Psalm 119:17-??

Order of Service

• Prayer of Invocation
• Sermon
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Attributes of Scripture

Scripture: Psalm 119:33-40

I. Introduction: The Attributes of Scripture

A. Just as God has attributes that describe His character and nature, Scripture has attributes that describe its character and nature B. The psalmist in Psalm 119:33-40 illustrates these attributes through personal prayer

1. Multiple terms used for God's word: statutes, law, commandments, testimonies, rules, precepts
2. The whole person is addressed — mind, heart, eyes, and way of life
3. Scripture is intensely personal — the psalmist pleads for it as a living necessity C. Acronym used: CANS — Clarity, Authority, Necessity, Sufficiency

II. The Clarity of Scripture

A. Definition (Kevin DeYoung): Ordinary people using ordinary means can accurately understand enough of what must be known, believed, and observed for them to be faithful Christians B. Clarity does not mean every passage is equally easy to understand

1. 2 Peter 3:16 — Peter acknowledges some of Paul's writings are hard to understand
2. Objectively, Scripture is clear for its intended purpose C. What must be known, believed, and observed for salvation is made plain

III. The Authority of Scripture

A. Scripture's authority is rooted in its divine authorship — it is God's word, not man's word B. 2 Peter 1:20-21 — No prophecy comes from man's own interpretation; men were carried along by the Holy Spirit C. Westminster Confession of Faith 1.4: The authority of Scripture depends not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God, who is truth itself and its author D. The repeated pronoun "your" throughout Psalm 119:33-40 — your statutes, your law, your commandments — affirms divine ownership and authority

IV. The Necessity of Scripture

A. Scripture is necessary because of the Fall — apart from God's written word we cannot know God's plan of salvation on our own B. Calvin's image: Scripture is spectacles, the lenses through which we see God, the world, and ourselves rightly C. DeYoung: The one we need to know most cannot be discovered on our own D. Psalm 119:37 — "Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in your ways" — the psalmist confesses his need for Scripture over all other sources E. Danger illustrated: A pastor who believed personal revelation made Scripture unnecessary risks distorting the very Christ he claims to preach

V. The Sufficiency of Scripture

A. Key passages

1. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 — All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work
2. 2 Peter 1:3 — His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness B. Westminster Confession of Faith 1.6: The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His glory, man's salvation, faith, and life is either expressly set down in Scripture or may by good and necessary consequence be deduced from Scripture; nothing is to be added by new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of men C. Sufficiency is a limited sufficiency — sufficient for its intended purpose
3. Scripture is the sufficient rule of faith and obedience
4. It makes us wise for salvation through faith in Christ
5. It provides all we need for knowing God's will and pursuing godly living D. Scripture is insufficient beyond its intended purpose
6. It does not provide material for a full biography of Lazarus
7. It does not function as a medical or scientific textbook
8. It does not directly address every new technological or societal development
9. It does not speak directly to specific personal decisions (jobs, moves, marriage) — though it provides principles to guide discernment E. The Spirit is necessary alongside Scripture
10. The inward illumination of the Spirit is necessary for saving understanding of what Scripture reveals
11. Scripture without the Spirit cannot achieve its intended ends F. Creeds and confessions are helpful secondary tools — they clarify and organize scriptural teaching but never replace Scripture