I'd just like to thank Brother Mark again for having me preach again this evening. Myself and my wife, Faith, we've been here a few months now and it's just been a wonderful blessing to be here. It really has. Just before I begin tonight, it's just wonderful, the kind of kindred spirit that there is among people who have this kind of unity in the faith, believing the same things. For the last two sermons I was dealing with two issues that were really burdened upon my heart. The first one was the narrow path, something that rarely gets dealt with in the modern church. And the previous time I was talking about Isaiah 53 10, dealing with the wrath of God, a topic that I feel really has almost become not the justice of God, but the human tragedy story, almost, when it gets presented. We shouldn't apologize for the truths of God's scripture, ever. Today, I just decided, rather than jumping around a little bit, to start, as the Lord leads, really, going through, verse by verse, through the book of Hebrews. And we're just gonna start on Hebrews 1, verses 1 and 2. But just before we start, I'm just gonna open a word in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, we come before you. Oh Lord, we have nothing in ourselves to offer you. Lord, I just pray that these truths would become more of a delight to us. Lord, that we would love the precepts of Thy words, that there would be a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet, Lord. Father, that Your name may be lifted up in the feeble efforts that I may put before You, Lord, that they may be acceptable through Your Son and by Your Son, Jesus Christ. Oh Lord, that as we go through this book of Hebrews, Lord, that it may exalt Your Son, Jesus Christ, O Lord, may He receive all the glory. May He receive... O Lord, may we have the preeminence among the brethren. Lord, may not our ideas, not our thoughts, get in the way of the truth of Thy Scriptures. O Lord, it is so easy for our thoughts to get in the way. O Lord, may we tremble before your word, never take it for granted. O Lord, may we never foolishly come before your word presumptuously. O Lord, may we come before the throne of grace, grace with boldness, but realising what has been done for us, what has been purchased for us. O Lord, Sanctify us by thy truth this evening, Lord, those who are yours, those who have been called to you, and those who have been set free from the bondage of their sin. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. The passage I'm going to preach on tonight is Hebrews 1 verses 1 and 2. I'm not going to do all of verse 2. I'm going to break verse 2 in half. But I think it's kind of the natural break, at least as I see it. Actually, in the Geneva Bible, it's the first verse in Hebrews 1. God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." Now, just by way of introduction into the book of Hebrews before I go through, Lord willing, whenever the next opportunity I'll get. just hear some learned comments on the significance of the book of Hebrews and how important it is and you can almost see why it is such an attacked book. I remember somebody gave me, I was witnessing to a guy I was giving the gospel to through English and I just ended up witnessing to him most of the time and we never really got much English done but he learned some English I think through that. And that was over in Italy. And he gave me his Italian Bible. And I remember I really wanted to show him Hebrews 1-3 and I remember flicking through it. And basically Hebrews was completely different. It was just a completely different book. I remember just trying to find verses and things like that. And it was, who published this? It was a Roman Catholic publisher over in Italy. And it was just... completely different book. I don't know what it was and I just said, I just gave it back to him, this is not the Bible. Whatever you have, whatever you think you have, this is not the Bible. I was hoping to show him some verses to show especially Hebrews 1.3, which says, who being the bright and severed, that he had purged by himself our sins, and not only had, do modern Catholic versions change their verse to purgation, but also in this version, I have no idea, I should probably take down the version, but it was completely different, the book of Hebrews. It is, and when you see the significance of the book of Hebrews, you can see why a group An anti-Christian group like the Roman Catholic Church would attack the Book of Hebrews. John Calvin said that there is no book in the Holy Scriptures which speaks so clearly of the priesthood of Christ, so highly exalts the virtue and dignity of that only true sacrifice which he offered by his death. And notice what he says, the only true sacrifice. What Hebrews is doing is taking the types of shadows from the Old Testament, Leviticus, Exodus, et cetera, and further expounding Let's never get into the habit of, well, I read my New Testament cover to cover. We must read all of Scripture. The New Testament, by and large, is an exposition on the Old, and this is why I love the book of Hebrews so much. Calvin goes on to say that, so abundantly treats the use of ceremonies as well as of their abrogation, and in a word, so fully explains that Christ is the end of the law. Not that he does away with the law, as some antinomians would have you believe, but he is the fulfillment of the law. None of us can keep the law. None of us, in any way, can do anything but sin, if we fully understand our depraved nature. William Gouge in his commentary on Hebrews said, the greatest and profoundest mysteries of a Christian religion are there and propounded concerning God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, concerning the nature's person and offices of Christ, concerning the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice. And just stop there. Often in debates over grace and things like that, often look for the word sufficiency. Sufficiency is often the key issue. A lot of the time people say, oh we believe by grace alone, but man in some way participates. The Reformation was primarily based on this fact that grace was sufficient. And not only was grace sufficient, Christ was sufficient. You can get a Roman Catholic priest or anybody else to say, of course we have to go through Christ. But you must further expound what that means. Christ's act and efficacy of His intercession, concerning the excellency of the new covenant, concerning the life of faith, and concerning the privilege of these latter times, etc. While sometimes the authorship is questioned by some, my own personal..." Well, he just goes on to say that the Apostle Paul has his own personal belief in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Geneva Bible notes from the 1560 edition state that the purpose of this epistle is to show that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, both God and man, is that true, eternal, and only prophet, king, and high priest that was shadowed by the figures of the Old Law. It is not that as modern day evangelicals would have you believe, that no longer are these books important. Now, I know people don't say that out loud, but functionally, the Old Testament to many has become redundant. Because, oh, that's just talking about what the Jews did, let's talk about that. But these were all figures of the future, the Messiah, the Redeemer would come and purchase his people. Often the problem was they over-literalized, even back then. And didn't go comparing spiritual things with spiritual things, and we'll look at that in a minute. With shadow of the figures to come. Remember, these are figures of... Hebrews 9 goes through things like this. How these things are the figures of the true. For example, the Old Testament temple was not what we're all waiting for. the true temple came, the church. That was a figure of what would come. That was shadowed by the figures of the old law, just continuing with the Bible notes, is now indeed exhibited of whom the whole church ought to be taught, governed, and sanctified. Now, Just a brief comment on the authorship, because it always kind of comes up. My own personal belief is the Apostle Paul, which was just to give you an idea of people who held that view as well. Hillary, Ambrose, in the early church, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Chrysostom, Justin Martyr, Athanasius, just to name a few. Now, that's by way of introduction, by no means is at the thrust of the argument here. Now, let us first look at this sentence again. God, who at sundry times in diverse manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets. Let's just deal with that for a minute, or for however long it takes. Because it might take more than a minute. At sundry times, often it's so common for us when we start reading a book in the Bible to opening sentence. We speed up often, we read the first page really fast, and then something gets a little bit difficult in the middle and we might slow down for that. But often there's something so profound being said in the first few sentences, I believe. Hebrews is packed so full of deep truths that, just like the book of Revelation, you have to understand the Bible as a whole, which is why I really encourage people to read Genesis to Revelation, cover to cover, and marking down those passages that sound similar. Keep writing notes, keep your own personal study going. Matthew Henry talks about at sundry times. God with sundry times. Let's just deal with that. Both terms, at sundry times and in diverse manners, are not saying the same thing. They're not. Matthew Andrews says about at sundry times, or by several parts, as the word signifies which may refer either to several ages of the Old Testament dispensation. And just before I go on with the quote, basically talking about at sundry times in different parts. Matthew goes on to say that patriarchal, the mosaic, and the prophetic, or to the several gradual openings of his mind concerning the Redeemer, just to stop there, in times past, God with sundry times and in diverse spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, he in the past revealed gradually. And this is important as well to realize that The Old Testament, the scriptures of what is called the Old Testament, didn't all come at once. It came gradually, it came in parts. And this is what the author to the Hebrews is really emphasizing here. Or to the several gradual openings of the mind, I read that. To Adam, that the Messiah should come of the seed of the woman. Again, gradually revealing God's truth. To Abraham, that he should spring forth. from his loins, to Jacob, that he should be of the tribe of Judah, to David, that he should be of his house, to Micah, that he should be born at Bethlehem, to Isaiah, that he should be born of a virgin. Now in all those parts, right back to Genesis 3.15, we're dealing with the seed of the woman, the Redeemer, the Son, who we are to worship. Same in Old Testament times as New Testament times, as we know from Psalm 2. To kiss the Son, Psalm 2 verse 10. John Brown of Edinburgh, stated that the word rendered at sundry times properly signifies in many portions. Again, gradually in different portions, malevolently implying the idea of different periods rather than expressing it. The Old Testament was not completed at once. Often you'll get questions like this, how did the Bible come together? And we often refer to other books, and while I don't discourage that, the Bible has all these answers. The Bible has all these answers. It was not given forth as a whole. The will of God was gradually revealed, as the circumstances of the church required. First were given the first five books of Moses, then historical, poetic, didactic, and prophetic books at irregular intervals during a period of time of more than a thousand years. The important thing to realize is all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction of righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect. Mature, that means. Thirdly, furnished unto all good works. Second, Timothy 3, 16, verse 17 as well. All scripture, to give you the idea of the importance of scripture, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. That is one word in Greek. Apostlegrapha theionoustas. God breathed out his word. Passagrapha means all, everything written down is Passagrapha. Theonoustis, God breathed. Sorry, actually that is, theonoustis is one word, given by inspiration of God is one word. All scripture, Passagrapha, theonoustis, that whole sentence, means literally all, everything written down has been breathed out by God. that as 2 Peter 1 21 states, for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Not that they were robots slavishly writing down in some kind of, God used their intellects, God used their writing styles, God used their personalities in such a way to deliver his word infallibly, absolutely infallibly, so that we have the complete revelation of God to man. The Holy Bible. Let's look at in diverse manners. Indiverse manners. God who at sundry times in indiverse manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets. Again, so easy to skip over some of these lines and not see what's indiverse manners. John Brown of Edinburgh also states on in diverse manners, the Old Testament revelation was not only given in different portions. So you recognize that it's given in different portions, which implies it's given at sundry times, but also in diverse manners. Some have supposed that the apostle here refers to various modes of revelation to the prophets. And I think I'm going to slowly go through this point because I had to read it several times to see what he meant. And John Brown really kind of got I think, I completely agree with him here. Sometimes God may know His will to them by dreams, at other times visions. We see these at different intervals throughout the... Daniel, for example, received visions. John Brown also goes, at other times by voices, and at other times by internal impulses, and at other times by the ministry of angels. But listen to this, but the apostle is not speaking of the variety modes of revelation. I've read, I don't know how many commentaries on the same verse, and this, and I agree with him here, that it is not talking about the variety modes of revelation. Now, just to slow down for a second, what do I mean by that? He is not talking about how, in the verse, he is not talking about how the prophets got the revelation, he's talking about how he delivered from the prophets to the fathers. John Owen says something similar actually, but I'll get into that in a second. As made by the prophets. But the apostle is now speaking of a variety of modes of revelation as made to the prophets, but as made by them to the fathers. The revelation was sometimes communicated. And I think this is the point here. Not so much, it doesn't necessarily change any huge doctrine, but to be careful in how we're reading. We don't want, what we want is an educated congregation. If we're ever going to have Reformation in our day, we want people who will search diligently through the Scriptures, who will be like the Marines of Acts 17, 11, who will diligently go through the Scriptures for themselves and challenge, not in a hostile, nasty kind of way, but going to elders and saying, but how about this verse? Does this not say this? in the spirit of educating each other. This is what has to happen. And I think it's so important to carefully read through the scriptures. Sometimes we'll read it quickly and there's nothing wrong with that necessarily. But sometimes it is good to go slowly, carefully through them. Continuing on John Brown's quote, the Revelation was communicated with several representations, emblematic actions, sometimes by a continued parable, at other times by separate figures. At other times, though comparatively rarely, in plain explicit language. And we see this, sometimes not just explicitly writing down. Not always, sometimes it was. The Revelation has sometimes the form of a narrative. at other times that of a prediction, at other times that of an argument or hortatory discourse. Sometimes it is given in prose and other times in poetry. John Owen, I'll just give you John Owen's quote if you want a little bit more on this because he doesn't want to completely throw out the ladder. John Owen says, let me just find the quote here in front of me. He talks about the latter, or various ways of the prophets in delivering their message to the people from God, is principally intended. So he agrees with John Brown there. But, though the former be not excluded, is being that from whence this latter variety did principally arose and flow. This is how the scripture came to us. And to understand that the same authority is on both Old Testament and New Testament. when prophets of the Old Covenant, that term Old Testament sometimes, for various different reasons, I try not to use as much, but the Old Covenant prophets, when they spoke in that way, their message was authoritative and binding on the whole church. How interesting if that was actually applied to the modern charismatic Pentecostal movements. because it would be binding and authoritative on the whole church. Often, obviously they don't say that, they say, well God just spoke to me, he's not speaking to anybody else. Here's what God told me about you. Well, unless they can point down the word of God, I'm not gonna be listening very long. Okay, on to the fathers, the next part of that verse again. God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets. What does it mean, unto the fathers? We must compare scripture with scripture. Again, I go on about this. I don't want to just show you, here's the conclusion. I remember when I was in school. When was it? When I used to be good at math. I'm not really good at maths anymore. And if you presented the answer, Matt, and just gave them the answer, they would, maybe you got it right, but they would be, you have to show your work. How do you come to that conclusion? How did you reason through that? Because we don't just want everybody just agreeing, uh-huh, mm-hmm, we believe that. How do you come to these conclusions? Because that is how you arrive at true unity. The other form of unity is, I don't fully understand, not that we understand everything, but I don't fully understand our core beliefs, but they seem to make sense. We must strive before the throne of God to understand as much as God will reveal and graciously thank Him for what He shows us. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 12 to 13 states, Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches. And I just want to stop there. It is so easy to come with our own ideas to the scripture and impose them on it. It's so easy to do that. Often I find many, when I first came, when I was a new convert, most of my false interpretations of the scriptures because I wanted to believe that that's what that verse was saying. Or I came with, is this doctrine in the Bible? You look through it and you find that. We must allow the scriptures to speak for themselves and plainly guide us. If we go the other way, One is exegesis. Exegesis is to take out the meaning in the scriptures as it intended to mean. But if you come with man's wisdom, unfortunately we are fallen creatures. It's so often that it happens. You want to find a doctrine that refutes this guy over here. We must allow scripture to speak for scripture. Continue on with verse 13. Not in the words of man's wisdom teacheth. We must realize there's two wisdoms. There's man's wisdom and there's God's wisdom. That battle right back from Genesis 3, right back from the Satan's lie. but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things, and what are the spiritual things that we have from the Spirit of God, penned by Him, the Holy Scriptures." Apostle Graphithian, this is all that is written, is given by inspiration of God. Joseph, godly Joseph, in Genesis 40 verse 8, and Joseph said about the interpretation of a dream, do not interpretations belong unto God, If we interpret it, we'll go wrong. But if God interprets it, we'll be okay. Tell me then, I pray. Interpretations belong with God. Allow God to interpret His own passage. 2 Peter 1.20 states, knowing this verse, that no prophecy, or scripture, or no prophecy of the scriptures, any private interpretation, often that verse Whenever you say private interpretation, I believe Rome, from what I know, uses that verse as, well, that means you're studying by yourself in a room and you don't have the wisdom of the magisterium to tell you exactly what it really does mean. That's not what it means. It literally means one's own interpretation. Knowing this verse that no prophecy or description is of one's own interpretation or it's by itself. In another way, the passage doesn't interpret itself. You must get another passage to interpret it. If something is in any way obscure, you go somewhere else. Still obscure? Go somewhere else. You keep comparing scripture with scripture, and you allow the clear scripture to interpret the somewhat obscure. Often cults will often go to the obscure verses, go straight to that verse, One verse they'll have or something like that. And that's all they'll have. You need two, three, more, as many scriptures as possible. We just turn there to Micah 7 verses 18 to 20, finally dealing with unto the fathers. What does this term mean, unto the fathers? And I think probably there was a time when this wouldn't be necessary. But all scripture needs to be expounded. Who is a God like unto thee that parteth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever because he delighted in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us, and will subdue our iniquities. And thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob. and mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old." We have a little bit of information there. As in... This has been sworn unto our fathers of old. Now... Fathers can mean a number of different things. And the danger often is one size fits all every time. So it always means more or less ancestors. But what does it mean by ancestors? Are we talking physical ancestors? Are we talking about spiritual ancestors? And always you have to go with the context for which is which. That will perform the truth to Jacob. and the mercy to Abram. These are promises of God, which thou was sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. These are old promises. These are fathers according to the promise. These are fathers in the faith. Jacob, when he was speaking, when he was Israel at this point, And in Genesis 48 verse 15, just to give you another idea of the fathers being used. And he blessed Joseph and said, God, before whom my fathers Abram and Isaac did walk, a God which fed me all my life unto this day, the angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads and let my name be named on them. And the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. Often the fathers was a term in the Old Covenant, in the Old Testament scriptures of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Those through whom the promises came. But not only them, because they weren't the only people who were receivers of the promise. Exodus chapter 4 verses 4 and 5 states, that the Lord said unto Moses, put forth thy hand and take it by the tail, and he put forth his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand, that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. So this Moses doubts he can convince the Israelites that he was sent from God. God says, put forth thy hand and it will become a rod in your hand. The interesting thing is here, how the Lord God of their fathers, the epistle is written onto the Hebrews. Those of ethnic Jewish background have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. but it's not only written to them, I think it would be foolish often I've heard this from people and I'll point this verse out to people, especially the verse I'm dealing with it's a very good verse to refute a lot of charismatic claims is, well that was written to the Jews I feel like saying, well Ephesians was written to Ephesians was it written to no one else? it's been so well context is important, we can't Hyper-emphasizes is the best way I can describe it. The term refers to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There's other verses I can... But the fathers, those who were receivers of the promise. The verse does not mean that God spoke to them only. Again, you don't wanna... You have to always comparing scripture to scripture. Galatians 3.29, and if you'd be Christ, then you'd be Abraham's seed. and heirs according to the promise. And they believe clearly that this is the context in which his spiritual ancestors, spiritual fathers, those, the seed of Abraham, the seed of Isaac, and Romans 9 and various other passages go through and expound that further. However, when we look at other words they use, it's important to keep in mind the context. Often, and this is just to point out a danger, sometimes we'll get a rule. Sometimes fathers, and this is not even just dealing with this necessarily, but sometimes fathers can mean their actual fathers. And sometimes it can mean fathers in this sense. Again, the context. Context, and you're comparing scripture to scripture, you always have to have the context Because often it's very easy to have a one-slice-fits-all, I'm done, okay, this means this here, and every time that word is used, it means that. So easy to do that. A lot of the time you'll be right, but you may not be. William Gooch states that God being the author of one and the other, here's the important part. We've been dealing with Old Testament delivery of the word of God. How God has spoken. God has spoken. God is the author of both, and William Gouge goes on to state that they are both of the like authority, and God speaking in both. One hasn't been annexed off, and now we're in New Testament church time. No, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, all of it. Sure, there is the ceremonial law which has been done away with in fulfilling Christ. But we must have scriptural authority for coming to that. Gouge goes on to write that, and God speaking in both, both declared the will of God, God speak in times past and speak in these last days. The same God by the prophets and by his son. David Dixon states that, He saith God who spake to the fathers had spoken to us. Then the God who is author of the Old Testament is also author of the doctrine of the New Testament. And the Church of old and now is taught of the same God. that the faith of the elect might depend upon the authority of God only, both then and now, and not on men." These last days. I wanted to spend a little bit of time on these last days as well. God, with sundry times and in diverse manners, spake and time passed. We dealt with the time past. Time passed. God spoke in a certain way at a certain time. Unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these, and already you can tell, we're not waiting for the last days. When this book was penned, he's in the last days. I think this is one of the biggest culprits of what it is to go with a preconceived notion to scripture of what a term means. What does the last days mean? The author of Hebrews is clearly stating that these last days were there. Regardless of when it started, were there. The question is now, what does it mean? Often the term last days or even end times is seen by as many as the end of the world or the final generation. But what does the Bible say often? unfortunately we're more our ideas and our thoughts and what the word Armageddon means or all this is shaped by Hollywood unfortunately it's many of it much of it is science fiction and I believed much of it I, for the first couple of years I was saved not saved that long but first couple of years I was saved, believed oh we're in end times the world's just getting worse and worse We're not gonna deal with that here, we're just gonna deal with the last days. And Jacob, and this is, we'll just go back, just an example, does this term get used, the last days? In Genesis 41.1, when Jacob is just about to leave his sons, he's about to pass away, and then Jacob called unto his sons and said, gather yourselves together, and I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. It's an interesting thing about that term in Hebrew. Another way you could translate the last days is the end times. Another way you could, and probably go, okay, is he talking about the last generation? What does he mean by these end times? He goes on to say in Genesis 49 verse 10. I'm going to spend a lot of time in here. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come and until the gathering of the people be. It's one of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of Christ. Geneva Bible note states, which is Christ the Messiah, the giver of prosperity, who will call the Gentiles to salvation. So clearly, the coming of Christ is associated with the last days. Again, to show as many different examples, if we go to numbers 24, 14 to 19, just quickly there. Numbers 24, 14 to 19. And now behold, I go unto my people, come therefore, and I will advertise thee, what is this people shall do to thy people in the latter days. Same term. And he took up this parable and said, Balaam, just to set the context before I read on. Balak wants Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam does not, and he replies with this. Balaam takes up this parable, Balaam the son of Boer had said, and the man whose eyes are open had said, he had said, which heard the words of God and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty falling into a trance, having his eyes open, and that's an interesting reference to how God has spoken unto the prophets of old. And I shall see him, verse 17, and I shall see him, but not now. I shall behold him, but not nigh. There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Seth. And Edom shall be a possession, and Seir shall be a possession for his enemies, and Israel shall do valiantly out of Jacob, shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. In the last days a star out of Jacob, a scepter shall rise out of Israel. I'll just give you one last illustration of how it's dealing with the times between Christ's earthly ministry my own personal belief that it started in Acts 2, but it also could be the resurrection. Peter, dealing with, in Acts 2, verse 17, talks about the last days. And he said this, when the day of Pentecost comes, God pours out His Spirit upon all flesh, all believers. Peter states this unto the crowd. And this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. It's not delayed, it's right here. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, and I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. That's in Acts 2, and you can read that in your own time. It shall come to pass in the last days. This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. Hebrews, in these last days, is it possible that What modern day angelicalism believes about the last days is not what the Bible says about the last days. To my knowledge, there's no end times of end times being referred to anywhere. David Dixon says, these are called the last days. Then the fullness of time is now come, the lawgiver of the church hath spoken his last will, his mind is fully revealed, settled course for the faith, and service of his church is taken, after which no new alteration of his constitutions is to be expected." We've been in the last days for 2,000 years. That's the shocking part, but... And a lot of... We've been so bombarded with so many ideas outside of the Bible, foreign to the Bible, that we need to return to Sola Scriptura. The final part, spoken unto us by His Son. And I forgot to give the title at the beginning of the message, God has spoken. God has spoken. In these last days, we're here now in the last days, spoken unto us by His Son. What does the Bible mean by this? Again, This is not, we're waiting for the latest revelation to come. God at times past did that in such a way. But now in these last days has spoken unto us by his son, has spoken. Revelation 19 verses 10 to 13. Who is this king of glory? I'll read here from verse 10 onwards. And I fell at his feet to worship him, and he said unto me, See thou, do it not? I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is a spirit of prophecy. I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. And He had a name written that no man knew but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God." How does God choose? God is sovereign. He chooses the means in how He communicates to His people. Jesus Christ, His Son is the Word of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1 in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He has spoken in these last days His Logos. The word in Greek meaning Logos. His decree, thoughts, doctrine. The reasoning of his mind, his way of thinking, God's way of thinking is in his Lagos. He's spoken by his son. No new revelation is to be expected. we have the more sure word of prophecy. We're told in 2 Peter that the word written is more sure than voices even from heaven. And this also, with the word Lagos, comes to this conclusion. That if the word Lagos, rightly translated word, can as a vast array of meaning, decree, thought, doctrine, teaching, the mind alone, the Strong's Dictionary points out, the reason, mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, and calculating, comes to this conclusion, clear conclusion, you drive the gospel at the mind of the person. Not His will, and not His emotions. What does this mean in practicality? If God has already spoken, if God has revealed His will, if God has shown us what His Word is, if God has spoken, then why are we going to other sources? Why is Voices from heaven, trips to heaven. Why are we so desperate? I need a message from God. Why is that so popular? God has spoken unto us by his son. To reject the word of God is to reject his son. Hebrews 2. Let me just go to Hebrews 2 very quickly there. Therefore we ought to give them more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? God is not the author of confusion. but of peace is in all the churches of the saints." 1 Corinthians 14, 33. God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will. The important thing to take in here, in these last days, the days we've been in for 2,000 years, As the canon has been shut, all scriptures can be given by inspiration of God. The doctrine of sola scriptura, which was one of the bedrocks, the main thing that began the Reformation. You cannot have salvation by grace alone without sola scriptura. If you say the Bible and something else can be authoritative, then why not other ways? to the Father. The Scripture alone is as important to say as Christ alone. If that falls away, if we start going to sources outside the Word of God, we disbelieve this statement. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. His Son has spoken. Past tense. John Knox, and this works out in a very practical way. If you, Sola Scriptura does not mean I go here when all else fails. I go here when plan A and plan B fails. Sola Scriptura means it's my only form, it's the only thing I go to before all else. If I'm going to agree with you, you must agree with the Scriptures. We cannot have it where I tried it this way and now I'm going to try God's way. That's pragmatism. Everything we do when we approach God must be determined by the Scriptures. Because He's spoken unto us. How do we have anything to offer God? We have nothing to offer God. The only way anything can be acceptable to God is if it's through His Son Jesus Christ. It's only one way. The Father said of His Son so many number of times in Scripture, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. There is only one way anything we do can be acceptable to God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. John Knox comments that how the need to avoid our own inventions. And the Word of God, a real understanding of Sola Scriptura, does not just mean you reject the Apocrypha. John Knox stated that, and this is principle idolatry that our own inventions we defend to be righteous in the sight of God. Doesn't matter what they are, if you approach something in a way that God has not ordained, in a way that you should do it somewhere else, it's your own invention. Because, continue on, we think them good, laudable, and pleasant. We may not think us so free nor wise that we may do unto God and unto his honor that we think expedient. No, the contrary is commanded by God, saying, unto my word shall ye add nothing. Nothing shall ye diminish therefrom. that ye might observe the precepts of the Lord God." Deuteronomy 4.2. Add nothing. This principle is right back there in Deuteronomy. Unto my word ye shall add nothing. Diminish nothing. and you shall observe the precepts of the Lord your God." Because if you're adding something, you're observing those and not the precepts of God. By substitution, it means you're not observing the precepts of God. which words are not to be, John Knox continues, which words are not to be understood of the Decalogue and moral law only, but of statutes, rights, and ceremonies for equal obedience of all his laws requireth God. God requires complete obedience. We fall so far short. Actually, in and of ourselves, we cannot obey. It's only because God intervenes and saves us from a wretched condition that any of us can even obey. We are naked without this Word. We have nothing without this Word. We can know nothing of God, objectively, without this Word. Sure, we have natural revelation. We can know that a God exists. But to come to a saving knowledge, we need the scriptures. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not in thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. Either you believe He has spoken. Not that He's gonna come with some new idea. He has spoken already. His will is revealed. We now need to study, comparing Scripture with Scripture, to find out how we direct all our life and practice. Not that we just worship God on Sunday. Not that we worship God in everything that we do. We honor God with everything. Let these thoughts be your thoughts. in His ways, your ways. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Oh Father, Lord, I thank You so much for who You are. For Thy precious Word, for Thy precious truth. Oh Lord, may we tremble before these things. Oh Lord, may we never get complacent. Father, may we realize that nothing we have is pleasing to you unless it is through your Son Jesus Christ. Maybe you realize that your Son, your Word has spoken, it has been written. God is not the author of confusion. We seek no other authority. Not our own inventions, not our own minds, not our own feelings, not our own emotions, not our own will. But the will of God, O Lord, give us hunger for these things. Lord, that we may reform your church. Lord, that we may take nothing for granted. That we may give glory to you regardless of the situation we're in. And Lord, may we never ever Spit back in Your face for the things You have given us. Oh Lord, that You may instill Your people with a sense of what it is to be Yours, to be bought with a price by Your Son who has spoken in these last days. And I pray all these things in Jesus' name I now pray. Amen.