 The title of our sermon this morning is all we need to be complete, all we need to be complete. Our primary text for this sermon is 2 Timothy chapter 3 verses 14 through 17. Our sermon today is part of a series we're doing in our church called The Essentials. You're joining us, we're compiling a series of sermons from key texts in the Bible on Essentials of Baptist Theology, on the Essentials of Church Practice. We're doing that to put together a resource for new members of our church or those who need sort of a systematic overview of the theology that we hold to. And we're currently in a segment of theology dealing with the doctrine of revelation, where we've looked at general revelation, we've looked at special revelation together, the doctrine of inspiration, the authority of scripture, and today we come to the subject of the Bible's sufficiency, the sufficiency of the scriptures for all things that pertain to life and godliness, the Bible's sufficiency for all things pertaining to faith and practice. Now our consideration this morning of the Bible's sufficiency really must once again begin with inspiration, the fact that it is God's word that God has spoken. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is God breathed. It is the word of the living God. 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 21, prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In other words, God sovereignly, supernaturally works in and through these human authors such that their words are in fact His words. Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1, God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time, passed to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us in His Son. Now considering the grammar, has spoken for you Greek guys, right? Is an heiress active indicative verb. The heiress tense combined with the indicative mood is used to denote past time. Past time meaning that what has been spoken verse 1 to us in His Son has been complete and sufficiently spoken and until the Lord returns in glory the revelation that God has intended to provide us in His Son has been provided. In other words, the story has been told. The story has been told. We have the story. And what we have then in the 39 canonical books of the Old Testament, the 27 canonical books of the New Testament regarding redemptive history, regarding the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, is the complete and final and full and sufficient revelation of God given to man. Now that story began in the book of Genesis where in chapter 1 verse 1 we read in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. That story begins where it should begin in the beginning. And that redemptive story ends, if you think about it with me, Revelation chapter 22 verse 3, listen to this. And there shall be no more curse. That curse that came upon man for his sin has been reversed. That's the end of the story. There shall be no more curse. But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. His servants shall serve him. They shall see his face. His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there. They need no lamp nor light of the sun. For the Lord God gives them light and they shall reign forever and ever. Amen. So from in the beginning to forever and ever, the story of the Bible has been told. The story of God's redemptive plans and purposes has been told. What more can be said? Amen. The whole of God's redemptive story is given between in the beginning and forever and ever. It's a record that points to and then finds its fulfillment and ultimate consummation in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. It ends with all things restored, all things renewed that are God glorifying and Christ exalting purpose. And what we have then is a full and complete and final and sufficient revelation, all that God intended to give us and all that we need to be forgiven of our sin, reconciled to him and to live for him in this life. There's a picture of this sufficiency of God's word given to us in the Old Testament. There's a picture of this in Deuteronomy chapter one. Deuteronomy chapter one, Israel, stands on this side of the river Jordan, opposite the promised land, opposite Jericho. It's a land over there that flows with milk and honey. It's an inheritance that God has promised his people. The generation before them had failed to trust in the Lord. They had failed to go in and take possession of the land. And under the judgment of God, that people had turned back into the wilderness where that generation perished in unbelief. Now the next generation then stands at the border of the land that God has promised to give them. God has given them all that they need to go in and take possession of it. He has given them all that they need to live and prosper in it. His word to them is complete and his word to them is sufficient. They need only now to trust his word and to obey the Lord their God. So the Lord says to them then, in Deuteronomy chapter four, beginning in verse two, listen to this. Now, oh Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe that you may live and go in and possess the land which the Lord your God, the Lord God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor are you to take from it so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. In other words, the word is sufficient. You're not to add to it. You're not to take away from it. The word of God is sufficient. The word of God to them is complete. To add to his word or to take away from his word would be to deny sufficiency and to deny the authority of God himself. And so the Lord reminds them then, in Deuteronomy chapter eight, beginning in verse two, listen to this. You shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these 40 years in the wilderness. He led you to humble you, to test you, to know what was in your heart whether you would keep his commandments or not. So the Lord humbled you. He allowed you to hunger. He fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know so that he might make you know that a man what shall not live by bread alone but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. The people were starkly reminded as they stood on the border of the promised land, the land that God had promised to give them. The Lord starkly reminded those people how entirely dependent they were upon God for everything that they needed, even their daily food. Apart from him, they wouldn't have eaten, right? Apart from God's provision, they would have had nothing, not even enough food to live on. And so God shows them in this reminder that he is the one who sustains their life, that his word is sufficient to sustain them. Your life isn't simply sustained by physical food as you might think. It's sustained by every word that proceeds out of God's mouth, every decree of God. Job said of God's word in chapter 23 verse 12, Job said, I have not departed from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. Right, Job? That's right, amen. The Lord himself quoted these words from Deuteronomy chapter 8. He quoted these words in his own wilderness testing. Like Israel, in the wilderness, 40 days, being tented by the devil, the Lord was hungry. But unlike Israel, he believed that God's word to him was sufficient. He believed in the promises of God. He trusted God for his word. Satan tempted him. He said to the Lord, if you are the son of God, command that these stones become bread. It's Matthew chapter 4 verse 4. But he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. In other words, God's word was found sufficient in the Lord's time of testing. If the Israelites had trusted in his word, they would have gone in and taken the land. God's word found sufficient in the Lord's time of testing. God's promises were enough. The Lord told his disciples in Samaria, I have food to eat of which you do not know. Well, brothers and sisters, listen. You and I, now we are living through our own wilderness testing. We are in the wilderness. We are sojourners and pilgrims. We are aliens in this land. This earth is not our home, right? Our citizenship is in heaven. We find ourselves today on the border of our own inheritance. Is his word sufficient to sustain you? Or isn't it? Is his word sufficient in your heart and mind? Will you put your faith in your job? Or are you going to put your faith in your bank account? Or are his promises enough? Is his word sufficient? Is your attitude toward the word of God like Job's attitude? Do you treasure the words of his mouth more than your necessary food? Is that true of you? What would it look like if that were true of you? What would your time in his word look like? What would your life look like? What would your decisions look like? What would your bank account look like? What would be the way that you spent your time? What would that look like? Do you treasure the words of his mouth more than your necessary food? The word of God is entirely sufficient for God's pilgrim people in this wilderness. His word is sufficient. We have the fullness of his revelation. The canon is complete. Start to finish. We have everything that God has intended to reveal to us. We have God's full and final and authoritative word. And at the very end of the canon, at the very end of the canon, looking back over his gracious and sufficient revelation, the Lord says to us in Revelation 22, just like he did to Israel when they stood on the border of their own inheritance, the Lord says to us in Revelation 22, he says, I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in the book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. In other words, God's word is sufficient. We're not to add to it. We're not to take away from it. His word is sufficient. As we think about sufficiency, then we have to ask a question. We have to ask an obvious question. Sufficient for what? Sufficient to what end? Sufficient to what purpose? To what aim? Well, our statement of faith, the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, says it this way in chapter 1, paragraph 6. Statement of faith says, the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the holy scriptures, unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the spirit or by traditions of men. In other words, everything that God has intended to say to us, the whole counsel of God, and everything that was necessary for God to tell us in order that we might glorify him, in order that we might be saved, and in order that we might live by faith in him, is explicitly stated. It's expressly set down in the Bible, or it can be clearly deduced it is necessarily contained in the Bible and all that we are to believe, everything that God requires, is in his word. We are to add nothing to it. We are to remove nothing from it. Now, that doesn't mean, obviously, that Scripture is sufficient for all things. And our statement of faith in the Bible makes that very clear. It doesn't mean that the Scripture is sufficient for all things. It's not a sufficient source for engineering, right, you engineers? You won't find in the Bible rules and regulations for professional water polo. There's not in there. But it has much to say, about the way in which we glorify God in our practice of engineering or in our playing of water polo, right? The Bible does not explicitly address every detail associated with your job. But if you're going to glorify God on your job, then the Bible is the only place where you can go to find the sufficient word of God to lead you in that purpose. The Bible won't tell you everything that you're going to face as a married couple. But it will be impossible to glorify God as a married couple apart from his word. You will not be able to do it. The Bible doesn't tell you all that you're going to face in raising your children. It doesn't give you every detail of all those circumstances. But it will be impossible to raise children to the glory of God apart from the all sufficient instruction given in the word of God. The Bible will not be able to do it. You could say that apart from the word of God you can't go to the gas station in a way that glorifies him. The word of God gives us the instruction that we need by which we in all the activities and circumstances that we face by which we glorify him. The Bible is sufficient to that purpose. It has all we need pertaining to life and godliness. If you want to live for the Lord Jesus Christ that is the only book and a completely sufficient rule to that end. Contra all of those over many, many years who continue to want to add to it. The Bible alone is our sufficient rule sufficient for all things that pertain to life and faith. Now first I want you to see that the word of God is sufficient for bringing about spiritual life. Turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1 and drop down with me to verse 22. Listen to what Peter says here. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 22. The word of God is sufficient for bringing about spiritual life. That's one of its aims, one of God's intentions through the sufficient word of God. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit in sincere love of the brethren love one another fervently with a pure heart. In other words, the word of God is sufficient for your sanctification. Obedience to the word through the spirit of God leads to our purification. Do you see in verse 22? Since you have purified your souls in obeying what? The truth, the sufficient word of God fervently with a pure heart. Verse 23. Having been born again we are in Christ. Aren't we a new creation? That one who has not been born again cannot see the kingdom of God. So the one who has saved the disciple of Jesus Christ, the genuine Christian has been born again. Verse 23. Having been born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible word of God which lives and abides forever. In other words, the word of God is sufficient a sufficient means a sufficient instrumentality to bring about the new birth sufficient for regeneration it's through the means of the word through the instrumentality of the word his word is the seed which springs forth in new life for the believer right? New life for the believer through the word of God which lives and abides forever. Because he says in verse 24 all flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass the grass withers its flower falls away but the word of the Lord endures forever it is sufficient and complete. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. Paul says that faith comes by hearing by what? the sufficient word of God sufficient to that purpose to be an instrumentality or a means through which the Lord gives faith. In other words no one is saved apart from the instrumentality or means of God's word no one. God's word is the sufficient means by which someone is saved. Now many of you and I go back over our conversion when the Lord brought us to repentance and faith. Brought us to the point where we saw our sinfulness we saw the preciousness of Jesus Christ what a treasure he is what he has done for sinners and we turned to him in repentance and faith and we were saved. Some of you did that reading your Bible you're reading the Bible and the text of scripture for me I was reading Revelation chapter 3 like I can remember Jesus Christ as the savior of sinners. Some of you heard it under the preaching of God's word somebody was preaching the gospel to you and the Lord used the preaching of his word to bring you to saving faith. For some of you you heard his word preached, taught spoken in various ways and the Lord used ultimately though the Lord uses the instrumentality of his word in the hands of his spirit to bring you to salvation. That's how people are saved right? The Lord uses his word. Faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of God, okay? It is sufficient for bringing about spiritual life. It is the instrumentality the agency used in the hands of the spirit of God to bring about eternal life. Then secondly I want you to see we see the word of God is sufficient for the Christian life not only is it sufficient to bring about eternal life it's now sufficient to bring about or to live the Christian life after you've been saved 1 Peter chapter 2 now look at verse 1 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 1 the very next text therefore Peter says laying aside all malice all deceit, hypocrisy envy and all evil speaking as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious if indeed you've tasted that the Lord is gracious and the word has been used by the spirit of God to bring about spiritual life in you 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 22 and following then like newborn babes desire the pure milk of that sufficient word that you may grow thereby if indeed you've tasted that the Lord is gracious in other words the same word that gives you birth is the very same word now that is the mother's milk by which you nourish your soul and grow to maturity you will not nourish your soul and you will not move on to maturity apart from the pure milk of God's sufficient word will not happen well brother sister then what's the implication of knowing that verse chapter 2 verse 1 this is a command of Peter isn't it therefore listen laying aside malice lay aside deceit lay aside your hypocrisy lay aside envy evil speaking and like babies desire the pure milk of the word we should want that sufficient word by which we grow we should desire we should cultivate within our own heart and mind a desire for the sufficient word of God by which we are to grow up and we've seen haven't we enough babies around this place absolutely and entirely inconsolable until they eat right it's not a strange sight around here they're inconsolable until they get fed it's exactly what Peter is referring to here that baby desiring mother's milk to nourish that they're hungry hungry Peter is saying listen brother sister you be hungry you be hungry desire the pure milk of the word exactly what Peter is referring to here this is the picture that Peter wants to have in our minds knowing that our growth comes through the instrumentality of God's word knowing that Christians desire to grow into his likeness desire to be more like Christ desire to move on to maturity Peter says listen desire it like a hungry baby be inconsolable until you can get it like a baby who isn't satisfied without it doesn't mean continue to be baby like doesn't mean that that baby intends to grow up by the pure milk of the word right you brother you sister grow up by the pure milk of the word if you're not making progress in your Christian life you are failing at this point you're not desiring hungering for and availing yourself of the pure milk of the word by which we grow do you see we are to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God it's to be treasured by us more than our necessary food look at 2nd Peter now 2nd Peter chapter 1 2nd Peter chapter 1 look further at what Peter says regarding the sufficient word of God for the Christian life look at 2nd Peter chapter 1 beginning in verse 2 Peter says here listen grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord now that knowledge of God comes to Christians through the work of His Holy Spirit through the work of the Spirit of God through the illuminating work of the Spirit of God through the means of the sufficient word of God in other words the Spirit of God doesn't grow us doesn't move us on to maturity apart from the means that God has appointed which is His holy and sufficient word do you see it's not by this right I'm a Christian and so I'm just going to sit in a corner I'm going to meditate on the Holy Spirit and I'm going to become a super Christian it's not going to happen the Spirit of God grows His people through the means which God has appointed and that means is His word if you're not taking in His word if you're not submersing yourself in His word you are not going to grow the Holy Spirit of God uses means grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of our Lord and Jesus Jesus our Lord as 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 otherwise by righteousness or by His goodness notice God verse 3 has given us everything that we need pertaining to life and godliness we don't need additional revelation you don't need any more revelation than what you have He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness you don't need charismatic words from the Lord you don't need further revelations through dreams and visions we don't need that we've been given everything that pertains to life and godliness we don't need second blessings we don't need some mystical deeper life experience we don't need tongues we already have all that we need for our sanctification why because God has graciously given it to us God's provision isn't meager do you see it's not scant God is not an ogre who withholds these good things from you and I He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness He's not holding anything back of all that we need He's given it all to us in other words it's sufficient notice all this verse 3 was given to us by His divine power only God can give spiritual life and only God can make formerly dead lost people alive in Christ and godly He is the one who calls us do you see He's the one who calls us by glory and virtue now what is it verse 3 that we've been given well we've been given all things that pertain to life and godliness life spiritual life life that began in justification spiritual life that began when we were saved we were given eternal life and the Christian life that continues now that we have been saved we're given that spiritual life that spiritual vitality that principle of life at work in us and all things that pertain to godliness obedience in other words life and godliness refers to if you think about it that way the entirety of the Christian experience the entirety of the Christian experience everything between justification and glorification everything we need has been given to us all those things which pertain to life and godliness are given to us through the knowledge of Him do you see that all the divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him all of it all of that that is necessary all of that that is given that pertains to life and godliness is mediated through our knowledge of Him that has a two part meaning if you think about it it's a saving knowledge of Him by His Spirit if we are converted the Lord gives us a saving knowledge of Him through His Spirit and it's also a growing knowledge of Him by His Spirit through His Word both meanings are meant here by the Apostle Peter both a saving knowledge and a growing knowledge all that we are given that pertains to life and godliness comes through the knowledge of Him verse 4 by which we then exceedingly great and precious promises where do we find those promises that's right we find those promises in His Word in His sufficient Word some of them all of them that pertain to us God has revealed His promises to us we have exceedingly great and precious promises given to us in His Word in the text He's given us two precious gifts of His grace one all things that pertain to life and godliness two exceedingly great and precious promises the first comes through a knowledge of Him by His Spirit through His sufficient Word the second comes through faith in Him by His Spirit through His sufficient Word do you see one through a knowledge of Him promises the exceedingly great and precious promises we are trusting in Him for those precious promises that pertain to life the second comes through a knowledge of Him by His Spirit one comes through faith in Him by His Spirit both of those through the means of His sufficient Word in both cases His Word is sufficient in the hands of the Holy Spirit to make us partakers of the divine nature look at the end of verse 4 there so that through these you may be partakers that is in the world through lust now you look at verse 4 that may become not referring to some future possibility in other words it's not like it's possible for some Christians and not possible for other Christians it's not referring to a future possibility what Peter is saying is that through the knowledge of Him God gives us everything that pertains to spiritual life and a life of godliness and gives us great and precious promises and it's through these gifts of His grace that believers partake of Him we're no longer partakers of the corruption that comes through lust but sharers now partakers of His divine nature in communion with Him it's an amazing truth isn't it you see how intricately and intimately the Word is connected to that work of God by His Spirit they're inseparable the Word is necessary and the Word is sufficient to accomplish the ends for which God has ordained it it is the sufficient Word of God now when we think about this together then what Peter is saying there are many texts in the Bible that address this what should be our response to these things what should be our response, the response of God's people how should we think about this look at verse 5 so then also for this very reason you understand these things if you apprehend them if you believe them from God's Word for this very reason then giving all diligence not partial diligence not weak effort but give all diligence add to your faith virtue add to virtue knowledge to knowledge self control to self control perseverance to perseverance godliness to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love for if these things are yours and if they abound not just yours but they grow, what means do they grow by the pure milk of the Word in the hands of the Spirit of God if these things are yours and abound you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ most professing Christians simply do not know or do not appreciate the God designed connection between our knowledge of him by his Spirit through a sufficient Word and faith they don't realize the connection between our knowledge of him and holiness they don't appreciate or comprehend or apprehend the connection between our knowledge of him and love joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness self control they don't understand the connection, the God designed connection between our knowledge of him and progress in the Christian life to maturity when we might say that we think that I can understand that there is one but we don't act like it most professing Christians don't see that it appears that way as though we actually need what we need comes through self-help books we'd be more inclined to read a self-help book than we would be to seek a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ through his Word why? because we simply don't believe that there is a connection between what we study in God's Word and the practical affairs of my Christian life and so we divorce theology from practice we divorce theology from life I'd rather have a book telling me how to spank my kids than to read what God says about election in Ephesians 1 and to learn of him from it so that I might be conformed to his image and be a more Christ-like disciplinar of my children we just don't see the connection I don't need to study the Word of God as long as I can have it like playing in the background read in a Max McLean kind of British accent I'm good as long as it's playing I'm fine listen we must be dependent on God's sufficient Word that's Peter's exhortation desire it like a baby the pure milk of the Word there is a connection a God intended a God decreed a God designed connection between our knowledge of him our knowledge of theology what we understand of the Bible and a life of holiness a life of godliness a life of love, joy, peace, patience right? there's a connection to those things the Lord intends through the means of his sufficient Word by his spirit to grow you in maturity the Word lastly I want you to see this turn with me to 2 Timothy 2 Timothy let's look at our text together chapter 3 you and I brothers and sisters must submersed ourselves in God's Word isn't it the joy and delight of the Christian to grow in faith to grow in joy, to grow in love to grow in holiness that's our desire we desire to be more like him a life for us I want to give my life for him we're going to do that we're going to become more like him through the means which God has appointed that is his sufficient Word 2 Timothy 3 look at verse 14 Paul now tells Timothy young pastor Timothy he exhorts him verse 14 you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of Timothy knowing from whom and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped with good work there are three points that I want you to see from this text with respect to the sufficiency of the Scriptures one the Scriptures are sufficient for salvation they're sufficient for salvation look at verse 15 from childhood Timothy you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation the Holy Scriptures are able to make you through faith which is in Christ Jesus in other words the Holy Scriptures the Bible the 66 books of the canon contain all the wisdom that is necessary for salvation you don't need the pearl of great price you don't need writings of Joseph Smith you don't need doctrine and covenants you don't need the catechism of the Catholic Church you don't need the magisterium you don't need papal encyclicals you don't need the writings of men what you need is the word of the living God it is sufficient for salvation the Bible is sufficient to make you wise for salvation through faith no other source of wisdom is necessary it is the Bible and the Bible alone the Bible is the only source of saving truth there is no other source that sufficient word mixed with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in those who hear it empowered by the Spirit of God leads to, produces spiritual life notice with me that the Scriptures themselves do not have the power to save trusting in the Word itself will not give you eternal life it leads to that salvation that comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that's the means that God has appointed the Scriptures are sufficient for salvation notice secondly the Scriptures are sufficient for sanctification look at verse 16 the Scriptures are sufficient for sanctification all Scripture is given by inspiration of God breathed out we looked at the doctrine of inspiration here recently all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God the word profitable here is Ophelia it has the sense of being beneficial being productive being sufficient the word carries the sense of being sufficient to the ends for which it is intended it's profitable in that sense sufficient we see the sufficiency of the Word of God the difference in the text we looked at not long ago Psalm 19 beginning in verse 7 listen to this the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous all together it's sufficient notice it's profitable or sufficient in four areas the first it's profitable or sufficient for teaching here not referring to the method of teaching or the process of teaching it's referring to the content of our teaching doctrine the doctrine that is given to believers through the Word of God is what it's referring to it's referring to the content of our faith the faith that we have been once for all delivered to the wisdom necessary for everything that we believe think, say, and do all of that wisdom is found in his sufficient word is sufficient for all of that wisdom not the Book of Mormon not church councils not other sources the Word of God it is profitable or sufficient next for reproof again this has to do with content for reproof as Paul said to Titus holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine it's the first part both to exhort and convict that's the second part those who contradict this has to do again with reproving or rebuking those who contradict with sound doctrine exposing false theology exposing false doctrine false thinking, false practice false conduct rebuking that which is not in conformity to his sufficient word in other words God's word is a standard it's a benchmark by which we test all that we believe, think, say, or do by which all that we believe say and do is to be measured in other words it is for, profitable for reproof you and I both we are constrained by Scripture to both receive reproof when it comes to us we need to be reprovable approachable, reprovable by the Word of God we as Christians must be willing to reproof we are responsible to reproof from the Bible to rebuke when necessary so so far it's sufficient for teaching and it's sufficient for reproof we are all responsible to sit under its teaching we are all responsible to both give and receive well reproof it is profitable it's sufficient for correction the word for correction here in verse 16 refers to putting something back in order putting something back up that has fallen down putting something back in its proper place it might be that the word reproof corrects or exposes that which is false not in conformity to God's word and then the word of God is used for putting back in place that which has fallen out of order fallen into disorder it's the means through which that which is reproofed is put back in order Galatians chapter 6 verse 1 carries the sense of this Brethren, Paul says even if a man is caught in any trespass you who are spiritual restores such a one in a spirit of gentleness each one looking to yourself lest you too be tempted it's profitable for teaching it's for reproof for correction lastly it is profitable or sufficient for instruction in righteousness the word for instruction here refers to training instruction in righteousness refers to training and training that word paideia in the Greek refers to both correction instruction and discipline that who was the person who was the paedagog in this time period would have had the power of the rod could have disciplined children who didn't learn as they were supposed to have it involves correction instruction and discipline and the sufficient word of God is the means through which we receive that training in righteousness lastly I want you to see the scriptures are sufficient for salvation the scriptures are sufficient for sanctification through teaching reproof and instruction in righteousness and lastly the scriptures are sufficient for service verse 17 verse 17 for the purpose that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work the word of God is sufficient to that end that we may become complete well if we can be complete through this sufficient word of God in the hands of the spirit of God God applying His word to us then what more do we need if I am to be complete through this word then this word is sufficient to make me complete the purpose in verse 17 for the word is that we may be complete we need no other revelation it is sufficient to make us thoroughly equipped for every good work all the demands of righteousness enable to obey God in every way in which He is commanded through the word of God we are given all that we need all that pertains to life and godliness now again as we thought about this with respect to the text in 2 Peter what should our response be then brothers sisters how should we respond to this understanding the next text beginning in verse 1 I charge you therefore that is Paul's way of connecting these two thoughts together when you see a therefore you got to look back and see what it is there for the therefore connects to the text we just talked about knowing these things understanding how profitable and sufficient the word of God is to these ends I charge you therefore God in the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead it has oath like language being used why because it is such a serious admonition we are to take this seriously folks I charge you therefore before God in the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom preach the word be ready in season out of season convince, rebuke exhort with all long suffering why? because the word is sufficient and why verse 3 because the time is going to come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers listen I tell you what to my shame I've listened to sermons this way I'm listening to a sermon being preached and I'm in a mode of being critical like judging don't like the tone of voice there and I didn't like the way he said that when the word of God is being preached and I could be benefited by one statement that would take my life to apply faithfully and I'm sitting back as a critic or an arbiter over God's word being preached listen you're a learner we're to be under submitted to the word of the living God you can hear enough in one statement from the Bible that would give you enough fuel to drive your obedience and faithfulness to him for weeks and months and years of your Christian life right? the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword don't sit back like a critic under the word of God heed the words of the living God to you preach the word convince, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and teaching you can say listen and submit and yield and put faith in with all long suffering and teaching for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine they'll sit back and like a clanging gong or a blasting trumpet right? they don't have any concern for the word of God they won't endure sound doctrine but they're going to sit back with their own desires and say I like that and I don't like that I'm going to believe that but I'm not going to believe that over there we can't treat the word of God like that the word of God is authoritative it's sufficient and we are to believe think, act, do, and say what it says they're going to heap up teachers for themselves that's exactly what's happened in our day right? the world is full of that why do we have? what do you walk into a Christian bookstore a bookstore and 99.99% of the garbage that they're selling on their shelves is just that it's sewage that's what the people want why do you go into mega churches you got 8,000 people on the roll you got 1200 people in attendance and those 1200 people care nothing about the word of God they're there for the music they're there for the pumpkin spice Dunkin Donuts coffee in the lobby we're sitting under the word of God they have itching ears they heap up for themselves teachers that's why the false teachers of this world exist today is because people are scratching and clawing and itching their ears for them that's why they're there they turn away their ears from the truth why? because they're self-willed, they're rebellious they don't want the truth and they're turned aside to fables why? because it's enjoyable to believe a falsehood believe a fable I'm going to be comforted I'm going to be placated, my guilty conscience eased by listening to some fable rather than submitting myself to the truth of God's word which says apart from him I am wretched miserable, poor, blind and naked in need of a savior that message doesn't sell today why? because of this right here this explains it they will turn their ears away from the truth be turned aside to fables but what verse 5 listen you though you be watchful in all things endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist fulfill your ministry the sufficiency of the word of God cries aloud preach it preach it it is sufficient preach the word we don't need to make it relevant the word of God is across generations relevant it doesn't need to be made relevant today I don't have to drum up ways to make the word of God relevant it's relevant to our lives now we don't need worldly wisdom we need God's wisdom we don't need worldly motivation we don't need self-help we need a knowledge of him James says in fact that the wisdom of this world the wisdom of this world does not descend from above the wisdom of this world is earthly sensual demonic James says for where envy and self-seeking exist confusion and every evil thing are there but the wisdom that is from above that which comes down to us from God through his word that which we find is sufficient word is first pure then peaceable gentle willing to yield full of mercy good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy in other words sufficient to make the man of God complete complete complete we simply need to read it study it meditate on it obey it and preach it we need to search the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God it is a glorious blessing to have the words of the living God in our hands you can go online and find a hundred translations of the Bible in a matter of seconds that will be to some their everlasting shame to others it's a joy look at the blessings that God has given us in his word absolutely amazing one of the clearest testimonies in the Bible to the sufficiency of scripture is found in the words of the rich man in hell in Luke chapter 16 there's the story of the rich man and Lazarus Lazarus was a poor beggar that sat outside the rich man's gate begged has the sort of presumption in the story that Lazarus was disregarded by the rich man the dogs licked his sores well both the rich man and Lazarus die Lazarus is found in the tomb of Abraham and the rich man is in torment in hell rich man says this in Luke chapter 16 verse 27 he says I beg you therefore father talking to Abraham that you would send Lazarus to my father's house I have five brothers send him that he may testify to them lest they also come to this place of torment so Abraham said to the rich man they have Moses and the prophets let them hear them and he said no father Abraham but if one goes to them from the dead they will repent but he said to him this is the testimony of the hard hearted nature of fallen man it is an eternal testimony to the stiff-necked rebellion of fallen sinful children of the devil if they do not hear Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead in other words Moses and the prophets the Old Testament scriptures are sufficient it is a testimony of the sufficiency of the scriptures and a testimony that if they are not going to heed the scriptures they won't heed anything even if you were to send to them one who was raised from the dead there has been one raised from the dead amen hear him God at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets but in these last days has spoken to us in his son heed him we have his word in our hands it is sufficient it has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness will you heed it will you desire it like pure milk will it be to you of more value of greater treasure than your necessary food or will you perish because you did not receive a love of the truth that we saved all praise honoring glory to him who has given of himself through his inspired and sufficient word let's take a few moments now and I want us to pray consider your relationship to God through his word and consider this morning if the Lord needs to work in your heart through his word preached to save your soul if you have put your faith in Christ and consider your relationship to God's word do you desire it and how will you apply this truth to your life to live more faithfully for him let's pray together