MESSAGE - NCFIC · MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR ... Paul Washer.....116-119 The Sufficiency of...

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Transcript of MESSAGE - NCFIC · MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR ... Paul Washer.....116-119 The Sufficiency of...

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M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,This book serves as a study guide for messages given at our

conference on the sufficiency of Scripture in December 2009. I believe this will stand as one of the most important conferences we have ever conducted.

One thing we want to communicate is that the sufficiency of Scripture is the indispensable doctrine for the 21st century church. A new century needs an old idea. I am abounding in hope and in confidence for what God can do with a people who adore, rely upon, and apply His completely inerrant and fully sufficient Word. I have seen with my own eyes the power of the Word of God. I have seen Him save the unsavable. I have seen Him make dramatic and wonderful transformations in people’s lives as they opened what was to them the lost book of the law. He has graced me with the privilege of seeing Him transform whole churches, turning them back to the fundamental principle of Sola Scriptura.

Though hopeful, I am also in anguish. My heart is broken within me, for the Church of God is in shambles. The house of God has been swallowed up in the ways of the world. It has become a house of the inventions of man. She is now a mirror of the world. Her doctrine is deranged; Her gospel is gutted; Her families are failing; Her influence is insipid. Even the churches which have been planted on this principle are struggling to make Scripture their sole rule for life and godliness. We fall short in so many ways; our sanctification seems so slow. We have imbibed of the world so long that change seems impossible. Our need for both the law and the Gospel is enormous.

But I also see God performing a mighty work in raising up a new army of believers from the ashes of the modern church. They desire Scripture alone to be their guide for church and family life. Many have suffered greatly as a result of their repentance and the changes that were in keeping with that repentance. The result of the repentance and subsequent changes has brought rejection from friends, fellow

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

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believers, family members and even church leaders. Yet God has shown them the hold the world had upon them and has given to them new eyes turned towards their Savior.

Our desire is to use this conference to fan the flames of reformation to the glory of God in the modern church—a passion shared by our speakers. They came to shepherd us with the Living Word. Each of them was under divine mandate to inspire confidence in God and His Word and exult in Him alone. Their desire is to show us how we might practice the sufficiency of Scripture, applying its relevance to all aspects of life: in our churches, in our family life, in our spiritual life, in our worship practices, in our education, in our ethics, in our ministries, in our evangelism, in our understanding of manhood and womanhood, in our marriages. As these brothers minister to us, let us recognize, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15)

I pray that as a result of these messages, we will walk humbly, fully trusting in God’s Word, fearlessly preaching the gospel, lavishly loving the church, and diligently building our families.

I give to you the words of the apostle Paul to the elders of the church in Ephesus,

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified ” (Acts 20:32).

Blessings in Christ,

Scott T. BrownDirector, The National Centerfor Family-Integrated Churches Scott Brown

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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Table of Contents

Message from the Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-3

Speakers and Speech Titles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-14

Sufficiency of Scripture 2009 Signature Song. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15-16

Sufficiency of Scripture 2009 Memory Verse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Get on the Map!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18-19

Message Outlines

Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt for Advice Scott Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20-23

The Defining Battles in the War Against the Sufficiency of Scripture Doug Phillips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24-27

The Genesis Three Attack in Our Era of History Ken Ham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28-31

The Sufficiency of Scripture for Biblical Manhood Voddie Baucham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32-35

The Sufficiency of Scripture and the Heart of the NCFIC Doug Phillips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36-39

Scripture is Sufficient for Personal Sanctification Andy Davis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40-43

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The Regulative Principal of Worship in the Old Testament Joe Morecraft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44-47

The Sufficiency of Scripture and Suffering R.C. Sproul, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48-51

The Sufficiency of Scripture and English Bible Translations William Einwechter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52-55

Scripture is Sufficient for Women’s Ministry, Part 1: Teachers of Good Things ~ Jeff Pollard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56-59

Scripture is Sufficient for the Laws of Nations Doug Phillips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60-63

Scripture is Sufficient for Child Discipline Steve Breagy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64-67

How Could a Loving God Say…? Dan Horn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68-71

Scripture is Sufficient for Building Faith and Transforming Character Andy Davis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72-75

Scripture is Sufficient for Personal Evangelism Paul Washer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76-79

Applying the Sufficiency of Scripture in the Botkin Family ~ Geoff Botkin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80-83

The Regulative Principle of Worship in the New Testament Joe Morecraft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84-87

The Sufficiency of Scripture for Family Life Kevin Swanson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88-91

God’s Law or Chaos Bill Einwechter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92-95

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Scripture is Sufficient for Women’s Ministry Part 2: Keepers at Home Jeff Pollard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96-99

Is the Sufficiency of Scripture a Biblical Doctrine? Joe Morecraft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100-103

Scripture is Sufficient for Ministry to Youth Scott Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104-107

The Sufficiency of Scripture and the Gospel Paul Washer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108-111

The Sufficiency of Scripture and Family Integration Kevin Swanson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112-115

The Sufficiency of Scripture for Evangelizing the Nations Paul Washer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116-119

The Sufficiency of Scripture for Church Discipline Joe Morecraft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120-123

The Sufficiency of Scripture for the Importance of the Sabbath Dan Horn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124-127

Scripture is Sufficient for Habits of Obedience Andy Davis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128-131

Youth Ministry Voddie Baucham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132-135

Scripture is Sufficient for your Educational Decisions Kevin Swanson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136-139

The Sufficiency of Scripture for Culture and Aesthetics Doug Phillips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140-143

Scripture is Sufficient to Define and Govern the Church Dan Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144-147

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Scripture is Sufficient for Times of Spiritual Decline Bill Einwechter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148-151

The Importance of Biblical Family Life for the Spread of the Gospel Paul Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152-155

The Sufficiency of Scripture in the Disciple-Making Ministry of the Church and the Home ~ Voddie Baucham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156-159

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Sufficiency of Scripture 2009 Speakers

Voddie BauchamDr. Baucham wears many hats. He is a husband, father, pastor, author, professor, conference speaker, and church planter. He serves as Pastor of Preaching at Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas. He holds degrees from Houston Baptist University (BA

in Christianity/BA in Sociology), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min.), an honorary degree from Southern California Seminary (D.D.), and additional post-graduate study at the Oxford University. Voddie and his wife, Bridget, have six children, Jasmine, Trey, Elijah, Asher, Judah, and Micah. They are committed home educators.

Topics:The Sufficiency of Scripture for Biblical ManhoodYouth MinistryThe Sufficiency of Scripture in the Disciple-Making Ministry of the Church and the Home

Geoff BotkinGeoffrey Botkin currently serves as a senior consultant to the Western Conservatory of the Arts and Sciences. He has worked in politics, the pastorate, and private business. For the last five years Geoffrey Botkin has been probing the

connections between national culture, public justice and personally-held theological belief. Mr. Botkin has lectured on philosophy, history, education, theology and the application of Scripture to modern culture. He and his wife, Victoria, have seven children.

Topics:Applying the Sufficiency of Scripture to the Botkin Family

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Steve BreagySteve Breagy is a 1990 graduate of West Point and served as a helicopter pilot in the Army for twelve years. After retirement from the military, he worked for Johnson & Johnson as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Steve is currently enrolled in the Master

of Divinity Program at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina as a full-time student. He is an elder at Moore Christian Assembly in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Steve has been married to Kristina for eighteen years, and they have six children.

Topics:Scripture is Sufficient for Child Discipline

Scott BrownScott T. Brown is the director of the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches and elder at Hope Baptist Church in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Scott graduated from California State University in History and received a Master of Divinity from

Talbot School of Theology. He gives most of his time to local pastoral ministry, conferences on fatherhood, church reformation, and strengthening the family. He has been married to Deborah for twenty-eight years and they have four children ages twenty-five, twenty-two, eighteen, and fifteen.

Topics:Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt for AdviceScripture is Sufficient for Ministry to Youth

Andy DavisDr. Davis earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 1984. He married Christine Lee Rogers in 1988 and they have two sons and three daughters. He earned his Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological

Seminary in 1990. In 1992, Dr. Davis resigned from his engineering position to pastor the New Meadows Baptist Church in Topsfield, Massachusetts. In 1994, the Davis family followed the call of the

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Lord to Tokushima, Japan, where they were involved in church planting through the International Mission Board. In 1998, Dr. Davis graduated from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Ph.D. in Church History. In October of 1998, Dr. Davis became the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church, Durham, NC.

Topics:Scripture is Sufficient for Personal SanctificationScripture is Sufficient for Building Faith and Transforming CharacterScripture is Sufficient for Habits of Obedience

William EinwechterWilliam Einwechter (Th.M.) is an ordained minister and an elder at Immanuel Free Reformed Church in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. He is former vice president of the National Reform Association. Editor of The Christian Statesman, he is also the author of Ethics

and God’s Law, English Bible Translations, and A Conquering Faith, and the editor of the book, Explicitly Christian Politics. His essays and articles have appeared in Chalcedon Report, The Christian Statesman, and Patriarch. He and his wife, Linda, are the homeschooling parents of ten children.

Topics:The Sufficiency of Scripture and English Bible TranslationsGod’s Law or ChaosScripture is Sufficient for Times of Spiritual Decline

Ken HamThe president/CEO and founder of Answers in Genesis-U.S. and the highly-acclaimed Creation Museum, Dr. Ken Ham is one of the most in-demand Christian speakers in North America. Ham, a native Australian now residing near

Cincinnati, Ohio, is the author of numerous books on the book of Genesis, the accuracy and authority of the Bible, dinosaurs, and the destructive fruits of evolutionary thinking. He appears frequently on

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American TV. Ken hosts the daily radio program, “Answers… with Ken Ham” and is one of the editors and contributing authors for AiG’s Answers magazine. The new high-tech Creation Museum near the Cincinnati airport was Ken’s brainchild.

Topics:The Genesis Three Attack in Our Era of History

Dan HornDan Horn is an elder at Hope Baptist Church in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He has been married to Kendra for twenty-one years and they have three children, Joshua, Rachel, and Stephen. He is also a computer programmer who has been president

of Datatek, Inc., a small software firm, for seventeen years. He is currently writing a book with his son Joshua on the Christian Sabbath.

Topics:How Could a Loving God Say...?The Sufficiency of Scripture for the Importance of the SabbathScripture is Sufficient to Define and Govern the Church

Joe MorecraftChalcedon’s minister since its inception and a preacher of the Gospel, Pastor Morecraft is also a noted lecturer on contemporary political and historical trends in the United States. His published works include hundreds of articles and two books;

How God Wants Us to Worship Him: a Defense of the Bible as the Only Standard for Modern Worship and With Liberty and Justice for All: Christian Politics Made Simple. He is currently the executive editor of the Counsel of Chalcedon and the New Southern Presbyterian Review. Pastor Morecraft holds a B.A. in history from King College, a M.Div. from Columbia Theological Seminary, and a M.Th. and Th.D. from Whitefield Theological Seminary. Pastor Morecraft is married to the former Becky Belcher of Haysi, Virginia, an accomplished singer and poet. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

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Topics:The Regulative Principle of Worship in the Old TestamentThe Regulative Principle of Worship in the New TestamentIs the Sufficiency of Scripture a Biblical Doctrine?The Sufficiency of Scripture for Church Discipline

Doug PhillipsDoug Phillips is the founder and director of Vision Forum, a discipleship and training ministry that emphasizes Christian apologetics, world-view training, multigenerational faithfulness, and creative solutions whereby fathers can play a maximum role

in family discipleship. He is a passionate communicator with a heart for home education and the restoration of Christian family and culture to the glory of God. Doug served six years at Home School Legal Defense Association and as Director for the National Center for Home Education. Doug and his wife, Beall, have eight children—Joshua, Justice, Liberty, Jubilee, Faith Evangeline, Honor, Providence, and Virginia Hope. They live in San Antonio, Texas.

Topics:The Defining Battles in the War Against the Sufficiency of ScriptureThe Sufficiency of Scripture and the Heart of the NCFICScripture is Sufficient for the Laws of NationsThe Sufficiency of Scripture for Culture and Aesthetics

Jeff PollardBy God’s grace Jeff Pollard was converted to Jesus Christ from a rock music career in the early 1980s. God’s Spirit and Word awakened him to his responsibilities as husband and father as well as to God’s vision for families. He and his wife,

Myra, homeschooled their children, Lacey and Jordan. After years of conducting home and campus Bible studies, street and prison ministries, and interim pastoral work, he pastored Providence

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Baptist Church in Ball, Louisiana. Jeff is now an elder of Mt. Zion Bible Church in Pensacola, Florida, the home of Chapel Library, a ministry dedicated to reprinting Christ-centered literature of the past and distributing it free of charge. He is the editor of the Free Grace Broadcaster, author of Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America, and Do You Know Jesus Christ?.

Topics:Scripture is Sufficient for Women’s Ministry, Part I: Teachers of Good ThingsScripture is Sufficient for Women’s Ministry, Part II: Keepers at Home

R.C. Sproul, Jr.R.C. Sproul, Jr. graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary and Grove City College, did graduate studies at Ole Miss, and received his D. Min. from Whitefield Theological Seminary. R.C. is former editor of Tabletalk, associate pastor of Saint Peter

Presbyterian Church, and Director of the Highlands Study Center. Former writer for WORLD and Covenant Syndicate, he has written or edited a dozen books, and contributed to several others. He is foremost, husband of Denise and father of Darby, Campbell, Shannon, Delaney, Erin Claire, and Maili.

Topics:The Sufficiency of Scripture and Suffering

Kevin SwansonHimself homeschooled, Kevin Swanson and his wife, Brenda, are now homeschooling their five children. Kevin has thirty-five years of experience in the homeschooling movement and serves as the Executive Director of Christian Home Educators

of Colorado and as the Director of Generations with Vision—a ministry he founded to strengthen homeschool families around the country. For the last four years, Kevin has hosted Generations Radio. He has authored several books including Upgrade: 10 Secrets to the Best Education for Your Child and The Second Mayflower. As a father

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desiring to leave a godly heritage for his own five children, Kevin’s passion is to strengthen and encourage the homeschooling movement all over the world, and to cast a vision for generations to come.

Topics:The Sufficiency of Scripture for Family LifeThe Sufficiency of Scripture and Family IntegrationScripture is Sufficient for Your Educational Decisions

Paul WasherPaul Washer became a believer while attending the University of Texas. Shortly after receiving his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary, Paul left the States to minister as a missionary in Peru for ten years, during which time

he founded the HeartCry Missionary Society. HeartCry’s work now supports over eighty indigenous missionaries throughout Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. An itinerant preacher, Paul frequently teaches at his home church, First Baptist Church of Muscle Shoals, and is the author of The One True God: A Biblical Study of the Doctrine of God. At present, Paul serves as the Director of HeartCry Missionary Society and resides in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with his wife, Charo, two sons, Ian and Evan, and one daughter, Rowan.

Topics:Scripture is Sufficient for Personal EvangelismThe Sufficiency of Scripture and the GospelThe Sufficiency of Scripture for Evangelizing the NationsThe Importance of Biblical Family Life for the Spread of the Gospel

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Sufficiency of Scripture Signature Song

The Church’s One Foundationby Samuel J. Stone

The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord,

She is His new creation by water and the Word.

From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride;

With His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.

Elect from every nation yet one o’er all the earth;

Her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth;

One holy Name she blesses partakes one holy food,

And to one hope she presses with every grace endued.

The Church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend,

To guide, sustain, and cherish is with her to the end;

Though there be those who hate her, and false sons in her pale,

Against both foe or traitor she ever shall prevail.

Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed,

By schisms rent asunder by heresies distressed,

Yet saints their watch are keeping their cry goes up, “How long?”

And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song!

’Mid toil and tribulation and tumult of her war,

She waits the consummation of peace forevermore;

Till, with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest,

And the great Church victorious shall be the Church at rest.

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Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One,

And mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won,

With all her sons and daughters who, by the Master’s hand

Led through the deathly waters repose in Eden land.

O happy ones and holy Lord, give us grace that we!

Like them, the meek and lowly on high may dwell with Thee:

There, past the border mountains where in sweet vales the Bride

With Thee by living fountains forever shall abide!

Sufficiency of Scripture 2009Memory Verse

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make

thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for

reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

—II Timothy 3:15-17

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In this foundational message, Mr. Scott Brown lays out the urgent ne-cessity of dedication to the sufficiency of Scripture. The Word of God is wholly sufficient and authoritative to govern all areas of faith and practice. Yet the age-old battle over this doctrine continues unabated in our day. Today’s church is heeding professors rather than the proph-ets of God, and the house of God has become a house of inventions and a mirror of the world. But the church is not man’s playground, and living the way of the world will bring destruction. Mr. Brown closes with a call to action and a vision of hope for the future. We must join the fight, ceasing to learn the ways of the Gentiles and casting our-selves on every single word of Scripture, because our God is sufficient.

Outline:The sufficiency of Scripture is the sufficiency of God.

The war against the sufficiency of Scripture is the consistent theme of Scripture.

Every skirmish has involved adding to or subtracting from God’s Word.

The sufficiency of Scripture must be defined:

Inerrancy—without error or fault in all its teaching (Ps. 19:7-1. 11)

Sufficiency—wholly sufficient and authoritative to govern all 2. areas of life (2 Tim. 3)

The Regulative Principle of Worship—only what God com-3.

Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt for Advice

BY SCOTT BROWN

Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen. For the customs of the people are vain.

- Jeremiah 10:2-3

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me.

-Isaiah 30:1

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mands is allowed

The Normative Principle of Worship—whatever is not pro-4. hibited is allowed

Scripture is a whole, and a single section or genre cannot be detached.

In choosing what we deem acceptable, we place ourselves above God.

Scripture is complete and not a word can be added or subtracted. (Deut. 4, Prov. 30, Rev. 22:18,Deut. 8:1)

Antinomianism subtracts from God’s Law.1.

Phariseeism adds to God’s Law.2.

You can cast yourself upon a single word of Scripture.

The sufficiency of Scripture forces a battle that will leave scars.

The sufficiency of Scripture brings a vision of hope and happi-ness for the people of God.

Questions:

Scott makes the case that the sufficiency of Scripture is the suffi-1. ciency of God Himself. Why is this so? What does this say about the urgency of this message? How will you present this to fellow church members who do not grasp this urgency?

Describe some of the battles over this doctrine in Scripture and 2. in history. Mr. Brown recounted some; can you think of others? What can we learn from them to equip us in our own battle?

How would you respond to someone who says that it is enough 3. to affirm the inerrancy of Scripture without holding to its suf-ficiency?

Define the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture.4.

Which principle of worship is biblical – the regulative principle or 5. the normative principle?

List some common assumptions which compromise the suffi-6. ciency of Scripture. Mr. Brown mentioned five. Can you identify

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others as well which need to be repented of and uprooted?

Describe a false, but prevailing, conception of the Old Testament. 7. What does such an attitude imply about the immutable God Who inspired all of Scripture?

Should it surprise us that parts of Scripture are offensive to 8. some? List some biblical truths and commands which our culture detests. With whom does the problem lie in such cases?

Describe the attitude of Christ toward the Scriptures. 9.

Is this a message which can be ignored or taken lightly? What 10. impact will it have on the way you order your life and set your family priorities?

Notes

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Notes

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In this message, Mr. Doug Phillips explores the battle lines in the his-torical and modern war for the sufficiency of Scripture. He points out that, when it comes to matters of faith and practice, little distinguishes the epistemological foundations of modern Evangelicals from those of the ancient Greeks, the Romanists, or today’s Neo-Darwinists. Why is this? Listen for the situation explained and the problems that result when professing Christians order their life not according to the Word of God but according to pattern of the humanistic culture in which they live.

Outline:Fathers impact their families for generations, for good or evil, by

their attitude toward the Scriptures and its sufficiency.

Some of the defining battles the church has faced over the course of history:

Against satanic deception in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3)1.

Against Greek Rationalism2.

Against Roman Catholic Syncretism3.

Against Higher Criticism4.

Against Neo-Evangelical Revivalism (relying on man’s meth-5. ods rather than God’s Word)

Against Evolutionary Hegemony6.

Defining Christian Orthodoxy7.

The Defining Battles in the War Against the Sufficiency of Scripture

BY DOUGLAS PHILLIPS

O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

- Psalm 119:97-98

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The defining question in all of these battles is: Hath God said? (Gen. 3:1)

Does Scripture really address child prevention, corporate worship, ethics, dress standards, preparation for marriage, music choices, education, and finances?

Theology by Maxim is one ideology that places itself above Scrip-ture. With this ideology, men are guided by slogans such as:

“The Bible is silent on this subject.”1.

“God told me to do it.”2.

“Jesus is about grace not law.”3.

“Old Testament commands are abrogated unless repeated in 4. the New Testament.”

“The red letter words of Christ are the most important part 5. of the Bible.”

“Whatever is not expressly forbidden is expressly allowed.”6.

The Christian view of reality:

The View of the One and Many1.

There is no higher authority on which to judge God’s Word2.

Christ is the central principle of interpretation for every fact 3. and all reality and nothing is truly understandable apart from Him

There is no neutrality4.

Ultimately, there are three views of the sufficiency of Scripture:

The Rationalist – the autonomous mind is sufficient1.

The Semi-Rationalist – the mind is sufficient on some things 2.

The Revelationist – God’s Word is sufficient for faith and 3. practice

In the end, we all must ask ourselves one basic question: By what standard will we make decisions?

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Questions:

Name some of the Church’s defining battles.1.

Who was Charles Darwin’s grandfather? What influence did he 2. have on the life of his grandson?

Why is a father’s role in teaching the sufficiency of Scripture to 3. his family so important?

What is the Christian’s only blueprint for life? 4.

In the Garden of Eden, what lie did Adam and Eve believe con-5. cerning their own reason?

Name some slogans that some Christians place above Scripture.6.

How does the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture bring unity 7. to the body of Christ?

Is worldview neutrality a possibility? Why or why not? 8.

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Dr. Ken Ham has dedicated his life to defending the authority of Scripture from the very first verse. In this message he appeals to the people of God to cling tenaciously to the Genesis account of origins, for that is where the authority of the Word of God is being attacked and surrendered. Documenting the rampant apostasy across what was once known as Christendom, he lays the responsibility for this destruction of the foundation squarely at the feet of the church. The Genesis 3 attack in our day has been aimed at the book of Genesis, and the church has compromised here with disastrous effect. To com-promise on the authority of the Book of Beginnings is to surrender the foundation and lose the next generation.

Outline:

The problem manifested:

We see cultural decay all around us: every man does what is right in his own eyes, and there is rampant apostasy in the rising generation. ( Judg. 21:25)

The root cause:

The Genesis 3 attack (“Hath God said?”)

The focal point of the attack:

The battle has taken many forms, but today the Genesis ac-1. count of origins is being particularly attacked.

The foundations are being destroyed: the church’s compro-2. mise on biblical authority is seen in its surrender of the literal

The Genesis Three Attack in Our Era of History

BY KEN HAM

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

- Psalm 11:3

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creation account. (Ps. 11:3)

The seriousness of the attack:

Genesis is foundational to the rest of Scripture.

The counterattack:

We must teach the authority and sufficiency of all Scripture, from its very beginning, to the next generation.

Questions:What was the strength of the men of Issachar (1 Chron. 12:32), 3. and how can we emulate them?

What was the reason given by most young people surveyed for 4. leaving the church? Does apostasy on the part of church youth begin at their entrance to secular colleges? What role do earlier influences play?

Explain the ineffectiveness of treating symptoms while the foun-5. dation is being attacked.

Were the theologians mentioned who propounded the day-age 6. theory, framework hypothesis, deistic evolution, gap theory, etc. relying on Scripture to shape their view of origins? What does the compromise of so many great men teach us about the watch we must keep on our assumptions?

Can the Bible be maintained as an authoritative source of moral-7. ity if it is not held to be a trustworthy source of history?

List some of the foundational biblical doctrines found in Genesis 8. 1-11, and explain how denying the accuracy of these chapters removes their foundation.

Explain the devastation caused by a disconnect between what is 9. taught in churches and the “real life” material (history, anthropol-ogy, science, technology) in government schools. Since the Word of God speaks to every area of life and thought, how can we guard against irrelevancy in our own educational endeavors? What battleground issues must be carefully taught to the next genera-tion?

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This message from Dr. Voddie Baucham presents the Bible’s core teaching on manhood and womanhood and outlines the destruction the church is facing in the wake of the militant feminist attacks of the 1960s. Listen in order to understand the effects of feminism on our views of manhood and womanhood and in order to learn how to combat these false views with the truth of Scripture.

Outline:Fruits of 50 years of militant feminism in American culture:

Masculinized girls1.

Feminized boys2.

Delayed, confused marriages3.

Plummeting birth rates4.

Abortion5.

Gender confusion6.

An epidemic of unprotected women7.

Normalization of single-parent homes8.

The acceptance of sodomy9.

Four reasons why we must defend the Biblical doctrine of man-hood and womanhood:

Because nonbiblical marriage patterns do not portray the 1. relationship between Christ and the Church

Because nonbiblical parenting practices train boys to be girls 2.

The Sufficiency of Scripture for Biblical Manhood

BY VODDIE BAUCHAM

And the LORD God took the man, and put him intothe garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

- Genesis 2:15, 18

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and girls to be boys

Because the homosexual agenda is rapidly increasing3.

Because unbiblical female leadership is prevalent in the 4. church: passions and gifts trump the Scriptures

Three lessons about true manhood from the life of the first man (Gen. 2):

True men have a commitment to God-honoring dominion 1. work. (Gen. 2:15, 19-20)

Before man’s Fall, while still in his most pristine condi-tion, God said, “Man needs work”. The work of the Gar-den was Adam’s responsibility from the very beginning; the Fall made work laborious.

True men have a commitment to the Law of God. (Gen. 2. 2:16-17)

The London Baptist Confession: “God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threat-ened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it.” When God said, “do not eat of the tree,” he bound Adam to His Law.

True men have a commitment to the family. (Gen. 2:18, 21-3. 24)

This includes both his family of origin and his family of choice.

All areas under attack by radical feminism are addressed clearly in the Scriptures. These attacks have succeeded so far be-cause we have departed from the sufficiency of Scripture, but we can get back because, when we have the Scriptures, we have everything we need.

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Notes

Questions:

List some of the bad fruit in American culture that have grown 1. out of feminism.

What argument do feminists use to excuse their usurpation of 2. authority? Why is this wrong?

Tell why it is urgent in our day to defend the biblical doctrine of 3. manhood and womanhood.

What three things are true men committed to?4.

How should Christians defend the biblical doctrine of marriage?5.

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The founder of the NCFIC, Mr. Doug Phillips, lays out the vision, history, and mission of the organization. He makes the case that we currently face a Babylonian captivity of the church. Generational apostasy, the bitter fruit of cultural syncretism, can be seen even in the families of most leading theological teachers. Mr. Phillips, whose life has been dedicated to the wedding of orthodoxy and orthopraxy, insists that theology is not to reside in our brains, but to live in every detail of our lives and our day-to-day discipleship of our children. After describing the many ways in which syncretism has captured today’s church, Mr. Phillips proclaims the hope found in repentance and calls his hearers to be passionately consumed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen and learn how we can leave a legacy of devoted love for and application of the Word of God.

Outline:The necessity of connecting orthodoxy and orthopraxy

The devastating results of abandoning the sufficiency of Scrip-ture: a Babylonian captivity of the church:

Cultural syncretism1.

Doctrinal apostasy2.

Mysticism and sacerdotalism3.

Perversion of the creation order in manhood and woman-4. hood

Youth idolatry5.

The Sufficiency of Scripture and the Heart of the NCFIC

BY DOUGLAS PHILLIPS

Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concern-ing us. - 2 Kings 22:13

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Virtual relationships (false community)6.

Debt-driven, selfishness-driven, cleric-driven, pagan cul-7. ture-driven, women-driven, youth-driven, emotion-driven churches

The history and mission of the NCFIC

Historical survey of reformation and decline

A call to repentance and maturity

A vision of hope: Semper reformanda! Sola Scriptura!

Questions:

Describe the parallels between Protestantism today and Roman-1. ism in the 16th century. What light does this shed on priorities for reformation today? What connection can be drawn between martyrs in centuries past and the ground that has been surren-dered in today’s church?

Is there such a thing as non-religious education? What religion 2. drives today’s government schools? Can a Christian family in good conscience entrust its next generation to such institutions? Would government schools survive the withdrawal of the children of professing Christians?

Explain the dire implications of the perversion of the creation 3. order in manhood and womanhood.

What caused the death of the Pilgrim vision? What pedagogi-4. cal method did they borrow? What effect did this have on their children?

What are the consequences of creating an institution without 5. heeding jurisdictional boundaries? Give an example of this.

Describe the legacy of men like Charles Finney in regard to 6. Christian practice. How is this philosophy still evident in today’s churches?

In what ways can you act today to be a reformer in the sphere in 7. which God has placed you? What will your legacy be?

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In Dr. Andy Davis’ three lectures, he holds forth the sufficiency of Scripture for personal sanctification from the text of 2 Peter 1:3-8. In this first lecture, he defines his usage of personal sanctification, outlines in some detail the four components listed in 2 Peter, and then exposits more deeply the first component, that of knowledge. The other three components are expounded further in his subsequent two lectures.

Outline:God’s purpose for Christians is:

Their internal journey of becoming more like Christ (“per-1. sonal sanctification”).

Their external journey of worldwide discipleship.2.

Sanctification begins with regeneration and finishes with glorifi-cation. (1 Cor. 15)

God has given us “everything we need for life (regeneration from death to life; Eph. 2:1) and godliness” (sanctification; to be like God; Christlikeness 2 Pet. 1:3).

The picture of Sanctification/Christlikeness/Spiritual Maturity, from 2 Peter 1:

Knowledge - understanding the Scriptures and God’s way in 1. the world:

This “primes the pump for all sanctification”; it feeds

Scripture is Sufficient for Personal Sanctification

BY ANDY DAVIS

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness... Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

-2 Peter 1:3-4

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faith; it transforms faith to character; as character comes, actions come.

Factual - the Bible and what it saysa.

We must be rooted and grounded in the Scriptures.

Experiential - seeing God’s power at work in His world; b. being brought through experiences to learn lessons

Scripture stands over human experience and must interpret private experience

Faith - believing Christ: 2.

Having total confidence and assurance about invisible a. realities

Being convicted about one’s sin and actively trusting in b. Jesus Christ every moment

Having strong assurance that God’s promises of good c. things will come to pass

Being guided by God and His Spiritd.

Character - being like Christ in one’s heart; having His 3. virtues:

Affection - loving what God loves and hating what God a. hates

Will - putting God’s will above my own, as Christ did b.

Thoughts - thinking the thoughts of Christc.

Desires - yearning ambitiously for what God yearns for; d. yearning for righteous

Emotions - having healthy ones like Jesus’ (e.g. weeping e. and rejoicing) (cf. B.B.Warfield’s “The Emotional life of our Lord”)

Action - doing what Christ commands:4.

He only wants what He commands, not our innovations; the central action He wants is for us to present our bod-ies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing; our obedience should become habitual.

Worshipa.

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Spiritual disciplinesb.

Familyc.

Ministry to believersd.

Mission to nonbelieverse.

Stewardshipf.

Workg.

Questions:

According to the lecture, what are the two ways that Christians 1. are to glorify God?

What did Mr. Davis mean by, “None of us are completely saved 2. yet”?

When does sanctification begin?3.

Explain the difference between regeneration and sanctification in 4. regards to the labor we put forth.

When is sanctification complete, i.e.. when will we be like Christ 5. in every way, loving what He loves and hating what He hates?

Give examples of how Scripture often portrays the Christian life 6. as a journey.

What are the four components of Christlikeness according to 2 7. Peter 1:3-8?

What are the two aspects of “knowledge”? Which aspect must 8. take precedence? Why?

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In this first of two lectures on the regulative principle of worship, Dr. Joseph Morecraft defines the principle and then puts forth its teaching in the Old Testament. Simply stated, the regulative principle of worship is the belief that we may worship God only in the way that He has commanded in the Bible. Important passages of Scripture pertaining to this principle are Deuteronomy 12:32, Leviticus 10:1-3, Numbers 20:7-12, and Jeremiah 7:30-31. Take heed as you hear Dr. Morecraft show from Scripture that God actually abhors and detests all worship which He has not commanded in His Word.

Outline:

Basic premise: Everything that God wants us to know about how we are to worship Him is contained in Scripture.

The difference in meaning between the 1st and 2nd command-ments:

1st Commandment: Thou shalt worship and serve God alone.

2nd Commandment: Thou shalt worship and serve God alone God’s way alone.

The most important principles of the Christian Faith:

How God is to be worshiped1.

How salvation is accomplished and applied2.

The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper3.

The Regulative Principle of Worship in the Old Testament

BY JOSEPH MORECRAFT, III

What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

- Deuteronomy 12:32

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The government and discipline of the church4.

Forms of superstition (Isa. 1:11-12):

Worshipping God correctly with unrepentant hearts1.

Worshipping God in ways we have invented 2.

Elements of the Regulative Principle of Worship:

Whatever God has commanded is required.1.

Whatever God has forbidden is prohibited.2.

Whatever God has not commanded is forbidden (NOT: 3. Whatever God has not forbidden is permitted).

Ways we understand what God has commanded:

Express statements of Scripture1.

Honest inferences and deductions from Scripture2.

Approved examples in Scripture3.

Doing things in worship that God has not commanded but that make us feel close to God, do not make us close to God.

Questions:

What are the most important principles of the Christian Faith?1.

Why were Nadab and Abihu killed by the Lord?2.

What are the principle forms of superstition?3.

What is our safeguard against superstition?4.

What is the regulative principle of worship?5.

What are the basic elements of the regulative principle of wor-6. ship?

State some common violations of the regulative principle of wor-7. ship.

How do we know what God has commanded us to do?8.

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In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. shows that Scripture supplies the answers to our questions about suffering. God’s Word is the standard to which we must align all of our misguided notions on this topic. Pertinent passages in the all-sufficient Scriptures to which Dr. Sproul refers include: John 11:35, Romans 12:15, Isaiah 45:5-7, and 1 John 3:2. Listen for the reasons why we suffer and hear of the One who suffered for us.

Outline:Bad things do not happen to good people – because there are no

good people.

Except the One Good Man, and He was a volunteer

Things do not “happen”.

God brings to pass His will; He is sovereign. (Is. 45)

We are to mourn with those who mourn, and Jesus mourns with us.

We may ask God, “Why?” but we are not to accuse Him.

Reasons for suffering:

For His glory (Gen. 1:1)1.

In contrast, we each think that the world exists for our own sake.

For our good2.

The Sufficiency of Scripture and Suffering

BY R.C. SPROUL, JR.

Jesus wept. - John 11:35

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That we may be more like Him

None of us have endured more than Jesus, the Good Man, 3. endured for us.

He endured it for “the glory set before Him” – for His bride, for us.

Thus, His glory and our good are the same thing.

Questions:

Why do bad things happen to good people?1.

Why do bad things happen to bad people?2.

Why did bad things happen to a Good Person?3.

Is mourning consistent with the sovereignty of God?4.

Why did Jesus weep?5.

Why does God bring suffering into our lives?6.

What is our duty as members of the body of Christ toward fellow 7. sufferers?

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Notes