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.” But I want you to notice something about what he says in verse 8 before that. That is a familiar verse that probably all of you could quote that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” And so he makes the statement that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever,” and then in the next phrase is, “So do not be carried about with every wind of doctrine, with every various and strange concept of man that is not from God.” Why? Because we are required to be like Christ, to be the same yesterday, today and forever. And how do we know that we will be in alignment with Christ? The only way is to make sure that our doctrine is the new doctrine of Christ, not our own, not a man’s, not a denomination’s, but what we find and can prove in the Bible, that we are able by book, chapter and verse to say that, “this is what God has asked of us, and this is what God has commanded, and this is what God has shown through example, or this is what God has proven to us through inference.”

Are you willing to submit to the Will of God fully? Are you willing to obey His doctrine? In doing so, are you willing to realize that God is going to bless you as a faithful child of the doctrine not only today, but forevermore? Won’t Heaven surely be worth it all?

(SONG # 3 - “A Wonderful Savior!”)

CLOSING COMMENTS

What a blessing it has been to join together in the things of God this morning. Thank you for doing your part in making all these things to be according to His Will. As always, we invite you back every Lord’s Day morning at 7:30, as we commit ourselves to this offering for God!

But for now, let me ask if you have any questions or comments about today’s lesson? Maybe, you would like a free transcript or a cassette tape of this program? Possibly, we could assist you with free Bible materials or correspondence courses? No matter what your need is, please contact us at the following address:

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Praise be to God for His perfect doctrine, given to us in the His Word the Bible. May we study it, learn it and obey it from the heart; that we may be acceptable in His sight and found pleasing according to His Will. Are you standing in the doctrine of Christ?



(Program closing)