All right, Deuteronomy chapter
18. I will begin reading in verse 15 and read to the end of the
chapter. The Lord thy God will raise up
unto thee a prophet. And notice it is capitalized.
And I appreciate that from the translators because there is
no question as to who this is speaking about. Those in the
New Testament, because it's clearly recorded in the New Testament,
this prophet is Jesus Christ. Prophet, from the midst of thee,
of thy brethren, like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken. According to all that thou desirest
of the Lord thy God in Horeb, in the day of the assembly, saying,
let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let
me see this great fire any more that I die not. They understood
that momentarily, but how quickly we forget. And the Lord said
unto me, they have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a prophet
from among their brethren like unto thee, and I will put my
words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall
command him. And remember, our Lord Jesus
Christ was none other than God Almighty manifest in the flesh. But as our prophet, priest, and
king, he humbled himself and submitted himself to the command
of the Father. And it goes on, it shall come
to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which
he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. That is, and
both Paul and Joe has mentioned, you will hear him or you will
perish. and this is to hear in more ways
than just through the physical ear. It is to hear down inside
here. I will require it of him, but
the prophet which shall presume to speak a word in my name, and
there's a lot of them still around today. We call them preachers
today. But the prophet which shall presume
to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak,
or shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet
shall die. And thou shalt say, and if thou
shalt say in thine heart, how shall we know the word which
the Lord hath not spoken? Here's the answer to the question.
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing
follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord
hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously,
thou shalt not be afraid of him. There is so much here. What is
amazing is we've been coming through the law. or specifically
in this book, the second giving of the law. And we, of course,
have been seeing types and shadows and symbols all along. And all
of a sudden, God breaks forth with a direct revelation of a
messianic prophecy concerning Jesus Christ of Nazareth. These
people who heard Moses say this heard about the Christ of God. They did not know his human name,
but they were hearing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This
is a direct prophecy, and what I want to try to do this morning
is concentrate on this, God's Christ versus the imposter. There's a lot of imposters today.
And I'm not talking about men who claim to be Christ, though
there have been a few nuts come along upon the scene that claim
to be some messiah. That's not what I'm talking about.
That's not even what Moses necessarily is talking about. Moses asked
the question, and if thou say in thine heart, how shall we
know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? How am I gonna
know the difference between that prophet that one that you better
hear, that one that you better pay heed to, and the message
of someone else that is not of the Lord. I've had people ask
me a very similar question. How do I know what the truth
is? How do I know? And they feel this way because
there is so much confusion in professed Christianity. different
beliefs, different ideas, different denominations, different understandings,
different explanations, and I understand why most people are so confused. And secondly, most people don't
want to really know the truth. They want to hear what fits them
best. And there's so much confusion,
but let me say this. The Christ that is being preached
by most preachers today, the one they claim is the Messiah,
Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, is an imposter. Because they will
tell you, and I know this is, we say it over and over again
on many occasions, God's done all he can do, now it's up to
you. They say Jesus made it possible
for you to be saved if. That is not what Moses tells
us here. He says that prophet will speak
exactly what God commanded him to speak and it shall come to
pass. Is that not what is prophesied
of the Messiah? What he says must come from God,
and it will come from God, for he is that prophet that God will
raise up. And what he's going to speak,
what he has to say, shall come to pass. Men say, well, Christ
died for all the world and wants all the world to be saved. Then
if that was what he said, then that is what must come to pass. If Jesus Christ died to save
all without exception, then all without exception must be saved. Or Jesus of Nazareth is not the
Christ. But man is so depraved, Jesus
of Nazareth is the Christ. But they twist what he said and
what he came to do. So how shall we know the difference
between God's Christ and the imposters? The answer is, Christ
shall bring to pass all that the Father commands him, and
God's Christ shall speak of the particulars. Jesus of Nazareth
said these words, and if you wish to follow along, you turn
to John chapter eight. This is what Jesus of Nazareth
said, John chapter eight, in verse 25. Then said he unto him, who art
thou? And Jesus saith unto them, even
the same that I said unto you from the beginning. So he said,
my message has stayed the same. Hasn't changed at all. Jesus
Christ was not adapting what he said to the times, he was
speaking the very commanded words God sent him to speak. and I
have many things to say and to judge of you, but he that sent
me is true, and I speak to the world those things which I have
heard of him. There's that prophet. Now like
I said, there's many things we can say about that, but I wanna
concentrate on this, on this, God's Christ versus the imposter. Now notice Christ said, I speak
to the world. Does that mean he spoke to all
men without exception? No, but he spoke to the world. And then men want to argue what
the world, the word world means. Now look, they understood not
that he spake to them of the Father. Then said Jesus unto
them, when ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye
know that I am. Now the he's put in there, it
doesn't destroy it, but it could confuse you a little. Then you'll
know I am. And that I do nothing of myself. But as my father hath taught
me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me,
and the father hath not left me alone, for I do always those
things that please him. He's the only man that could
ever honestly say those words. This man cannot. No man or woman
out here cannot, or hearing me on there, they cannot. Listen
to what else he said during the chapter 12. Jesus of Nazareth
is that prophet. He is, and that's what he's actually
enforcing, and John records it, and we just read it, John 8,
25 through 29. But now listen to John 12, and
let's begin in verse 44. Jesus cried and said, he that
believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. Now what's he saying here? That
you can't believe God the Father unless you believe him. And if
you believe him, it's not just about him, you are honoring God
the Father. And he that seeth me seeth him
that sent me. What's he saying there? I am
equal with God the Father. Look, I am come a light into
the world. For what reason? He does not
say so that all the world would be saved. Is that what he says?
No, but what does he say? I am come into the world that
whosoever believeth on me shall not abide in darkness. Now listen,
why don't men just lay it right there? But rebellious men cannot. Look what else he said. And if
any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not, for I came
not to judge the world, but to save the world. Now either he did it or he was
an imposter. Correct? Either he did it or
he was a false prophet speaking presumptuously. He that rejecteth
me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him. The
word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last
day. For I have not spoken of myself,
but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, do
you see it? a commandment, what I should
say and what I should speak, and I know that his commandment
is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak, therefore,
even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. And I will add nothing more and
nothing less. So these are the very words of
Jesus Christ, are they not? Did not Jesus of Nazareth say,
I am come to save the world? This is what the Father commanded
him to come say and to do. I believe he did it. I believe
he did it. The imposter that's preached
today says he made it possible for it to be done, but he didn't
really do it. I'm saying he did it. I'm saying
He did it, because the Father commanded Him to say it and to
do it. This was His command, and He
clearly declared it to be what the Father commanded Him to do. Now the question is, do you believe
He did that or not? You're going to have to confront
Jesus Christ's words, straightforward, I came to save the world. Did
He do it or not? If you give any, but we don't
blame God, we blame men. No, you're lying through your
teeth. You're lying through your teeth.
The Messiah would say exactly what the Father commanded him
to do and it must come to pass. Now, hear the scripture, and
I want you to listen as I read, and I'm going to read the apocalyptic
summary, that is, the summary of the book of the Revelation
of Jesus Christ. The words I want to read is Revelation
chapter five, and let me move on. And I saw in the right hand
of him that sat on the throne a book, written within, and on
the backside, sealed with seven seals. So we understand that
this was a scroll, and it was written on both sides, and it's
rolled up, but then it's sealed with seven seals. Of course,
then we later see the seven seals starting to be loosed, opened
up, each one individually, and who's opening them? We will see.
Jesus of Nazareth. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose
the seals thereof? And no man in heaven nor in earth,
neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither
to look thereon. And I wept much because no man
was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to
look thereon. And one of the elders said unto
me, John, don't weep. Don't weep. Behold the line of
the tribe of Judah, the root of David. Here is a man. Here is a man. The prophet, the
one like unto Moses, a deliverer. Moses was gonna deliver the children
of Israel out of Egypt. Now was he not? Did that depend? Look at how rebellious they were
all throughout 40 years, and yet God accomplished his purpose.
Yes or no? Shall our unbelief make the faith
of God without none effect? God forbid. God forbid. Look, the root of David hath
prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof. And notice the amazing language.
The seals are not even being broken yet, but he's already
prevailed to do it. Isn't that amazing? God talks
in these enigmas, and somebody says, well, that's a contradiction.
No, your mind and my mind is so puny and so small, we can't
get it. God is eternal, therefore there
is nothing new with God. And then we go on. And I beheld
and lo in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in
the midst of the elders, and now all of a sudden, what's he
see? The land of the tribe of Judah? The root of David, yes,
yes, but that's not what he actually seen when he seen him, was it?
In the midst of that stood a lamb as it had been slain. And folks,
that's the gospel. That's the gospel. All of eternity
is fixed toward that purpose. Jesus Christ, the lamb slain. All of it is. Without that message,
you've got no gospel. I don't care how much Bible you
preach. Like Ol' Rolfe said, John 3.16 ain't got a lick of
gospel in it except everybody's mouths are dropped. John 3.14 is the gospel. John
3.16's testimony about the gospel. And I think that's pretty good.
And I'm sure them Southern Baptists, some of them just didn't know
what to think. As it had been slain, having seven horns and
seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into
all the earth. And he came and took the book
out of the right hand to him to set upon the throne. Now that's
saying something. That's saying something. You
and I ain't gonna be able to do that. Oh no, oh no. And when he had taken the book,
the four beasts and the four and the 20 elders jumped up and
just started hallelujah to the Lord. Now these are the beasts
and the elders. They're already in glory. They're
around the throne. Are they not? And are they hallelujah
glory? Is that what they're doing? Look
at what they did. Fell down before the Lamb. Oh, what a day that will be,
folks, when God permits us by His grace to fall down to Jesus
Christ of Nazareth's feet. And Mac, maybe even just get
a touch of Him and kiss Him. He saved my soul. He is saving
me from myself. Look! And he took the book, and
the four, and they fell down before the Lamb, having every
one of them harps and golden vows full of odors, which are
the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song, new
to them, not new to God. New to them, they sung a new
song, saying, thou art worthy to take the book and to open
the seals thereof, for thou wast slain. and hast redeemed us to
God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people
and nation. There he saved the world. There's,
it's more, but there's at least one of every kind of person saved
by the grace of God through the blood of Christ. I believe there's
more than one because this is a vast group of people. By the
out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and has
made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on
the earth. Is not the world been saved? Have redeemed us to God by thy
blood and notice out of. He didn't redeem every nation,
every kindred, every tongue, every people, and every nation,
did he? But he did redeem out of all
of that some. Did he not? Did he not? This
is the truth of God. That's the apocalyptic summary.
Listen to the one who cried in the wilderness who was sent of
God to announce the coming of the Christ. John chapter one,
if you wish to follow along. John one, verse 19. And this is the record of John,
that is John the Baptist. And when the Jews sent priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou? And he
confessed and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ. You know, I think most preachers
wouldn't mind had they been the Christ. But they will be the
Christ. And let me tell you, sadly, most
preachers are preaching that imposter. That imposter. Look what he says. I am not the
Christ. They ask him, what then? Art
thou alas? And he says, I am not. Are thou
that prophet? Huh? Now they're trying to be
sly. They're not truly looking for
the answer. They're trying, just like they
did with Christ, to trip him up in his words. Because any
sound-minded Jew that had been taught from the Holy Scriptures
knew that that prophet was the Christ. He was the Messiah. And he said, I am not. Now that
prophet, and he answered, no. Then said they unto him, who
art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us?
What sayest thou of thyself? And he said, I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the
Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah, or Isaiah as we have here. And
they that were sent were of the Pharisees. That answers a lot
of what's going on here. And they asked him and said unto
him, why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor
Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I
baptize you with water, but there standeth one among you, whom
ye know not. He it is whose coming after me
is preferred before me, whose shoe latchet I'm not even worthy
to stoop down and untie his shoes. That's a whole lot different
attitude than what most so-called professed Christians believe
about Jesus today, isn't it? That's because their Jesus is
an imposter. These things were done in Beth
Beir, beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day,
John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb
of God. Now right there he is. Now we've
already looked at the apocalypse in the summer, the Lamb of God.
John announced him when he came into the world as the Lamb of
God. He said, Look, the Lamb of God. I don't know Mason that
he did this, but I can almost see it as he's pointing him. Look! Behold! Gaze upon him! Behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world. I want to be one of them. Well preacher, you know the world
gotta mean all without exception. If you believe that, then you've
never really honestly studied this book. There is no way you
can, when you, the word world is used hundreds of times, never,
never can it ever be used to say all without exception. Never. but it is the world, because
God the Lamb has redeemed a people to God by his blood out of every
kindred and tongue and people and nation. As a matter of fact,
you remember what it said about Noah? He was a preacher of righteousness,
and God saved eight people, and the world was condemned. Well,
there was eight people that wasn't a part of that world. Right? Right, that's what it says, Hebrews,
you can read it yourself, Hebrews chapter 11. By which he condemned
the world. But that world did not include
eight people. And here's a world that don't
include all without exception, but bless God, it's the world.
And Christ, what did he do as the Lamb? He took away the sin
of the world. So how can anything condemn him?
There is no sin. There is no but, no but. Jesus is the Christ. He is that
prophet. He said, I came to save the world.
He did it. John said he was going to do
it. The elders and all of this vast
horde says, you did it. You did it. Did Jesus of Nazareth
take away the sin of the world or not? Are you gonna believe
the book or not? Or are you gonna sit around and
argue about the meaning of the word world? Hmm? Yeah, well let's look at all
the passages. Now you're just obfuscating from God's truth
what you're doing. There's one more witness, an
apostle's inspired testimony. Look at 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians
chapter five. Here's an apostle's inspired
testimony about this, about the Christ of God. 2 Corinthians
5 verse 18, and all things are of God. Who hath reconciled us
to himself by Jesus Christ. And he's given to us the ministry
or the service of reconciliation. Not that we bring it to pass,
but we announce it. We're declaring it. That's all
we can do. That's all we can do. But look
what it says, to wit. In other words, I'm going to
explain this to you. And he went, to wit, let me explain. Look, that God was, past tense,
not is, God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word
of reconciliation. Announce that this is so. And
know what he says? Now sinners, bow down to it.
Now sinners, bow down to it. Now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ. As though God did beseech you
by us, we pray you in Christ's head, be ye reconciled to God. And what's he talking about?
The context is bow down to this truth. Bow down to this reconciler. Bow down to his son. For he hath
made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him. If all you want to do
is debate and argue the phrase the world, and who that world
is, then you've missed the truth. Because this book says we believe
Christ. We believe on him, we believe
in him, but we also believe him. He said, I came to save the world.
Now, is he a liar or did he tell the truth? Mason, if he didn't
do what he said he came to do, then he's a liar. He's an imposter,
but Jesus of Nazareth is no imposter. He is no imposter. Listen to
what God prophesied of the Messiah. I'll read this one to you. You
don't have to take time to turn, I'll just read it to you. Remember
this, show yourselves men. Bring it to mind, oh ye transgressors. Who's he talking to? him, you
and me. Well, I thought this was a book
written to Jews. It was. It was. But Isaiah is clearly
told they're not going to hear it. Read it in chapter six. Before
he goes through any of this, you go out and preach it to them.
But their hearts are going to be hardened. Their eyes are blind.
Their ears are stopped. He said a tenth. A tenth. A tenth. Remember the former
things of old, for I am God and there is none else. I am God
and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying
my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. Now that
is God. And Jesus Christ was no less
than that God. Calling a ravenous bird from
the, a ravenous bird. Not a beautiful peacock, a ravenous
bird. Some kind of raptor, Joseph,
would eat the flesh of another beast. But I call a ravenous
bird from the east the man that executeth my counsel from a far
country. Yea, I have spoken it. I will
also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also
do it. Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted. that are far from righteousness,
I bring near my righteousness. It shall not be far off, and
my salvation shall not tarry. Let me tell you something. God
breathes life into every one of his people at the exact moment
he declared to do so. And he converts every one of
his people at the exact moment that he's ordained to do so.
I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, and
my salvation shall not tarry, and I will place salvation in
Zion for Israel, my glory. Well, there you go, preacher,
he's talking to Israel. Again, I tell you, go back and
read Isaiah 6. But we have more testimony about
that. They are not all Israel, which
are of Israel. Well, but that's talking about
the Jews, preacher. Testimony from Scripture, he is not a Jew
which is one outwardly. Circumcision's not that of the
flesh. He's a Jew which is one inwardly. This is a work of God
for Israel, for the true Jews, those that God breathes life
into and sends his gospel, and they bow down to his son, the
Lamb, who redeemed them to God by his blood out of every kindred
and nation and tongue and people. He saved the world! He saved the world. He saved them, they're gonna
reign with Him one day. Is redeemed out of every tribe,
do you believe that? Do you believe that? Now, let
me close this. Has their sins been taken away?
If He died for you, your sins are taken away. And I know people
wanna ask the question, well preacher, I believe Jesus died
for the elect. Well that's good, this Bible
teaches that. That's good. Well preacher, I believe Jesus
died only for the elect. That's good, this Bible teaches
that. But that's just doctrine. That's
just a belief of mind. And it can be a belief of heart.
But do you believe him who did that redeeming? Has God bowed you in your heart
to the feet of his dear son? Their sin's been taken away.
They are reconciled to God by Jesus Christ, and it's an act
of God not imputing their trespasses unto them. And Mason Lilley,
he was doing that 2,000 years ago. As a matter of fact, he
was doing that in Christ before the world began. else he'd have
damned us all when he created this world and we rebelled against
him in our daddy Adam. So, who is the world? Here's
the world that Christ came to save. Christ said, I know my
sheep and have known of mine. I call them by name. I call them
individually, and they shall hear my voice. Why? Because it's
his responsibility. And there shall be, although
there are two folds, there are some who, and when he spoke back
then at least, there were some who were not of this fold, the
Jewish fold, but there is a Jewish fold, but there's some of another
fold. He said, other sheep I have. which are not of this fold, they
have also I must bring. And there shall be one fold and
one shepherd. And that's where we are today.
That's the world he saved. The world of the sheep. And Christ specifically told
some, he said, my sheep will hear my voice, they'll follow
me. He told some people, you're not my sheep. And you don't believe
because you're not my sheep. Now, do you believe that Christ,
or do you believe the imposter? You know, the gospel is so profound,
Jack, but yet it is that simple. Jesus Christ did everything the
Father sent him to do. He accomplished it, and it will,
yea, it must come to pass. Do you believe that Christ, or
do you believe another?