himself. How many of you saw the eclipse? Anyone? Did you take the glasses to go out? Michelle? No, you didn't. Anyone do it in person? Did anyone look at it on NASA's pictures? Yeah. Nothing. Well, if you were out there, like, and you were watching this, there were It was like a frenzy. People were like, ah, screaming. And they were so excited. But it brought me back to this message. No one gave glory to God. I say no one, obviously. And I even heard preachers yell, did you see the eclipse? And I'm not saying what they did in their heart or if they did. But the first thing, in fact, I was driving with Brother Greg, and we made good timing because we were going through Fort Worth at the time of the eclipse in Denton, and the highways were clear. We just sailed. Thank the Lord. Amen. So as far as the eclipse. Look at verse one, the heavens declare what? The glory of God. Amen. Look at verse, verse number four, the last phrase, in them hath he set a tabernacle, for what? The sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber. Boy, when that, you know, the diamond effect, That was amazing. The bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoiceth as a strong man to run the race. Why didn't anyone just stand there and say, glory to God? Wow, look at God's creation. That's what we should be doing when we behold the hand of God in creation. When you behold the son, give glory to God. And we look at that as revelation. No man on the earth can say, Oh, God never revealed himself to me. The heavens declare the glory of God. The New Testament says very clearly that everyone will be without excuse because God's divinity, God's, uh, glory, God, the Godhead is revealed his person, his existence in the fact that he exists through creation. That's what it says. Go to Romans one, just so you have that noted case. You got to talk to someone about this. How many of you get the question, oh, well, what about the people that are in Africa or in the jungles of New Guinea or Indonesia or the Amazon? What'd you say here? Romans 1 verse 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto them, for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world. What's it say next? Are what? Clearly seen. Man denies it in their heart, but it's clearly seen. It's evidence. being understood by the things that are made, creation, even His eternal power, amen, and Godhead, that He exists. So what's the last phrase? So that they are without excuse. You see, if someone says, I want to know this creator. I want to know this God or this divine power. God is faithful to send a witness. There's books written on it. Tribes waiting, and they knew, they knew, they knew there was a divine creator. You know, most tribes, most peoples of the earth have a flood account, historical flood account that they tell. All this is in God's revelation. So we're talking about revelation through creation. So nature reveals that there is a creator. But scriptures reveal who God is to humanity. You can't know God by just going out and hugging trees all day. Or sitting in a pasture, you know, looking up the stars. Sorry, John, you gotta stop doing that now. Read your Bible. Amen. If you're gonna know God you got to get into the scriptures Because now we know who God is through the Bible and He gave us the Bible to know him Why do you think the devil wants to destroy the faith of everyone in the Bible? Because he doesn't want anyone to know God. So he wants people to say well, you know, this is man wrote this and you know, it's just another book or Doesn't matter which one. Do you know that the Bible begins where nature leaves off? Genesis 1.1. The Bible begins where creation leaves off, or the nature says what? In the beginning, God. Wait, there's a revelation. The Almighty One, the all-powerful One, created the heaven and the earth. And then we have a revelation of the rest of the Bible of God's plan for humanity. God's salvation through his son. So we have general revelation in creation and no man can really get saved through that kind of revelation. But they can know there's a creator. Now I want to know him. Who made all this? How did it come to pass? And are you thankful that God throughout the Bible We believe that He continually unfolds His nature and revelation about Himself through the Scriptures. And then He fully reveals Himself in His Son. God was manifest in the flesh. That's the full revelation of God. Remember what the Bible says, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld what? His glory. The glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet ye have not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. Why sayest thou then, Show us the Father? And then he goes on and say, you know, he taught him, I and the Father are one. Not one in unity, one in essence, in being, in deity. In fact, remember we preached through Colossians. You probably don't remember. I'll just repeat the series every year. Who is the image? Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Aren't you thankful? He got his spirit, but God became flesh. And now we know him through Christ. In Hebrews, go over there, and then we'll come back. I'm done with this introduction. Hebrews chapter one. God, who at sundry times and diverse manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets. So remember, God spoke by the prophets. That's how he revealed his message. But in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, and by whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory, and the expressed image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. So brethren, the final revelation of God is through Jesus Christ. And that revelation is in the New Testament. Let's go back to Psalm 19. Psalm 19. We're gonna learn about the word of God. Just some reminders. And the nice thing is, if God gives me liberty to continue with our series on Baptist distinctives, the first one is the Bible is our only rule of faith in practice. So this will reinforce Sunday's message. So that way, Brother Wes, when you sleep, you don't feel so bad if you stay awake right now. Not if, when. Verse, we're gonna pick it up. We already looked at verses one to six, correct? Does everyone have that? John, do you have the notes? Can you verify? Anyone? Does anyone have the notes from before I left? John 19, 1 to 6. Gary, you got a file cabinet over there. Do you have anything? I can't find it. It's in there somewhere. That's all right. Trust me. If not, there's an outline out there. Go out and re-familiarize yourself with it. Is it full? Thank you. Verse 7. So the first point of the whole message was God's revelation of himself in nature. Through nature. Now it's through the scriptures. That's point two. God's revelation of himself in the scriptures. Let's see it. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wiseness simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold. yea than much fine gold, sweeter also than the honey in the honeycomb. Moreover by them as I servant warned, and in keeping of them there is what? Great reward. Let's look at what God says about his word. Letter A, God's word is perfect. It says what? The law of the Lord is perfect. God's law is perfect, meaning all of his teaching, all of his instructions are perfect. Now, we know that when we refer to the law, we're talking about the law of Moses. But really, we could say the law refers to all of God's word. Now, when you think of the word perfect in the Bible, I'm sure you've heard this. One of the main, when it says that we are to be perfect, it's talking about being complete, to being whole or to being mature. But when it refers to God's word, God's word is complete. That's why we reject all these false prophets, Those who are getting visions from God and telling you this is what God said. No, the Bible is complete. It's really talking about the sufficiency of the scriptures. The Bible is sufficient for every need that you have in your life. God's word is sufficient. We don't need to look outside the Bible. But it also means flawless or undefiled, without blemish or spot. When we think of God, He is perfect. He has no flaws. He is without blemish. He is undefiled. He's perfect. He's holy. This is talking about the inerrancy of scripture, meaning there are no flaws in the Bible. Every word of every statement in the Bible is true. And that's why it converts the soul. This is the first benefit of Scripture. So we're going to look at, within this message, there are benefits of the Word of God. You need to apply it to your life. The first benefit of Scripture is that it leads us to turn to God. That's what convert means. Turning or returning to God. Only the Bible can call you out on that, amen. Why? Because the Bible tells us everything we need to know about salvation. Why we need salvation. In fact, God uses the law to convict us of our sin. Go to Galatians chapter 3 in the New Testament. Look what Paul said about the law. You know, I could take you through Romans, Galatians. Trying to think. Oh, 1 Timothy. And you know, the Bible teaches that the law is good. The law is holy. God uses the law today. That's why it's not wrong for us to say, have you ever read the Ten Commandments? Have you ever looked at yourself in light of the Ten Commandments? Because God uses the law today. Look what Paul said about the law in the New Testament, lest we be confused. The law is used not to save you, but the law is used to point you to a savior. The law is used of God to show you how much you need a Savior. Amen. Verse 19. Wherefore then serve the law. There it is. Can you get any clearer here? Wherefore then serve the law. It was added because of transgression, sin. till the seed should come to whom the promise was made. And it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promise of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given which could have given life, early righteousness should have been by the law. That's for everyone who tries to keep the law to get saved. He said, why would Jesus come if righteousness could come by the law? Verse 22, but the scripture hath concluded all are under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Righteousness comes by faith, amen? But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up under the faith, which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after the faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster, for ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. So God used the law to bring us to Christ, but that doesn't mean now, okay, well, I better go back and get circumcised, or I better go back and keep the Sabbath. I better go back and sacrifice animals. No, once you come to Christ, there's no need to follow that ceremonial law, the system of sacrifices, because they all point to Christ. As I mentioned, the morality of the law, the holiness of the law that reveals the character of God is expressed in the New Testament. So we can't say, all right, it's OK now to murder someone. It's OK to lie. It's OK to steal, because we're not under the law. Could you imagine? People say, oh, you're not under the law anymore. Isn't that how people are living today? No law. That's why if you go through the New Testament and read everything about the law, you have to say, the law is good, and Paul said the law is holy, because it comes from a holy God, and it reveals his nature of holiness. But it's not a way of salvation. That's what Paul is dealing with. No one can be saved. But it leads us. It shows us. He even said in Galatians, all are under sin. We conclude all are under sin. So when you really deal with the law, the holiness of the law, he's like, I'm a sinner. I broke it. I transgressed. So God's perfect law reveals our sinfulness and our need of a Savior. It tells us that about Jesus Christ and that salvation is only possible by faith in Christ. Amen. Just think of the role of the Bible in salvation. Second Timothy three, not just the law, but the word of God. What happened to Timothy? I think this goes along with Brother Haynes was saying tonight. We need to raise a generation who know the Word of God. Verse 15, And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. What's it say? The scriptures work in a person's life to show them how to be saved. That's the power of the Word of God. Over in 1 Peter 1, it tells us that we are born again by the scriptures. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible. by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. No one can be saved apart from the scriptures because, now I'm not saying how does that scripture come to you? It could be someone's preaching it to you. Doesn't mean you have to have a Bible present I'm glad that I had the Bible. Someone was like reading me verses when I got saved. And that's common. But without the scriptures, you didn't know anything about your sin. You didn't know anything about hell. You didn't know anything about God. You didn't know anything about Jesus. You didn't know anything about the cross, the specifics of why he died. That's what he's saying. You need the Word of God to be born again. There's no other way. Says it's a seed. That's what we're doing out there, brethren. Every time we get just that one opportunity, plant the seed. What's the seed? The Word of God. I understand, we can invite him to church. I'm not saying don't invite him to church, but plant a seed for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Plant a seed. As simple as that verse is, the Holy Spirit can take the word of God and water it and bring forth life. Obviously, we're gonna be spending several weeks on this list. Let me do one more and then we'll go to prayer. Letter B, not only is God's word perfect that converts us, God's word, going back to our text, is sure, sure. What's Psalm 19 say? The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, verse 7. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. So the word is sure, meaning God's testimony in his word is sure. You can believe it, amen. You can build your life on it. In fact, the New Testament tells us, are you building on the rock or are you building on the sand? Now, the New Testament, that passage, Jesus is saying that Who is the fool, foolish one? He's the one who hears the word of God and doesn't obey it. Who's the wise one that builds his house on the rock? He's the one who listens, hears, and obeys the word. So brethren, we have to build our lives on God's word. It's a sure foundation. It's a solid foundation. It's a support. That's what it means, it's sure. It will hold you up in every situation of life that you face. God's word is sure. And it says, what's the benefit? The second great benefit of God's word. What's it say? Making wise. God's word gives us wisdom. So when you think of nature, think of God's design in nature, the distance of the sun from the earth. Aren't you thankful that he set that law there and that it doesn't change? Perfect distance, perfect climates and heat. or we'd be burning up or we'd be freezing to death. God is good. So nature reveals there's an all wise God, one who designed and created an intricate, magnificent universe. But now God's word reveals God's amazing wisdom to us, to humanity. You are holding the wisdom of God here. Not just the book of Proverbs, everything, everything in the Bible is the wisdom of God. I'm thankful that God, you know, when you read the Bible, he gives you wisdom, he gives you knowledge. He even helps you like make decisions through the Bible. And we ought to look at it as a privilege, amen, a blessing. And all of us could say we are simple. At one point or time in our lives, we just didn't know. We were ignorant. We may have even followed the crowd. We lacked discernment. We didn't have good judgment. We made really bad decisions. It was destroying us spiritually and physically, emotionally. Now, when you study God's word, it gives you skills necessary to be successful in life and to avoid all those pitfalls they used to fall in, all the danger. God delivers us through his wisdom. You know, go to Psalm 119. Get this. This passage is the introduction to Psalm 119. Not that we're going to go there and preach the whole thing. Go to Psalm 119, verse 99. Could you imagine me preaching Psalm 119? Psalm 119, 176 verses. How long would it take us to get through Psalm 119? Psalm 119, what does it say in verse 99? I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies. Amen. God's word, God's witness, God's testimonies. It's really what God is doing through, what he says in his word, that's his testimony. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation. This is where, we're missing out. Because we could read the Bible, but if we don't meditate on it and let it and really start absorbing it, then we're really missing out on learning from God. You can't just quickly get through your devotions. You can't just quickly read a passage and benefit from it. Of course, there's a lot to say about meditation. But isn't that amazing that you can, through God's word, and through his wisdom, you can learn more than the smartest, now we're talking about probably people who are not saved, right? They could be educated in the things of this world and this life, but they have no wisdom of God. And you can exceed that. It all comes through where? God's word. God's word is perfect. God's word is sure. And we will continue next week. Let's go to Lord in prayer.