Those who say that the Messiah son of Mary is God have in fact committed themselves to unbelief. Jesus was a mortal man who Allah favored and made as an example to the Israelites. So says the Islamic Quran in surah 517 and surah 4359. They argue and believe that what we have done here this morning is displeasing to the Lord. It is not faith, but unbelief. It is not worship, but blasphemy. Now, in all fairness, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and liberal Protestants are just as adamant that Jesus is not God, very God. They, too, reject Christ's eternal Sonship. And some of those adherence to various false religions have been very well taught, even being taken to the scriptures to try and defend what they believe, and in hopes of causing you to doubt and begin to question what you hold to be true. Many adherents of false religion are taught to read Exodus 7, 1 and passages like it, and to clear-cut deity of Christ passages, such as John 1, 1, John 10, verse 30, John 20, 28 to 31. And on the surface, their argument sounds almost convincing. What they will say is this, if other created beings are called sons of God, how can you Christians insist that this title affirms Jesus' eternal divinity? In other words, they say, do you know that there are other beings that are clearly not eternally God, referred to by that designation a son of God or sons of God. So they say the fact that you point to passages that claim that Jesus is a son of God in defense of his eternal sonship or his absolute deity, they say we're unconvinced. We're unmoved. We still don't believe. We think that it is you who are even mishandling the scriptures. Evangelism is a blessed necessity, the means by which God generally brings the lost into a saving relationship with Christ. It is a blessed responsibility, but it is not easy. Besides all the things that hold us back from doing that what we know in our heart of hearts that we've been called and set apart to do, such as the fear of man, we realize that when you do actual evangelism that people actually have responses and answers and defenses for why they don't believe what you believe and why they believe what they do. That's why series like this are important to equip the saints as you do the work of the ministry. as you faithfully discharge the high and holy calling that God has saved you to participate in. We have the ministry of blessings of that which the angels themselves on rare occasions had an opportunity to do, to declare glad tidings of great joy for all people, to proclaim the eternal gospel of Christ, of God's eternal Son. Now, we've already answered that former objection, but the question that I think that we need to ask again is, does it even matter? Does it even matter if people have different beliefs, different convictions concerning the person and work of Christ? How important is it that we seek to persuade and convince those who do not believe to believe what we know the Word of God clearly teaches. And heaven's answer to that question is unequivocally, yes. Yes, it does matter. Your beliefs impact both this present life and your eternal destiny. God the Father wants us to believe God's Word about God's Son. If you do or don't, it will have a profound, personal, practical impact on how you live your life. And equally important, or we may say even more important, it will also, what you believe or don't believe, what you receive and what you reject, will impact where you spend eternity. This is not one of those things that we can haphazardly say, well, we disagree to disagree and move on. We can't force anyone to believe the truth. Salvation is of the Lord, but men are fully responsible for their response to the gospel. And we are responsible to proclaim the gospel and to defend the faith. It's essential that we believe rightly certain truths, gospel truths, eternal truths, saving truths, many of which center in the person and work of Jesus. You can read Psalm 2, the gospel of Mark, the gospel of John, the book of Colossians, first, second, third John, and you'll hear that reiterated over and over again. Paul said that Jesus changed the trajectory of my life and impacts every day of my life since then. Galatians chapter 2 verse 20, Paul said, I have been crucified with Christ and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. The Gospel of John is an evangelistic treatise for unbelievers to consider. But in sanctification, it is faith in Christ that is at the very core of our growth in godliness. So does it even matter? Some people say this, some people say that. You know, religion, politics, sports, things that people are very passionate about but rarely agree on. The Bible teaches to deny Christ's deity is to reject God, who commands us to worship, love, and serve His eternally beloved Son. God commands us to believe in Jesus, to follow Jesus, to love Jesus, to worship Jesus. So to suggest that it is blasphemy to do this is to proclaim a different gospel. It is a different religion or religions altogether. There is only one way because there is only one Savior. This series is also important because Jesus warns the crowds in Matthew 7, verse 22. Understand this, how do I know who needs to hear this message? concerning God's Son. Well, if they don't believe, but not just those who admit to the fact and even brag and boast in the fact that I don't believe in Jesus, I'm not a Christian. Jesus said in Matthew 7, 22, that there will be many people who say on that day, I believe in Jesus, who don't actually know Him at all. And it is a saving knowledge of God in Christ which is the essence of true salvation. John chapter 17 verse 3. In view of Satan's masterful deceptions bearing witness to the true gospel and the real Jesus is the solemn responsibility of every single Christian. Jesus said to his disciples this in Acts 1 verse 8, you, believing disciple, shall be my witnesses. Evangelism summarized is bearing witness to the biblical gospel and the real Jesus. Because Satan, the master of deception, has many counterfeit gospels and many fake Jesuses. that people sometimes set their hope on. Trusting in a fraudulent Jesus is just as soul-damning as denying the real Jesus is. So that's where you come in. Now, I'm not going to review the seven major headings from the past three sermons. You'll find that outline on page four in the sermon handout. We have one final issue to address today as we conclude this series, trying to better understand and appreciate the practical, doctrinal, theological, personal significance of John 20, 31. Today, in Scripture, God is calling us to enter into the courtroom of God. So number eight, Let's hear the overwhelming testimony of 12 witnesses. Let's consider the overwhelming testimony of 12 witnesses. Somebody says, I don't believe. There's not enough evidence. That's where you come in. I don't believe, that's not what the Bible teaches. That's where you come in. I do believe, but you realize when they talk that the Jesus that they say they're trusting, it isn't the real Jesus. And therefore, they're gonna be in for the greatest shock of a lifetime when standing before God and hearing the words from Jesus, depart from me, I never knew you. That's where you come in, believer. So let's consider the overwhelming testimony of 12 witnesses, each of whom affirms the eternal sonship and or the absolute deity of Christ. To hear from all 12 witnesses in one message, you will need to buckle your seatbelts as we shift into hyperdrive. You say, wasn't it a jet tour last Sunday? That was just a 747. Today we're in a F-16. Twelve witnesses in the courtroom of God that say to the agnostic, you're making an excuse for your sin of unbelief by saying there's not enough proof, there's not enough evidence. If there were more evidence, if there was sufficient evidence, I would believe, I would be a Christian. Evidence that we pray God uses to break down walls of resistance of the atheist, the unbeliever, or the person who is on a path that Satan has convinced them is the narrow road, which in fact is the broad road that most people are on that leads to ultimately to eternal destruction. So the first witness that God calls to the stand is the devil and his wicked minions. Shocking, isn't it? To see this, look with me in Mark's gospel, chapter three. The first witness called to the stand who affirmed the eternal sonship and or absolute deity of Christ is the devil and his wicked minions. Turn with me to Mark three. This passage recounts an ordinary day in the life of Jesus. Anything but ordinary when you're following Jesus. Here in his public ministry, Mark chapter 3, verse 7, we pick up the action there, Mark 3, 7. The devil and his wicked minions at times testify to the truthfulness concerning God's son, Jesus. Shockingly, surprisingly, the truth is that clear, that overwhelming, even to those that hate God and hate Christ. Mark 3, 7, Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples. A great multitude from Galilee followed. Early on, there were many superficial Jesus groupies who later proved not to be true disciples. They were from Judea, from Jerusalem, from Idomoea, and beyond the Jordan. A great number of people heard all that he was doing and came to him. Jesus was the greatest show on earth. The miracles were drawing massive crowds. He was seeking to bring the crowds to him so that they could hear the life-saving gospel. He told the disciples that a boat should stand ready, verse nine, for him because of the crowd so that they would not crowd him. For he had healed many with the result that all those who had any affliction pressed upon him in order to just touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits were seeing him, they would fall down before him and cry out saying, you are the son of God. Ironically, shockingly, the demons admit what the self-righteous leaders of Pharisaic Judaism blindly deny. Namely, that you, Jesus, are the Christ, the Son of God. You could add a verse to the hymn, all hail the power of Jesus' name, let demons prostrate fall. James chapter two, verses 19 and 20 reminds us, you see what the demons confess the truth concerning Jesus, his true identity. But clearly, these are servants of hell, destined for hell. This is a reminder, as well as an affirmation. James 2, verses 19 and 20. James 2, 19 and 20 reminds us, listen, that factual assent without genuine, trusting, repentant faith justifies no one. The demons know and at times declare the truth that there is one God and that Jesus is his eternal son. Look at verse 12. They profess the truth about Jesus. Shockingly, what the religious leaders of Pharisaic Judaism are adamantly opposing, The demons at times are declaring, but Jesus said, be quiet. He silences Satan's accomplices in verse 12. Why? He earnestly warned them not to tell who he was. The Savior wants people to come to know him through his marvelous works and through his mighty deeds. I don't need your help declaring the truth. The greatest preacher of the gospel, to whoever preached the gospel, is the Savior himself. And we have the blessed privilege and sacred responsibility as followers of Jesus. He welcomes us and bids us and calls us, unlike the demons, to proclaim that gospel. to a lost and dying world. With that being said, even the hounds of hell bear witness that Jesus is the Almighty Son of God and final judge. They know what awaits them, and yet in their blind, sinful stupidity, they continue to oppose and to try and deceive the masses. Luke chapter four, verse 31. So God calls to the stand. the devil and his wicked minions. The second witnesses called to the stand are the human enemies of Christ. Now, this sermon is not going the way that you thought it would. Normally, you would think that's what Satan, the accuser of the brother, the denier of the gospel truth and all truth, these would be the witnesses he would call. Here we have, secondly, the human enemies of Christ. You recall, in John 18 and 19, during Jesus' sham trial, our Lord is condemned to die on trumped-up charges. False witnesses falsely testified against Jesus, and he is condemned to die for two crimes, two sins. Blasphemy, a man making himself out to be God, and insurrection, a guy claiming that he's the long-awaited Messiah, therefore making himself out to be a rival king to the great king of the earth, Caesar. As sinners crucify the sinless Savior, Jesus' true deity colors are displayed for all with eyes to see. In his suffering, in his humiliation, the glory of Christ shines brightly. Prompting the unlikely bombshell testimony of an eyewitness executioner. Somebody who was responsible to ensure that this individual, Jesus of Nazareth, would be mercilessly crucified and killed. Notice what he says after being there at the foot of the cross overseeing it. I'll turn with me to Mark 15. Mark 15. The human enemies of Christ, you need proof, you want evidence? That's your excuse for why you don't believe and belong and come and follow and love and worship and serve and live for? Mark 15, 37. The end of the scene, Jesus uttering a loud cry, breathe his last. God became man, truly God, he became truly man. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who was standing right in front of him, saw the way he breathed his last, he said, truly this man was God's son. The human enemies of Christ, an eyewitness lead executioner in the death of Christ on the cross, said the truth, overwhelmed by the way not that Jesus lived, which he knew very little of, but by the manner in which he died. This is the Son of God. If time allowed, we would hear the testimony of another former human enemy of Christ by the name of Saul of Tarsus, a terrorist who actually thought like Hamas and Hezbollah blinded by Satan. They think that they're actually guaranteeing their place in heaven and honoring God with what they say and what they do. So Saul of Tarsus set himself against the church to try to destroy the church with the movement referred to as originally not Christianity but the way. He thought he was pleasing God. He delighted in persecuting and arresting. and would have no problem with killing Christians because they were claiming that Jesus is the Savior, the Messiah, the Son of God. His eyes that were blind were opened in Acts chapter 9. And you'll hear Paul's testimony, a former human enemy, over and over again when you read Acts 13 through 28. There's a third witness called to testify as we are in the courtroom of God. This will impact your everyday life. It will impact your eternal destiny. You cannot afford to get this wrong, nor can anyone else. We must know the truth and not just have a mental assent to the truth, but actually welcome and receive the truth with genuine faith. It's not just faith in faith that justifies, it's faith in Christ The Son of God that saves, John 20, 31. The third witness called to testify are the angelic hosts of heaven. The angelic hosts of heaven. We go from the cross, we go back to when Jesus was born. The heavenly host of heaven inform choice creatures, here's the significance of this birth, of this arrival, of this individual. Luke 135, they declare, the angels, that the holy offspring of the Virgin Mary is to be called the Son of God. In other words, Jesus is to be warmly welcomed. Receive Him, follow Him, love Him, treasure Him. And because He is the Son of God, worship Him. The angels lead people into true worship. that is only possible through the mediator, the Savior, Jesus. And so they declared the glorious gospel summarized in Luke 2.11, a verse that we all know. For unto us is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ, or Messiah, the Lord, the Lord, Jesus Lord at thy birth. This is great news that should bring unspeakable joy. The only one who can save sinners and the only one who can establish the long-awaited kingdom is finally here. Gloria in excelsis Deo. The heavens rang forth and testified to this gospel truth. There's a fourth witness of Jesus's divine Sonship. Layer upon layer, 12 witnesses. We've only heard from three. There are none so blind as those who will not see. Lord, open the eyes of our president. Lord, open the eyes of our unbelieving children, friends, coworkers. You saved me, you can save them. But faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of Christ. That's where we come in often. A fourth witness of Jesus's divine sonship are the holy prophets and the Old Testament scriptures. Yes, if Jews believe the Jewish prophets and the Old Testament scriptures, which they affirm to be the word of God, if they truly understood and believed, they would be Messianic Jews. We already considered countless passages of Christ in the Old Testament, described, promised, more details given, so that we would know when he finally came, that it was actually him, and so that we wouldn't follow a messianic imposter, as the scriptures warn. Satan would try to deceive people into following somebody claiming to be what they're not, the Savior, the Son of God, the Messiah. We already considered countless Old Testament passages such as Psalm 2, Psalm 110, Isaiah 53, and many other messianic passages. The Jewish prophets and the Old Testament scriptures affirm the eternal sonship and absolute deity of Jesus. We think of one verse, Isaiah 9, verse 6, this messianic, wonderful prophecy. For unto us is born this day, for unto us a son is born, unto us a child is given, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor. Eternal, everlasting Father, mighty God, the Prince of Peace. This child born, this son given, son of God, is God. His name is to be called, is to be recognized, is to be affirmed, is to be celebrated. This is our mighty God. This, of course, Father, Son, Holy Spirit requires an embracing of the Trinity, one God, three persons, which we sang about and celebrated in many of our songs this morning. There's biblical justification driving what we do, what we say, how we worship. Because God doesn't want to just be worshipped passionately, he must be worshipped in spirit and truth. That is the essence of true worship, of which God saved us ultimately, that we would be true worshippers. John 4, 23 and 24. So the prophets, the Old Testament scriptures, testify to the absolute deity of Christ. There's a fifth witness God wants us to hear from, and that is the testimony of John the Baptist. The testimony of John the Baptist. Turn with me to John chapter 1. It's all over the Bible. Old Testament, New Testament, narrative, prophecy, poetry. The evidence is overwhelming. The proof is undeniable. No one is going to get a pass. God could not be more clear. concerning his only begotten son, who he is, why he matters, how we must respond to him. Here we have John the Baptist. This is the first New Testament preacher, a holy prophet, and the prophesied forerunner of the Messiah. And the Pharisees had a hard time with John the Baptist because the people acknowledged and realized that this was a true prophet. So if he's a true prophet, then he speaks prophetically the true word of God. And the main message of John the Baptist was related to Jesus. And what did John the Baptist say about this Jesus fellow? John 1, right out of the gate. He was doing what God called him to do, preaching and baptizing. These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan where John was baptizing. And on the next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Verse 33. This is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. That was what the Old Testament said would be true when the Messiah came. He's the Savior, He's the Messiah. Oh, but that's not all He says, there's more. And I myself have seen and have borne witness, verse 34, John 1, that this is what? This is the Son of God. The demons, enemies of Christ, the angels, the Old Testament prophets and scriptures, John the Baptist, The next witness we must pay close attention to, God summons us into his courtroom. Consider the evidence and consider your ways. The next witness we must pay close attention to is the testimony of transformed disciples. Ordinary people from various backgrounds, men, women, boys, girls, Jews, Gentiles, Samaritans, the testimony of transformed disciples of Jesus. There's too many of them that we find over and over and over again. Their words have been preserved because of the testimony that they had concerning God's Son. Look at John 1 49, Nathanael confessed, Rabbi, teacher, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel. Israel, your Messiah has come. Sadly, only a remnant currently believes. But that is a reminder that God's promise have not been canceled. The remnant, among many things, reminds us that there is a future. God promised that one day all Israel would be saved, and he will ensure that that comes to pass, Ezekiel 36 and 37, Zechariah 12, Romans 11, 26. Here we have a believing Jew confessing Jesus, you're the Son of God, you're the Messiah, you're the King of Israel. In Matthew chapter 16, verse 16, just listen, we have a few years later, Simon Peter says this. Some people say this about Jesus, some people say this about Jesus. Jesus says, I don't care what everybody else thinks, what do you believe? And Peter said, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. And Jesus says, before you congratulate yourself, realize this, that this has been disclosed to you by the Holy Spirit of truth. You answered correctly. At a funeral, what do you believe about Jesus? What do you believe about life after death and the resurrection? What does Jesus have to do with this? Martha said this, listen to her testimony, John 11, 27. She said, yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. On the cross, Jesus hung between two sinners who deserved the punishment that they were experiencing. Both, for a while, were joining the soldiers and those around Jesus, making fun of Jesus, you saved others, you can't save yourself, come down from the cross, call your angels, ha, ha, ha. In God's mercy and grace, a thief was broken, repents, and in Luke 23, cries out a deathbed confession, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus was gracious and mighty to save that sinner. Thomas believed, but at times he had doubts. He became skeptical. He was having a hard time dealing with the cross and how it all went down. Even seeing is believing, Thomas in John 20, 28 proclaims, my Lord and my God. And Jesus said, more blessed are those of you who haven't seen the resurrected Jesus in his physical form and who yet still believe the truth. Today, every time a genuine Christian shares their testimony, you are hearing another saving confession of faith. It's why I love baptism services. Just yesterday, a brother shared how Christ saved him six months ago. I formally scorned the Savior, denied His deity, spurned His lordship. and God broke me, and God humbled me, and God saved me. There's a seventh witness. There's more. Sin makes you stupid. And we would remain dead in our trespasses and sins had God not made us alive together in Christ. Titus 3, 5. But there's evidence and proof given to bolster our faith, strengthen our faith, help our witness. Hear now the testimony of the New Testament Scriptures. It's not just the 39 installments of the Old Testament, it's the rest of the Bible, the final installment of God's perfect Holy Word. The testimony of the New Testament Scriptures, number seven. Listen to what the New Testament says. The gospel truth. Titus 2.15 says, We believers anxiously wait for the blessed hope, the appearing and glory of our great God and Savior. Who are you talking about? Jesus Christ. 2 John verse 3, Grace, mercy, and peace be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, God's Son. First John 5.5 puts it this way, who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is not take it or leave it, we can agree to disagree and go on as if nothing, as if it doesn't matter. This is a matter of life and death and eternity. Hebrews 1 verse 8, God the Father says this regarding Jesus the Son. Hebrews 1.8, your throne, O God, will last forever and ever. This is the consistent message of the New Testament, that there is only one true God who exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So all that to say this, you can reject the scriptures. You can choose not to believe the truth. But you cannot rewrite them. You cannot interpret them any way you want to interpret them. It is God's word. It is God's book. It is God's truth. There's an eighth witness we need to consider. The miracles. The miracles. What are you gonna do with the miracles? Ah, he was a good man, but not the God man. That's what many of the founding fathers believed. Thomas Jefferson rewrote the Bible, took out the supernatural, removed the deity of Christ, lost the gospel in the process. The miraculous works of Jesus are the eighth witness that God wants us to consider. You can look at John chapter 5 verse 37. John the Baptist was a true witness And in some measure, fair to say, was a good man, a great man. But not the man. Not the Messiah, not the Savior. That's why Jesus performed, unlike John the Baptist, mighty miracles, signs and wonders. John 5.37, If you won't believe the message, then look at the miracles. They are undeniable. This is important. Look at Acts chapter 2. The miracles matter. They are further evidence and proof. How can you not believe the truth concerning God's Son, the Savior? Acts chapter 2 verse 22. Empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach a sermon, Peter said, men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man, attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know this man delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put him to death, but God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it is impossible for him to be held in his power. The greatest sign, the greatest miracle of all the miracles, the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Jesus talked a big talk. He didn't say just that he was a good man and a prophet. He was the prophet, priest, and king, the Savior, the long awaited Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus said that same message many different ways. He said and claimed, I am the bread of heaven. I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way, the truth. In thee life, no one comes to the Father but through me." To which many people would say, well, a lot of people say a lot of things boastfully, bragging to be what they're clearly not, hiding behind filters on social media, proven to be fraudulent like the wizard in the Wizard of Oz. That's Jesus. Talk is cheap. Prove it, Jesus. Prove it. I'm the bread of heaven. And then Jesus, through the miracle of feeding the multitudes, creating from nothing, 5,000 plus. Jesus said he's the resurrection and the life. That's the truth, whether you want to believe it or not, but God affirmed it when he raised Lazarus from the grave. What he does physically is what needs to happen spiritually for us to be saved. When you consider Jesus's body of work, we have these arguments, is LeBron or Michael the greatest of all time? We consider facts, video highlights. When you consider Jesus's body of work, is not your faith strengthened a million fold? Clearly this man is the eternal son of God. There's a ninth witness to Jesus's absolute deity and eternal sonship. And that is the testimony of the early church fathers. What did the leading theologians in the early church have to say about Jesus? And why is this important, number nine, the early church fathers? Because Satan tries to deceive people many different ways. There was this book called the Da Vinci Code turned into a Hollywood movie. Contrary to that fictional book, the early church unequivocally affirmed the absolute deity of Christ. This was not an invention of men in the fourth century. That is a satanic deception and lie. They affirmed unequivocally the absolute deity of Christ well before the time of Constantine and the council of Nicaea. They did not invent this truth. They did not make up this gospel. They affirmed that which was true, that which they received from the apostles, that which all these witnesses affirmed. If time allowed, I would quote from Ignatius of Antioch, who lived from AD 50 to 117, Polycarp of Smyrna, 69 AD to 155, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria. Here's one example from Tertullian's treatise on the soul. Tertullian writes this, Jews, Muslims, and Christians would all agree with that. For God alone is without sin, and the only man without sin is Christ, since Christ is also God. Just employ basic logic, and you will affirm the truth. It's undeniable. It's undeniable. There's a tenth powerful witness, and that's the clear testimony of the historical Jesus. Not the Mormon Jesus, not the Jehovah Witness Jesus, not the Muslim Jesus, the real Jesus, the biblical Jesus, the historical Jesus. When it comes to his divine nature and his eternal sonship, Jesus did not plead the fifth. He said over and over again, ego eimi, ego eimi, shocking, jaw-dropping. And they knew, the Jewish people knew exactly what Jesus was saying when he said that, John 8, 58, which is why they picked up stones to stone him, because they did not believe what Jesus said concerning himself. I am the great I am, that is who I am. This is a deity declaration made over and over again, reiterated over and over again in all the Gospels, especially in the Gospel of John. Jehovah Witnesses say that Jesus is the Archangel Michael. The New Age gurus say, no, he's an enlightened messenger. Thomas Jefferson concluded that Jesus is a very good man, but he's not the God-man. In the upper room, Jesus gently admonishes his disciples and says this, John 14, 1, Listen guys, you believe in God, the Father, believe also in me. I am going to go away, but I'm going away, it's to your advantage that I would go away, that the Holy Spirit would come in all of His fullness. It's to your advantage that I go away for a little while, because I go to prepare a place for you. If you believe the precious promises of God revealed through His Son, and even with the Son concerning Himself, you'll find great comfort, peace, and joy. Not only does Jesus only speak truth, Jesus is the truth incarnate. John 14, verse 6. Think about that. Jesus was not unclear concerning his absolute deity. He did not become God. He is not a demigod, a lesser God. There is something unique in the title, Jesus, the Son of God. This brings us to the most important witness of them all, number 11. What does God have to say, the father, about his so-called son? What does God, the father, say about Jesus, the testimony of God, the father? We already saw this last week. At his baptism, the father publicly testified, Matthew 3, 13 to 17, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. A few years later, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Matthew 17, the Heavenly Father makes the same confession while adding this. This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him. Whatever He says to do, do it. Jesus says, among many things, believe, follow, testify of me, worship me. Suffice it to say, to reject the clear witness of God the Father concerning Jesus the Son, you are calling God Satan. Satan, the best name to describe Satan is this, he is the father of lies. If God the Father was deceitful and lied to you about Jesus, he is no better than Satan. God forbid that we would even entertain such a terrible thought. Look with me at Romans verse three, four, and may the church of Jesus Christ give a hearty amen. If you're thinking about The true God, eternal, immutable, holy, just, gracious, righteous. The God of truth, the God who cannot lie. It's impossible for God to lie. He would deny himself. Romans 3, 4. May it never be, rather let God be true. And every man a liar. When God says something clearly and someone else says something clearly, the response should be obvious. That would include me. Go with God every time. Let God be true and every man a liar as it is written. God the Father is so clear. It pleases God to love, follow, serve, worship, and tell others the truth about the Son of God, Jesus. The 12th and final witness. How can you not believe? No one's going to be able to say, God, you know, well, if there was only more proof, more evidence, no. Just creation and conscience is sufficient. If you reject that light, you would reject the gospel light. If you receive that light by the grace of God, you'll receive the saving gospel. But there's a twelfth and final witness that one should be familiar with and consider, and that is this. The major creeds and confessions of the church. Christians do disagree on lesser things, but we all agree on the central things, by the grace of God. The major creeds and confessions of the Christian church, if you were to touch up on your church history, you will see that Christians have affirmed the essential articles of the Christian faith since the very beginning, from the first church acts to 2,000 years later. Go back and read the Apostles' Creed. It's there. I think it's even rightly told on Wikipedia. The Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, the Athanasian Creed, different centuries. We're going way back. Read what the London Baptist Confession of Faith says concerning the personal work of Christ. And compare these historic confessions, past and present, of course against the consistent certain testimony of Scripture. Those things only have value in so much as what they say is actually true from what the Word of God has to say about anything, including God's sin, salvation, and of course, Jesus the Son. I mean, this is the easiest case for any wannabe lawyer to argue. And you can say what I've said and ground it in the truthfulness and the clarity and the certainty of God's Word. Maybe more effectively than I can. God be with you. There are 12 witnesses that present one unified gospel message. And as I told you in the beginning so many years ago, This mountain of gospel evidence demands nothing less than a saving faith verdict. My Lord and my God, that's who you are. Thou art the Christ, the Son of God. John 20, 28, John 20, 31. The proof is in the deity pudding. If He is who He is, as God's Word says He is, how should we respond? How should we live? How should this impact our everyday lives? He's a merciful Savior and a loving Lord. His commandments are not burdensome. Our lives should be marked by joyful obedience, free to be holy. These truths concerning God's Son remind us that like God the Father, there's no one like Him. Not even close. Nothing compares. Too marvelous for words. Too beautiful beyond description, like nothing ever seen or heard. These truths ought to lead us to exalted praise. The reason why we sing the way we sing is because the Spirit has convinced our minds of the truth, and we love to respond to these truths by going up in doxology and praise to God, exalted praise. This is what D.A. Carson says, it's so right, and the modern church is so wrong on this. He says this, we increase the intensity, joy, and fidelity of our worship, not by including the verb to worship in every second line in our so-called worship songs, But by knowing more about God and bringing our adoration to Him as He is, insofar as our conceptions of Him diverge from what He has disclosed of Himself, so far are we worshiping a false God, which is normally called idolatry. To study hard what Holy Scripture says about the Son of God, who has most comprehensively revealed His heavenly Father, is to know more about God and thus to begin to ground our worship in reality rather than in slogans. We don't have to turn on the lights, bring on the fog machines, and try and get an emotional response. The truth has moved your religious affections to delight in the sun, to affirm His sovereign supremacy, His absolute deity, His eternal sonship. They say this, they say this, they say this. What about you? What do you believe? What do we believe? Let's read together what I know Every Bible-believing Christian here believes. Let's affirm the truth about Jesus. Praise team, you can come forward. This is a modern confession of faith, beautifully written. Ligonier's statement of Christology. We confess the mystery and wonder of God made flesh and rejoice in our great salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord. With the Father and Holy Spirit, the Son created all things, sustains all things, and makes all things new. Truly God, he became truly man, two natures in one person. He was born of a Virgin Mary and lived among us, crucified, dead, and buried. He rose on the third day, ascended to heaven, and will come again in glory and judgment. For us, He kept the law, atoned for sin, and satisfied God's wrath. He took our filthy rags and gave us His righteous robe. He is our prophet, priest, and king, building His church, interceding for us, and reigning over all things. Jesus Christ is Lord. We praise His holy name forever and all God's people said. Amen.