12 1d: Explain the authority, relevance, and inspiration of Scripture

Help your people to see that the Word of God is powerful.

• If we follow it, things go better for ourselves and our families (except for persecution that it might cause).
• It also brings us peace in our souls.
• Entire societies, throughout history, have improved their quality of life, after being influenced by the Word of God. Societies that reject it inevitably go into moral decline, with all the misery and broken relationships that go with the degeneration.

For those who doubt the authenticity of Scripture, see item 12 3c.

Find in 1 Peter 1:22 through 2:3 what the Word of God does for us.

Find in Revelation 22:18-19 a stern warning against changing Word of God.

Find in the books Nahum, Zephaniah and Haggai teaching on the authority of the Word of God.

Find in the book of Isaiah several prophecies of the birth and redemptive work of Jesus, and the nature of His Kingdom.

Find in Jeremiah 23:25-40 a caution against using dreams, etc. as a substitute for God's Word.

For an introduction to the Bible, explaining what it is, see: The New Bible Companion, Carl Laney.

Let your people see that the Bible proves itself in people's lives.

• Preachers sometimes forget that the most powerful messages are often not their sermons but the life experiences and testimonials of those who obey the Bible.
• The basic logic of the scientific method is clearly stated in Hebrews 11:6, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." In technical terms, this verse contains:

• If your ministry population is familiar with scientific thinking, then you can challenge them to test the promises of the Bible over a period of time and record the extraordinary outcomes, if any.
• They must be careful not to ask God to do things that he has not promised to do, or to ask for things the bible forbids.