Happy Resurrection Day. If you have your Bibles, turn with me to the book of Luke, Luke chapter 24. Luke chapter 24, and I'll begin to read in verse 13. That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all the things that had happened. And while they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, what is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk? And they stood still looking sad. Then one of them named Cleopas answered him, are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? And he said to them, what things? And they said to him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty indeed, and word before God on all the people, and how our chief priest and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. and we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things have happened. Moreover, some women in our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had seen, they had even seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see. And he said to them, oh foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going, and he acted as if he were going further, but they urged him strongly saying, stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent. So we went in to stay with them. And when he was at the table with them, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. One of my favorite verses in all the Bible, in verse 32. And they said to each other, did not our hearts burn within us? while he walked, while he talked to us on the road and while he opened to us the scriptures. And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem and they found the 11 and those who were with them gathered together saying, the Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon. And then they told what had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Lord, I am so grateful, Lord, and privileged, Lord, to bring your word this morning. And I pray, Father, I pray you'll open our eyes, dig out our ears, prepare our hearts for the truth that's about to be spoken. Lord, I pray. I pray, Lord, that you would just give us understanding, give us courage and conviction. Lord, I pray that if there's someone here that you don't know, I pray today you'll open their heart. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. This is one of my favorite passages of all the Bible. I learned of this passage years after becoming a Christian. And when I found this passage and began to study it and what this passage meant, I asked myself, why did someone not tell me this was here? So we have two disciples of Jesus on a road to Emmaus that are down in the dumps, we see here. They had followed Jesus, who obviously was not, it wasn't the thing to do if you wanted to go back to the temple. When you follow Jesus, you were basically ostracizing yourself. And they were so convinced that he was the one, the Messiah, that was spoken of by the prophets. They were so convinced. But he got himself killed. He's dead. And they're thinking to themselves, what have we done? What has happened here? And that's when Jesus shows up and incognito begins to talk to them. And I love the way he pretends to not know what's going on. And they're like, do you not know what just happened? And he, what things, what happened? And they said, there was this prophet mighty in word and deed. And we thought he was the one that was going to redeem Israel. We had hoped this. And Jesus' response is very telling. Boy, this response would not be popular today. He said, you fools. Oh, foolish ones. So foolish. Don't you know the scriptures? Don't you believe what prophets have spoken, what the prophets have spoken? And he says, isn't it necessary for the Messiah to have suffered these things and enter into his glory? And then he starts with Moses, the first five books of the Old Testament, and all the prophets. Basically, he's looking at the present day scriptures, which is to us the Old Testament, and he shows them things in the Old Testament that the prophets had said about the Messiah. And it must have been a good long talk. And by the time they got where they were going, he acted like he was gonna go further. And they're like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, don't go. Come in, stay with us. You don't wanna go, it's too late anyway. And he agrees to go in and he breaks the bread. Their eyes are open, they know who he is, and he vanishes from sight. And they say, these are the ones, remember, these are the ones that were down in the dump. Now they're saying, did not our hearts burn within us? While he talked to us on the road, and he opened the scriptures to us. The question is, what did he say to them? What is it that he said to them that made them go from being down in the dumps to being excited? That's what it means, their hearts burned within them. They were excited. We didn't make a mistake. The Bible doesn't actually say exactly what he told them, except for the fact that the Christ must suffer these things. But I think we could speculate with good speculation on what he might have told them. In fact, we could start in Matthew chapter 27, where we hear the words of Jesus from the cross, where he says, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? I know some think that Jesus is actually asking God, why are you forsaking me, as if it's a real question. I don't believe that's what it is. I believe he's reminding them of a song. Kind of like we started singing Amazing Grace this morning, and at least on the first and the last verses, I don't even need to look at the hymnal. When you start out Amazing Grace, everybody knows what's coming next. I go down to the jail every week. If I start Amazing Grace, most of them join in. They know the song. They know the song. And that's what Jesus was doing. Because in the Old Testament, we have a book of songs. It's called Psalms. You know, that literally means songs. And in the 22nd Psalm, we read these words. The very beginning of the 22nd Psalm starts out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Could it be that Jesus is pointing them to their scriptures and reminding them what must happen to the Messiah? We can look at Psalm 22.6 where he says, I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people, it says. And we can go to the New Testament witnesses that were with Jesus. And we can go and read in Matthew 11, 19, the son of man, but listen to what they say. Jesus says, the son of man, and this is speaking, this is a title of deity, by the way. This is Jesus when he says son of man, he's talking about himself. The son of man, Matthew 11, 19, came eating and drinking, and they say, look at him, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds. So they were calling him a glutton, and a drunker, and a friend of tax collectors, and sinners. And in Matthew 12, 24, we read that when the Pharisee's saying, it is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man cast out demons. They are equating Jesus with the devil, is what they're doing. And then we could go to Matthew 27, where it says now in verse 20, now the chief priest and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus. And the governor again said to him, which of these two do you want me to release to you? And they said, Barabbas. Kill Jesus, release Barabbas. Barabbas. We go back to Psalm 22 and we read in verse 7, all who see me mock me. They make mouths at me. They wag their heads. Psalm 22, 8. He trusts in Yahweh, let him deliver him. This is mocking, these are what they're saying, they're mocking him. He trusts in the Lord, let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, for he delights in him. It's mocking is what they're doing. And we go back to the New Testament witnesses. Matthew 26 and verse 59, now the chief priest and the whole council were speaking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none. Though many false witnesses came forward, at least two came forward and said, this man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days. You go back and see what he said, that's not what he said. And then in verse 62, the high priest stood up and said, have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you? But Jesus remained silent, and the high priest said to him, I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. And Jesus said to him, you have said so, but I tell you, from now on, you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. And then the high priest tore his clothes, his robes, and said, he has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do you need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment? And they answered, he deserves death. and they spit on his face and struck him. And some slapped him saying, prophesy to us, you Christ, who is it that struck you? There they are mocking him again, mocking him. And in Mark 15, 16, we read that the soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the governor's headquarters, and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak. Purple cloak is meant for royalty, but they're mocking him. And twisting together a crown of thorns, and they put it on him. And they began to salute him. Hail, King of Jews! More mocking. And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him, more mocking. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his clothes on him and they led him out to crucify him. And then we go back to Matthew 27 and verse 39, and those who passed by derided him. wagging their heads, just as the psalmist said. In verse 40, Matthew 27, and saying, you who destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. If you are the son of God, come down from the cross. So also the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him, saying, he saved others. He cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross and we will believe in him. He trusts in God, let God deliver him now if he desires him. And he said, I am the son of God. and the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. The psalmist was right. In Psalm 22, seven, when he says, all who see me mock me and they make mouths at me, they wag their heads. And then in Psalm 22, 12, we read the bulls encompass me. Strong bulls of Bashan surround me, and they open their mouths wide at me like ravening roaring lion. And I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, and my heart is like wax. It is melted within my breast. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws. And you lay me in the dusk of death, he says. And look at verse 17. I can count all my bones, they stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them, for my clothing they cast lots. Does that sound familiar? Do you understand that this song was written a thousand years before Jesus Christ was manifested in the flesh? And the New Testament witnesses attest that in Matthew 27, 35, that when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots? But I think the most Wonderful passage in this song comes in verse 16. Go back there. For dogs encompass me. You know, the Jews called the Gentiles dogs. They were dirty. They didn't have the law. For the dogs encompass me. The company of evildoers encircles me. They have pierced my hands and feet. A thousand years, are you listening to me? A thousand years before Jesus Christ was manifested in the flesh, a Jewish prophet, King David, recorded a prophecy moved by the Holy Spirit and recorded the death of the Messiah, but not just that he would die, but the way he would die. They pierced my hands and my feet. You notice he didn't say they crucified him because crucifixion hadn't even been invented yet. It was the precursor to the Romans who invented this torturous, painful way to die. And this Jewish prophet, I'm sure this Jesus showed these two on the road to Emmaus, did you not read this song? Don't you know this song? And then we go forward from 1000 BC to about 700 BC. And we go to the book of Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah in chapter 53. And let's just begin to read it. Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hid their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteem him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. Smitten by God, that's, smite is striking, I wish we still used that word, that's a wonderful word to describe knocking somebody upside the head. He was smitten by God and afflicted. Verse five says he was pierced for our transgressions. There's the word again, pierced. He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by his wounds we are healed. And if you're old enough, you're used to, and by his stripes we are healed. Verse six, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. What happened to the disciples? They scattered when this happened. And the Lord, and more literally, and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment, he was taken away. As for his generation who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, That is another way of being killed. Sickened, stricken, that is, for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked, with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, there was no deceit in his mouth. You know what that's a reference to? Matthew 27, 57 says, when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, then Pilate ordered it to be given to him and Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb which had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and he went away. And here is a Jewish prophet 700 years prior saying they made his grave with the wicked, but with a rich man in his death. Verse 10 in Isaiah 53 says, it was the will of the Lord to crush him. He has put him to grief. When his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring. He shall prolong his days. The will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of anguish of his soul, he shall see and be satisfied. By his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous. This is good news. This is good news 700 years before Jesus was manifested in the flesh, born of a virgin, placed in a stinky, filthy manger. and he shall bear their iniquities. It finishes, verse 12, therefore I will divide him a portion with the many and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors, those two thieves on the cross. Yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors. Church, a thousand years before Jesus was manifest in the flesh, a Jewish prophet prophesied the way the Messiah would die. And 700 years before Jesus was manifested in the flesh, a Jewish prophet said why he would die. And the Jews, they don't get it. They didn't understand that. Those two on the road to Emmaus, they didn't get that. Even John the Baptist, remember when John the Baptist was in prison and Jesus, he hadn't set up the kingdom. They thought that this Messiah was gonna come and set up this earthly kingdom and they were gonna rule there and the Romans would be gone. And John the Baptist sends his two disciples going, are you the one or should we look for another? Are you the one? I remember years ago, watching a show, which I didn't watch a lot, but it's called Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a man that needs Jesus desperately, like I did. And he had a Jew and a Christian on there, and the Jew was saying, you've gotta be good to go to heaven, you've gotta be good to go to heaven, and the Christian was like, no, you can't be good. You need a substitute. And the Jews like, that's stupid. What is this Jesus dying on the cross? It makes no sense. His prophets were saying this very thing. The prophet Isaiah said this very thing. He came, he came to pay the sin debt that every one of us owe. The Bible tells us, for the wages of sin is death. Do you understand what that means? Every time we sin, we earn death. It's our wage. If you wonder if God is mad at sin, just are people dying? Yes, 150,000 people die a day. Yes, God is angry at sin. And those are wages for sin. The good news is that the Messiah came to pay for that sin. He took the penalty. He took the penalty. So we see a prophet saying the way he would die, and another prophet saying why he would die, and now we go to Daniel chapter nine. And if you know your Bible, you know exactly why I'm going to Daniel chapter nine. We read in verse 24, this is approximately 535 BC. Give or take 10 years, it doesn't matter. You could give or take 100 years, it wouldn't matter. But listen to what he says. In verse 24 in Daniel 9, 70 weeks are decreed about your people in your holy city to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and profit, and to anoint a most holy place. Know, and therefore, know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of the anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. And then for 62 weeks it shall be built again with squares and moats but in a troubled time, he says. And after 62 weeks, An anointed one should be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood. And to the end there shall be war and desolations are decreed. Now, this is a very, if you're going, what did he just say? This is a very complicated passage, and it does require, it's a complex passage that requires careful study. And we don't have time to exegete this passage, but I will point you to, I'll point you to John MacArthur, he does a wonderful job in a series of sermons going through this. But let me just see if I can high-level explain this to you. And you really should go listen to those sermons. And then high-level, what Daniel is saying is, he gets this prophecy from an angel, by the way, after much prayer. It's at the end of captivity, the Babylonian captivity. And when he says 70 weeks are decreed, the word is not really weeks, it's literally sevens. 77s. Seven would be known to the Jews, it's a seven year cycle. The reason they were in captivity is because they did not rest the land on the seventh year. And they did it for a very long time. They did it for, if I remember correctly, 490 years, which means they, for 70 Sabbaths, they failed to wrest the land. So God took them into captivity for 70 years. For 70 years. So he's saying 77s are determined. meaning 489 years, and you can't just say, you can't equate years to years, because when this was spoken, there was a different calendar. The Jewish calendar only had 360 days. And again, I point you to the sermon. But basically, he's saying, look, here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna start counting at a particular event, verse 25, when the command goes out to restore and to build Jerusalem. And it's not just this, it's not just that, but also when it's the walls, too, of Jerusalem, when that decree goes out. Because there's more than one decree in the Old Testament. But there was one particular decree where they were to rebuild the temple and the walls. And that was in 1445. And you can read this in the book of Nehemiah. But this is the Persian Artaxerxes, the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. And you start counting there, and if you convert to days instead of years, you do all the conversions, and you start counting, you will end up at the time of the ministry of Jesus. I've done it. And to that I say, wow. So 540 years, 535, like I said, I don't care if it was 100 years before Jesus, how did he do that? And we know how. Because Daniel didn't come up with this. No scriptures from the will of man, right? He got it from an angel who got it from the Lord. So 1,000 years before Jesus was manifested in the flesh, A Jewish prophet described the way the Messiah would die. Another prophet described why he would die 700 years before Jesus. And another prophet described when he would die. Do you know any book that can do that? No wonder. No wonder these guys on the road to Emmaus were going, oh, yes, yes. They're not down in the dumps anymore. And I'm not done. One more. This time we'll go back to about 1445 BC. You know how the world likes to, I guess they think they're pulling someone over, they don't say B.C. anymore, right? They say B.C.E. and C.E. C.E., what we say A.D., they say C.E., which is Common Era, and they say B.C.E. before Common Era. But I like to say, okay, I'll do the CE and BCE. CE is Christian era, and BCE is before Christian era. No problemo, right? Whatever, sorry. Let's go back to 1445 before Christ. We go to Exodus chapter 12. And if you know your Bible, you know why I'm going there. In Exodus chapter 12 and verse 1, Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, verse 3, tell all the congregation of Israel that on the 10th day of this month, Every man shall take a lamb according to their father's houses, a lamb for the household. You see, the Jews now, remember, 400 years after Joseph was number two in charge in Egypt, Pharaoh had put him in charge. Why? Because he interpreted a dream from prison. Why was he in prison? Because he was accused of trying to rape Potiphar's wife. And he didn't, he was falsely imprisoned. Why was he, he was a servant of Potiphar, why? Because his brothers had sold him into slavery. Right? Is our God sovereign? Oh yes. Nothing happens without God allowing it to happen. He upholds all things. But anyway, so Joseph is second in charge, and for 400 years, his brothers finally come down, go read Genesis, and you'll understand why that is if you don't know why. But for 400 years, those children of Israel begin to grow, and they become numerous, and now, 400 years later, Pharaoh's a little concerned about them, because they're slaves now. They don't know who Joseph is. Pharaoh now, it doesn't care who Joseph was, and so now they're slaves, and he begins to be afraid of them, and he begins to put the screws on them, and you can go read that in the book of Exodus. Pharaoh was treating them horribly, and God had had enough. And he uses a man here in verse chapter 12. And he tells him, in verse three, every man shall take a lamb according to their father's houses, a lamb for the household. Look at verse five. Can't be any lamb, just not any lamb. Your lamb shall be without limit. A spotless lamb. Don't be bringing a lamb with an eye gouged out or a broken leg. No, that lamb needs to be spotless, without blemish. A male of one year, you may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the 14th day of this month when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. And then, verse seven, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts, the lentil of the houses in which they eat it. So they take that killed lamb and they take the blood of it and they smear it on the doorposts of their house. And verse 11, in this manner you shall eat it, with your belt fastened and your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand, you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. For I, verse 12, will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and all the gods of Egypt. I will execute judgments. I am Yahweh. Verse 13. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when you see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will befall you. to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Verse 14, and this day shall be a memorial for you. You shall keep it as a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations. When I read that, New Testament saints, we know what that is. Why did the lamb have to be perfect? Well, John the Baptist said it. When Jesus came to be baptized, he said, behold, the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Here's the gospel. 1,445 years before Jesus was manifested in the flesh. The gospel's being preached. The gospel that tells us that we are not worthy of heaven, we're all sinners, we all are rotten to the core. There's no one that does good, no, not one. You know that from the New Testament that I just quoted, Romans 3, but that's an Old Testament quote. There's none that does good, no, not one. The wages of sin is death. In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve, if you break this commandment, if you do this, when I tell you not to, you shall surely die. So there's a big problem here. We're all sinners. God is like, just judge. He's a just judge, just like if you had a sister or mother who was raped by a man and killed and he was caught and he went before the judge, if the man says, oh, I didn't mean to do it, I was wrong, I won't do it again, and the judge says, okay, you can go, you would be outraged because he is an unjust judge that your sister, your mother's death requires justice. And only a good judge would exact that justice. And in the same way, and much more severe, is the penalty of sin against a holy, perfect God. God is a just judge and he must punish sin because he's a just judge. But God is also merciful. And he entered his own creation and lived the perfect life that you and I could not live. And he went to the cross to pay our debt. He was bruised for our iniquities. He was pierced through his hands and his feet. The perfect, spotless, sinless Lamb of God. What's amazing is, Moses writing this, he couldn't know the implications here. That this is a picture, there is a coming judgment, you understand, the New Testament tells us. There's a coming judgment and God will judge the earth He will separate the sheep from the goats. And your only hope is to be covered in the spotless lamb of God and his blood. Covered in the blood. I like the way God told Moses to tell them, every year you're going to do this. This is going to be a feast throughout your generations. You're going to observe this. So think about it. Think about what God did. He draws this picture not just one time, but he draws it for over a thousand years. Every year, the obedient Jews would bring their spotless lambs. to the high priest. And the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and pour the blood of those lambs on the mercy seat. It's a picture. And they drew it year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year. Bloody. The streets ran with blood. It was a violent image. And they drew it every single year until the Lamb of God showed up. Tell me, do you know a book that can do that? No. This will make you die to self. This will make you be willing to go to your death for the cause of Christ, just like the disciples did, just like Paul did. So, no wonder, huh? No wonder they said, did not our hearts burn within us? I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure Jesus showed them those things, and many more. There are so many more prophecies, but how do you deny this? And you know, I didn't come to Christ because I knew this. I came to Christ because God drew me. He came after me. I was running from God. I was in deep sin, and I came to Christ Because of the mercy of God, he opened my heart and I began to go into church. And it was years into being a Christian until I knew this. You should tell your grandkids this and your children. Are you listening? They need to know this. They need to understand. This is not fairy tales and fables as the world says. The world has no idea what they're talking about. This is God-breathed words. This is life. This can give us eternal life. All we need to do is repent of our sins. and turn to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. I think it's telling that, you know, the prophets stopped speaking, the Old Testament stopped speaking about 400 years before Jesus was manifested in the flesh. And then John the Baptist comes on the scene declaring that the Messiah is coming. And Jesus comes, and I think it's telling in Jesus' first recorded sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, that he says this. Matthew chapter seven, verse 13. Here's what Jesus says. After 400 years of silence, God begins to speak again. And Jesus says this. Enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and the way is easy that leads to destruction, that's hell. And those that enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. The majority of my neighbors, when I get up and go to church on Sunday, they're not going to church. As a matter of fact, none of my neighbors go to church that are around me, none of them. The road is narrow. We ought to be thankful. This ought to humble us because for 20 years, I didn't care what God thought. And if he hadn't have come after me and opened my eyes, I would be just as lost as they are now. So if you're in here and you're listening to this and you are excited and you're believing this, you should be thanking God for opening your heart to the gospel and showing you, oh, we got the truth. We got the truth. Just because the rest of the world says it's fairy tales, it doesn't matter. They don't know what they're talking about. They don't know the truth. But then Jesus says this in verse 15. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing. And that's the, it was the prophet wore wool. So they're coming to you dressed like a prophet, but inwardly they're ravenous wolves. This is a warning. You be careful. Be careful who you listen to, who guides you through the word. And I can tell you right now, the pastor that sits in this pulpit, Brother Steve, you can trust him. He's not a false prophet. He pulls from the word. He loves the word. He exegetes the word. You gotta thank God for your pastor. They're so rare. So many churches are out there tickling ears and telling the culture what they want to hear. Jesus says in verse 21, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, and repetition in the Bible is a big deal. They're not just saying, Lord, Lord, we did these things. They're going, no, no, no, we really did these things. Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Actually, I skipped it. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father that is in heaven. And on that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, do many mighty works in your name? And Jesus will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness, you workers of iniquity. You see, those people that are standing before God on that day and going, Lord, Lord, didn't we do this and this and doing this? They're saying, they're revealing that they do not understand the gospel because you cannot do and get to heaven. What you need is mercy. We need mercy. And the only mercy is through the blood of that spotless lamb. who came when he was supposed to come, who came to pay the sin debt of his people, who came and was crucified, pierced through hands and feet. So when Jesus says, beware of false prophets, we need to be careful who we listen to, really, church. I see so many times Christians reposting things from false prophets because they don't know any better. But I want to show you something. Do you know in just about every book in the New Testament, we're warned? Did you know that? We see here in Matthew, Matthew says this, Matthew 7, 15, just what I read, beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. And then even in Matthew 24, we read, and many will arise, this is the words of Jesus, and many will arise, many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And in Luke 6, chapter 26, woe to you, when all people speak well of you, so did the fathers did to the false prophets. So I mean, he's telling people today, if you're telling the culture what it wants to hear, and they like you because you tell them what they want to hear, woe to you. You need to tell them the truth, and the truth is not popular. Book of Acts, Acts 13.6, and when they all had gone through the whole aisle, as far as Paphos, they came to a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. Romans 16.17, I appeal to you brothers, watch for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine you have been taught. Avoid them, it says. 2 Corinthians 11, 13, for such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. Galatians 2, verse 4, yet because of false brothers secretly brought in who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus so they might bring us into slavery. Ephesians 4, verse 14, so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves. and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness, by deceitful schemes. Colossians 2.8 says, see that no one takes you captive by philosophy or empty deceit according to human traditions, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. First Thessalonians 5.20 says, do not despise prophecies, but test everything and hold fast to what is good. 2 Thessalonians 2.9, the coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power of false signs and wonders. First Timothy 6.3 says, if anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy or for quarrels about words which produce envy, dissension, slander, and evil suspicions. And then 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 3 says this, for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, we're here by the way, but have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. If that's not this country, I don't know what is. Titus chapter 1 verse 9, he must hold fast to the trustworthy word as taught so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Hebrews chapter five, verse 11. About this we have much to say, and it's hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing, for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child, but solid food is for the mature, for those who have Their powers of discernment trained by constant practicing to distinguish good from evil? No, I'm not done. 2 Peter 2 verse 1, but false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you who secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. First John chapter four, verse one, do not believe every spirit. Let me put that in another, let me put that in a contemporary language. Quit believing everything you see on Facebook. But test the spirits to see whether they are from God. How do you test it? This is how you test it. And you can't test it if you don't know this. test every spirit, he says, to see whether they're from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. They were already there in the time when John was writing. They were already there. Jude 4, for certain people have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality, denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. And we come to the end of the New Testament, Revelation 16, 13, and I saw coming out of the mouth of the drowning and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs. So when people say you can't be so divisive and so negative And you can't be so confident in what you say. Hogwash. Jesus said beware of false prophets. Let's go back to the road to Emmaus, Luke 24. I don't want you to miss verse 35 at the very end that we read. These two told the disciples what had happened on the road and how he was known to them, listen to this, in the breaking of the bread. You want to know Jesus? You've got to break the bread. You've got to read your Bible. You've got to live for this. You've got to seek ye first the kingdom of heaven. You're not going to swerve into this. Do you not understand there's a war going on? Are you not paying attention? There's a war going on. It's a spiritual battle. We need to get in the war. If you're not capable of defending your faith, then you need to get in the war and get ready. Be prepared. And then you need to go out and you need to speak the truth no matter what the consequences are. You need to talk to your neighbor and tell him or her about Jesus. And tell them about their sin. Be loving, be kind, but be bold. You need to talk to your coworkers and your family. There's a war going on. And we have the truth. We have the truth. We have scripture. who that does things that no other book on the face of this planet can do. So I implore you, get in the battle. Get in the battle. Lord, thank you, Father. Lord, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the truth. Thank you for opening our eyes to the truth. Thank you, Lord, for your love and your grace and your mercy in our lives. Thank you for sending Jesus to pay the penalty. Oh, so grateful that he rose from the dead and he conquered death. And there's no doubt. now that we can be with you. Lord, put in our hearts a conviction. Don't let us get distracted by the shiny things of the world. Let us run the race. Let us fight the fight. Use us, Lord. Make us light in darkness. Lord, I want to say a quick prayer for Brother Steve and his family. I want to thank you for him, number one. I thank you for the love that he has for your word, his high view of scripture. Oh, precious, how precious that is. Oh, we're so thankful for that. And I pray, Lord, that you would heal the sickness that's in his family, protect his family, keep them, Lord, direct every one of their steps. Lord, thank you again.