Topical Sermons - Executable Outlines

Mark A. Copeland
c. By claiming that they have been given “new light” to guide them more accurately
d. But no prophet of God made mistakes when it came to prophesying the future!
e. JWs want the authority of a prophet without the accountability of a prophet!
1) They want people to heed the words of the Society as authoritative and final
2) They don’t want people to apply the test of a prophet to them
-- At worst, the Watchtower Society is a false prophet; at best, it is an unreliable
interpreter of Scripture that has demonstrated its gross mishandling of the Word of
God time and again!
D. REVIEW THE ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF THE SCRIPTURES...
1. The Scriptures were written to be understood, that one might:
a. Know the certainty of what happened - Lk 1:1-4
b. Believe in Jesus, and have life in His name - Jn 20:30-31
c. Have an apostle’s understanding of the “mystery of Christ” - Ep 3:3-5
d. Understand the will of God - Ep 5:17
e. Know they have eternal life - 1 Jn 5:13
2. The Scriptures are an all-sufficient guide for our salvation
a. The whole counsel of God has been preached - cf. Ac 20:27
b. All things pertaining to life and godliness has been given - cf. 2 Pe 1:3
c. The Word can save us, and help us grow - Ja 1:21; 1 Pe 2:2
d. That incorruptible Word lives and abides forever - 1 Pe 1:22-25
e. It has been revealed once for all - Ju 3
f. Not even angels or modern apostles have anything new to add - Ga 1:8,9
-- The Scriptures are able to make the man of God “complete, thoroughly equipped
for every good work” - 2 Ti 3:16-17
CONCLUSION
1. This lesson is not intended to present an exhaustive and complete response to the errors of the
Watchtower Society; rather, it is has been my purpose to...
a. Identify why efforts to study with them are often so frustrating
b. Suggest where one needs to begin, if true progress is to be made
2. Once a JW is willing to accept the all-sufficiency of the Scriptures, and not be dependent upon the
Watchtower Society to tell them what to believe...
a. Then it might be fruitful to study fundamental issues
b. Such as the deity of Christ, the plan of salvation, etc.
Otherwise, we might easily find ourselves engaged in behavior contrary to that admonished by the
apostle Paul:
“But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a
servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in
humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them
repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses
and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” (2
Ti 2:23-26)
Topical Sermons 341