WHY IS DOCTRINE IMPORTANT? (2 of 2)
Unchanging Faith ❧ Part 2
Selected Passages ❧ Pastor, Dr. John Denney
Last week we launched a new series of messages I’m calling: Unchanging Faith: What Every Believer Should Know and Why It Matters. This is really a series about Bible doctrine and its importance to our lives. Doctrine simply means teaching. Bible doctrine means looking at what the whole of God’s Word teaches on a given topic. The moment some people hear you’re going to teach on Bible doctrine they immediately think, “Now that’s going to boring series if I ever heard one.” For a lot of folks, the moment they hear Bible doctrine is going to be the topic, immediately words like irrelevant, impractical, or dull fill their thoughts. Their interest flatlines.
While I was in graduate school, I had the opportunity to set under the teaching of a renown Hebrew scholar and author Dr. Ronald Allen. He was a popular conference speaker and was often asked to speak in various churches. Many did not know that when he gave a message, he would read directly from his Hebrew Bible. The book he most often taught was Psalms. Once when a church asked him to fill the pulpit for a number of weeks, they asked from what book of the Bible he was going to teach. He told them Psalms. The leaders immediately shared worried looks with each other. Not wanting to be rude, they hesitantly shared with him that they were concerned if he spoke on Psalms people would be bored stiff. In response, he just quietly smiled and waited until Sunday. What they expected was a series of dry academic lectures from a stodgy old seminary professor. But that was hardly what they got! They sat on the edge of their seats for every message! The truth is Bible doctrine is exciting! If it’s boring, it’s not because it itself is boring, but the speaker is!
This morning we’re going to look at 4 Benefits of Understanding Bible Doctrine.
- It anchors our faith in Christ. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls (Hebrews 6:19, NLT). When a ship faces a harsh and threatening storm, it depends on its anchor to keep it stable, protecting it from being tossed about in the sea. In the same way, God’s Word is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. For thousands of years the symbol of the anchor has been an icon of the solid hope we are to have in God’s promises. If you explore the catacombs of the early Church in Rome, you’ll see anchors etched on the walls as visible reminders of their faith. The anchor symbolized for them deep and rich biblical doctrines such as Christology (Who is Jesus), Soteriology (How are we saved), Bibliology (What is God’s Word) and so on. They are a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. They provide you an inward confidence and assurance despite the howling winds and crashing waves around you.
Show me someone who says they’re a follower of Christ, but their lives are being torn apart by life’s storms, and I’ll show you someone who is still holding on to “anchors” other than God’s Word. Their lives are like a pinball being randomly bounced back and forth in a pinball machine. Their knowledge of the Bible is trivial. Like the lady who came up to the famous pastor Joseph Parker at the end of the service. “You do throw such wonderful light on the Bible, Doctor,” she said. “Do you know that until this morning, I had always thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were man and wife?”
The Bible has a term for this. It’s called immaturity. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching (doctrine). We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ(Ephesians 4:14-15, NLT). Paul is saying there are going to be a lot of folks peddling new doctrines, new anchors if you will, that are going to look and sound genuine. They’re going to promise to make you confident and secure. But in fact they won’t because in reality they’re only “knock off” anchors. They promise stability but only deliver greater instability. Your knowledge of the Bible and your confidence in Christ go hand in hand. The more you come to know who Jesus Christ is in the Bible, the stronger your personal faith and confidence will grow. There is no such thing as instant maturity. No formula that will put you on the fast track. It takes time and investment to make God’s Word your anchor. The first benefit of Bible doctrine is it anchors our faith in Christ.
- It protects us from living in fear and superstition. God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! (Psalm 46:1-3, NLT). Let me give you an example of this. Not long ago my wife and I made a long car trip to Nevada. On the way back she read the book of Revelation aloud. Revelation emphasizes the biblical doctrine of eschatology – the study of prophecy. From time to time she would pause, and we would discuss what she’d just read. When we came to Revelation 14, it says an angel said with a loud voice: If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God(Rev. 14:9-10a). With the rapidly advancing technology of AI, microchip implants, bar codes, and so on, many are needlessly living in fear of accidentally receiving the mark of the beast. The Bible is clear no one will take the mark of the beast unknowingly. They will know. Why? The mark is more than physical. It is spiritual as well. It is a symbol of a full-on allegiance with Satan. A second benefit to understanding doctrine is it protects us from living in fear and superstition. This goes hand in hand with the third truth: Understanding Bile doctrine gives us confidence that we’re handling God’s Word correctly.
- It gives us confidence that we’re handling God’s Word correctly. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth(2 Timothy 2:15). The word accurately means to guide a long a straight path. When we take the time to carefully study God’s Word in its various doctrines, it clarifies what we believe and ensures we know what we’re talking about when we share it with others. We can be sure we’re staying on the straight path.
Through the years of studying and teaching the Bible, there have been times when I have found myself confronted by someone who tells me I have it all wrong; I’m totally off course when it comes to some doctrine or other. Typically I listen, wanting to understand where they are coming from (2 Tim. 2:24-26). Sometimes they are incredibly persuasive. Their passion for the topic and their knowledge is impressive. My response is two-fold. One, I want to personally remain teachable. There is so much I don’t know and want to still learn. But most importantly, I want to make sure I’m handing God’s Word accurately. Second, I go back to the Word and reexamine what it says deepening my own understanding. When I do, my own confidence deepens, and my faith is strengthened. Be teachable, but don’t veer to the left or the right. Stay on the straight path! There are those who’ve I’ve listened to that I can’t and won’t buy into how they are handling God’s Word. I’m reminded of a satirical poem called: Young Pastor Bate “You’re just out of date,” said young pastor Bate to one of our faithful old preachers who had carried for years in travail and tears the gospel to poor sinful creatures. “You still preach on Hades, and shock cultured ladies “With your barbarous doctrine of blood! “You’re so far behind you will never catch up— “You’re a flat tire stuck in the mud!” For some little while, a bit of a smile enlightened the old preacher’s face. Being made the butt of ridicule’s cut did not ruffle his sweetness and grace. Then he returned to young Bate, so suave and sedate. “Catch up, did my ears hear you say’ “Why, I couldn’t succeed if I doubled my speed, “My friend, I’m not going your way!” Third, the benefit if understanding Bible doctrine gives us confidence we’re handling God’s Word correctly.
- It equips us to fulfill God’s will. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). This is the most important benefit and reason we need to understand Bible doctrine. It equips us to obey Jesus’ command to know for ourselves and to teach other believers to observe all that He commanded us. Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you means the whole Bible, Old Testament and New Testament. Jesus is the Word of God incarnate (John 1:1). His title in Revelation is The Word of God (Rev. 19:13). He is the key to knowing and doing God’s will. I don’t think there is a greater sense of satisfaction life can offer then to know you aimed the course of your life to fulfill God’s will. To know God is to love God. To know God is to hunger all the more for Him.
If you were to look at the door post of the entry of our home, you’d see a small rectangular shaped fixture called a Mezuzah (“Doorpost” in Hebrew). Rolled up inside of the Mezuzah is a quote from Deuteronomy 6. It is often referred to as the “Shema” which is the Hebrew command for “hear,” or “listen.” Shema means to “listen with the intent to obey.” Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). Parents were commanded to diligently teach their children God’s Word so their children could understand and obey it. Then, when they are adults, they were to do the same for their children.
We took teaching God’s Word to our children serious as parents. It was central to our home. But we also understood doctrine is caught more than it is taught. We prayed our own personal love for the Lord would ignite a love for God in them as well. From the time our girls were very young I used to take them to the college where I taught. On our drive to and from the school, we would have conversations about God that completely impressed me with their dept of understanding and knowledge. It’s how you live that demonstrates whether you really believe it or not. English poet Matthew Prior said, Live to explain thy doctrine by thy life. And we had some great help from others along the way. Our children’s ministries and Awana were a big part of their learning as well. One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is equip them to fulfill God’s will for their lives by helping them to understand and obey God’s Word. But it begins with the home. Sunday School, Awana, Church, as good as they may be, there is no substitute for the home.
But my desire to equip others to know God’s will didn’t begin and end with our home. As a pastor one of my greatest joys is to see others get excited about living out God’s will for their lives. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth (3 John 4).
The drive behind these messages on Bible doctrine is that your own excitement and understanding of God’s Word and will grow and grow and grow!