Pastor's Note - June 23 
Sunday’s sermon was about the reliability and trustworthiness of Scripture. There are countless arguments against the validity of the Bible – more than we had time to address on Sunday. (And if there are other arguments that you are wrestling with and want to talk about, let me know!) No argument has ultimately succeeded to discredit Scripture. But it must be noted that in the end, whether or not we will believe and trust God’s Word is a matter of faith. If we believe in Scripture, we will find that no argument ultimately prevails against it, as Scripture repeatedly holds up to the highest levels of historical, scientific, and philosophical critiques. However, if we do not believe in Scripture, we will find that no argument in its favor will ultimately be convincing. This is consistent with what Jesus Himself says in Luke 16:31; “He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” In other words, if someone refuses to believe in the word God sends, then not even the proof of literal resurrection will be convincing. There is no argument that can compel, if Scripture itself doesn’t. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Scripture does compel. And God uses His Word to draw people to life in Him. As 1 Peter 1:23 says; “you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…” This is the real reason we keep going back to Scripture. Not just because it’s true. There are many true things in this world that, though they are perfectly true, are not the subject of our focus on Sundays. We keep going back to Scripture because it is God’s speech to us, and His speech gives life. This salvation of sinners is its ultimate proof.