Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. I want you to take God's word. The Bible.
And I want you to find 1 Peter chapter 1. And I'm going to begin reading in verse 22. First Peter chapter one. We began in just a moment. In verse 22.
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit. unto unfeigned love of the brethren, See that you love one another with a pure heart. fervently. Being born again. Not of corruptible seed.
But of incorruptible By the word of God. Which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass. And the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass withereth.
and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word. By which the gospel is preached unto you. And then going right on into chapter 2, wherefore?
Laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies. and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word. that you may grow. Thereby There has not been a man who has been called into the ministry. But what feels inadequate And when others hear that he has been called, they think him.
Unworthy. I can remember. Being in my bedroom with the window open when my dad and another man set. on our patio, and my dad told that man, a man that I respected and admired very much. That Adrian Wants to be a preacher.
A minister. I can remember that man saying as though it were yesterday, he'll never do it. He'll never do it. He won't make it.
Well I want to tell you. Had not the Lord God Put it into my heart. That would have greatly discouraged me. But I thank God that there was a voice that told me that God had called me and I would, by His grace, be adequate. I found the other day something.
That's very interesting. It's an imaginary story. It's about a Personnel management A management consultant dealing with personnel. And it imagines that Jesus might have gone to this consulting firm. To ask this consulting firm what they thought about the 12 that he had chosen.
to be his disciples and his apostles. It's quite interesting. I want to share it with you. And I'm going to read it. It's a letter to Jesus.
Son of Joseph Woodcrafter's Carpenter Shop, Nazareth. 25992. Jordan Management Consultants. Jerusalem. 26544.
Dear Sir. Thank you for submitting the resumes of the 12 men you have picked for management positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests. And we have not only run the results through our computer. But also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist.
and Vocational Aptitude Consultant. The profiles of all tests are included. And you will want to study each one of them carefully.
Now, they're writing to Jesus and telling him about picking his disciples. As a part of our service and for your guidance, we will make some general comments. Much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation and comes without any additional fee. It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background.
Education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you're undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability. Simon Peter is emotionally unstable. and given to fits of temper.
Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. placed personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas Demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. And we feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau.
You remember he was a tax collector, folks. James the son of Alpheus and Thaddeus definitely have radical leanings. And they have both registered a high score on the manic depressive scale. But now listen to this. Of all the candidates, however, one shows great potential.
He is a man of ability and resourcefulness. He meets people well. He has a keen business mind and contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot.
As your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are are self-explanatory. We wish you every success in your new venture. Sincerely yours. Jordan Management Consultants.
Well, that just goes to show us, folks. That God chooses things that the world calls Not worth much. You see your calling, brethren. How that not many mighty. Not many noble are called.
But you know. God can take a man. Cleanse that man. Feel that man. Put God's word in that man.
and use that man if he will be a man of the word.
Now I want to take our scripture tonight. And I want to just leave three thoughts in your heart about the ministry of the Word of God. What would you do? And what should you do if you want to be a minister of the Word of God? And you don't have to be an ordained minister.
Be a minister of the word of God. It's a message to every man and woman that names the name of Jesus. Number one, You must receive the Word of God personally into your life. Let me tell you what the Word of God will do for you. First of all, Folks, you are literally conceived by the Word of God.
Just as a baby is conceived in its mother's womb, You are conceived. By the Word of God. The word of God is a seed. That comes into you. And produces life.
Look in verse 23. Being born again. Not of corruptible seed. But of incorruptible By the Word of God. Friend?
In order to see heaven, In order to have spiritual life, You must have a new birth. And in order to have that new birth, you must receive the Word of God. There's no way possible that anybody can be saved. apart from the Word of God. The entrance of thy word gives light.
This word is life. James 1 verse 18 says, Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth. Friend, we're conceived by this word. It was the truth of this word that entered into me. And new life began in me.
And I was born again. But not only are we conceived by the Word of God, Folks, we're cleansed by the Word of God. Look in verse 22. Seeing you have purified your souls. And obeying the truth.
through the Spirit unto unfeigned love. This word of God will wash you and cleanse you. That's the reason it is so important that day by day that we let the word of God dwell in us richly. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word? You have purified your souls by obeying the truth.
There's no way possible, friend, that you will live a victorious life without staying in the Bible, the word of God. But I want to say thirdly, not only are you conceived by the word and cleansed by the word, but you're also completed by the word of God. You're made strong by the word of God. Notice in verse 2 of chapter 2. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.
God wants you to be mature. This word will be to your spiritual life. What milk is to a newborn baby. You know, suppose you were to come to me. And you were to say to me, You know, Pastor, I just don't feel good.
I can hardly get out of bed. I can hardly move across the room. My knees feel like rubber. I have palpitations around the heart. I've got a A headache.
My muscles are weak. I can hardly get my breath. Boy, you're in bad shape. Yes, I really am. I'm just so weak.
I said, well, maybe it's something you ate. No, I don't eat anything. Yeah. You don't eat anything? No, I just don't eat.
I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm so weak. I'd say, well, look, it's simple what's wrong with you. You starved. You need to take some nourishment.
People say, you know, I just don't understand why I'm so weak in my Christian life. I just don't understand why I don't have any strength. I don't understand why other Christians seem to be so strong and I'm so weak. It's because you're not feeding on the Word of God. Listen, you are made strong by the Word of God as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word.
I've been around enough newborn babes to know one thing, folks. They're interested in one thing, and it's M-I-L-K. Not one of them has sent out an order to have the wallpaper changed. They don't give a hoot about that. They are born.
With a craving for milk. A suckling instinct. And that's the way it is to be with you. You're to be like a newborn babe to crave the word of God. And so, If you would be a minister of the word, first of all, you must receive the word, but secondly, Not only must you receive the word, you ought to respect the word.
Look again, beginning in verse 22: seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. See that you love one another with a pure heart fervently, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and the glory of man is the flower of grass, the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. I want to say several things about this Bible.
as you respect it. I want you to respect the inerrancy of the Word of God. Verse 22 calls it the truth. seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth. Verse 23 calls it.
The word of God. There's no need to argue about it. No quibble about it. If it's the word of God, And God is a God of truth. then it can't have error in it.
Our God of truth cannot inspire error. It is the product of the Spirit of God. It is thereby totally infallible because God is infallible. Charles Haddon Spurgeon. The greatest Baptist preacher who ever lived said this.
The turning point of the battle between those who hold the faith once delivered to the saints. And their opponents lie in the true and real inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. If we have in the Word of God no infallible standard of truth, We are at sea without a compass. and no danger from rough weather without. can be equal.
to the loss within. Jay Sidlo Baxter was correct in my estimation when he said, and I'm quoting him directly now. The biggest division between Christians is no longer between one denomination and another. But between those who accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God. and those who do not.
People are lining up, folks, either for the word Are against the word. Lewis Chafer. Wrote this: The Bible is not such a book as man would write if he could. because it condemns him. Yeah.
could write if he would. Because it surpasses him. Thank God for the inerrancy of the Bible. But not only should you respect its inerrancy, But if you respect its inerrancy, then you have to respect its authority. Because it is.
The word of God. Now when we were little kids My brother, my sister would say, Adrian, go do this or go do that. And I would lip off at them and I'd say, says who? And every now and then they'd say, Daddy says so, and I'd say, Okay. Daddy says so.
Says who? You see, when the Bible speaks, God speaks. A while back I had the joy of spending Several hours with Dr. Billy Graham in his home in Monterey, North Carolina. And we sat before fire and talked and it was one of the most enjoyable times that I've spent.
We had a cup of coffee. And I asked him to tell me again. About that time in his life. When he got this matter settled about the Word of God. Billy Graham told me how he, as a youngster, had heard all of the machinations and all of the protestations of the liberal theologians, and he was being bombarded on every side.
He said, I went alone in the mountains to get it settled. I took my Bible. I read it over and over and over again. I went out there and I prayed to God. Finally, I knew I had to make a decision.
And I said, Lord God. I have preached this Bible already enough to see its mighty effect, its power in the lives of men. I may not understand everything, I may not be able to answer all of the arguments. But God, I believe that book. Is your word.
And I'm going to preach it that way. And I believe if there's been any secret to the ministry of Billy Graham, I know he's made mistakes, I've made them, you've made them, we've all made them. But God has honored one thing. Billy has a way of preaching and saying, the Bible says. The Bible says, oh friend, the inerrancy of the Word of God leads to the authority of the Word of God.
But I want you to think not only of its inerrancy. And not only of its authority, but I want you to think of its vitality. Look again, if you will, in verse 23, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God. which liveth This book is alive. You read other books.
But this book reads you. This Bible pulsates with life. Jesus said, The words that I speak unto you. They are spirit. And they are life.
Hebrews 4:12 says, The word of God is quick and powerful. That literally means it's alive. It is Zoan in Erges. It is quick, it is powerful. Because it's alive, it has power.
Friend, I know this Bible has power. I've preached it long enough to see the power of God. I've had folks come to listen to me. And they wonder, who is this guy? Where'd he come from?
He's another one of those religious flim flam artists. I've watched them. They sit there and look out under their eyebrows as if to say, What's his angle? You know, we've been lied to and gypped and conned and maneuvered and been phlegm-flammed and pushed around so much that all of us have a built-in sales resistance, don't we? But I've watched, dear friend.
As I have taken the word of God. Sunday After Sunday, After Sunday, After Sunday, and preach that word. Do you know what the Bible says about the word of God? Is not my word? Like a hammer.
that breaketh The rock. in pieces. You can take the hardest rock. and a sledgehammer. and just begin to tap.
I don't know. It'll break. By the way, which tap breaks it? The last one or all of them. Think about it tonight in your sleep.
All right. You just keep tapping, and the hardest rock will break. It's not my word, like a hammer. That breaketh the rock in pieces. Why?
Because, folks, there is power in the Word of God. You'll never tell me there's not power in the Word of God. I've preached it so long, I know there's power in the Word of God. Friend, I have seen it change lives. I'm not talking about preachers' little silly outlines and illustrations and all of that.
I am talking about this Word of God because of its inerrancy. And because of its authority and because of its vitality. But I want to speak not only about those things, dear friend, I want you to think about its eternity. Look in verses 23 and following. Verse 23 says, the word of God lives and watch it.
It abides forever. Look in verse 25. The word of the Lord. endures forever. The Bible cannot fade.
It cannot decay. It is timeless truth. It was here before you got here. It will be here when you're gone. There was a Roman emperor whose name was Diocletian.
He hated the word of God. He called in all copies of the Word of God that there were, burned them, and erected a monument, and he said this. The name Christian is now extinguished. Diocletian is gone, friend. I'm preaching the word of God tonight.
The Bible is always being attacked. Almost every week, you'll read something in some secular magazine or newspaper about why the Bible is wrong. You have the cults who twist the Bible. You have the liberals who water the Bible down. You have the humanists.
Who ignore the Bible. You have so-called Christians, many of them, who claim to love it, but they don't study it. There's enough dust on some Bibles to write damnation with your fingertips. These hath God married, and no man shall part dust on the Bible and drought in the heart. But in spite of all of that, In spite of all of that, dear friend, the Bible goes on endless, timeless, dateless, measureless.
Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Don't be afraid of the enemies of the Bible. They'll not destroy the Bible. Years ago, I read a story of a man who was commissioned. to build a wall.
Four feet high. That could not be destroyed.
So he said, all right, very well. He said, I'll build it four feet high and five feet wide. He said, if they had knock it over, it'll be taller than it was before they knocked it over. And that's the way the Bible is, dear friend. People come against the Bible, but the Word of God lives and abides forever.
It's timeless, ultimate, indestructible, infallible, and eternal.
Now one last thing I want to say. Not only must we receive the Bible, we are conceived by it, we're cleansed by it, we're completed by it. Not only must we respect the Bible. But, oh, ladies and gentlemen, we need to go that third step. And we need to release the Bible.
We need to preach the Bible. Look in verse 25. But the word of the Lord endureth forever, and this is the word. By which the gospel is preached. On to you.
How should we preach it? And how should we release the Word of God?
Well, we need to release it faithfully. Faithfully. I've tried to be faithful to the Bible. I've had faults, and God knows I have many of them, and I hate them. But I believe if you would have followed my ministry, You'd say he's been a man of the Bible.
Folks, I believed it when I began. And I believe it more now. I'm not finding hidden flaws. I'm finding hidden beauties. It's an amazing book.
And the more I study it, the greater respect I have for the Word of God. And I'm going to be faithful to the Word of God. And I'll tell you: if there ever comes a time in my life when I don't believe the Bible is the Word of God. I'm going to be honest enough. To resign and get out of the ministry.
Than rather than stand behind the sacred desk and prostitute the ministry. Preach it faithfully. Do you know why I preach the Word of God? Two reasons. Reason number one, I am not smart enough to preach anything else.
Oh, I'm not the dumbest guy in the world either. God's given me a fair mind. I could study hard. And I could make some good speeches. I could give a few orations.
I could talk on current events. I could give some moralistic book reviews. But after a while I'd run out of gas. I preach about six times a week. Every week and sometimes more than that.
You know why I preach the Bible? I'm not smart enough to preach anything else. Folks, I've got to have something to draw from. I've got to have some truth. I've got to have something behind me.
I've got to have a well to dig out of. If I didn't have the Bible, after a while, you'd get sick and tired of listening to me or anybody else for that matter. I don't care who. You'd be climbing the walls wanting to get out. But you don't get sick and tired of the Word of God.
One of the reasons that I preach the Bible is, folks. I'm not smart enough to preach anything else. I'll tell you the second reason. I'm too smart to preach anything else. My mama didn't raise a fool.
Hey, folks. Why preach anything else when you've got this? Sweeter than the honeycomb. All this is The word, Bibirch, the gospel is preached unto you. We are to preach it faithfully.
We are to preach it fully. I try to preach the whole counsel of God. I try to preach from the Old Testament and the New Testament. I try to preach on doctrine and practical living. I try to preach on prophecy and praise.
I try to give a balanced diet from the Word of God. And I want to say with the Apostle Paul, I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God. Friend, release it. faithfully. Release it.
Fully. and release it freely. Just give it out. is like sowing seed. As newborn babes.
Desire it. But as men of God. Share it. and preach it. and proclaim it.
Those early Christians argued very little about it. They lived it, loved it, stored it in their hearts, poured it out as white-hot lava. Everywhere they went they went scattering precious seed. Men of God. Be men of the book.
And God will bless your ministry. I want to ask those of you tonight. Who may not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? If you'd like to know him as your personal Savior, I want to help you to know him. I want to tell you tonight how you can know that you know.
that your sin is forgiven. How you can know beyond any shadow of a doubt if you died, you'd go straight to heaven. How you can have God in your heart. And it is by trusting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, He is the Son of God. He died on the cross for your sins.
He was buried. He was raised again the third day by the power of God. He is shown to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. And the Bible says, if thou shalt. Confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. To be saved means that every sin is forgiven. that Christ lives in your heart. And when you die. You'll go to heaven.
You would pray a prayer like this, Lord Jesus. I need you. I want you. I open my heart. I receive you as my Lord and Savior.
Come into my heart. Forgive my sin and save me. I promise you, He will save you if you ask Him and trust Him to do so. Father, I pray that many in this place tonight. will say yes to Christ and be saved.
In His name I pray. Amen. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.
