So to that end, I trust that this time might be meaningful to all of us. A couple weeks ago, my wife received an email, and it was from Apple Store. It says it was actually an invoice for a game app for $29.99. Well, the problem is my wife does not play games. She doesn't have a game app. So she was wondering what was going on with this, and she looked, and her credit card, there was nothing there. And finally she showed it to me, and I said, well, this doesn't look right. This looks deceptive. Because at the bottom it said, if you are in dispute of this charge, press this button. Click on this. It was interesting because there wasn't a couple days later and I was at work and I got this email from Microsoft 360 and it said somebody's been hacking into your email system. Click on this and we'll get this resolved. Well I shot it up to our IT guys and they said this is bogus, this is a fraud, But it was kind of interesting because it had the Microsoft 360 logo. It had the Microsoft 360 email address. I mean, it looked official, but it was deceptive. It was trying to get into not only my contacts, but the contacts for our company, and disrupt things. And it would have just been a mess if I would have pressed the button and given them information. Likewise, with my wife, if she would have gone and pressed, you know, I dispute this, it may have made our life miserable. All because of deceptive emails. Gentlemen, we live in a society where there's deception. There's a lot of it going around. Emails, people deceive us, God's Word does not. It does not deceive us. The Bible contains the Word of God. It is God speaking to us. And if you think about that, if you just meditate upon what that means, the God of all creation, the One that spoke creation into existence, that's what we have here. It's God's Word. The reason we go to Scripture for guidance, and I want to take you through this a little bit. In Job 12, verse 13, it says, with Him, with God, our wisdom and might do Him, to God, belong counsel and understanding. Isaiah 9, 6, this is a common verses, especially around Christmas time. We've heard this a number of times over the past few weeks. It says, for a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on his shoulders, and his name will be called what? Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Now, wonderful, marvelous, magnificent counselor, advisor. This is who God is. He is our marvelous advisor. He gives us advice. He's the one we want to go to to take care of some of the questions that we have in life. So I want to submit to you for your consideration that from the beginning of time, there have been two sources in which we get counsel. Two sources. God and ourselves and Satan. Those are the two sources that we get counsel. Let's take a look at these. Genesis 1. We'll be going through a number of different passages tonight as we take a look at the sufficiency and the dependability of God's Word. Genesis 1-26, it reads, Then God said, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let him rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God created man in His own image. In the image of God He created him. Male and female He created them. God blessed them, And He said to the male and to the female, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth. We see here God giving direction to man and woman. Genesis chapter 2 verses 15, it says, then the Lord God took man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Notice that God is giving direction to man. He's telling him to be fruitful, to produce, to multiply, to become many. to fill the earth, to multiply over the face of the whole earth, to subdue it, to rule over not only the earth, but over the fish, over the birds, over every living thing, He was to rule over it. God gives man that direction. Man did not come up with that. God told him to do this. 15 of chapter 2, they're to cultivate, they're to work the land, subdue it, they're to keep it, to watch it, to exercise great care. God is giving purpose and responsibility and work for him to do. God counsels man to name all the animals in verse 19. Notice that in verse 19, it's God bringing the animals to man, not man going to the animals. From the beginning here in Genesis, we see the counsel of God to man. Man needs God's counsel to live. Man was not provided with a complete understanding or knowledge or even Even in a perfect state, he wasn't all-knowing. Man relied on God for direction and for purpose. This is how man is made. He is perfect, but he relied upon God for living and giving glory to God. He relied upon God for those things. Revelation 4.11, it says, worthy are You, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created." The reason why they were created? To give God glory. To give God glory. We were created to give God glory. Job chapter 12 verse 10, in those in whose hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. God created man to depend on him, to depend on him. During this time in Genesis, we see that everything functioned as God intended. There was not a confusion. There was not a misunderstanding. There wasn't any strife while man was heeding God's counsel. doing what God had commanded him to do. Then we get into chapter three of Genesis, verse one. Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field, which the Lord God had made. And he said to woman, indeed has God said, you shall not eat from any tree of the garden? It's interesting, up to this point there wasn't any question as to what God intended man to do. Who's raising the question? It's Satan. He's raising the question here. And what is he doing? He is putting doubt in the mind of man as to what God said, and he's elevating man's reason over God's command. He's elevating man's reason over God's command. The counsel of Satan puts man in control of what he wants to do. He's putting man in control. As a result, man disobeys God, and what happens? Adam and Eve are kicked out of the garden. They're cursed, and man has been cursed because they didn't obey God's counsel They elevated themselves. So since the beginning of time, there's been God's counsel, which is true and profitable, and Satan or man's counsel, which has been deceptive and self-centered. One leads to joy in life, and the other leads to misery and death. Think about deceptive emails and the disruption that they can cause in one's life. Only this is much, much worse. Much, much worse. The source of counsel is important. It is important. Where do we get God's counsel? Well, unlike Adam and Eve, God does not speak through a verbal way, mode to us. He speaks through the scripture. Psalms 119.24, your testimonies also are my delight. They are my counselors. They're my advisors. Proverbs 19.21, many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of Yahweh will stand. Isaiah 28.29, this also comes from Yahweh of hosts. who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great. That's God. In Deuteronomy, we have learned through Randy and his going through Scriptures, that basically this book is a series of sermons that Moses brings forth to the people. He says in here, concerning the commands of God, in chapter 6, verses 1 through 2, he says, now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgment which Yahweh, your God, has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land which you are going over to possess. Why? So that you and your son and your grandson might fear Yahweh, your God, to keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you all the days of your life. And as a result, what happens? That your days may be prolonged. There is a result as to being obedient to God's command. If the people obeyed what God commanded, the end of benefit would be that they would not be conquered by other nations. But we know what happened. They were disobedient They were conquered, and they were taken captivity. After Moses dies, Joshua becomes leader. And if you'll turn to Joshua chapter 1, and we'll hit on a very familiar verse here in Joshua, but I think it's really good to set up the context for verse 8 of chapter 1. So starting in verse one of chapter one of Joshua, it says, now it came after the death of Moses that the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying, Moses, my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, cross this Jordan and all this people to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Every place on which the sole of your feet treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, as far as the great sea toward the setting of the sun, will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life, just as I have been with Moses. I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous. Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses, my servant, commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night. so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." What is Joshua's job description? What is the job description God gives Joshua here? Verse two, cross the Jordan with the people. He's to lead the people. Verse 6, lead the people to the land God has promised to their fathers. What were the keys to Joshua's success? Verse 5 and 9, God would be with him. Verses 6, 7, and 9, be strong and courageous, not only in his own might, because that was really proven right out of the gate when he crossed the Jordan on the dry land. Joshua couldn't do that. He had to depend upon God. Verses 7 and 8, obey the law, talk about the law, meditate continuously on the law. As a result, God made Joshua prosper. He accomplished the end goal. And what was the end goal? To take the people into Canaan. and have success, have wisdom in leading the people into the promised land. If you keep in mind, what books of the Bible did Joshua have at that time? He had the Pentateuch. That was it. God told him to meditate day and night on the first five books of the Bible. And what was going to happen? He would prosper and be successful. And what do we have? We have so much more than Joshua. How much more can we prosper and be successful in our lives because of what God has given to us? God thought it was important for the leaders of Israel to pay attention to God's Word. In Deuteronomy chapter 17, Moses gives direction as to the fact that they were going to want a king. And this was the requirements for the king. It had to be one of their own people. It wasn't to be someone from another nation. They were not to have horses. They were not to have a lot of gold. They weren't to have a lot of wives. Verse 18 of chapter 17 says, Now it shall come about, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of a Levitical priest. I dare say I've not written any of Deuteronomy in front of a Levitical priest, let alone just writing it. But God saw it important that this be in the minds of the kings when they were ruling over the people. that he commanded them to write it out. Do you think God sets up his word very high and he exalts his own word? Yes, he does. When the king saturated himself with law, he was able to rule the people in accordance with God's principles, not man's. What happened when the kings did not obey? when the kings did not keep God's Word. One thing about writing it, if you write something, that's going to put it in your head. Is it not? It's going to put it in your head. Well, Uzziah was a king. He started off at age 16 and reigned for 52 years. And he started off great. In 2 Chronicles 26.5 it says, he, Uzziah, continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God. As long as he sought Yahweh, God prospered him. But all you have to do is move down to verse 16 of chapter 26. It says, but when he, Uzziah, became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly. And he was unfaithful to Yahweh, his God, for he entered the temple of Yahweh to burn incense in the altar of incense." Pride got into his heart, not God's Word. And it was his downfall. Another king, Saul. 1 Chronicles 10, verses 13 through 14. So Saul died. Why did he die? For his trespasses he had committed against Yahweh because of the word of Yahweh, which he did not keep. And also because he asked counsel of a medium, make an inquiry of it, it did not inquire of Yahweh. Therefore, Yahweh killed him and turned the kingdom of David to the son of Jesse." Interesting, Saul died because of his trespasses, but then it goes on to state what the trespasses were. And basically, he did not seek God for counsel and did not keep God's word. In the 1960s, there was a movement that started up And it was taking scriptural truths and supplement them with man's thinking, putting them both together. And in man's thinking, they were investigating the patterns of human behavior. So they've taken some of the scripture, taking some of the studies by man and putting it together. This, they were putting psychology and theology together, basically is what they were doing. And in doing this, these people have integrated these two parts, and they're called integrations, where they integrate the two together. They integrate the two together. The problem with that is with their thinking. Because they say that all truth is God's truth, and we would agree with that. We would agree that all truth is indeed God's truth. They also say that man can discover moral truth, and that's where we would disagree. Man does not discover moral truth. Moral truth is revealed in Scripture. It's not discovered. Example, someone has anger, the integrationist would say, anger is a result of toxic environment. They have a toxic environment that they're in. The solution is anger management with cognitive behavior therapy. That would be their solution to anger. The major focus is not on the glory of God, and it's not on the sinfulness It is on self-improvement. They make change to behavior, but they don't make a change to the desire within the heart. It is very man-centered, very man-centered. We would say, biblical counseling would say, that anger is a worship issue. It is a worship issue. There is an elevation of my desire over all else. It's called idolatry. There is a need for repentance of sin and submission to God's sovereignty. The goal is to glorify God. It is God-centered. When we talk about biblical counseling, dealing with someone with anger, we're dealing with a God-centered approach with that individual. James chapter 3 is a great place for anger and how to deal with anger. It talks about it there. Integrationists assume that man is inherently good. Deep down inside, there's a good person and he's able to correctly reason. We know from Scripture, man is what? Inherently sinful. So therefore, there's a flaw in the thinking. There's a flaw in thinking. Jeremiah 17, nine, it says the heart is more deceitful. Deceitful, it's crooked. It can't be trusted. It's like those deceptive emails. You can't trust emails. It looks harmless. but causes all kinds of destruction. So that's the description of the heart, and it's more deceitful than all else. Than anything else in the world, it is deceitful. The heart is. And it is desperately sick. The situation is hopeless. Death is coming. It's incurable. The heart is. to doing something by man to his own heart. But we know that God is gracious. He's the one that changes the heart of man. Then it goes on and says, who can understand it? No one can understand it, how deceitful or how sick the heart truly is. So do you want to trust your own heart in understanding your situation in life? and how to deal with anger, how to deal with fear, how to deal with worry. Do you want to trust yourself or do you want to trust God's Word that's truthful? You might say, well, Mike, this integration and this stuff, is that real today? Yes, it is. I'll give you two examples. Here's two books. They're dealing with the same thing. This one is When Love is Not Enough, A Guide to Parenting Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder. It's by a lady that I believe is a believer, but this book contains no scripture whatsoever, none, in dealing with a child and parenting that child. Now, I will say that It has some good things in it from a practical standpoint. So you've got to read something like this with discernment because there's some underlying philosophy that this lady has that dictates what she says. She's an integrationist. Now I'll read some of it from you. Here's another one. It's Parenting Difficult Children. It's a biblical perspective. on reactive attachment disorder. Same thing. This is from a biblical standpoint. This has scripture in it that it points to in how to parent a child as such as this. Okay, let me read. I'll show you the difference. I'll read a passage. Nancy Thomas here says that the way you perceive your child's behavior will influence the way you act and react. Your choice, threaten or warning, will have a direct influence on how your child sees himself. You can view him as an evil aggressor or as one who needs your help. To succeed, you must consider your child's behavior as a warning flag that requires you to take action. You must believe there is deep inside a loving child good and kind and in need of your help. With these specialized parenting techniques, it's possible to turn a child who is already killed into a loving, giving child with appropriate development of conscience. That is psychology. It is stating that a child is inherently good. All you have to do is nurture their conscience and they'll be fine. That's the angle from which she's coming from. Now, I will tell you that in here, she does not mention scripture at all, none whatsoever. But she does have a section, a sidebar, and here it says the power of prayer and parenting. And she talks about praying for your child. No scripture. just that it's a great idea and you need to do it. That is integrations. She is an integrationist. She's mixing theology with psychology and coming up with ways to parent. Same topic. This author says, a child may learn to love others, but but a baby is not born inclined to love anybody but himself." Is that true? That is so true. He is not inclined to love because he is not inherently good, nor even neutral. Psalms 58 3 says, the wicked are estranged from the womb. These who speak lies go astray from birth. Babies, like all people, are inherently sinful, harboring selfish intention from the day of birth. Genesis 8, 21, Ephesians 2, 1-3. Precious as babies are, foolishness is inseparably woven into their hearts. Proverbs 22, 15. This author is taking a biblical approach to parenting. where this author is taking an integrationist approach. So is it out there? It sure is. And you need to be careful in what you read because it's all in how they think and what angle they come at a particular subject. So you need to be very discerning in the books that you read to see if indeed They're lining up with scripture. Now, as I said before, she's got some good ideas on practical outcomes, but she has got a lot of stuff in here that is not biblically right. It's not correct. And it goes back to her basis and what her thinking is concerning man, concerning God and concerning God's word. Okay. So, let's go back. What does God say about His Word? Well, let's go to Psalms. Psalms chapter 19, and this is not going to be anything new to you all. Psalms 19, starting with verse 7. Says, the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true. They are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold. Yes, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of a honeycomb. Moreover, by them your servant is worn, and keeping there is great reward." So what do we see here? The law is what? The law is perfect. It's blameless, complete, without error. It lacks nothing. The result? It restores the soul. It restores the soul. The testimony? It is sure. It's trustworthy. You can trust it. It won't let you down. Result? It makes one wise. Usage of common sense. It's true. Verse 8, the precepts are right. They're true. The result, it has an effect on the heart. It makes it glad. It counters depression. It counters depression. God's commandment is pure. It's clear. It's not puzzling. Results, we're able to see it gives us hope. gives us hope. The fear of God is clean, uncontaminated by man. Results? It produces stability, boldness, courage, removes insecurities. Why? Because it's based upon what God says. God's judgments are true, not false or deceptive. Results? They provide correct direction in living. Verse 10, God's law, precepts, commandments, fear, judgment are to be more desirous than money, and in my case, ice cream. More desirous than money and ice cream. They bring to us riches and sweetness of life that nothing else can. Nothing else can. And in keeping of them, being obedient to them, you'll be like Joshua, and the kings who wrote and kept the law, there's great reward in your life, great benefit. Decisions and struggles won't go away. Did Joshua have struggles? He sure did. Was it easy for him to lead those people? No. Was it easy for him to fight the battles? No. But God gave him wisdom. He was able to deal with them. And that's what God intends for us, is to be able to deal with life issues through His Word, through the obedience of it. So what do you want to rely upon? The guidance in your life? Man-centered thinking? Or God's written Word? Scripture is enough. Scripture teaches us that God's Word is inherent. It's inspired. It's infallible. It's authoritative. I think this is where we struggle, is with the fact that it is sufficient. Yes. It is all that is needed. We don't need anything else. We don't need psychology. We don't need the study of human behaviors. We need God's word. 2 Peter 1 verses 3-4. Our Lord Jesus has granted us everything we need in life to glorify Him. Look at 1 Peter. I'm sorry, 2 Peter 1. Verse 2, it says, Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and excellence. He is granted. That's past tense. He's given it to us. What has He granted? Everything pertaining to life and godliness. We don't need anything more. We don't. We don't need more Holy Spirit. We don't need a second blessing. He has given everything to us that we need. What does everything consist of? Salvation. God has granted us salvation. Romans 5 verse 10, we were enemies at one time. We were enemies of God. We deserved the wrath of God, but he saw fit to grant us salvation. He's given us his Holy Spirit, our helper. And John 14 says, I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you for how long? Forever. That is the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him or know Him. But you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. He's given us His Word. 2 Timothy 3.16, all scriptures inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. What is the purpose of his word is in verse 17. So that the man of God may be adequately equipped for every good work. Adequately equipped. His word is adequate. It's sufficient. It provides the answers to our everyday living. Jesus Christ did not leave us on an island to just survive. He's given us all the provisions to live a life that's abundant. It's been said that if it is true and necessary, it is in the Bible. Well, there may be some true things, but if they're not in the Bible, They're not necessary. And think about that. If it is true and necessary, it is in the Bible. It may be true, but if it is not in the Bible, it's not necessary. I got to thinking about that. All the study I've done in the engineering, there's a lot of truth in there. Was it necessary? When you came in here this evening, everyone sat in a chair or in a pew. Why? Because by design, that chair, that pew was to hold weight. That's what these chairs are designed to do. Scripture, by design, by God's design, is the foundation and the only foundation for which we are to live. It is not deceptive. It is sufficient. It is what God has given us in order that we might live a life that glorifies Him. Gentlemen, this is where we need to go for the issues of life that come our way, whether they be financial, whether they be emotional, or whatever, God's Word is sufficient. And we can depend upon it because it is God's Word. Let's close in word prayer. Father, I want to thank you for your Word that you've given to us. Father, you have granted people to translate your Word. They've given their life to it. They have died over the translation. We have it in our own language. We've been taught how to read. Father, what a great blessing that has been. I pray that we would not take it lightly and that we would delve into your word, that we would study it. We would be a Joshua, that we might meditate upon it day and night. and not only meditate and turn it over and to ponder the truths, but that we would be also obedient as we lead our households, as we are the fathers and the husbands that you have intended us to be. May we take your word seriously. May we see it as being sufficient and applying it to our own lives. Father, I pray that we would have abundance in discernment as the world's philosophy, the world's psychology is so prevalent. May we look to You and Your Word for what we need. And I pray these things in Your name. Amen. Can I just read one more verse which is in 2 Peter? Yeah, it was 10. It was 10.