Where Truth Can Be Found
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Jesus establishes the absolute and eternal source of Truth as the revealed Word of God.
Text: Luke 16:27-31
Date: 08/11/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 160
Description:
Jesus concludes His parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man with one of the most important principles for the church in any age-- but particularly in the confusing array of false and half-truths that plague Evangelicalism today. And that is the principle of where TRUTH can be definitively found. When Abraham tells the rich man that his torment in Hell is final and irreversible, "Dives" begs him to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers. Abraham's response is simple yet profound and deeply signifiant to the church-- truth can be found in God's revealed Word. But like so many today, Dives contradicts Abraham and claims that sensational, experiential revelation is what they need in order to believe. But Abraham shares the sad reality-- if truth cannot be found in the revealed Word of God, it will not be found at all! What was true for the rich man and his brothers is true for the church today-- we need to repent and turn to the place truth can actually be found-- the Word of God as revealed in His Holy Scriptures.
View:
Options:
I. Introduction, John 18:37,38.
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 16:27-31.
A. Context
1. The extended context.
2. The immediate context.
B. Discovering the Sufficiency of Scripture.
1. Dives' second cry for mercy, vs. 27a.
a. The issue of mercy, Luke 16:24.
i. Banking on his Jewish heritage.
1) The fallacy of Judaism, John 8:38; Phil. 3:5,6.
2) Presuming Dives' external religion.
ii. Asking for mercy.
1) The significance of mercy.
2) Jesus' teachings on mercy, Matt. 18:33-35, 5:7; Luke 6:36, 16:11,12.
3) Keeping our perspective.
b. The second request for mercy, Mark 7:26.
2. Dives' second request, vs. 27b-28.
a. Looking at the words.
i. The house of five brothers.
ii. A very selective compassion, Luke 6:32.
iii. The intensity of "warn".
iv. Revisiting "torment".
b. Shifting blame, Luke 11:29.
3. Abraham's profound response, vs. 29.
a. The sufficiency of Scripture.
i. Identifying the Scriptures, Luke 16:16; Rom. 3:2; Heb. 1:1.
ii. The sequence of revelation.
1) The Prophetic Word.
2) The Living Word, John 1:1.
3) The Spoken Word, John 8:8.
4) The Revealed Word, John 14:26; Luke 24:7.
5) The Written Word, 2Pet. 1:21.
iii. All that is needed for faith and practice.
1) God's Word is Sufficient, Num. 14:18; Zech. 7:10.
2) God's Word is Clear, Lev. 11:44; Ezek. 16:49.
3) God's Word is Authoritative, 2Sam. 7:5; Deut. 18:20.
4) God's Word is Necessary, Isa. 34:16.
b. The Gospel in the Old Testament.
i. Realizing the need for atonement.
1) The holiness of God, Ex. 15:11,20:3-5; Psa. 97:2,6.
2) The sinfulness of man, Psa. 14:2,3.
3) The reason the Law condemns, Luke 18:21; Matt. 5:22, 22:37-40.
ii. Realizing the solution.
1) Realizing what the Scripture taught about God, Neh. 9:17; Joel 2:13; Ex. 34:7; Psa. 32:5, 18:25,26.
2) Realizing the need for repentance, Prov. 1:23; 2Chr. 7:14.
3) Realizing the need for faith, Gen. 15:6; Hab. 2:4; Isa. 26:2, 43:10.
4) Realizing the need for substitutionary sacrifice, Gen. 3:21; Lev. 16:15,34, 17:11.
5) Realizing the coming Messiah, Isa. 28:16, 53:4-6; Heb. 10:4.
4. Dives' request for sensational, experiential revelation, vs. 30.
a. Looking at the words.
b. A profound principle.
i. Looking for sensational revelation.
1) Trouble for unbelievers.
2) Trouble for the church.
ii. The sufficiency of Scripture.
5. Abraham's sad truth, vs. 31, John 12:10; Matt. 28:13-15.
III. Application
IV. Conclusion
