Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday morning, December 1, 2002, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia.
BIBLE-BELIEVING FUNDAMENTALISTS RECOGNIZE THE BIBLE
By Michael D. O’Neal Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church Albany, Georgia
Scripture Reading: John 10:26-31
Text: John 10:27
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Introduction: In preparation for our annual big day this year our church folks visited over 8,000 homes. At each house we left a copy of our paper, “The Bible-Believing Fundamentalist.” Our website is also called The Bible-Believing Fundamentalist.
What IS a Bible-believing Fundamentalist?
Not every independent Baptist understands this, but there is a slight difference between a Bible believer and a fundamentalist.
It is also possible to USE the Bible without BELIEVING the Bible. That is true of many Bible colleges and preachers. Further, it is possible to BELIEVE the Bible and not OBEY the Bible, READ the Bible, or USE the Bible. What is a BIBLE-BELIEVING fundamentalist? With the emphasis on “Bible-believing,” I want to introduce the expression this morning by saying …
One characteristic of Bible-believing fundamentalism is:
A RECOGNITION OF THE BIBLE
Mark 12:37b … And the common people heard him gladly.
Real Bible-believing fundamentalists RECOGNIZE the voice of the Lord! They KNOW where the Bible is!
How do we do that?
I. WE RECOGNIZE THE BIBLE FOR ITS PECULIARITY
1 Samuel 21:9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
A. It is HIGHER than all others
- Psalm 138:2
- It is the MONARCH of all books!
B. It is HOLIER than all others
- It is the HOLY Bible!
- It is God’s HOLY word!
- These are the HOLY scriptures!
C. It is HATED more than all others
You have heard it said, “There is no place like this place, so this must be the place.” Let me adapt that and say: “There is no book among all books like THIS Book, so THIS must BE the BOOK!”
II. WE RECOGNIZE THE BIBLE FOR ITS POWER
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It has power to
- Shake up the wicked
- Save the lost
- Salvage the home
- Strengthen the believer
III. WE RECOGNIZE THE BIBLE FOR ITS PRESERVATION
Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
A. It is preserved in a united volume
- 66 books – the canon
- “Bible” – “the books”
B. It is preserved in a universal language – English
C. It is prepared in an unblemished format
- No one has proved a single error in the King James Bible!
IV. WE RECOGNIZE THE BIBLE FOR ITS PURITY
Psalms 119:140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.
Psalms 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Compare the Bible with other books. Compare the KING JAMES BIBLE with all the modern versions, which upon close examination, are found to actually be PERversions of the true word of God!
THE KING JAMES BIBLE IS PURE
A. On the birth and person of Jesus Christ
- Luke 2:33 – compare with new versions
- 1 Timothy 3:16
- Acts 20:28
B. On blood redemption
- Colossians 1:14
C. On the bodily resurrection of Christ
- Acts 1:3
D. On the Bible’s importance
- Luke 4:4
E. On baptism AFTER salvation
- Acts 8:37
If you haven’t done so before today, recognize that the Bible is the word of God! Recognize that the King James Bible is God’s word in English!