A.There are many reasons given by men for their belief that the Bible is not relevant to them.
1.Some say the Bible is too old to address the modern issues of our day.
2.Some say the Bible was not intended for them in the first place.
3.Some say that the Bible can be made relevant only if it is subject to revisions and amendments by churches and men to bring it into our modern times.
4.Some say that the Bible never was relevant because it was written by men.
B.What does the Bible say about its relevance in our age?
1.2Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is “inspired by God” (literally “God breathed”).
2.Hebrews 4:12 – The word of God is living and active.
3.1Peter 1:23-25 – The word of God abides forever.
4.Therefore, the Bible claims to be authored by God, written for mankind, and eternally alive.This means that the Bible is as relevant to man today as it was when it was first completed.
II.WHY DOES THE BIBLE SEEM IRRELEVANT TO SOME PEOPLE?
A.The motivation of those who dispute the Bible’s relevance is not a genuine belief that the Bible’s message does not apply to them.Rather, it is an attempt to justify themselves when they fail to comply with the Bible message.
B.Such persons choose to discount the word of God simply because they do not want to accept what it reveals about them and what it requires of them.
1.These are similar to Jehoiakim, who reacted to God’s negative message about him by destroying the scroll upon which it was written (Jer. 36).
a.The word of God through Jeremiah was intended to provoke the people so that they might turn from their evil ways and be spared from the wrath of God (vv. 5-7).
b.However, when Jehoiakim heard the word of God, he cut it into pieces and threw it into a fire because he was displeased with its message (vv. 21-23).Rather than changing his ways, the king did not consider the words of Jeremiah to be relevant to him, and he had no fear (v. 24).
c.Notice that Jehoiakim’s disregard for God’s word did not affect its relevance.Even though he destroyed the scroll and had no qualms about its message, the message was still true and relevant as he would soon learn the hard way (vv. 27-32).
d.Jehoiakim was much like people today who blame the message of the Bible and its preachers rather than accept the truth about themselves.
2.They are also like Herod, who thought he could escape the truth by silencing John the baptist (Matt. 14:3-12).
a.John had told Herod that it was unlawful for him to have Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip (vv. 3-4).
b.Therefore, Herod had John imprisoned and spared John’s life only because he feared the Jews (v. 5).John was eventually beheaded when Herodias took advantage of Herod’s foolish oath and arranged for the execution (vv. 6-12).
c.Like Jehoiakim, Herod’s disregard for the truth of God did not make the message irrelevant.Even after John was silenced, the truth of Herod’s unlawful relationship remained.
d.In Herod, we see a similar situation to those today who live in unlawful marriages.These declare that the Bible’s truth about divorce and remarriage is not relevant to them.Although they do not want to hear and refuse to listen, the truth about their sin remains.
C.Others accept that the message of the Bible is true, but they consider it to relevant only in the past or in the future.By this reasoning, they justify their present disobedience.
1.Those who consider the Bible to be relevant only to the past reason that it is impractical for our modern world.
a.These are like the Pharisees who considered the Old Testament to be relevant only as an ancient foundation for their modern traditions (Matt. 15:1-9).
i.The Pharisees criticized Jesus because His disciples transgressed the tradition of the elders, not the law of God.
ii.Jesus exposed their hypocrisy when he showed that the Pharisees invalided God’s law for the sake of their traditions.To them, it was their modern traditions that were relevant, not the ancient law of God.
b.Today, many denominations approach the Bible in the same way.They replace the ancient traditions handed down in the inspired word of God with their own modern traditions.They recognize a difference between their contemporary practices and the practices of the New Testament church, but they consider the ancient pattern to be irrelevant today.
2.Others decide that the Bible is not relevant to them now, although they intend to obey its message later.
a.Like Felix (Acts 24:24-27), they will delay their obedience to the gospel for a “more convenient” time in the future.
b.The truth is that if the Bible will be relevant to an individual in the future, then it is also relevant today, for its message does not change.“Today is the day of salvation” (2Cor. 6:2).
III.HAS ANYTHING CHANGED?
A.If the Bible is now irrelevant to mankind, then something must have changed that rendered it so.Let us consider what may have changed to make the Bible impractical today.
1.If the Bible is now irrelevant, at what point in history did God declare that it no longer applied to man (1Pet. 1:22-25; Heb. 4:12)?
2.Has God changed His mind after having decided upon the gospel plan of salvation before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:3-4; 3:11)?
3.Does man no longer have need of salvation (Rom. 3:23)?
4.Has man found another means for salvation (Acts 4:12)?
5.Does the Bible fail to address our modern concerns?
a.Business practices (Eph. 6:5-9)
b.Sexual immorality (1Thess. 4:3-8)
c.Drug and alcohol abuse (Rom. 13:11-14; 1Pet. 4:3)
d.Marital relations (Eph. 5:22-25)
e.Child-rearing (Eph. 6:1-3)
f.Entertainment (Phil. 4:8-9)
B.The obvious answers to these questions are that God has not changed, His word has not changed, and man’s need for salvation has not changed.God’s word still addresses every need of man.
1.Just as Solomon wrote, “That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done.So there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9).
2.Therefore, the Bible remains relevant to man today just as it always has been.
IV.WE NEED THE BIBLE TODAY
A.The Bible was revealed and written for our benefit.It is not the oppressive burden that some consider it to be.
1.In the each of the examples cited above (Jehoiakim, Herod, the Pharisees, Felix), those persons who heard the word of God would have profited greatly if they had accepted the message and embraced its advice.Instead, they rejected God’s gracious appeal as irrelevant to them and followed their own foolish ways.
2.Today, if we view God’s word as a restrictive law rather than a gracious liberty, then we forfeit all of His benefits in order to satisfy our own desires and appetites.
B.Man cannot find his own way to that which is truly best for him.
1.He needs guidance from the omniscient God, and that guidance is found in the Bible.
2.“I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23).
C.Not only is the Bible relevant today, but it is also absolutely necessary for every soul.Have you obeyed its message?
