Yea, Hath God Said | Bibliology Cont. (12/17/2000)

Would you turn with me to Genesis chapter 3 in verse 1 and

then go to 1st Corinthians 2 9.

While you're turning there, let me give you a couple of announcements that are in the bulletin.

But just want to make you sure that you see them.

This Wednesday night at 630.

There'll be a Christmas party for our youth at our home over in Mahia so make sure everybody

gets a word about that and Charlotte and I are looking forward to doing that.

Then Although I won't be there for all of it because we will have our normal services here.

Also Wednesday night at 630.

So.

And then also next Sunday for the afternoon service, we're going

to have a candlelight service and it will will have some singing and

Read the portions of the scripture that deal with the Christmas story and so forth.

So we'll be looking forward to that.

It's always a special time each year for us.

Okay, look with me if you would this morning at Genesis chapter 3 and

verse 1 I want to talk to you, we're still studying the Bibliology the

study of the Bible itself and I'm going to speak to you this morning about the difference

between reason revelation inspiration and illumination and

And The doctrinal views of of those terms and what they

mean.

But I want you to look at the middle of verse 1 in chapter 3 of Genesis

I guess.

The last one -third of the verse towards the bottom of the verse.

It says yea Hath God said and that's kind of the title

of the message this morning.

Yea hath God said That was Satan speaking by the way,

and he's been asking that question in every generation of human beings since

Adam and Eve.

Yea, hath God said.

Anything we live in the age where he would ask to ask it that way has God spoken.

Is there a God as God said anything?

And I Believe that most of us grow up is we at least in my generation.

Before they really had Christian schools only the Catholics and the president president Lutherans I guess had them when I was growing up.

So all of us went to the public school.

But by the time I got to college I was pretty well set in the worldly teachings

of evolution and It was just the mindset and I

believed it I suppose and when I went on into college I Studied quite a bit of science.

Because I was pre -med for a while.

So I took botany and zoology and I remember in Zoology all you study

the whole first year.

You're just studying evolution and you're starting out from a single -celled

Entity.

And going from there and evolving up to the higher forms of life.

And it's taught that way as fact in a science class at Baylor University.

Which is supposed to be a Baptist College in that interesting, but it's not so don't worry about that.

It's a secular college with a Baptist name on the front of it but I

think if you really think about where you came from most of you would have to say that.

You came from a point where it never occurred to you that God spoke.

To a place where God revealed to you that he is speaking and has spoken, but he's speaking to you.

And so that was an adjustment.

Now, I would say this if you put Satan aside, I Think it would be more

natural for human beings.

To assume or sense that there is a God and that he would speak and to expect such.

But Satan has done a good job, I guess we would have to say of Conditioning the human mind in

the modern world.

Especially that we come from the place that there is no God and even if there is the position of the

agnostic.

Of course is well, maybe there is something up there, but he hasn't spoken and.

So we come to the place where all of a sudden the light comes on in our life.

And we're born again and all of a sudden the Word of God comes alive for the first time.

Can you remember when it used to be dead to you?

Are you maybe we should say you were dead to it?

I tried reading it several times.

All the way up through college got never got past Leviticus.

That's where I would stop every time Didn't mean a thing to me.

It was boring.

It was dead and cold and lifeless and useless and and so was

church and the day that I got saved in my car driving to work that morning all of that

changed and The first thing I want to do is go find a church somewhere and get baptized.

I Didn't even know why.

I just knew that's what I wanted to do and I wanted to make a public profession right up at the front and tell everybody that I had been saved

either that or put it in the newspaper and then the Word of God.

I Couldn't get out of it.

It couldn't stay away from it.

Fortunately for me I own my own business at the time and so I quit it for every day and went home and spread the Bible out

with the strongest concordance in a numbers Bible dictionary and studied for till supper every day for that first year

and I just had to be in the word and I went from a place where it meant nothing to a place where it meant

everything.

In a day in a moment's time and that's what generate regeneration is all about.

Well, so for those of us who are on this side of salvation and we are saved.

We understand that God has spoken.

Sometimes though we have to remind ourselves.

Lest Satan come to us at a weak moment and say hath God said that.

So let's talk about these issues.

Let's read this verse here in in first Corinthians chapter

2 and I want to start with verse 9 and read about 3 or 4 verses and you what you'll

find is you'll find revelation Inspiration and illumination all mentioned in these

3 or 4 verses right here.

1st Corinthians chapter 2 verse 9.

But as it is written I hath not seen did I get the verse right?

Do you see it there?

Okay, I hath not seen nor ear heard.

Neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Now I know that means a lot of things we can't even comprehend but I'll tell you one thing it means is some of those

things that you can't Comprehend are in the Word of God and he wants us to search for them like nuggets

like jewels and.

So as we search the Word of God, we will find things that he has prepared for us.

Those of us who love him and they will be awesome things and that's why a personal Bible study is so

important now.

Sometimes you'll get an awesome thing from the pulpit.

But it's the preachers awesome thing.

I mean God gave it to him in his own private study and he's all excited about it.

But when you get your own awesome thing from God, it's far more exciting to you

and That has to be a part of the life if you're going to be a mature Christian his personal

Bible study.

But look at this when we start with verse 10, we first see the first of these really three

Aspects.

I'm dealing with reason but that's not really one of the main three.

The main three we're talking about is revelation inspiration and illumination.

We're gonna see revelation here in verse 10.

It says but God hath revealed Them unto us by his spirit for the

spirit searcheth all things.

Yay the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of the man which is in him even so the things of God Knoweth no man,

but the Spirit of God so the only one who could reveal something from the heart of God himself is

God the Holy Spirit and that is revelation and We'll talk a little bit

more later about what revelation is and how it is contrasted with inspiration.

But that speaks of revelation now.

Let's look next thing.

We'll see in this verse is illumination and that's found in verse 12.

Now we have received not the spirit of the world.

But the spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given to us

by God now.

Some of those in fact all of those things that we can see in this Dispensation of time in our

life right now during the church age, which is the age that we live in.

Those things that God has given us.

Especially the things he's given us in his word the only way we can see them is by the spirit which is of

God which we find right there at the first part of verse 12 and He has given us his spirit that we might

know the things that he has given us in his word.

So as we open the Word of God and begin to study it together or on our own in our prayer closet or

wherever we study.

It is the Holy Spirit who illuminates the written word the printed ink on the page and brings it to life and quickens

it and Teaches us from it.

So there we have revelation and illumination and then verse 13 talks about inspiration.

Which things also we speak?

Not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual

things with spiritual.

And so we see at least each of these three or things are touched on before I get into those though.

Let's talk about human reason just for a moment.

Let me give you a definition that I think is a pretty good definition of human reason.

The reason is the intellectual and moral faculties of man

exercised in the pursuit of truth apart from supernatural aid.

That's kind of a formal definition but think about what it means reason is the intellectual and moral

faculties or abilities of man exercised as man attempts

to find Truth if he in fact ever does if you talk about lost man, is he really seeking

truth?

He thinks he is.

And as he attempts to seek truth apart from and aside from anything supernatural.

That's what reason would be now reason is not a bad thing.

God himself says come let us reason together and God gave us the ability to reason and he gave us his

word and he's revealed himself to us not only through the word but through history through science through the different things that he's

done in the world around us as We'll see a little bit later in this study.

So expects us to think doesn't he?

He expects us to be thinking Christians and yet we always have to remember that his thoughts are higher than

our thoughts.

And his ways are not as our ways, but we still have to use reason.

It's the only thing we've got other than direct inspiration and We have

illumination, but what is it that gets illuminated?

It's the Word of God and our ability to reason properly to understand it the Holy Spirit's involved on both sides of

that and So reason does come to play in our own life as we study the word.

But when we use reason in the way that the secular world does today.

Reason is the all -in -all to the secular man today.

I Like what Lewis Barry Schaefer said about reason he says this man's truest state

under reason is partially demonstrated by the lowest forms of heathenism and

Never have these systems and he's talking about if you visualize the deepest darkest corners of Africa, for example.

Are you going to the rainforest? somewhere and you find a group of little society living there that maybe we never knew was

there and you and people have done this they've gone in and studied their their belief systems if they have

any they've studied their social systems and so forth and What Schaefer is saying is true.

Never have these systems been able to perfect a code of moral duty.

Nor could they discover any authority for their faulty precepts.

So if you want to see where human reason will take you go and look at the lowest forms of heathenism still existing in

the world.

You'll see that's where human reason can take if it's left alone.

If all you have is human reason in and of itself just the natural man left to his reason.

It's interesting that even Plato said this that and he was saying this with regard to

eternal things.

He said the truth is to determine or establish anything certain about these matters

is the work of God.

Only the great classic philosopher said that now

Socrates said this I am of the same opinion with you that in this life.

It is either absolutely impossible or Extremely difficult to

arrive at a clear knowledge of these matters.

Now it's interesting that the classic philosophers Admitted that as they

begin to look into the deeper things of life.

The things of eternal value the things of even life beyond this life that there is

nothing they can learn about it.

Only God can deal with those things.

But what's interesting about it unbelievers today the modern man.

Unbelievers of today contend for the sufficiency of human reason.

In fact our whole philosophy of secular humanism in this country, especially but in your European

France is a big Perpetrator of these philosophies but all over the world and the

European nations, especially the ones that used to be known as the Christian nations these nations now

Talk about the sufficiency of human reason to look into all things including the origins of man the origins of the

universe like dr. Ball talked about Not too many weeks ago.

So they ridicule the claims of Revelation.

So they show themselves thinking they are wise they show themselves to be fools even

greater than the Ancients who at least acknowledged that if we're going to look into those

things that can only come from God.

Well now today they say all of it can come from secular study of scientific Means we can

discover all these things.

We know that's not true.

So let's lay reason aside now if we're talking about just natural reason.

That's not how we're going to get to God.

Is it?

The old song stairway to heaven.

False doctrine.

You don't get to heaven by building your own stairway and that's what man wants to do with his reason.

So now let's go into three things that are Necessary and things that are real and things that are marvelous

and let's look at Revelation.

Inspiration and illumination because there is a difference and we need to understand the difference first of all Revelation.

I'm going to give you a formal definition of the word a theological definition.

Revelation is the direct divine influence which communicates truth from God to man.

I'll give it to you again the direct Divine influence which communicates

truth from God to man is revelation.

Now let me give you the definition for inspiration and I want I think it's

important to see that there's a difference between revelation and inspiration.

Inspiration is the direct divine influence which

secures an accurate you might even want to add the word perfect an accurate

transference of truth Into language which others may understand.

So inspiration is the direct divine influence which Secures

and accurate.

I would prefer the word a perfect Transference of truth into the language which we

can understand illumination.

Go ahead give you that definition.

Illumination is the influence or ministry of the Holy Spirit

Which enables all who are in a right relation with God to

understand the scriptures?

It's a very good and accurate definition.

The influence or ministry of the Holy Spirit which enables all who are in a right relation

With God to understand the scriptures know what causes a right relation with God.

Propitiation Causes that.

Redemption causes that.

Reconciliation causes that and all of that is a part of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

And when we are saved and baptized into the body of Jesus Christ.

Then we're in a right relation with him with regard to being able to understand the scriptures you say

well.

Then what if you're backslidden?

Well, I would say this if you believe a backslidden person cannot Get illumination and we're in trouble when

we backslide because we can't come back.

So if you're saved you're in a right relation with regard to this and God can speak to you through the Word of God and will.

Even when you are backslidden, in fact, sometimes that's the loudest voice we hear.

Getting line boy.

Right or girl whatever the case is.

So now let's go back a little bit.

I want to give you an example.

So that we can start to see a little bit of the difference between revelation and inspiration and we're gonna save illumination for later.

We don't have time to study all of it today.

But let's just take an example that will show us the difference between revelation and inspiration even though they're very similar.

They are different by revelation.

Joseph was warned by God in a dream that he should flee into Egypt with Mary and the

infant Jesus.

Who study that this time of the year don't we sometimes when we study the Christmas story?

It was by direct revelation that God warned Joseph to take Jesus

and Mary and flee into Egypt.

Do you remember that?

And yet at the same time it is not asserted anywhere that he was inspired to record that

revelation for the benefit of other people.

Now the the New Testament authors recorded it later, but Joseph didn't you see what I'm

saying?

So Joseph received revelation from God, but not inspiration.

He was not inspired to write down what happened.

Someone else wrote that down not Joseph.

Joseph was not the author of Matthew Mark Luke or John.

That's the point.

Or the human penman is the way I prefer to word it so there you see us the slight difference

between revelation and inspiration.

There are many people in the Bible that God spoke to directly and it's

not many but several quite a few and.

Yet not all of them actually were inspired to pin What was said and yet

there are those there's some 40 different men throughout human history that were inspired to pin

God's Word.

Exactly as God would have it given to us so you see the slight difference between

Revelation and inspiration.

You could not have inspiration without revelation, but you can have revelation without inspiration.

Inspiration has to do with the the recording of it Into the language of

human beings so that human beings can have God's Word, okay.

Multitudes heard the voice of God when they heard the gracious Teachings of Jesus Christ as he preached

and taught during his ministry on this earth.

But none of these people except for the chosen disciples were called upon to undertake the functions of inspired

writers.

So you see the difference they were given revelation.

You can't tell me that there's 5 ,000 people sitting on the hillside and to hear Jesus Christ teach.

And he says if you know he says if you've seen me you've seen God and they hear him teach.

You can't tell me they didn't receive revelation from heaven.

They did but they were not inspired to write it or to pin it.

Except for those few disciples who were there that were later inspired to pin some of the things that were said and

done.

Even on that day perhaps so that gives you a little bit of the differences between Revelation and

inspiration.

Now, let's talk about revelation in a little more detail this morning.

Let me give you some common theological subdivisions of revelation.

There there are about three ways that theologians discuss the different the two different types of

revelation.

They fall into two categories and they give them two different words a couple of times pairs of words.

But they all mean the same thing.

The first pair would be general revelation and specific revelation.

The second pair of words that some theologians use that means the same thing is natural

revelation and supernatural revelation and in the third pair.

Some of them call it original Revelation and Soteriological and you

probably like me you won't use that one because you can't pronounce it.

You can't spell it, but it's original and soteriological revelation.

What they mean is this the first word in those pairs.

Means that God has revealed himself through nature and history.

It's right brother Otis when I first met him he talked about how God Revealed himself through two books the book of

nature and the Word of God and I love that Phraseology, but that's what they're talking about

nature in history.

God reveals himself that way and secondly the specific or supernatural or

Soteriological Revelation has to do with intervention into the natural course of things.

Supernatural as to source and mode and that and that obviously is the Word of God.

But also the other forms of revelation where God revealed himself to people they didn't necessarily record it

all of it by inspiration.

But God spoke to them in some way or reveal something to them in some way.

So you have those two subdivisions general and specific or I like natural and supernatural.

It's a good way to put it.

Now let me give you some modes of revelation that we see in the Bible.

The first is this God has revealed himself through nature and you can see if you look at these modes.

We're about to give they'll all fit under one of those two categories that we just discussed.

So this is going to get a little more specific.

The first mode of revelation is that and I don't mean in importance, but just by way of study.

I'm going to give you several the first one is through nature turn with me to Romans chapter 1 in verse 20.

Please

in Romans chapter 1 in verse 20.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen.

Being understood by the things that are made.

You just look around at the creation of God.

Everything that's around you.

That's not cement or steel.

In other words everything that man didn't put together and you get out in nature and look around you and

You'll see that God that there is a creator.

You can see that there is a designer.

In Fact it goes on to say that these things are clearly seen.

They can be understood by the things that God made even his eternal power in Godhead

even the person that the existence of the person of God Can be seen in creation.

His power can be seen in the things that are made so That they are without

excuse who's without excuse every human being ever born in the world.

Every human that can see the creation of God Has had some

bit of revelation the Bible teaches very clearly in this chapter and therefore they are Responsible

for that revelation that God gave them because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither

were thankful.

There was a time when the human race knew God if you go back far enough and They

knew him but even knowing him they did not Worship him but became vain in

their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened professing themselves to be wise they became fools.

That perfect definition of an atheist, isn't it or even an agnostic in Psalm 19

1 she sang my sermon already This morning.

It says the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork.

You see God has revealed himself first through nature.

Day and a day utter of speech and night and the night showeth knowledge.

There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.

There's not a people anywhere on the face of the earth that hasn't heard this revelation.

Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world and them that hath he set a

tabernacle of the Sun.

Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

Anytime you look at the Sun or the moon.

They look old -fashioned to us now, don't they?

We live in such a man -made day.

We live in such a cement and skyscraper world.

And you look out through those skyscrapers that man is built and you see the old -fashioned moon coming across there.

Reminds you there's God doesn't it?

But the world doesn't like to look up.

They like to look down at the cement.

Where which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

He is going forth.

He's going forth is from the end of the heaven and his circuit into the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heat Thereof

and the whole passage talks about how God has revealed himself in nature.

Secondly God has revealed himself through providence.

You might just put it this way history is his story.

He has so related himself to past present and future events

both by covenants and prediction that Assurance is given that there will be a perfect

consummation of all things.

Just if all you look at is providence of God throughout history he

the third Revelation of God is that he has revealed himself through preservation which this is kind of a

different one to think about.

But if you really think about it, it drives the point home.

Give you an example Colossians chapter 1 verse 16 and then Hebrews chapter 1 verse 10.

But Colossians 1 16 says for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth.

Visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all

things were created by him and for him.

Hebrews 1 10 says and thou Lord in the beginning has laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the

work of thine hands.

Hebrews 11 3 says through faith we understand the worlds were framed by the Word of God.

So that the things which are seen were not made by the things which do appear.

They came out of nothing folks.

They didn't come out of the stuff we see now.

So he created all things but if you look at Colossians 1 17 He also holds them

together right now that pew that you're sitting on today Has more space in it

than it has material.

So why don't you just fall through it?

Because we hadn't had lunch yet.

No because Jesus holds all the molecules together.

Some of you still awake.

That's good.

Look at Colossians 1 17 and he is before all things and by him all things Consist and if you

look that word consist up in the Greek language, it means they are held together.

He holds everything together just the fact that everything is preserved and we know we live in a

universe that Goes by the laws of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, which means everything's going towards

greater entropy.

Which means things are going are falling apart.

Basically, it means we're this whole thing is a machine that's winding down.

So if that's true, how can there be any order how can anything be held together in an orderly fashion?

Well, it wouldn't be if not for God if not for Jesus Christ himself.

Holding all things together right now everything in the physical universe would blow into nothingness

including our own bodies and the whole world around us.

Hebrews 1 3 says who being the brightness of his glory and the Express image of his person and

upholding all things.

That word upholding is the same word.

He is holding everything together.

Upholding all things by the word of his power.

When he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of God and of the majesty on high.

So he creates everything he holds everything together.

He also bestows and sustains life acts.

Chapter 17 25 says neither is worshipped with men's Hands as though he

needed anything.

Seeing that he giveth to all life and breath and all

things.

God is the one who gives life.

He's the one who gives breath reality.

He gives life reality.

He holds all things together.

Acts 17 28 says for in him we live and move and have our being.

So God Creates all things he holds all things together.

We can even say that he preserves us by meeting our physical needs in Matthew chapter 6 31.

It says therefore take no thoughts saying what shall we eat?

What shall we drink?

Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

For after all these things do the Gentiles the heathens seek all these things.

For your heavenly father knows that you have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added

unto You.

God holds it all together in his proof.

It is a revelation of himself his very care for you and your family.

And you gentlemen if you're like me we have to be very careful because sometimes the weight of all that seems to fall on

our shoulders and we Worry about it.

We can begin to worry about it.

How's my poor little family going?

What happened if I died?

They just couldn't make it.

Without me the world is full of widows and children who made it without their husbands.

That's pride.

We wouldn't want them to make it without us would we.

But they could you know, why.

Because God sees their need before you see it.

God sees all of our needs before we see it and it's a revelation of God in fact.

When you go into Genesis 17 1 you see the first mention of God's name in this way.

And when Abraham was 90 years old and 9 the Lord appeared to Abraham and said him I am

the Almighty God.

It's the first time you see his name called the Almighty God.

It's El Shaddai in the Hebrew language.

You know what that means.

It means a couple things.

It means all -powerful.

But the word Shaddai comes from the word Shad which means the breast.

So it carries this connotation.

God is the all -powerful God who nurtures us.

Like a mother nurtures the little baby.

Not amazing.

So you see the power and strength and you see the nurturing.

You see that God is has both those qualities and He reveals himself to us

through the care that he takes of us.

And so we see these different ways.

A fourth way that he reveals himself to us is through miracles.

In Matthew 11, they came to Jesus.

John the Baptist had sent his men and said are you really you know?

I think you're the Messiah.

I told everyone you're the Messiah, but here I am in prison now.

And I just need to know are you really him and what did Jesus.

How did Jesus answer that?

He said go and show John again those things which you do here and see the blind receive their sight the lame walk.

The lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear the dead are raised up.

And the poor have the gospel preached to them and blessed as he whosoever shall not be offended in me.

So he revealed himself through miracles.

He also reveals himself through direct communication from time to time and numbers chapter 12 verse 8

It says with him Will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the

similitude of the Lord shall he behold?

Wherefore then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses now?

Moses was really the only one that God that we know that's recorded that God ever spoke to face to face like

that.

There were others that he spoke to.

But not face to face like it says in numbers 12 8, but God has revealed himself that way.

He spoke to Adam.

He spoke to Cain.

He spoke to Enoch.

He spoke to Noah.

He spoke to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and on and on he has spoken with a literal voice to some people.

So that is one way that he revealed himself as Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1 says in times past in

sundry manners in a sixth way is that God has revealed himself through the

Incarnation and this is Coming in to one of the greatest two ways.

I'm gonna close today with the greatest of the two ways God revealed himself.

First through the Incarnation turn to John chapter 1 with me.

Boy, is this an awesome?

I Remember when I first got saved somebody told me what you need to read the book of Genesis and then read the book of John.

And by the time I got through with the book of John man, I was ready to go.

I think I was a preacher at that point.

John's have fact I memorized I don't know how much the book of John back then.

I can't remember any of it now, but I was so awestruck and by it.

I think a lot of it.

But look at this part in John chapter 1 verse 1 in the beginning.

Was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

Jesus Christ is called the Word.

Because he is the revelation of God.

All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made.

He is the creator and sustainer of everything.

He reveals himself that way as well in him was life.

And the life was the light of men.

He is life.

So therefore he is the creator and he's revealed himself in that fashion.

But he's also the light of understanding and the light of spiritual knowledge.

And then it goes on and look all the way down to verse 14 and.

And the Word was made flesh and Dwelt among us and we beheld

his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of

grace and truth.

Amen, first Timothy 316 says and without controversy great is the mystery of godliness.

Listen to this.

God Was manifest in the flesh.

You want to ever ask who Jesus was that tells you who he was.

The Bible says this is a great mystery.

God was manifest in the flesh.

John 1 18 says no man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom

of the Father.

He hath declared him.

Look that word up in the Greek sometime the word declared.

He hath spoke forth God, that's not good grammar, but it preaches pretty good.

Jesus declared he is the declaration of God.

He is the revealer of God.

He is the revelator of The Father.

Hebrews 1 verse 1.

God who at sundry time in a diverse manner Spake in time passing to the fathers by the prophet hath in these last

days spoken unto us by his son.

Colossians 2 9 for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead in a body.

That's who Jesus was.

John 14 9.

Jesus saith unto him have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Philip

he that hath seen me hath seen the Father and How sayest thou then

show us the Father.

Believe it's now not that I am in The Father and the Father in me

and then turn to 1st John 1.

Some of these I know I go too fast.

But some of them I want you to see.

1st John 1 and verse 1 who time has gone by hasn't it?

1st John 1 1 that which is from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes.

Which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life.

Wow, that's a powerful verse.

For the life was manifested and we have seen it how in Christ.

They looked upon Jesus and they saw life.

They saw God.

For the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life Which

was with the Father and was manifested unto us.

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our

fellowship is with The Father and with his son Jesus.

Do you realize that you don't even have a witness if you hadn't seen Christ?

Because if you've seen Christ, then you've handled the word of life and you've seen God.

So if you have beheld Christ by faith You now have a witness and so now you can say

that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you.

That you also may have fellowship with us.

In other words, you can be saved, too.

You can be saved if you hear my message because my message is Jesus's message.

Which is the Word of God and the revelation of the Father?

First John 3 15.

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Hereby perceived we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives

for the brethren.

He that hath the Son hath life these things have written unto you that you that believe on the name of the Son of God.

That you may believe on the name of the Son of God and have eternal life.

So Jesus is the ultimate revelation of The Father and lastly this morning

God revealed himself through the scriptures.

And I don't we're out of time, but first John 5 9 Through 12, there's a little

passage there that says because he believed not the record that God gave of his son.

There is a record that's been given a record.

This is the record that God gave Of his son.

This is the revelation and this is the way that Jesus That God the Father hath spoken unto us in these

last days by his son.

And so we have a Marvelous thing in our midst.

We have the fact that the eternal creator of the universe Has chosen to speak

he's chosen to speak to us in our own language and He's given us the

Holy Spirit to illuminate which we'll study next time.

We'll skip next week.

But after that we'll get into illumination.

He's given us the Holy Spirit to illuminate the very words.

He's given us.

So he not only speaks to us.

He teaches us The meaning of what he says if we belong to him.

Let's don't ever take that for granted.

We need to be in this book every day and get some of those nuggets.

Well, let's stand and have prayer together.

And while we pray brother Russell, would you?

You and men go out and get the Lord's Supper Preparation and bring it right down here.

So we'll pray together and then let's be seated and we'll have the Lord's Supper together father.

We thank you for Your word.

We thank you that you've shown us how you revealed you've revealed yourself to us.

You have inspired your chosen men to pin the very Word of God the

eternal Word of God.

Father we thank you that you've opened our eyes that we might read it and understand it and hear your voice.

You've given us eyes that see and ears that hear father help us to be Willing to

be a testimony and to share with others what we have seen and heard that we might see others

come to know you and that they might be Discipled and understand their richness and the fullness of the life that we

have of being able to sit and have you teach us as we read and

study your word and Father so we pray we could see some new babes in the Lord come in in this next

year as we go into another year that we might see some come in that are Hungry for the milk and then for the

meat and that you might use Men and women and even boys and girls and certainly

teenagers in this room to be their disciples Of these new people that come in help us to be

out about Living for you that we may cross the paths of these people

according to your sovereign plan for our life and theirs and Help us rejoice

together as we see these things unfold in the coming year Lord we thank you for this day that we've had

together so far and as we come to you To celebrate the Lord's Supper together.

Would you search our hearts if there be any unclean thing that we've neglected to confess and

Forsake would you bring that to our minds that we might do so?

During the first few moments as we pray together and we ask it in Jesus name.

Amen.

You may be seated If you.