This book, this blessed book, is the inspired word of God himself. That being said, if I could get you to think on that. If God the Holy Spirit would drive that one statement home to your heart, I would be happy to sit down now and send you home to think of that one thing. This book, this book that you hold in your lap, this book is the inspired Word of Almighty All fiction is given by inspiration of God.

The Apostle Peter tells us that this book came into being because holy men of old wrote as they were moved by the Spirit of God. The very words of the book were dictated sovereignly by God the Holy Spirit to the hearts of men who were moved of God, that is, their hands were held by the hand of God as they penned the word, and what they wrote is the word of God, the word of God Almighty.

Though those men, for the most part, were unknown to one another, Though they lived in different lands, cultures, and ages, though they were men of different countries, a varying lifestyle, a varying natural ability, some were kings, some were shepherds, some were craftsmen, some were fishermen, some were doctors, some were just herdsmen, yet they all wrote of one person, and they all declared the same message without the slightest contradiction.

Now think of it, think of it. Over thousands of years, men wrote. They wrote as they were moved by the Spirit of God. Moses began to write, Job in his words, and as they wrote, they wrote of one person, a they had never seen but by faith, a person they had never known but by divine revelation to their heart. And Job wrote of him with exactly the same truth in complete harmony as the apostle John did when he said these things and handled them. He was a word of life. Job told the same thing about him John did. Told the very same thing about him that the Apostle Paul did. Paul and John had greater understanding, greater light, but they did not contradict one another in the slightest degree.

The person of whom the prophets spoke is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God, our Savior. When Nathanael came to the Lord Jesus, or when Philip and Andrew came to the Lord Jesus, they said, we found him of whom Moses and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph and Mary. He's the Messiah. He's the Redeemer. He's the one that Adam spoke of and the one that God spoke to Adam about. He's the one for whom Abel died. He's the one of whom Moses did speak in the earliest days. This is the one of whom all the Scriptures speak.

And the message that the Scriptures declare from the beginning of Genesis to the close of Revelation is redemption by the blood of Jesus Christ. That's the message of the Word. All the way through the Bible, God's message to man is the necessity of redemption, the accomplishment of redemption, and the application of redemption. All the way through the Bible, the Word of God declares that fallen, dead, helpless sinners must be redeemed. Their sins must be atoned. And the Word of God declares that it's done, as God himself would have it done. And the Word of God declares that God applies it to the hearts of men effectually as he will, so that Jesus Christ shall see that the veil of his soul and shall be satisfied.

Now this book, the Word of God, is to be reverenced, honored, and esteemed by us as the Word of God. I'm going to be preaching a little bit from Revelation 22, but let me show you a text of Scripture here in Psalm 138. Psalm 138. Now, what am I talking about? This book here, this book, this book. Listen to what the psalmist says. Psalm 138, verse 2. I will worship toward thy temple, thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth. Why? For or because thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Now God puts honor on this word. God puts honor on this world. I know that men and women can be and often are idolatrous and superstitious regarding the Word of God and make it to be an object of worship or make it to be a good luck charm, just a piece of superstition. But let us never depreciate. or in any way show any disrespect or disregard for the Word of God. If God has magnified His Word above all His names, then surely those who know and reverent His name will reverent His Word.

" I know people who do not know me and do not know our way of worship in this place. I think it's strange that I'm so insistent about disturbances and moving around in the congregation. There's a reason for it. Merle just got through reading this Word, the Word of God Almighty. Reference that Word. Pay attention to that Word. Pay attention to it. This is God's Word we're reading. I'm preaching to you from the Word of God Almighty. Now that deserves the highest esteem and reverence and respect that you give to anything in the world. That's right. That's right. You take care that you reverence the word.

I have often heard men say, in their attempts to rebuke superstitious idolatrous attitudes about the scriptures, I've heard them say things like this. Apart from the application of the Holy Spirit, this book is no more valuable than the morning news text. Oh, no. Oh, no. A thousand times no. A thousand times no. Unlike any other word ever written, unlike anything ever committed to pen and ink, there is throughout the Scriptures a special blessing promise to everybody who reads and hears and obeys the writings of this book. John said, blessed are they that read and they that hear and they that obey the word of God. Blessed are they.

I respect and treat with reverence the written word for it's God's word. Around my house you won't see it stacked up under a bunch of books. And folks may poke fun at it. But I don't lay anything on this book. I don't use this book to prop up anything else. Sometimes you might see me get done reading and lay my glasses on it. But I don't lay anything else on this book. This is God's Word. This is God's Word. God's holding Word.

Now because this is the Word of God, it is the book which we are required under God to submit to and to obey. We're required to submit to the total authority of this book. We're required to look upon this book alone as being authoritative and authentic with regard to any instruction in divine spiritual matters. Faith simply submits to the Word of God. It submits to it. You find me anything taught in God's Word, understand it or not, that's what I believe. I submit to it. I submit to it. Sometimes I can't explain it. Many times I can't explain it. I submit to it.

There's a text of scripture that has perplexed me for years. I don't understand it. I don't, I can't explain it. When our Lord Jesus arose from the dead, we're told that the saints of God arose and walked the streets of Jerusalem. I don't know what that means. Well, I know what it means. It means saints of God arose from the grave and walked the streets of Jerusalem and ascended back to glory. Now, why? I don't understand that. One of these days I'm going to understand. But that's what happened. That's exactly what happened. The Word of God says so. The Word of God says so.

When we read in the scriptures that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, that's no problem. The Word of God declares it. We bow to it. Faith does not argue with God's Word. Oppose God's Word or ignore God's Word. Faith believes the Word, submits to the Word, and obeys the Word. Faith holds the Book of God to be singularly authoritative in all things. The Holy Scriptures alone hold authority over the Kingdom of God.

This Book, this Book alone, is our rule of all faith and of all practice in this house. That's right. I endeavor to be meticulous about it. I endeavor to be detailed about it. We believe and preach exactly what is written in the Word of God, never what we deduce from or reason into the Holy Scripture, but only that which is written in the Word. Somebody says, what do you folks believe? I can hand them one of these right here, one of these right here. That's what we believe. That's what we believe. All that we see in it, all that we understand of it, all that God has made known to us, this is what we believe. In the sum totality of it, this is what we believe. The word of the living God.

But what do you folks do? That's what we do. We do what New Testament churches did. Our worship services to the best of my ability, our offices, our functions in this church are conducted in exact accordance with that which is revealed in the New Testament. In exact accordance with it. Find me anything performed in the New Testament church that is not performed here, we'll begin Tuesday night to do it. You find me anything performed here that was not performed in the New Testament church, we will begin Tuesday night no longer to do it. That's right. We take nothing from it, we add nothing to it, we simply adhere to the word of God. This is what we believe, this is what we practice, this is what we preach. That's all there is to it.

I know that there are times when that leads us in contradiction with our most favored and our most favored people in this world. I read after Dr. Gill a lot, but often, well not too often, but now and then I read in the scriptures that would contradict Dr. Gill. And when they contradict Mr. Gill, I conclude that Mr. Gill was wrong. Thank God he knows better now. But insofar as the scriptures are concerned, this is our authority messing up. Nothing else. It doesn't matter whether anybody else agrees or not. Doesn't matter whether anybody else understands what we're doing or not. Doesn't matter whether all the world ignores this message or not.

We believe and preach the message of God's free grace in Christ to substitute in this word exactly as it was preached in the New Testament. And we practice simplicity in worship exactly as it did in the New Testament. And we recognize that this book by the blessing of God the Holy Spirit is the source, now listen to me, this book by the blessing of God the Holy Spirit is the source and instrumental cause of all spiritual life in men in this gospel age. Can I show you that from the scriptures? Turn over to James chapter 1. James chapter 1, well let's back up a little bit. Turn over to Romans 10. Romans chapter 10. I can quote and read scripture after scripture. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching. What preaching? The preaching of this word, to save them that believe. Romans 10 verse 17. So then faith, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. In other words, the apostle is saying, apart from the hearing of God's word, there is no faith.

Now some smart aleck will call you up and he'll say, well, I've had him to call me. Do you mean by that that a man must audibly hear the word of God? Well, no, no. I know some fellows are deaf. It does not mean they must audibly hear the word. Obviously it doesn't mean that. It means that the word of God must be explained to them so that they understand the message of the word. Apart from the declaration of divine truth, there is no saving faith. That's what it means.

Turn to Hebrews chapter 4, Hebrews the fourth chapter, verse 12. The word of God is quick, quick. You know what that means? fire, living fire, full of life. The Word of God is quick, powerful, powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and of the joints and the marrow. And this Word is a discerner of the thought and intent of the heart. So that as I stand and preach this Word to you, If God enables me to preach, I can so preach that you think I've been reading your private mail. It reaches your heart. Reaches to the very thought of your heart and mind. It's just a discernment and an exposure of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Turn over to James chapter one. James chapter one. I know there are many Many who say that man can be saved apart from the word, man can be saved without the word. There are those who teach that some witch doctor in Africa, as long as he's sincere and he worships God according to the light that he has, he'll be saved. And they think that as long as a fellow's sincere, even if he does things that are barbaric and cruel in worship, as long as he's sincere and worships God according to the light he has, he'll be saved. There's nothing further from the truth.

So, but what if they're elect? If they're elect, God will give them this word. That's what we've seen Ken Wymer, the Africa folk. If they're elect, God will speak to it that they hear this word. If they're elect and redeemed by Christ, God will bring them to hear this word declared by a faithful gospel Christian. Say, well, I don't see any way it can happen. You don't have to see it. God sees it. God sees it. And God accomplishes it exactly according to his will.

James chapter 1, verse 18. Of his will, of his own will, begat he us. The word begat means we were born by. Of his own will begat he us, not apart from, but with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruit of his creation. You can just read that text and say, well now, Now that doesn't line up with our concept of sovereignty. We believe God can do whatever He will. He can. And He reveals to us what His will is. It is His will to give me in life by the instrumentality of His Word. And that's the only way He does it.

Turn over now to 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 23. We're born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible. Incorruptible. Peter's talking about birth. He says we're not born of corruptible sperms, is the word. We're not born of the corruptible seed of our father. That's not how we're born in the King's day. Cause your daddy's a believer, doesn't make you a believer. Cause your mama's a believer, doesn't make you a believer. We're not born again by the flesh, not by the will of the flesh, not by the power of the flesh. The corruptible feet of human flesh has nothing to do with the kingdom of God. We're not born again by corruptible feet, but by incorruptible. By the word of God, which lives and abides forever, all flesh and grass, all the glory of man is as the flower

The grass withereth, the flower thereof falleth away, but the word of the Lord endureth forever. This word, it endures. It endures. It endures the persecutors' fires and the persecutors' swords. It endures. It endures the skeptics and the philosophers and the educators and the wise aches of the world. This word endures forever. This is the word of God. The word of God. And this is the word, now look at this, this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

What does Peter mean there? He's telling us that God saves his elect by the word which he has given through the preaching of the gospel. And this word is faithfully and fully proclaimed to men and when men stand to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. In other words, this word has one message. This word has one declaration. The word of God is preached to you when we declare unto you Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's what Paul said in Acts 20, verse 27. He said, I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God, all the counsel of God. And then he wrote to the Corinthians, he said, I determine not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. He said the same thing those places. For Jesus Christ crucified is all the counsel of God. That's what God's Word's about. And we declare to men the Word fully and faithfully when we declare to men Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's the message of the book. And when you understand that, you understand the book. When you understand that, you've got the keys. You're just writing them. and turns the tumblers in that lock and opens up the book to you. You see Jesus Christ and He crucified and seeing Him, you see the Word of God in its entirety.

And what I'm saying is that this book in its entirety is the Word of God, verbally inspired, inerrant, infallible, immutable. Let us therefore reverence it as such, submit to it as such, and teach it as such.

Now I want this evening to go through these verses in Revelation 22 beginning at verse 6 to the end of the chapter and very briefly, and I mean very briefly, give you 15 confirmations of this blessed book as inspired word of God. It takes an hour and a half to teach three things. What on earth is he going to do with 15? I'll give you 15 real quick. I promise you. I'll wrap it up in 30 minutes.

Now, I make no effort to prove the truthfulness and the validity of Holy Scripture to those who believe not. I'm not interested in arguing and debating with men. I simply declare to you the truth of God and demand that you, by the authority and power of God himself, believe the word. But for you who do believe, here are 15 facts that will help you to confirm your faith in God's revelation of His Son, the Holy Bible, the Word of God. Number one, verse six. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true. So he's talking about the book of Revelation. No, he's talking about that and all the others. Notice what it says. And the Lord God of the holy prophets The Lord God is a holy prophet. There wasn't a prophet involved in writing the book of Revelation. He's talking about the whole time of Holy Scripture. And God in his divine providence has arranged that the last chapter of Scripture is this chapter right here. Well, John didn't write the last thing. I know, but God put it last because that's what God wanted it. God arranged it last because that's the way God intended it.

These things, these sayings are faithful and true. The Lord God of the Holy Prophet sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Now here John shows us that the Bible is confirmed to us as the Word of God by the name of God who gave it. This blessed book has been given to us by our Mediator, the Lord Jesus, who is himself the Lord God of the Holy Prophet.

Jesus Christ, we saw in the Sunday School lesson this morning, is the Word. He is the living word of whom the written word speaks, and He is the living word who speaks the written word. God Almighty speaks to men, deals with men, only in the person of the Mediator, Jesus Christ, the Lord our God. He is our Mediator, but He's our God. He's our Savior, but He's our God. He is our God, but this God is also the mediator between God and man. The whole revelation of God to man is given by and in and through the mediator man, Christ Jesus. And all that the Lord God reveals is faithful and true.

I challenge you, way back in the book, when you begin reading through the Bible next time, maybe you're just starting, next time you begin in Genesis, jot down the prophecy and find me one prophecy that hasn't been fulfilled in Jesus Christ our Lord that was to be fulfilled when He came the first time. Find me one that was a day late. Find me one promise God ever made He didn't keep. Find me one. Find me one doctrine God ever revealed that He did not declare and reveal in the plainest hand that's not true, that's not faithful, that's not sure, that's inconsistent with righteousness. You can take it to the bank as they say, this is truth, only this is truth.

Second, the Bible is confirmed to us as the word of God by the message that God has employed to give us. The holy God gave his holy word to his holy prophet to give to give to his holy prophets to show them to his servants in every generation, so that his servants might make known to his church the mind and will of God in all spiritual things. This is what he says. The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angels to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

I don't know what part the angels have in this thing of inspiration. I don't know what part they have in this thing of the giving of scriptures. But I do know they have some part. I know they are somehow involved in giving to us the word of God. In Galatians 3.19, Paul tells us that the law was given by angels into the hands of the mediators. The Lord God uses the angels to minister to us and uses us to minister to the angels, instructing them in the message of redemption.

are significantly, secretly, miraculously involved in the preservation of this book in those days of neglect and persecution. That's the evil angel who hid the book in that temple until the time of Josiah so that it might be discovered again. That's the evil angel who died that preserved for us this book when men endeavored to stamp it out, when men endeavored to keep it from the people of God. I don't know, but somehow they're involved. And those who faithfully preach the Scripture have nothing to gain whatever by telling men the truth of God. It always, always comes back on them. But these men are called holy prophets, and they're called the servants of God, and so they faithfully declare to men the faithful truth of God, the very fact that a man bears and preach to proud men that they had nothing to be proud of, stands in front of vain, glorious men, and tells them they're nothing but sinful women, stands in front of men who boast themselves as self-made men, and tells them that they have made merit before God, stands before men and tells them, in the teeth of all that they want to believe, that God Almighty saves whom He will and has mercy on whom He will, And that's salvation's entirety of the Lord.

The man seems to proclaim such things to men, men who despise it, men who persecute them for it, men who imprison them for it, men who... Do you think that man declares something to you when it's not the truth of God? And lays down his life for it when it's not the truth of God? That's the very fact that a man would give us this word, and die to give it, is a confirmation of God's Word.

Thirdly, The Scriptures will soon be contained to all the world as the word of God, and the accomplishment of all that has been revealed. God sent his angels and his prophets to defend him, to say the things which must shortly be done. Verse 7, Behold, I come quickly. That's what has to be done. Blessed is he that keepeth the things of the prophecies of this day. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming again. There shall be a resurrection of the dead. Though men scoff and mock, all shall be gone exactly as God has declared. The world shall be destroyed. Babylon, the world's religion, and Babylon, the world's system, shall be destroyed. We will all stand before this God in judgment, and God will make all things new. for you and for me to stand somewhere either under the bliss of God's holiness and glory or under the terror of God's wrath and judgment.

Fourthly, this book is confirmed to us as the Word of God by its honesty and forthrightness in explaining the sins of its most eminent character. I think sometimes This is the greatest confirmation of divine truth in all the books. Let's suppose that my friend Henry Mahan dies before I do. I love him. I admire him. And let's suppose I know him as well as his wife Doris knows him. And I know he's got some faults. And I want to be as honest as I can. But I want to protect my friends. So if I should say anything about any thoughts that the man has, I'll find a way to excuse him. I'll find a way to gloss over them. I'll find a way to make as little of them as I possibly can. Why? Because I love the man. I love him. I want to honor him. I want to excuse him. And if I couldn't do that, I wouldn't write the Bible. I wouldn't write it. I wouldn't want to expose any evil about a man that I love and admire and esteem in the fellowship of the gospel. I wouldn't want to do that.

But here's God's word. When God brings us his word, and plainly, consistently, throughout the word, God exposes the horrible corruption and sin of his most intimate friend. Well, Don, where on earth did you get that in this chapter? Look at the next line, verse 8. And I, John, saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel, which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not? For I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophet, and of them which keep the sayings of this book. Worship God. The first time John did that, you can read it in chapter 19, I believe it's verse 10. The first time John did that, we can overlook it and say, well, he practiced that in the image of his Christ. Maybe he did it. But the second time, why on earth did he do it? Well, here, John's fault reveals the sinfulness and the idolatry that's in the hearts of all men.

Now, notice this. John was in the Spirit, wasn't he? He was in the Spirit. He was giving and raising from God himself concerning the revelation of Jesus Christ, and even while he's in the Spirit, he's a man of sinful flesh and is given to Let's take a stark doubt as a fellow. Not all of it, but some of it. That kind of makes it even better, you say. Here's John, the holy apostle John, in the spirit, under the spirit of inspiration, as he writes the book of God. And yet the man who is inspired of God to write the book himself, while he writes the infallible word of God, that man is himself. Nothing holy about him. He falls down to worshiping angels.

I don't know if God reveals these things so plainly to us. Every man. You go back and read the Bible. Every man in the world. Every man in the history that God holds up to us as an example. Example of faith. Example of courage. Example of faithfulness. Every last one of us. Every last one of us, he shows us this. He does it to show us that salvation is by grace alone and that your goodness has nothing to do with it. He does it to show us that Christ alone is our righteousness.

Here's John. Here's John in the Spirit. Here's John receiving a word from God. The angel of God is before him. Heaven is open before him. Eternity is set before him. And here's John falling down at the feet of an angel for worshiping him. You don't know what God's telling you. The apostle John, who laid his head on Jesus' breast, The Apostle John who was filled with the Spirit of God. The Apostle John who wrote with inspiration the Word of God. The Apostle John who's accepted in Christ Jesus. The Apostle John. That one who was in the inner circle of the inner circle of the saints of God when Christ lived on this earth. That man has no righteousness except what's imputed to him and given to him by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Neither do you and neither do I.

These things are written to keep us looking to Christ alone for all our salvation. I keep reminding you of them because I want you to constantly look to Him alone for all wisdom, all righteousness, all sanctification, and all redemption.

Fifthly, this book is confirmed to us as the Word of God by its being open to public scrutiny. Look at verse 10. And he saith unto me, feel not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. For a thousand years the Church of Rome tried to steal the sayings of the prophecy. And the only way you could find the Bible anywhere is you'd go to the cathedral. And there the Bible would be seen to a pulpit, because he didn't want anybody to have it.

Don't feel it by persecution and swords and don't feel it by wisdom of men's words and don't feel it by your own There it is. You don't have to steal this book. You don't have to protect this book. You don't have to defend this book. You don't have to do anything for this book. It's just, you're torn it. It's the power of God. The Bible is its own best defense and its own best revelation. This book is open to all. It's not a secret revelation. We're not a secret society with secrets that are given in private conversations. When I was in college, some fellows realized they weren't going to get me to back off any from the message of God's grace. They said, now, Don, you just don't preach it publicly to everybody. Just, you know, don't just come back and blurt it out. Don't do that. Just kind of ease into it. You can kind of sneak up on folks from the blind side, you know, and get them to believe this without really confronting them. Or, you know, preach it. Preach it Wednesday night service when you just got the real thing. Don't preach it to everybody. That's a paychecker. That's a paychecker. We'll hide. I'll just take care of what's good for you.

They don't handle this. Betty can't handle it. These men can vouch for it, every last one of them. What I talk to them about back there, I preach to you right here. What I speak in private, what I preach in public. I have no secret doctrine. I have no secret doctrine that I don't declare to anybody. I declare them publicly and openly, sometimes to the offense of men, sometimes the message itself offends men, and sometimes there are the very language of scripture offends me.

I have a friend that was teaching in Sunday school class, another place, another city, out of Hebrews 13. Marriage is honorable and all, and the bed's undefiled. And he began to explain it And a couple of old censors in the church got up and walked out. We can't have that read in public. No, no. God's word can be read in public. It can be all right. You don't have to shelter it and shield it. You just declare it. That's all. Declare it just like God says it. Declare it plainly and clearly and declare its meaning without hesitation.

All the doctrines of the Bible are open for public inspection. All the prophecies of the Bible are open for public scrutiny. All the Scriptures are open to be studied, and having been studied, to be believed and obeyed.

Sixth, the Bible is confirmed to us as the Word of God by the effect it has upon those who hear it and read it. Verse 11, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still. I'm preaching to you tonight. What I preach is not going to change the fact. It'll only expose you. It'll only expose you. Nothing will change what you are. It'll only expose you. And he that is righteous, what's that mean? One who has been declared righteous in God's decree, made righteous by the imputation of righteousness through the death of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, Let him be righteous to you. This is going to bring it out. This is going to bring it out. It's going to declare it. If God made you righteous, this word, it's going to reveal it. It's going to reveal it.

And he that is holy, let him be holy to you. You see, this word in the hands of God Almighty is a favor of life unto life to some. the favor of death unto death to others. And whichever it is to you is not my responsibility. It's not the responsibility of this church. It's your responsibility. And it's in the hands of God. It's in the hands of God. If men believe, That's the work of God. And if they believe not, that's the work of unbelief, but it's still according to the purpose of God. Man's unbelief doesn't make the purpose of God without effect. No, sir. And this word simply divides the people. It divides the wheat from the tares. It divides the seed of the Cessna from the seed of the woman. It divides the children of God from the children of Satan. It's a divider. Always a divider. Our Lord didn't come to send peace on earth with a sword. And this sword divides family, divides mother from daughter, daughter from mother, father from son, husband from wife. It's a divider. Always has been, always will be.

Seventh, this book shall be confirmed as the word of God in the day of judgment, for in that day, this book and the gospel it reveals will be the basis of divine judgment. And behold, verse 12, I come to you, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. In that great day, the Lord Jesus Christ will dispense rewards of justice according to the rule of Holy Scripture. Those who obey the gospel, believing it, shall be saved and have life everlasting and everlasting righteousness. Those who disobey the gospel and will not believe it shall be damned according to strict justice.

Eighth, this book is confirmed as the word of God by Christ himself when he comes to reward his saints. Verse 13, he says, I am Alpha and Omega. I'm the first and the last, I'm the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandment, that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city.

What on earth is our Lord saying? He's telling us that they shall live to obey his commandment. Keep the commandment of God, you'll live. What's that? You talking about salvation by works? No, read the word of God. Read the word of what? His commandment. This is his commandment that you believe on Jesus Christ as he is said. Now obey that commandment, you live. You live forever. This is his commandment. All who do believe shall eat of the tree of life. But notice what John says. They may have right to eat of the tree of life. Those who believe Christ, being redeemed by his blood, being made righteous by his imputed righteousness, have the right, have the right, have the right, in the eyes of God's law, in the eyes of strict justice, they have the right to live forever! That's what he says. have the right. Everybody who goes to glory goes to glory by right. Everybody who lives forever lives forever by right. God does everything right. Everything. He does everything according to justice. They have a right because Christ purchased the right for them. They have a right because Christ earned the right for them. And they who have the right, the power, the authority, and the legal right to eat of the tree of life, they shall enter into the city of God.

Ninth, this book shall be confirmed as the word of God, faithful and true, by condemning and banishing from heaven all who despise its message and reject its counsel. Verse 15, for without, without the gates of the city, without the kingdom of light, without the city of God, without the holy Jerusalem, without our dog and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

What's he talking about? Without our dogs. Turn over to Deuteronomy. Let me show you this. Deuteronomy chapter 23. Dog, how on earth did they get in this picture? Deuteronomy chapter 23. Verse 17, There shall no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. There shall be no whore or sodomite. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any thou For even both these are an abomination unto the Lord thy God." Now how many of you have heard like I have, we can't sell dogs because you can't bring the ties off of a dog into the house of God. That's right, you heard it. That ain't got a thing on earth to do with a text of scripture. Read the context. What's the dog? He's a sodomite. He's a male prostitute, that's what he is. Now hold on, I'm saying it for a reason.

Turn over to the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 56, Isaiah 56, verse 10. His watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant, they are all dumb. Dogs that can't, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Who on earth is he talking about? He's talking about false prophets. Prostitutors of the gospel. That's what he's talking about. Yeah, they are all greedy dogs. They never have enough. Every time you turn one on TV, it's got a new way to work up some money. Got a new scheme. Got a new program. Got something you got to have. Send me your, Just $25 you can have. $100 you can have this. $250 you can have that. Come on, send it in. Send it in. Greedy, greedy, greedy dogs never have enough. And they are shepherds that cannot understand. They all look to their own way. Every one for his gain from his quarter.

Turn to one more text in this relation. Philippians 3. Philippians 3, verse 2. Beware of dogs. Beware of dogs. He's not talking about beagle puppies. He's not talking about wolves. He's talking about preachers. Beware of dogs. Without are dogs. By the word of God, they shall be shut out of the kingdom of God to prostitute the gospel. That's what he's saying. Shut out. They've sold the gospel for money. They've labored for money. They've preached for gain, for prestige, for power. And they keep their ears to the ground and tell men what they want to hear. And they do it because they serve themselves. And God will shut them out.

Sorcerers, superstitious men and women, those involved in the occult, Don't poke fun at it, it's real. It's real. Don't investigate it, you don't need to, it's real. Those involved in the occult will be shut out of the kingdom of God. Whoremongers and murderers, those who are properly lawless rebels, idolaters, all who worship strange gods, whether you're talking about religious worship or material worship. Those who worship strange gods. A strange god is a god who's contrary to the nature of that god revealed in Holy Scripture. A strange god is a god who wants to save and can't. A god who wants to redeem but can't. A god whose purpose is but fails to accomplish his purpose. That's a strange kind of god. That's not even a good man, much less a god. All idolaters shall be shut out of the kingdom of God. All who live for materialism, live for this world. You read it, Merle. Covetousness is idolatry. You live for this world, you'll perish with this world.

And whosoever loveth and maketh a liar, that is every false prophet and every man or woman who follows him, shut out. Shut out by this word. Shut out by this doctrine. What on earth are you talking about? Be specific. I will. I'm not, I don't mind being specific. I'm telling you that every preacher and believer of free will religion are going to be shut out in that day. I'm telling you that every preacher and believer of work salvation will be shut out in that day. Yes, sir, that's exactly what he's saying. That's exactly what he's saying. They'll be shut out by the word of God. And then all men will recognize this book is the word of God Almighty. Tenth, the Bible is confirmed in your hearing tonight. as the Word of God by the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ through his messenger. He says in verse 16, I, Jesus, have sent mine angel. You know what he is? Read the first three chapters. I've sent mine angel, that is my messenger, my preacher. I've sent him to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and the morning star.

What's he talking about? The Lord Jesus is telling us that it's Christ who speaks by his word. If you hear from God, you hear Christ speak as I preach to you. The angel whom he sends is his messenger. This man standing in front of you is an angel of God to this church, not some superior great being. You know better than that. The word angel simply means messenger. This man here is God's ordained and appointed messenger to this congregation. He's telling us that Christ's message is found in and heard in His churches. Always has been that way. Always will be that way. Christ is the root of David. That is, He's David's God. And Christ is the offspring of David. He's David's son. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Bride and Morning Star. He's the fountain of all life.

11. The Holy Scriptures are confirmed to us as the Word of God by the open invitation to sinners. here given by God himself the spirit and the bride say come this text is always giving me a little trouble let me help you with it the spirit and the bride say come that is the spirit that's in us and the bride in whom the spirit is have heard the Lord Jesus say I come quickly and spirit and bride look to him say come on come on Lord Jesus accomplish your work and then the next line says and let him to hear it say come

The preacher stands upon the walls of Zion. He's heard the Lord Jesus speaking, and he says, Lord, come on, come on. And he declares to sinners around there, hear what the Son has said. Now come, come to the Son of God. Come on to Jesus. Come and welcome to Jesus Christ. Come on, worship him. And let him that is a thirst come. Are you thirsty? Thirsty? Come and drink, come and drink. and whosoever will. You fellas can't preach that. Yeah, I can. Whosoever will. Whosoever will. Anybody in all the world who will, let him come and take of the water of life. Come on. Come on, the door's wide open. Come on. Whosoever will. Let him come and take of the water of life.

And here this word is confirmed to us as the word of God by the solemn sanction which God places upon every word, every doctrine, and every precept in these pages. For I testify unto every man that heareth. Do you hear me? Do you hear Jesus Christ speak? Do you hear this word? Now listen. I testify to every man that heareth of the words of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. You better be careful. Better be careful that you add nothing to this book. Nothing. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things that are written in this book. You want to take away God's election from the book of God? God will take you out of the book of life. You want to take away the effectual redemption of Christ from the book of God? God will take you out of the kingdom of light. He'll fix it so you can't get in. That's what the book says.

Thirteenth, the Bible is confirmed to us as the Word of God by the testimony of Christ himself. He says in verse 20, he which testifies these things saith, surely I come quickly, surely I come with speed, I come hurriedly, I come to my bride, I come to my people, I come to my church. That is, I'll do what I've revealed and I'll do what I promised. I told you I'd quit 30 minutes, I'm going to.

The book is confirmed to us as the word of God by the hope and expectation of God's saints in this world. We've heard him say, surely I come quickly. Amen. And we respond, even so come Lord Jesus. Even so come Lord Jesus.

And last, this blessed book is confirmed to us as the word of God by the special benediction of grace with which it ends. It began as a book of grace. It ends as a book of grace. Everything in between is grace. It leads to grace and glory.

And here's what the Word of God declares. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's a proof. Jesus Christ is divine, for grace comes from God. The grace of our Lord, God Almighty, Jesus Savior Christ, the Anointed One. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Grace, grace, grace. But that's what I need, grace. That's all I need, grace. Grace! That's all I want, grace. That's what I declare to you, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

And here's the assurance. So it shall be. Amen. Amen. It shall be. Grace shall be with you. with you who believe, with you who obey the word of this book, with you who add nothing to it and take nothing from it, grace shall be with you all until grace at last brings us all to glory.

God add his blessings now to his word for Christ's sake. Amen.