I'll go back with me to the book
of Daniel, but turn to Daniel chapter 1 first, the book of
Daniel. You heard the message recently
on Sodom. I told you that that city, that
decadent city, the city of destruction, was mentioned from Genesis to
Revelation 54 times. Babylon. is mentioned 286 times from Genesis
to Revelation. Babylon. The name Babylon means
confusion. It began in Genesis 10 with a
man named Nimrod. Right after the flood, a mighty
hunter, a great man, the world esteemed highly, and he built
Babylon, the city, another city. Then chapter 11 says the people
all over the earth with one language and one speech. They all thought
alike, they all spoke alike, and it wasn't about God. They robbed the world and they
spoke of the world. They built a tower to try to
reach to heaven. Why? To exalt mankind. His glory is on it. God said,
I'm coming down there. And He did. And that's when He
scattered them everywhere and confused their speech, confounded
their speech, and scattered them everywhere. That's where all
the different languages began. But that tower was called Babel. Babel. Babylon. Confusion. That's where it began. Genesis
11. The whole earth. It's the same
today. You heard with me Daniel's confession. Confusion. That's all about us. Confusion. But God chose some,
loved some. God who is rich in mercy for
His great love, for what He loves. These rebels chose to save some
of them. And they're in Babylon. They're
in Babylon. They're not of Babylon. Like
Daniel. Look at it. Chapter 1, verse
1. The third year of the reign of
Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar. You know anything
about this man, Nebuchadnezzar? He's the most powerful ruler
on the earth. The Chaldean king. He was so
full of himself. He made a great image for everybody
to bow down to. Godless man. He said, look what
all I've done. Look at the great Babylon. I've
made this place great. And everybody loved him. Everybody
but a few. Three or four. Daniel was there. He was in Babylon. He wasn't
up Babylon. He wasn't of it. It says that
the king recognized, verse 3, these children of Israel, the
king's seed, David's seed. Verse 4, children in whom was
no blemish, well favored, skillful in wisdom and knowledge and understanding. I'm looking at some such children
of the King that have wisdom, knowledge, understanding. Daniel spoke of righteousness.
Do you know who's made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
redemption? Do you know where that scripture
is? Do you know how blessed you are? God has come through an
angel like he did to Daniel, an angel named Gabriel, a man.
and gave him an understanding that he might know Him that is
true and worship Him that is true. Daniel's not the only one. He had three friends. Do you
remember them? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. That wasn't their names. That's
what the world referred to them as. Their name was Ananias, Azariah,
and Moshe. All the name of God in their
name. They knew God. They believed God. They were
in Babylon. This King Nebuchadnezzar came
and he took Israel and the people and everybody captive and held
them captive at his will. And everybody worshipped him
and bowed to him and sought out him and believed him and put
all their hope and their trust in this mighty prince and ruler
of the world. Everybody but a few. Daniel. Hananiah, Mashiach, Ezra, a few
chosen, loved of God, called of God, revealed. God revealed
Himself to them. Do you remember Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego? That's the name everybody knows.
They refused to worship like everybody else did. They said,
everybody's meeting together, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
We all believe the same God. Let's all get together. When
you hear the music, come join. They said, we will not. We cannot. We will not. We don't have the
same God that you do. That was Babylon. This world
is Babylon. And most of the world believes
in the same God. And He's not God. And we don't
do it. We don't. We refuse to bow to
meet with them. We can't meet with them. And Daniel, so they
threw them in the fiery furnace. Who threw them in the fiery furnace?
Who was it that tried their faith? What was their testimony? Throw
us in the furnace. We'll be done with you. But if
not, God will save us. You know, Nebuchadnezzar three
or four times, in the chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter
6, he said he had to confess, this God is God. Daniel's God
is God. No other God could save him like
that. He acknowledged that in his head. I don't know if the Lord saved
that man or not, maybe. Now, here's a picture of the
God of this world, Satan, who holds people captive at his will. The Babylonians were in Babylon,
and they loved it. They weren't in captivity. They
loved that place. Daniel didn't. Azariah and Mashiach,
they didn't love that place. They wanted out. You know what?
God was going to bring them out. He let them know, this is not
your continuing city. Like Lot and Sodom. Same message. Different text. Same message. There's one message. Who God
is, what man is, and where salvation is. There is no other message. You remember Daniel prayed only
to his God? He said, don't pray to this God
of the Bible. Don't do that. You bow down to
the King, the God of this world. And he said, I will not. Well, we'll throw you in the
lion's den. And they did. Who did? God did. There's a lion in this world. Satan is his name. Our Lord said to Simon Peter,
Simon, Satan hath desired you to sift you like wheat. And he
did. The Lord let him have him. But
the Lord prayed for him and brought him out of the mouth of that
lion. And Simon Peter wrote himself, Satan as a roaring lion seeketh
whom he may devour. And he's after all of God's people,
not just Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But God says, get
at him. And this is in Hebrews 11, all
these people that stopped the mouths of lions and quenched
the flame of fire and so forth. Because God is their salvation.
Because they were, and they suffered all this persecution and all
these trials and tribulations in a world that hates God. They
loved God. They bowed to God and God loved
them. And Paul said this, Paul said,
go to Daniel 9 now, Daniel chapter 9. Daniel is in Babylon. He's not of it. He's in Babylon. He's not like them. You hear
me? He's flesh and blood. But Babylon
is not his home. They don't believe his God. You
know who else was with him in Babylon? Jeremiah. Ezekiel. They were right there with him.
Two or three. Same message. The place was full
of false prophets. A true prophet was hard to find.
In fact, there was only three. Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Daniel
talked about all these false prophets and the whole world
listened to them. Not God's people. God gives them an understanding
that they might know Him that is true and bow to Him and Him
alone. Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Daniel,
they were there. And Daniel is praying for his
people. He's praying for his nation.
He's praying. For what? Mercy upon a God-hating,
rebellious society. And religion wasn't the answer,
it was the problem. That's what Jeremiah said. That's
what you read it. Ezekiel, that's what they all
said. This is the reason. Because the
prophets have prophesied lies and people love to have it so.
Not Daniel. Not Jeremiah. Not Ezekiel. They weren't telling lies. They
were telling the truth. One God. This is God. And this is man. And this is the way. This is
the truth. And this is a lie. But Daniel loved his people.
Had a burden for them. Had a book in his hand. Look
at it. Chapter 1, in the year of Darius,
son of Harris, the seed of the Medes, made king over the realm
of the Chaldeans. Who made him king? God did. Read Daniel 4. Most high ruleth
in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And
it says it matters by decree, God's decree. And he sets over
it the basest, the worst of men. You tell me if this isn't revel.
You tell me if this isn't now. That God hadn't changed, and
man hadn't changed, and the truth hasn't changed. It is right now. This is more urgent than ever
in any point in history. Why? Because we're closer to
Christ's coming than they were. This is more relevant and more
widespread like in the days of Noah. The whole earth corrupted
His way. But Daniel had a burden for the
people. Jeremiah, Ezekiel. Jeremiah was
weepy all the time. He wasn't laughing. He was weeping. Ezekiel. The Lord told Ezekiel,
you better warn them, Ezekiel, or their blood is on your hands.
Didn't He? Yes, He did. They threw Jeremiah
in a pit. They don't like what you're saying.
Well, it's true. Paul said, My heart's desire
and prayer to God is for Israel. He said they might be saved. He said Satan holds captive people
in this world. Holds them captive and they don't
know it. And he prayed. He prayed. So Daniel prayed.
Daniel called. Chapter 9, verse 2, In the first
year of the reign I, Daniel, understood. He had
an understanding. How did he understand? Where
did he get this understanding? By books. You know, man has no understanding. Why? Because he rejects the books,
the words of these books, the words of the prophets. Didn't
Daniel keep saying that? You're not listening to the prophets.
You're not listening to the prophet. You're not listening to the apostle.
You're not listening. You're not listening. But Daniel did. Are you? Do you believe the words
of the book? Do you reject all other books?
Pretty much reject all other books but this book? While the
world rejects this book and believes every other book? Jeremiah the
prophet. He listened to Jeremiah preaching,
and he believed him. Daniel was a young man. He was
younger than Jeremiah. He heard this, the words of the
prophet, that he would accomplish. Verse 2, what God would accomplish,
not try. God wants to. Any preacher that
stands up, anybody that says God wants to, stop right there.
You don't know the God of the Bible. Nowhere in this book does
it say God wants. I'll tell you what God says,
I will. See, I've spoken it, I will bring
it to pass. I've purposed it, it shall stand. This is the God who worketh,
this is the God who worketh all things after the counsel of His
will. And none can say, God has no
hand but you. You don't know God. That's not
a God. But you do, don't you? You do, Michael. Just like Michael
the archangel. Right there sits a man whom God
revealed the truth, named Michael. Deborah? Just like Deborah of
old. How'd she get this understanding?
God chose her. We're a blessed people, aren't
we? John. Do you understand the truth? No less than John the Baptist.
John the Apostle. Right, John? Right there she
is, the woman that came to the well one day and Christ was waiting
on her. That's a fact. Christ is saying yesterday, today,
and forever the truth is the same. Yesterday, today, forever.
God's God. It doesn't matter what man says.
It doesn't matter if the whole world rejects Him. He's still
on the throne. Do it as He will, with whom He will. He that sits
in the heavens is laughing. Oh, let go and let God. Go ahead
and let your God do what He will. Go ahead. All right, God's going
to do what He will. God hath done what He hath pleased.
Always hath, does right now, and ever shall do as He will
in the armies of heaven, among the inhabitants of the earth.
That's Daniel 4.35. This is the God of the Bible.
And you're not saved if you don't know this, this God. And buddy, if God reveals Himself
to you, you know what you'll do? Verse 3, you'll set your
face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplication with
fasting, with humiliation, with self-loathing. The transgression of this wicked
generation saith within my heart that there is no fear of God
for thereat. And I prayed, verse 4, unto thee,
Lord, my God. Did you hear where I
emphasized thee, Lord? Thee, Lord. The Lord our God. And Daniel said twice, Oh my
God. And he didn't say it in blasphemy.
He said it in reverence. He said it in fear. He said it
in worship. He said it in thanksgiving. He
said it in praise. He said it with fear in God's
name. He said it in glory to God's name. Oh my God. And God heard him. And God saved
him. And God will save everybody that
calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And God will save
and keep everyone who cries unto Him for mercy and says, oh, you're
my God. Not that God. The Lord God is
my God. And buddy, nothing will move
you and nothing will harm you and nothing will shake you. You'll no longer be in confusion.
You'll understand. Daniel wasn't in confusion, but
nevertheless he prayed, confessing his own sins and the sins of
his people. He set his face. Oh, I had so many scriptures
to read. about seeking the Lord, Daniel, the prophet of fire,
all the way through Amos, prophet of fire, all the way through.
Seek the Lord. Seek the Lord. Seek the Lord
while you may be found. Seek the Lord. Isaiah, seek the
Lord while you may be found. When? Now. Right now, young people. Set your face. Call on the Lord. What's Daniel doing? He says,
I'm calling on the Lord with all my heart. Don't look to the right. Don't
look to Christ. Look to the Lord. Seek the Lord
with all your heart. He'll be found in you. Call on
the Lord. That is near. Whosoever shall
call on the name of the Lord. Have you called on the name of
the Lord? Are you calling on the Lord? Why not? Are you confused? Look at how he describes in verse
4, O Lord, the great and dreadful God. You see that? Did you read that? Verse 4. The
dreadful God. Dreadful God. You know, the last
time I preached from this, March of 2020, when the Lord sent the plague,
we looked at this. And we had nothing and no one
to fear. Right after Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we looked
at death. And we have nothing and no one to fear but God. Oh, more secure is no one ever
than the loved ones of the Savior. Nothing from His love can sever.
We just sang that. Did you sing it with understanding?
We sang that in March of 2020. You have nothing to fear and
no one to fear. The dreadful God. He said in
Isaiah 8, He said, Don't fear their fear. Remember that? That's
what we looked at. We still need to do that. He
said, don't fear their fear. Don't fear their fear. Don't
be afraid of what they're afraid of. Fear Me. He said, let Me
be your fear and your dread. Here's what you should dread.
Not death. Missing Christ. Departing from the living God.
Having no need for this Gospel anymore. That should be your
dread. It's a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God. It's a wonderful thing and
a comforting thing if you fall on Him. If you realize you are in His
hands and that's where you want to be. And you say like Jacob,
don't let me go. God is to be greatly feared. God is greatly feared to be feared
in the assembly of the saints. That's how you know the difference.
The Babylonians didn't fear God. Daniel did. Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego did. Read verses 5-9. It says we've
sinned, we've committed iniquity, we've done wickedly, we've rebelled,
we've departed from Your Word. Verse 6, we haven't hearkened
to Your servants the prophets that spoke to us and all the
people. Everybody's heard them. Oh, Lord, righteousness belongeth
unto Thee. You remember in the end, he said,
we're not presenting our petition to You, Lord, because of our
righteousness. No, we're not coming to You asking
You to save us and help us because we're a righteous people. No,
it's because we're a sinful people. And we need mercy. And this righteousness
belongs to you. And we can't produce it. And
you must give it. And you must impute it. And you
must account us as righteous, because we don't have any. Do
you understand that? And there's a whole world and
religion out there going about to establish their own righteousness.
You know what that means, don't you? Where is it? Romans 10. Four. Ten-four. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Romans 10.4. Learn that. And when you talk
to one of these people, tell them. What is your righteousness? Verse 7. Righteousness belongeth
unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces. At this day. Right now. Confusion. The men
of Judah, religion, Jerusalem, those that are near, those that
are far. Verse 8, O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of faith. Our kings, our rulers, our fathers,
everybody, we've sinned against God. We're just full of confusion. That's this world, isn't it?
It's confused. Here's what they're saying. In this world, they're saying
God's not God. He doesn't have a free will. He's not really
sovereign. Man is. Well, you're talking about confused. God can't do as He will, but
man does. Boy, that's confusion, isn't it? You say, salvation is of
the Lord. I agree with it, but no, it's your decision. It's
up to you. Christ died and put away your
sin, but no, you must accept it. Well, which is it? You remember
those six stubborn statements, huh? God's either sovereign or
he isn't. That means there's nobody sovereign
over any fact. One's true or the other, or neither. Man's dead or he's not. God chose the people. No, you
choose him. Which is it? Are you confused?
Hell, no, we're not confused, are we? Not confusing us. It's
without controversy. There's a great controversy in
all religion. You choose God, He chooses you.
I'm not confused. Are you? They're calling good
evil and evil good. They're calling the truth false
and lies truth. Confused. They say God loves everybody,
The wrath of God keeps falling from heaven. Which is it? Confused. Confused. Hmm. It says salvation is of
the Lord, but no, it's of man. Christ the Redeemer? No, Mary
helps him out. It's not Christ and Mary. It's Jesus Christ alone. As one
mediator between God and man, that means you must pray to one
person. If you pray to Mary, if you believe anything about
Mary other than she's a sinner saved by grace, you don't know
Christ. It's anti-Christ religion to
say that Mary had anything to do with salvation. It's anti-Christ. Do you understand
that? Oh, my. The Lord's revealed that
to some in here. Raised Catholic. Right there
sits a man. Right there sits a woman. Others. Raised Catholic. Devout. Devoted Catholic. Believing. Going through the
motions. Hail Mary, Mother of God. She's not the Mother of
God. That child she had in her arms
was her Father. Her Heavenly Father. He just borrowed her body. He
could have borrowed anybody. He borrowed her. And she's no
more blessed among women than that Mary named Parks right there.
That's a fact. And she knows that now. And Mary,
this former virgin, knew that. And she knew the only way she
was saved was going to be like Mary Magdalene was saved by the
grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ. And there are millions
all over this world bowing to and calling and worshiping and
praying to a woman named Mary. And they're deluded. They're
confused. Salvation is in one name and
one name only. And one person. And the work
of one person. And the intercession of one person.
And that person is Jesus Christ the Lord. Don't you wish the
world could hear this? But they're not. But we are. Blessed are your ears, they hear.
Blessed are your eyes, they see this. Confusion. Confusion. You know,
I jotted down some things. Daniel confessed his own confusion
and confusion of his people. We all still act like though
we're believers, those in here are true believers, we still
act at times like we're confused. Yes, we do. We say we fear God. But five years ago, God sent
a little virus, and it scared people to death. And even preachers acted like
they didn't believe a thing about God's sovereignty. And I don't hear many of them
repenting over that. Confusion. Didn't call on the
Great Physician, but hung on every word of the Surgeon General. Well, you're confused. Who sent
this? God says, I kill. Are we still
afraid of dying? Are you confused? Dying is gain. But I might lose my house and
all that. You've lost nothing. You're going
to lose it anyway. Are we confused? We're afraid
of this and that and the other. God says, I wound. Are we confused? Are we still confused? The world
is perishing, yet some claim to be believers are still in
it, still of it, still pursuing it, still real tied to it. Are you confused? Walk with God. Still walking with the world?
You can't do both. You can't do both. Our Lord says, Come
out from among them, and be ye separate. They're still mingling
with and talking like the language of the... That's like a lot.
He seemed like one that mocked. He talked about God on the Lord's
Day, and then the rest of the week talking like the world,
and his kids were confused. Are we still confused? Yeah,
we are. I'm guilty. We're all guilty. Daniel was the finest man on
the planet. He said, I, my sin. Isn't it? My sin. Believe God,
yet listen to man. Come to Christ. You won't come
to worship. Are you confused? Christ is at the door. Well,
all things continue. Where's the promise of His coming?
What do you mean, where's the promise of His coming? This book's
full of it. And look around you. He's at
the door. Are we confused? I believe Christ. Well, then why haven't you confessed
Him? Are you confused? Do you believe
Christ? Then why haven't you confessed Him? I shouldn't have
to tell somebody to confess Christ, and I'm not going to do it. I'm
not going to beg them. When you find out who He is,
you'll confess Him. When you find out what you are, you'll
confess Him. Yeah, but I don't have enough faith. It's not your
faith. You're not confessing your faith. You're confessing
Him. I don't have enough faith. It's not the amount of your faith.
It's the object of your faith. Do you need Him? Confess Him. Do you love Him? Marry Him. Yeah, but you're confused. Ah, we're still confused. But
righteousness belongs to Him. Oh my, let me get to the end
of this. We haven't obeyed. Verse 9, The
Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness. I tell you what,
if any of us are saved, start with me, it'll be the mercy of
God. I'm telling you. Niner men than me have quit. If any of us are saved, it would
be by the mercy of God. That's a fact. We've rebelled. Every last one of us. Yes, we
have. All is true. Transgress the law,
verse 11, it says, the curse is poured upon us. God bless
America. America ain't under blessing.
It's under a curse. Listen to me now, people. Listen
to this man. Daniel kept saying this, and
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, they all said that they're not listening to
the prophets. They're not listening to what the prophets are saying.
They're not listening. And you know what this fellow
is saying? I'm telling you what the prophets are saying. So if
they don't hear me, they're not hearing the prophets. If you're
not listening to me, you're not listening to Daniel and Ezekiel
and Jeremiah, because all I'm telling you is what they're saying.
I'm not telling you anything new, am I? You're not listening to me. You need to come to Christ right
now. Today is the day of salvation. You need to confess Christ right
now. Today is the day of salvation. I mean right now. Brother Scott
used to say, come to Christ, but don't move a muscle. Come
with all your heart. Brother Scott once said to a
fellow one time, he said, you're just confusing us. You talk about
coming to Christ and you can't come to Christ and God gets all
the glory, but you get all the blame and all this. He said,
you're confusing us. Scott said, you were born confused. When you meet the God of the
Bible, when you understand the truth, when He reveals Himself
to you and yourself to you, you'll no longer be confused. You'll
say, God is God and we are not. See, we can't save ourselves,
salvation is up to the Lord. His choice, His will, His work,
His glory, His decision, not mine. No confusion there, is
it? But if we really believe God,
we'll quit worrying and doubting and fearing. Thou wilt keep him
in perfect peace. How? whose mind is stayed on
thee, the rock of ages. There'll be no peace. I tell
you, he that has a double mind is unstable in all his ways.
If we don't really trust the Lord, if we keep listening to
man and don't shut our ears like the pilgrim and just listen to
God, we're going to be confused all our days. We might still
be a believer, but we'll live a life of just instability If
you don't believe, you won't be established. That's what the
prophet said. Let there be no confusion in
our hearts and minds. I told you this story, and I
asked Mindy again to get my facts straight, but there's a brother
up at the church in Indiana where Brother Bruce Crabtree preaches. The Lord saved him in his late
60s. My age, 69, just about turned 70, and he did turn 70. The Lord
saved him. Boy, the Lord saved him. He believed
the truth. He talked about the truth. He
loved the truth. He was in every service. That's
how you know. And he was over at somebody's
house one night, a couple of believers, and he said, I don't
understand. He said, I hear people in their
70s, Afraid to die. He said, I just don't understand
that. We're not supposed to look forward
to death. To be absent from the body, to
be present with the Lord. He said, I just don't understand.
People that claim to believe God and believe Christ want to
go to be with Him, and fear death like that. I don't understand.
He said, 70 years is it, and there they are, 70, and they're
still afraid. He said, I don't understand. The next day. The next day, he got in his little
Toyota pickup truck and went fishing. And they found him laying
behind the bed of his truck, dead. Like Enoch, he believed God. And Brother Kelly, he walked
right on to the glory. He said, I don't understand. Let me die like that. He hadn't known the Lord at all,
I mean long at all, but he knew him. The Lord took him. The Lord took him. And we were under the curse.
Look at verse 12. He said, the Lord's brought this
great evil upon us. Did you see that? Who did? Who
brought the evil? The Lord did. Verse 13, as is written in the
Law of Moses, all this evil has come upon us, yet made we not
our prayer. Verse 14, the Lord hath watched
upon the evil and brought it upon us. Who did the evil? Who
sent the evil? Man's confused, isn't he? Isaiah 45, 7, what does he say?
I do all this stuff. I create peace. I make evil.
I the Lord do all this stuff. But you know what? And don't
be confused now, because Psalm 91 says, Brothers and sisters,
who trust in the Lord? Psalm 91 says, No evil shall
befall you. No evil, whatever it may be.
God sends a debilitating sickness. And you don't live out your years
until you're 70. Bless His holy name. You're spared
from the evil days to come. Isn't God good? Brother Kelly and I are convinced
that dying is too good for us. Aren't we, Kelly? When the Lord
takes somebody early, it's a blessing. Isaiah 57, righteous men are
taken from the evil days to come. Brother Joel 62. My sister 42. She didn't have to live another
28 years in this place, this Sodom, this Babylon. She's no
longer in captivity. Free. Who wouldn't look forward to
that? Unstable people. Unbelieving people. Confused
people. Why do we want to stay in a place
like this? Who are we listening to? Read II Peter 3 for yourself
over and over and over again. Read Psalm 90. Read Psalm 91. No evil shall befall you. Whatever
it is, no matter how bad it is, it's good. Why? It's bringing
you out like the children of Israel. All those plagues and
all that. What is it? It was judgment and wrath and
condemnation on Egypt, not Israel. It was their salvation. Our Lord
in Luke said, when you see all this coming, look up. Lift up
your head. Everything's bad. No, it's about
to get real good. Our redemption draws nigh. Do you believe that? This is the same message as Lot,
isn't it? Oh, the Lord. I've got to get to the good part. It's all good. Alright, the Lord
sent while he was praying. before he finished his prayer.
God had sent an angel to tell him the gospel, to tell him the
news, a man named Gabriel. You've heard a man named Gabriel,
haven't you? He's no less an angel than the
one Gabriel, the archangel, Michael the archangel. Is that right?
We all worship angels. And what did Gabriel, the man
that's preached here, what does he preach? Same thing. And God
sends His preachers to His people. And here's what He tells them.
Look at verse 22. He informed me and talked with
me and said, O Daniel, I have now come forth to give thee skill
and give thee understanding. You know, the Son of God has
come and given us an understanding. Isn't it, John, that we might
know Him that is true? And we are what? In Him. Do you know that the whole Gospel
is found right there in two words? Do you know how many times the
Scripture says, In Him, in Him, in Christ? You know what that
means, don't you, Shem? Noah's wife. Don't you? Yes, you do. Why? Because verse 23, I've come
to show you for thou art greatly beloved. God loves you. You know who God loves? His elect,
His chosen ones, those He gave to Christ. Those whom the Holy
Spirit comes and reveals the truth to. And when the Holy Spirit
reveals the truth through a preacher, just like me, preaches the truth
to them, they don't hate it. They love it. They don't hate
election. They're just thankful God has
an election. And they're hopeful they're it. And they believe.
And they don't just believe the truth. They love the truth. They
love that God's God. They know what they are. They
love that salvation is of the Lord. It belongs to Him. And
they're glad of it. And look at it. Verse 24. Seventy weeks are determined. Not might be. Not hope to be.
This is determined. God has determined. Purposed.
Purpose. Purpose. Upon thy people, the
holy city. What's he going to do? Finish
the transgression. He's done all he can do. Now
it's up to wrong God. The last thing Jesus Christ said
hanging on that cross was what? Three words. Loud enough for
heaven, earth, and hell to hear. It is finished. When He had by Himself purged
our sins. It ain't up to you. It was totally
up to Jesus Christ. That's what name surety meant.
That's what covenant meant. The head of an everlasting covenant. Not an agreement God made with
you, an agreement God made with Himself. And He remembers and He keeps
it. He's the one that keeps His covenant. He's the one that keeps
His promises. He made an end of sin, verse
424, an end of sin. Christ came to make an end of
sin. Put away sins. How? How does
Christ put away sin? By the sacrifice of Himself. And He doesn't offer that sacrifice
to man. He offered it to God. And God
accepted it. It's not offered to man. Anybody
that says the offer still stands doesn't know God. All of Methodist
religion says that. The offer still stands. No, it
doesn't. He made one sacrifice forever
unto God and God accepted it. Now there's no more offering.
Isn't that what it says? Sally, you're so blessed, aren't
you? You know how many Methodists
love that little saying, this blasphemy? To make reconciliation for iniquity. Who made reconciliation? Christ
made reconciliation. He made us accepted. in the Beloved. Bring in an everlasting righteousness. It's not ours, it's His. It's
the wedding garment that He puts on every one of His prodigal
sons. And seal up the prophecy. That means the whole book is
finished, complete, written, signed, sealed, and delivered. Whose hands is it in? Who's doing
it all? Read Revelation 5 for yourself.
The Lion of the tribe of Judah. That book was in his hands. And
he's doing everything in it. Not up to anybody. He's fulfilling
every jot, every tittle. And he's going to bring in his
people by his everlasting righteousness. And we're just waiting to anoint
the Most Holy. Hebrews 1, the whole book is
a summary of what I just prayed. It says He's going to, that this
God who came to earth when He by Himself purged our sin, He
sat down where? At the right hand of the Majesty
on high. That's where He sits right now.
He's not outside people's hearts. No, no, no. He's seated on the
circle of the earth. He inhabits the earth. Doing
as He will with whom He will. Saving those that He came to
save. Head of an everlasting covenant. Bringing in all His people into
His kingdom. Go get that one. Go fetch that
one. Gabriel, Paul, John, David, go
get that one. Go get that one. There she is.
Don't let her go now. There, you got her. Bring her
in. Bring her to me. She's mine.
She's mine. And they're all coming. Don't
be confused. We could go on and on. And we
will. Wednesday night it will be something
of the same sort. And this thrills God's people.
Who got all the glory in this message? Who gets all the blame? Who does the saving? One word. That's what this book is all
about. That's what Jeremiah said. That's what Ezekiel said. That's
what Daniel said. And that's what this man said.
Because that's what God said. Okay. Let's sing in closing.