Everyone has received revelation from God. Everyone. But on Judgment Day, there will be many who wish they hadn't. The reason they will wish they hadn't received revelation is that God's revelation makes you responsible to respond rightly to it. Failure to respond to God's revelation brings judgment. When the light of God's self-disclosure shines, it creates the responsibility to turn from darkness and walk in the light. And once you've received God's revelation, if you don't then walk in the light, you will incur a greater condemnation than had you never received the light of God's revelation in the first place. So to receive revelation from God is dangerous because it makes you accountable to it. And we have all received the light of God's revelation. Therefore, we're all responsible to walk in the light of God's revelation to respond rightly to it. The reason I say that everyone has received God's revelation is that there is a kind of revelation that is common to all mankind. God's revelation that all people in all times, in all places have received is called general revelation. General revelation is God's witness of himself through creation. Creation, because it's God's creation, reflects his nature. So David writes in Psalm 19.1, the heavens declare the glory of God. And the sky above proclaims his handiwork. So there is a preacher that everyone who has eyes has seen. The heavens declare the glory of God. The sky above proclaims his handiwork. Creation is speaking about God. Because it reflects the nature of God. For those with ears to hear and eyes to see, we hear the majestic witness of God's power and existence and goodness by what he has made. Even those who wickedly suppress the truth receive this revelation of God's nature in creation. Paul writes in Romans one. Beginning in verse 19. What can be known about God speaking about those who wickedly suppress the truth? What can be known about God is plain to them. Because. God had shown it to them for his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, They didn't honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. So, the light of God's revelation is shining. They see it. It's plain to them that creation means that there is a creator behind the creation who is divine and eternal and powerful. But they prefer darkness. All unbelievers prefer darkness. And therefore, don't turn to the light and walk in the light of God's plain revelation. They refuse to follow the light and to the truth about God. Now lest you think that general revelation is only apparent to those who aren't blind, we need to understand that general revelation isn't dependent upon eyesight at all. He's also revealed himself, God has, within man. Our consciences bear witness to the reality of right and wrong and to the awareness that there is something more. That there's something beyond this life. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11 that God has placed eternity in the hearts of men. So we're all aware that there's something beyond our existence, something bigger, something more powerful than us. And even those who don't recognize God's laws recognize in themselves a witness to God's authority through their consciences. Again, Paul writes in Romans 2, verse 14, when Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do what the law requires, They are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Who did that? Not the culture. God wrote it on their hearts. While their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. This internal war that goes on in all people over what's right and wrong. Whether they've heard God's law or not. Is a witness. To God's authority and a witness to his. Existence. So God has always revealed himself to man through general revelation. There's never been a time on Earth. that God has not disclosed Himself in some way. Paul said to the people of Lystra in Acts 14, beginning in verse 16, in the past generations He allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet, He did not leave Himself without witness. For he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. Even pagans experience the existence and goodness of God in the common grace of rain and harvest and joy in the everyday life. And those all bear witness to the creator. Therefore, because God has bore witness to himself to all people in all times, in every place, everyone has a responsibility to live up to the light they have received and acknowledge him. Failure to do so brings condemnation. Now thankfully God didn't just reveal himself generally but more specifically. While general revelation is enough to condemn us, it can't save us. Creation tells us that there is a God. It doesn't tell us what God, how to get to God, how to be right with God. doesn't tell us the way to God for that we need special revelation. Indeed God has revealed himself at times more directly and in more detail than the creation revelation and the conscience revelation. For example, he's spoken directly to people such as Adam in the Garden of Eden, Moses in the burning bush, Israel at Mount Sinai, and to the prophets who declared God's word. He's also revealed himself through signs and wonders such as the plagues on Egypt, the Exodus miracles, and the signs performed by Elijah and Elisha. And of course, most helpful to us, God's word has been written down in the scriptures and we study the Bible as the unique, authoritative, inerrant, and infallible special revelation to us so that we can understand who God is and what he requires of us. So special revelation is, in scripture, is greater than general revelation in nature. Because God's Word not only condemns us, but also has the power to redeem us, to give us new life. Something creation cannot do. Scripture goes beyond general revelation in its description of God. And it also isn't corrupted by sin. as nature is, and therefore is incapable of leading us astray. That's what infallible means. Incapable of leading astray. Scripture is incapable of leading astray, whereas nature could lead you astray. It's corrupted by sin. So God's revelation of himself in scripture is greater than his revelation in creation, and therefore, those who have received scripture, who have access to the word of God, have a greater responsibility to respond to it. The more light you've received, the more responsibility to obey, and the greater guilt if we fail to obey it. More revelation brings more responsibility and brings greater guilt if you fail to respond to it. To reject God's special revelation incurs a greater guilt than to reject God's general revelation. Now, there's another special revelation of God beyond Scripture. even greater than Scripture. You might call this incarnational revelation, but it is a special revelation. The ultimate disclosure of God in the world is the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus reveals the Father because He is God in the flesh. He is the image of God according to 2 Corinthians 4-4 and Colossians 1-15. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature according to Hebrews 1-3. According to John 1-1, He is the Word, that is, He is the perfect revelation of God. If you want to know more about God, look to Jesus as the perfect Word, that is, the perfect message of God, the perfect revealer of God, the perfect revelation of God. He is the Word of God, according to John 1.1. In fact, the apostle John writes in chapter 1, verse 14, the Word, that is, Jesus, the message, you might even say the sermon, impersonate incarnated. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory. Glory is of the only son from the father, full of grace and truth. And then in verse 18, he is the only God who is at the father side. He has made him known. He has exposited the father. He is clarified the father. That's the role of Jesus. So to know Jesus. To hear Jesus. To see what he has done. And then to respond by rejecting him. Can only result in the greatest condemnation can only result in the greatest guilt. And that's exactly what the Jews of Jesus's day did. In John 15. Our passage beginning in verse 22, Jesus indicts the Jews for their hatred and rejection of him. Given the magnitude. Of revelation that they've received. Look with me in Chapter 15 verse 22. He says, if I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me, hates my father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, They would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my father. But the word that is written in their law must be fulfilled. They hated me without cause. Now, previously, we studied the verses that came before, verses 18 to 21, where Jesus gives reasons why the world hates Christians. And one of the reasons Why the world hates Christians is that the world hates Jesus. He says that in verse 18, look at that, if the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. Now, you hate Jesus if you don't receive Jesus as he really is, as Lord and Savior. If you accept Jesus as merely a good teacher or an activist or an example to follow and you like Jesus for those reasons, then you actually reject who he really is because he's not merely a good teacher or an example to follow. And rejection of Jesus as he is, is hatred of Jesus as he really is. Now in our passage, verses 22 to 25, Jesus shows that the world has no reason to hate him. They hate him, but they have no excuse to hate him. They hate him without cause. And because they hate him without cause, they're guilty in rejecting him. In context, Jesus particularly has in mind the Jews of his day. He references their law in verse 25, speaking of the Old Testament. The Jews hated him and that's the reason why they persecuted him. Of all the people to hate Jesus, you wouldn't think the Jews would reject him and hate him. They had the least reason to reject Christ. They were the people of God. They had special revelation. They had the Old Testament scriptures. They were awaiting their Messiah. And yet they did reject Him. And their rejection of Him is liable to greater judgment because they of all people should have known better. They should have received Him, embraced Him, trusted in Him, obeyed Him, loved Him, drawn near to Him. Instead, they rejected Him. And they rejected both Jesus' words and his works. Now let me show you from John how they rejected both his words and his works. And we'll start with his words. And we're just gonna flow through the book of John, going through lots of scriptures. So we'll come back to chapter 15, but chapter 15 is sort of the conclusion rather than the beginning. When Jesus came, he came as a teacher. He didn't come as an activist. He didn't come as a politician. He didn't come as a military leader. He didn't come as a ruler. He came as a teacher. He preached to the crowds in Galilee, Samaria, Judea. People from all over came to hear him preach. He came as a preacher, declaring that the kingdom of God was at hand. And as a teacher, he revealed God's plans and his will. He's always disclosing God's plans and God's will to whoever would hear him through the spoken word. And he said that all his words came from the Father. Look over in chapter 8, verse 26, where he says, I declare to the world what I have heard from him. I declare to the world what I have heard from him." He preached the words that he received from the Father. He never said anything that the Father didn't tell him to say. And then going over to chapter 12, verse 49. He said, I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has given has himself given me a commandment, what to say and what to speak. So Jesus was God's faithful messenger. He was the Father's mouthpiece. And this wasn't just Jesus' testimony about himself, even John the Baptist testified about Jesus in this same way. In chapter 3, verse 32, he says he bears witness, speaking about Jesus, he bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. All Jesus was doing in preaching was bearing witness to what he had seen and heard from the Father. And quite naturally, many acknowledge the greatness of his teaching. You remember in chapter 7 verse 46, you don't need to go there, but remember the officers who were sent to arrest Jesus? They were sent to arrest Jesus and they didn't do it. And as a result, they came back to the Jewish authorities and they wanted to know why didn't you arrest him? We sent you to arrest him. You didn't do it. And in their defense, they said. No one ever spoke like this man. They couldn't even bring themselves to arrest him because no one ever spoke like this man. Remember, in Matthew seven, at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Great sermon that Jesus gave. To crowds of people. with His disciples huddled in close, and then the rest of the Jews out cascading from Him. In Matthew chapter 7, after Jesus finished the Sermon on the Mount, we read, The crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching them as one who had authority and not as their scribes. The scribes' authority came from what? Opening up the scrolls. What did Jesus do? Put away the scrolls and opened his mouth. That's exactly how the Sermon on the Mount began. He sat down and opened his mouth and spoke to them, not from a scroll, because he had authority. Well, he had authority because of who he was and whose messenger he was. He was widely regarded as Israel's greatest teacher. And yet few believed his words. In fact, on account of his words, many of his followers turned away from him, never to walk again. Remember in chapter 6, where Jesus taught that he was the bread that came from heaven and that anyone who feasted on him would have eternal life. In other words, he was like the manna. from heaven, he was like manna that God gave to sustain the Israelites in the wilderness. But Jesus has the bread from heaven gave more than sustenance. To eat of Jesus, that is to take him in. To receive him. To believe in him gives the eater eternal life. To receive eat of Jesus like that gives you eternal life. Well, that was too much for his followers to take in chapter 6. Even though he had miraculously fed the multitude by multiplying the five loaves and two fish and feeding the entire crowd, which may have numbered not just the 5,000, that was just the count of the men, add on the women and children, and you're looking at perhaps 25,000 people who are on that area east of the Sea of Galilee. And he fed them all with five loaves and two fish. And to prove the point, he had 12 baskets left over at the end, more than what they started with. Even though he did that, they couldn't take his teaching. Even though he created all of this out of thin air, he created fish for them to eat that had never swam in an ocean, never swam in a lake. He created them for them bread to eat that had never grown. The grain had never grown. They said in chapter six, verse 60, about Jesus saying, I am the bread of heaven, this is a hard saying. Who can listen to it? In other words, it sounded like lunacy to them. This is a lunatic. Who can go on listening to this guy? No man can give eternal life, and that's what he was saying. So in verse 66, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. And it wasn't just that they rejected Jesus. On the account of His teachings, the Jews even sought to kill them. Look at chapter 5, verse 18. This is early in Jesus' ministry where we read that the Jews wanted to kill Him because, according to chapter 5, verse 18, not only was He breaking the Sabbath, according to their interpretation, but He was even calling God His own Father and making Himself equal with God. making himself equal with God, claiming to be God. They understood the implications of his teachings. Jesus was claiming to be God. The Jews knew it. And therefore, they wanted to put him to death. Later on, go over to chapter 10, verse 33. Later on, the Jewish crowd picked up stones to stone him. What was the reason? The reason, because They considered him a blasphemer for ascribing for himself deity. They said, chapter 10, verse 33, it's not good, it's not for a good work that we're going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you being a man, make yourself God. Again, they understood his teaching. So the Jews heard the words of Jesus. They heard him speak the Father's words numerous times. And because of this very fact, the Jews hated him. Hatred of him was especially heinous. And he had denounced them in chapter 8, verse 40, saying, You seek to kill me. A man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. You seek to kill me. A man who's only told you the truth, the very truth that I heard from the father you claim to worship. They rejected the greatest prophet of God, God's own son. Even Moses, who they claim to be a people of, even Moses foretold of him. In Deuteronomy 18 verse 18, God said through Moses, I will raise up for them a prophet like you, Moses, from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I commanded them. And in Jesus's day, they're awaiting the prophet. They were awaiting the prophet. And so at various times in the gospels, people are asking, trying to figure out who Jesus is. Is he Elijah? Is he Jeremiah? Or is he the prophet? They're referring to Deuteronomy 18, 18, where Moses predicted, foretold that there was gonna be a prophet who would have God's own words in his mouth. And that's exactly what happened with Jesus. He is the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18, 18. He is the greatest prophet. The greatest prophet to come foretold 1400 years before. So now over in our passage in chapter 15 verse 22, Jesus said this. I if I had not come and spoke to them, they would not have been guilty of sin. But now that they have now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my father also. When he says they wouldn't be guilty of sin, he doesn't mean that the Jews would have been innocent or they would have been sinless and therefore not condemned. He means that they wouldn't have been. Had he not come and preach the father's word to them, they wouldn't be guilty, guilty of rejecting Christ. they wouldn't be guilty of rejecting the supreme revelation of the Father. But by rejecting Jesus's words, they rejected the greatest revelation the Father had ever given. They also rejected Jesus's works. Not only his words, but his works. Not only did Jesus never say anything except what the Father told Him to say, He never did anything except what the Father told Him to do. He said in chapter 5 verse 19, In other words, all His steps were ordered by God. Jesus did many miracles throughout His ministry. He healed many people. At least three were raised from the dead. He delivered people from demons. The fame of Jesus' name spread far and wide. All these were ordered by God as a disclosure of the Father. But in John's Gospel, he calls attention to seven signs that He did which provide overwhelming proof that Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ. Jesus changed the water to wine. Remember that in Cana? And then He healed the official's son from afar. He wasn't even in the same town. No indication that He even met this official's son. But He knew exactly where he was, exactly the condition, and He healed them from afar. He restored the man who'd been paralyzed for 38 years. Everybody knew this man. He'd always been at the pool in Jerusalem. He multiplied the loaves and fish out of thin air and fed the 5,000 or the 25,000. He walked on water. He gave sight to the man who'd been born blind. And he raised Lazarus from the dead. Seven signs. Yet the greatest sign was yet to come. he would resurrect himself. That would be an eighth sign. But up until this point, seven signs among all the hundreds, maybe thousands of other miracles that Jesus did. And no one doubted these signs. They doubted his words, but they didn't doubt his signs. The evidence was plain before him. So there could only be one verdict. Jesus is who he said he was. He's the he's God's own son. He's the God man. And many recognize the greatness of his works, just like they recognize the greatness of his teaching. They recognize the greatness of his works. Remember in Chapter three, when Nicodemus, he was a ruler and the teacher, it says a very prominent teacher in among the Jews. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. Chapter three, verse two, and he says, Rabbi, teacher, we know that you are a teacher come from God. Why does he know that? For no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. And even some of the Pharisees acknowledged, how can a man who is a sinner do such signs? No sinner could. So Jesus must be different. Jesus always wanted people to believe on Him because of His words. But if they wouldn't believe on Him because of His words, He says, believe on My works. If you won't believe My words, believe My works. He says that on two occasions. Chapter 10, verse 37. If I'm not doing the works of My Father, then don't believe Me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, that is, believe My words, Believe the works that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. Belief on Jesus's works is not of a quality as it is believing in his words, taking him at his word. but far better to believe Jesus's works than not to believe in him at all. He tells his disciples, 11 disciples in chapter 14 verse 11, believe me that I am in the father and the father is in me or else believe on the account of the works themselves. See, it's safe to believe in the miracles, the signs, the wonders of Jesus. because his signs were proof that he came from the Father and that he revealed the Father. He said in chapter 5 verse 36, the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. They were a testimony to Jesus's truthfulness and who he is. And yet few believe Jesus's words. or believed in His works enough to save. After all that Jesus had done publicly, John records the tragedy of unbelief in chapter 12 verse 37. Though He had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in Him. They couldn't deny His works, but they weren't willing to believe in Him because of His works either. They weren't willing to follow the light. So back to our passage, John chapter 15 verse 24, Jesus says, If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my father. This is essentially the same thing he said in verses 22 and 23. Had I not revealed myself in my words and my works to them, then they wouldn't be guilty of rejecting me. But since they have rejected me, they hate me and they hate my father as well because I'm the supreme revelation of the father. And so if you reject the revelation of the father, you reject the father himself. All the evidence, the revelation of both his words and his works prove that Jesus was God. And in verse 25, Jesus points out that the Jews own law condemned them. He says, but the word that is written in their law must be fulfilled. They hated me without a cause. There was no cause, no reason, no reasonable explanation for their hatred and rejection of him. This is pure darkness, pure wickedness to reject the supreme revelation of the Father. And we must not make the mistake of thinking there was any defect in Jesus's presentation to the Jews. Oh, if he would have just said this or done that, then perhaps they would have believed. No, there was no defect, no excuse. Nothing can excuse their unbelief in light of the greatness of the revelation that they received. Revelation brings responsibility to respond rightly. And that's what Jesus shows in our passage. They receive the greatest revelation, so they incur the greatest guilt, which implies that there are degrees of punishment in hell. All sin, not forgiven, will beget hell. But we shouldn't think that there aren't degrees of punishment in hell. There is a worse hell for those who receive the greatest revelation and have rejected it. Now that covers the Jews' guilt. But does this apply to us in any way? And of course it does because total revelation has been given. There isn't going to be a third testament. Jesus has already come. He will come again, but when He comes again, He won't be coming to disclose Himself for salvation. He will be coming to disclose the Father's wrath. Total revelation has been given and it continues. God continues to reveal Himself in creation and in man's conscience. God continues to reveal himself in the scriptures, which is widely available to many cultures and people. And God continues to reveal himself through the church. The church is the visible witness of Christ in the world as his body. Do you realize that? That's who you are. You are, in a sense, a revelation of God. You are a disclosure of Christ as his body in the world. And so God is not left without a witness today either. And the witness today is greater than the witness then. The witness then, when Jesus is walking around the earth, he's only in one place at one time in his incarnation. But the witness today is greater because the church's witness has spread and the word of God, the scriptures have spread. Revelation brings responsibility to respond rightly. Every person will be judged based on the revelation that they received and had access to. Go over Luke chapter 12. Luke records a parable that Jesus told, and the relevant point comes at the end. We'll skip to the conclusion rather than go through the lengthy parable that he tells. But Jesus says in Luke 12, verse 47, there's these servants and there are these masters, and the issue is, are the servants ready for the masters to return? And when the master returns, are they doing what they're supposed to be doing? He says, that servant who knew his master's will received the revelation of his master's will, if you will. That servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. Alright, they both disobeyed. They both did what they weren't supposed to do. So one gets a light beating, one gets a severe beating. Degrees of punishment in hell. What's it based on? The Revelation? that they receive, what they knew. Everyone to whom much was given of him, much will be required. And from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. In this context, when Jesus says, verse 48, and lays down the principle that when you're given much, There's a greater responsibility if you're given little. There's still responsibility, but it's not the same responsibility as those who are given much. In this context, it's based on how much revelation have you received. And based on what you've received, you'll be judged. Every person will be judged based on the revelation they received. And that's what verses 47 and 48 indicate. The punishment for all who do not trust in Christ will be based on what you did with what you knew. Everyone is accountable to the revelation they've received. Some will receive a worse punishment in hell because they rejected God, even though they've received more light of revelation. The jungle tribes who have never heard of Jesus are guilty because of their sin. And general revelation is sufficient to condemn them. And they'll be held account to account for general revelation, but imagine the greatness of the guilt for anyone who lives in a culture like ours. With ready access to scriptures and the witness of the Church of Christ all around them. Would God not be just? To say to the American South, to paraphrase Jesus in Matthew 11, verse 21, Woe to you Athens! Woe to you Watkinsville! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Atlanta, will you be exalted to heaven? You'll be brought down to Hades, for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you." Degrees of punishment based on the revelation received. How will this culture, with so much access to the Gospel, and the scriptures, and with churches all around, escape a severe punishment in hell, this culture won't. Wouldn't Jesus be just to say to our culture, just as he did to the Galileans in Luke chapter 11, the queen of the south, Sheba, will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them. For she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. This pagan, this pagan even responded to the truth of God in Solomon's mouth. And behold, something greater than Solomon is here, the wisdom of Christ, the men of Nineveh, those wretches, they were they're horrible people. will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it. For they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The preaching of Christ. To know Jesus. To hear Jesus. See what he has done in the scriptures and to respond by rejecting him can only result in the greatest guilt. The greatest condemnation. Revelation brings responsibility to respond rightly. Failure to do so incurs greater guilt. The more revelation, the greater the guilt. So I appeal to you, believe in Jesus. This sermon right here and you listening to it, if you are not in faith, if you are not in Christ, you have stored up for yourself more wrath if you do not believe. Because I've told you the truth. And you've heard it. And so failure to believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God Is the Savior, is the Lord who died on the cross in payment for your sins? If you would only believe failure to repent of your sins and believe in Him. But rather go on preferring your darkness and not walking in the light of revelation that you've received. Will result in punishment. Jesus's words and works call out to you to believe in Him. They will either be your salvation or they will be your condemnation. So trust in Him to save you from your sins. Let's pray. So we do pray, Father, that all who hear this message would respond in saving belief. that they would repent of their sin and trust the willing, kind Savior who in mercy went to the cross and died for our sins so that our sins can be forgiven. And Father, we also, for those of us who have trusted in Christ, understand the duty of having access to the gospel and having access to the scriptures. Our libraries are full of good Christian books and commentaries and resources. The Internet is full of great preaching. What great responsibility we have to respond to the revelation that we've received and walk in the truth, obey the truth, love You, and do as You've told us to do and go on trusting You. So, Father, we pray You would help us, find us faithful. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, we pray that we'd grow more like Christ, to do as Christ did, to trust You and obey You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.