["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
Just as I am without a beat,
What land I love was shed for me,
And that thou didst become,
To thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, when waiting not,
To bring my soul upon the ground,
To thee, whose blood is bled,
To me, spiral lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, the toast of hell,
With many a conflict in thy hand,
Thy tears will freeze within,
With barrel lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, rich and high,
Side with which I see,
The ache of the mind,
May almighty lift me,
To final land,
Of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am thou wilt receive,
With meadow now more than plenty,
Because thy promised son,
Relievable Lamb of God, I come, I come.
At this time, we'll go over the announcements.
Immediately following, we'll sing song number 415.
If you'd like to turn that down, it's song number 415.
All right, if you need a bulletin, go ahead and slip up your hand.
Brother Fame will bring you one.
As always, we've got our service times listed there.
Every Sunday at 10 30 a.m. we get at 5 30 p.m.
Thursdays at 7.
We'll be in 1 Kings chapter number 4.
We've got the salvations and baptisms.
We'll go ahead and count up any salvations going back to,
let's see, Friday, or I know Saturday we had the one.
Anything for the group today?
Two today?
A couple of notes there as well as a reminder.
Please silence your cell phones at this time if you've ever done so.
Keep working on the New Testament 90 day challenge.
We've got the schedule there.
We also have the birthday donuts coming up next Sunday.
So be here early at 10 a.m.
Get that donut in honor of those celebrating their birthdays in the month of February.
Also the Mexico Monday is coming up.
We've got the sign up sheet back there.
If you want to go, please do sign up.
The times are right on the sign up sheet.
That's where I remember correcting it.
So refer to the sheet.
And then on the back, don't forget operation confiscation is still in full swing.
And will be for the remainder of the year.
So go out there, replace those King James Bibles.
And get a first, second, or third place prize at the end of the year.
We've got the children's Bible memory passage.
You've got until next week, kids, to get this memorized.
And earn that ice cream bar in the back out of the freezer.
So go ahead and start working on that.
And also just a couple other upcoming events that we have coming up.
That will do it for announcements.
We'll go ahead and sing one more song.
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
All right, so tonight I'm gonna continue on with what we started this morning in our series on
the why we're King James only and talking about the subject of Revelation.
And we talked about this morning about how Revelation was something that meaning that God
It's something that God shows to us and we talked about the different types of revelation.
And I wanted to focus in a little bit more tonight on this idea of special revelation or
revelation that is revealed to us through things which God has done himself.
Something that God has has shown us through his miracles and things like that.
And God has revealed himself to man at different in different ways and at different times.
You're there in Hebrews chapter 1.
You'll notice there in verse 1 where it reads God who at sundry times in a diverse
manners spake in times past and the fathers by the prophets hath in these last
days spoken unto us by his son whom he appointed heir of all things
by whom also he made the world's and notice there it says that he
spoke to us at sundry times meaning in many times and in diverse
manners meaning in many different ways if you would go over to Ephesians chapter number
3 Ephesians chapter number 3.
So the book of Hebrews is telling us that God has spoken to us at different and many different times
in diverse manners in different ways God has spoken in times past unto the fathers
by the prophets and hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son.
You're there in Ephesians chapter 3 look at verse 3 said how that by Revelation he made known unto me
the mystery which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed
unto his holy angels and the prophets by the spirit that the Gentiles should be fellow
heirs and of the same body. So again there there's Paul is showing us that it was
by Revelation that God made known unto him the mystery that in other ages was not
made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and the
prophets by the spirit. So what we see here is that God has a special revelation
that he's given and that is God's revealing of himself through miracles.
And again this is just backing up the fact that God has spoken to us at sundry times in diverse
manners meaning. So what are some of these diverse manners what are the different ways in which God
has spoken to us. Well the first one I'd like to and I'll blow through these very quickly because quite
honestly I've got quite a bit to cover tonight but he says one of the diverse
manners that we might think of is the fact that God has spoken in times past by dreams and we could think
of probably the example of Joseph's dream in Genesis 37 I won't have you turn there. But you remember
when Joseph dreamed the dreams where his his family would be made subject
unto him that the sheaves rose up and they came and bowed down to his sheaf and
so forth and of course that came to pass in Genesis chapter 42 when Joseph's
brother and came to him he remembered the dreams the Bible says which he had dreamed of them.
So there is an example of God speaking in a diverse manner unto the prophets in
times past when he does this through dreams he does this through visions of course this is another way
in which God has spoken unto us in times past through dreams and through visions.
For example we could go to Daniel I won't have you go there but the secret was revealed unto
Daniel in a night vision it says in Daniel chapter 2 a vision appeared unto me even unto Daniel
Daniel after that which appeared unto me at the first and the thing was revealed unto
Daniel. Another you might think of another vision is the vision that Peter had when he went up on the roof
and he was hungered and he had a vision of the great sheet that was
let down and all that had all the diverse animals on it and he was told three times to rise
kill and eat and of course that was a vision that God gave to him that the Bible says that he fell
into a trance. Those are different ways in which God has spoken unto us God has
revealed things unto us and dies verse manners in times past through
dreams through visions through Urim and Thummim which would be another one I won't have you go there
but if you remember this was something that was part of the high priest garment he would put this Urim and
this Thummim on him and we see we're not exactly clear what it is obviously it was probably
some kind of stone or something like that that was put upon the priest but it was something that
was used in order to discern God's will and to seek counsel at and
we see that in Numbers chapter 27. I won't take the time to read all that you can look at that
yourself if you'd like I'm just going through and showing us the different ways in which God has
revealed to himself on this the different ways in which he has spoken unto us in
times past we see it was done through dreams it was done through visions it was done through
the Urim and the Thummim also it was done through an audible voice an audible voice
one of the probably the best examples we would see is first Samuel chapter 3 if we were to go there
we could read about when the prophet Samuel was a young boy in the first
going into the tabernacle and serving there when his mother had dedicated him that he heard the Lord
calling on them in the night and he thought it was of course Eli and he ran and he said you called me
he said it wasn't me and Eli eventually perceived that it was the Lord that spoke unto him and he said
you know when the next time you hear it say speak for thy servant heareth and of course he did that
and God spoke to him and that was in an audible voice so that is the way God speaks now God's
not speaking to us in an audible voice today okay and let me emphasize that because a lot of people
get this miss had this misconception that that voice in their head is God talking to them
as crazy as that sounds even in Baptist churches you'll run into people like this
I just saw somebody comment somewhere recently that oh those new IFB ears
they've never heard God's audible voice no I haven't because God doesn't speak that
way anymore okay that's your own conscience speaking that's you putting words in God's
mouth and it can be a very dangerous thing to do that start convincing yourself
that you somehow you know you're special because God is speaking just to you
right so that's called that's called the delusions of religious grandeur is what that is
okay now in times past God did that times past God did that when he didn't have
the entire word of God we'll move on he's spoken unto us in
Urim and Thummim audible voice he's spoken to us in dreams through visions he's even spoken
through animals and I will read this one because this is one of my more favorite stories of
course when you had Balaam going to prophesy against Israel and his
his mule sees the angel in the way and he turns aside and crushes his leg
and when the ass saw that the angel of the Lord she fell down under Balaam and Balaam's anger was
kindled and he smote the ass with the staff and the Lord opened the mouth of the ass so this was God
speaking through this animal and she said unto Balaam what have I done unto thee that thou has
sent me these three times and of course the funny part is that he answers you know I mean
he's just like this is as common to him as that guy who had Mr. Ed the talking horse
right he just he just went out in his barn and talked to his horse like it was nobody's business I mean he just
says she says hey why are you smiting these three times and Balaam said unto the ass because thou has
mocked me and he's upset that his mule's making him look bad right
so this is another way that God has spoken of course we would think of angels too another way God has spoken
of times past and there's many many many examples of these things I'm just pointing out a few and showing us
again that what the scripture says is true that God has spoken unto us in times past
in sundry times and in diverse manners he's done it in many different ways God is trying to
get a hold of man God wants man to know who he is we think of angels Luke Chapter
1 we could go there and we could read about how the angel
Gabriel was sent unto a virgin espoused a man whose name was Joseph the house today the virgin name is Mary
of course we just read all that over the Christmas story now God
doesn't speak to us like that anymore God isn't going to send an angel okay that wasn't an angel
that was that was you know that was the headlights from the car passing on the street in your house
that's not God's voice talking to you that's your own imagination and if your
animals start talking to you you know seek professional help okay these are
miracles these are things that God did in times past but is that to say that God hasn't spoken unto us at all
that God hasn't revealed himself unto us well I would say that the great we would read over
those things we'd read all these different stories and we'd say wow that must have been amazing to have
hear God's voice and yes surely I would send chills up your spine to hear God's voice and
to see an angel and have a messenger of the Lord come unto you or have some miracles like place that would be great
but here's the thing the greatest way in which God has ever spoken to us is through the Lord Jesus Christ
he sent his only begotten son to speak unto us the Bible
says in John 1 we know the verse and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as the glory
of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth the word was made flesh Jesus
said the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself but the father that dwelleth in me he doeth the works
Jesus was here speaking on behalf of the father God has spoken unto us
through the Lord Jesus Christ now he's gone to heaven but he's left us something
hasn't he he's left us his word he's left us the Bible if you would go over to Romans
chapter 16 Romans chapter number 16 look God has spoken unto us
in all these different ways in times past and we read about those things we say wow that's been amazing
you know what's amazing to me is we have God's word in the Holy Bible I mean
what I mean do you think that maybe some of the people in the Old Testament would love to have the Bible in their hands
like we have today there's so many things that they didn't understand back then that we have
full understanding of because of the fact that we have a Bible so let's not you know get
all worked up about these other ways in which God has spoken in times past those things are gone
we don't want to end up like some charismatic or some Pentecostal who thinks that you know God's speaking
to them or you know that they can that they can see an angel or something like that all these
crazy things that people do out in these churches today look as the song says what more can you
say than to you hath he said in his excellent word look
there in Romans chapter 16 look at verse 25 now to him that is the power to establish you according to
my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according the revelation of the mystery which was kept
secret since the world began but now is made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets
according to the commandment of the everlasting God look this this this revelation
of the mystery was kept secret by the since the world began but now in Paul's day in the New
Testament is made manifest there is no mystery and how is it given
to us by the scriptures of the prophets through the Bible
according to the commandment of the everlasting father made known to all nations for the obedience the faith
go to Titus chapter 1 Titus chapter number 1 the greatest way in which God has spoken unto us
outside the Lord Jesus Christ himself is the Bible
2 Peter chapter 3 the Bible says the second epistle Beloved I write unto you going to
Titus 1 in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of
amendments they may be mindful of the words which were spoken by the holy prophets and of the commandments and
of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior Peter wants us to be mindful of the
words that were spoken by the holy prophets and by the commandments of the apostles and the Lord and Savior
he wants to be mindful of the things which God has written to us in his word because that is
how God has spoken to us Titus chapter 1 verse 1 Paul a servant of God an apostle of Jesus
Christ according the faith of God's elect the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness and hope of
eternal life which God that cannot lie before the world again the promise before the world began
hath in these due times manifested his word through preaching
which is committed unto me at the commandment of God our savior and what is it that we preach
we preach the Bible so that is the greatest way in
which God has spoken to us is through his word now
as we're talking about going into the series about you know the
the why we're King James only we're starting to talk about
you know the fact that we're King James only because we believe in the revelation of scripture
and as we go into the series we're going to use terms like revelation we're going to use terms like
inspiration we're going to use terms like illumination and preservation so we're just kind of
laying a groundwork here and I want to define some terms tonight as we go into this
first thing I want to talk about is revelation versus inspiration the revelation
versus inspiration you need to understand what these mean as we go through this series again we talked
about this this morning revelation makes truth known that's what revelation is what God reveals something to us
revelation is when God makes truth known however inspiration is that truth
recorded without error that's what we mean by inspiration that that truth has that God
has revealed has been recorded without error it's been inspired through
the authors of the scripture another way you can think about this is that the Bible
contains revelation there's many revelations in the Bible but the entire Bible
was given by inspiration and I thought of a bike messenger
and that's not a perfect illustration but if you think of somebody who's a bike messenger
who's going to carry a message from one person to another well who's the sender the sender
Bible it's the instrument by which that message is being carried it's operating
you know this probably isn't true of many bike messengers you know but that bike if it was God's bike if it's
representing the Bible would be a perfect bike I mean it would operate flawlessly
there would be no problems with it have all the tread you know it would have the gears
would be well greased the brakes would work it's operating flawlessly that's what we believe about the Bible
and it's perfect that's the vehicle which carries the
the message that God is giving well who's who is the writer then well the writer would just simply
be the authors they would be the writers they would be the ones that are making use of that
vehicle and delivering that message they're delivering another exact
message and that's what we mean by inspiration that when these men were inspired they are
and they are inspired they are writing down the exact words of God okay
that they are preserved and of course these authors they had
different sources as we go through this what were some of the author sources in the scriptures well you have special
revelation right which would be things that only God can make known they wrote about these things
we could talk about the creation account you know in the beginning right that was something no one else was around
in the beginning okay the author someone wrote that down and said well how how do I know this well that's
obviously something that God had to reveal unto them that's a special revelation that was given
to the author okay and that that story those words were written and preserved for us
they were in because they were inspired by God okay you could talk about the
fall of Satan you know they weren't there to see that we could talk about even John's revelation
you know the revelation that John had look he didn't it's not like he climbed his way up to heaven God revealed that
whole thing to him God gave him the book of Revelation by inspiration
and that's why we know that they are God's words given to us okay a lot that's one
source that the authors drew upon was their special revelation meaning it was given to them by God what about
personal observation and you see examples of this throughout scripture this would be
you know facts that they knew based either on what they had seen or what they had even read
okay you know you have examples of this in Ezra you have examples of this in Daniel
Daniel said that he understood by books the number of the years where of the word of the
Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet okay so he's reading Jeremiah the prophet and
he's writing down what he the conclusions that he came to okay this is just another source
that they drew upon now both types of the narrative are recorded aren't they you have the things that were given to them by
special revelation you have the things that they had written down basically from their own
personal observation and both of these narratives are recorded but it's
inspiration that guarantees the accuracy of both that's what inspiration does that both of these
are inherent because they're inspired and I want to
explain the difference here a little bit this evening between Revelation and
inspiration again revelation makes truth known it's inspiration that records that truth without
error revelation is progressive okay revelation is progressive
whereas inspiration is you know is plenary okay it's plenary
it's something that was revealed over time okay truth
is or excuse me revelation is progressive truth was revealed over time
okay there's examples of this we could talk about the names of God right those
God's names were revealed over time all right exit Exodus
chapter six he said and God spake unto Moses said I am the Lord and I appeared unto Abraham and unto Isaac and unto
Jacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not known unto them that was
a name that he revealed to the children of Israel we could talk about the truth that was revealed about
the Messiah right we read on Genesis where God is cursing man woman
and the serpent and he says I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy
seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel of course we refer
to that as the seed of the woman they knew that there was going to be a savior a Messiah that came
through the seed of the woman well that truth was expanded upon in Isaiah right
where he said therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign behold a virgin shall conceive
and bear his son and shall call his name Immanuel so you can see how Revelation
is progressive how some truths are given over time throughout scripture
whereas inspiration is it covers the whole of
scripture all these truths that we are you know we read about in scripture are given to
us by inspiration meaning they're given to us fully and completely by
inspiration all of the Bible is given by inspiration which means
this that all parts of the Bible are equally inspired which means that you can't say
well I don't I believe this part of the Bible but I don't know if that's what God meant over here
well I believe this part of the Bible but you know that's probably not true well
if the Bible is inspired then it's all inspired in fact the Bible tells us all scripture
is given by inspiration of God all of it so that's the difference
between revelation and inspiration revelation is something that is given
throughout over time but it's inspiration that preserves those truths completely
for us now there's another thing I want to
cover quickly tonight and that's the difference between Revelation and
illumination and illumination is something that you and I benefit from
you know we benefit from the illumination of the Holy Ghost we benefit from that we
have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit you know they didn't have all that in the Old Testament the Holy
Spirit would come upon men in the Old Testament but they did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit back then we
as New Testament believers we have that and that's a huge privilege not only
do we I mean think of the privilege that we have in having the Bible not only do we have
God's word that they did not have completely but we also
have a Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth illumination is the spiritual understanding
which is granted to believers by the Holy Spirit again I'm defining terms because these are going to
keep coming up so if you're going to miss the terms you know and I keep going through the series and what do you mean well
you're going to have to go back and watch the sermon that's why I'm going through this tonight
defining some terms laying the groundwork illumination is the spiritual
understanding granted to believers by the Holy Spirit Jesus
promised us this that we would have this in John 16 Howbeit when he cometh the spirit of truth
how about when he excuse me the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth
for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will show you
things to come that's a great promise that we have in the word of God that we have the holy
path taught you you shall abide in him so we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit
right and it's it we need not that any man teach us because that same
anointing will teach us of some things but it will teach us of all things
now that's not an excuse to not be in church well I don't need to go in church because the Bible said somebody
else get up and teach me what I believe when the authors of the Bible would write to some degree or another
there was a level of illumination that was given unto them in the illumination of the authors
or the with the writing of the scripture
now the illumination of the authors or the lack of it does not affect the
Bible's authority because again the Bible is inspired it's all inspired
it's all God's word now that's not to say that some of the authors didn't what they were
writing was the word of God or they had illumination from God but either way
you know it's still God's word in some of them they wrote from having
studied and researched I mean I think Luke I should have had you go there but go to 1 Corinthians chapter 13
1 Corinthians chapter 13 Luke said and many have taken in hand to set forth in
order a deck relation of those things which are most surely believe it among us
even as they delivered them unto us which were from the which from the beginning were eyewitnesses
and ministers of the word it seemed good also good to me also having perfect
understanding of all things from the very first to write unto thee in order most excellent
theophilus so Luke here is saying look he's he's got all these other things these
other that many other people have set in order and written a decoration those things which
are more surely believed among us there were other writings that were there Luke knew of them
you know Luke Luke wasn't Luke wasn't a disciple he wasn't in one of the twelve apostles
he came on later on in Paul's ministry you know he shows up
later but he had he studied and he read and he spoke with people he
studied he researched and that gave him what a perfect understanding of all things
and that's where he wrote from now does that fact that he's writing
from a place where he has researched the script or he researched the story he researched and studied
and spoke and gathered the facts is that detract from the authority no because again
it's still inspired it's still given to him by inspiration whether
he realizes that or not I'm not saying he didn't because a lot of times
they did write knowing it was God's word didn't they I believe that I believe even in the Old Testament they would write
things they said that knowing what they were writing was inspired by God David said the spirit of the Lord
spake by me and his word was in my tongue and it sounds like he knew what he was saying
and writing was from God I mean that couldn't be any clearer I believe Paul
is somebody who knew the things that he was writing were inspired if you look at
first Corinthians chapter thirteen verse eight charity never faileth first Corinthians thirteen eight
but whether there be prophecies they shall fail whether they be tongues they shall cease whether they be knowledge it shall
vanish away for we know in part and we prophesy in part but when that
which is perfect has come then that which is in part shall be done away and people can you know
debate what verse nine is talking about what that is that's in part and what
that what that what is he referring to when that which is perfect has come what is he is he
is he talking about there I believe he's referring to the word of God that's my personal opinion
because he's saying look we know in part because perfect just means
whole or complete like he says in James that he might be perfect and entire wanting or
lacking right nothing that's what it means to be perfect in the Bible so he knows we know
in part we prophesy in part but now which is perfect has come
so he's contrasting that which is perfect with that which is in part now what did they have in part
well he said we know in part well they had the Old Testament I mean Paul had the Old Testament he
knew in part but we also prophesy in part what he's saying is look
the things that I'm saying are part of what the of scripture and
when I you know when we all get done being used by God here and being inspired and illuminated then that which
is perfect has come then that which is in part shall be done away
because it will be perfect it will be whole he said if you
would go over to John chapter 11 John chapter 11 first Corinthians chapter 7 he said
but the rest speak I not the Lord the first Corinthians chapter 7 he said but the rest
speak I not the Lord now what he wrote is still inspired
it's still part of God's word it's still preserved for us it's you know it's part
of the message that God's delivering to us but it sounds to me like Paul said look I know what I'm
saying is my opinion but it's still in there doesn't you know it doesn't detract
from the authority of scripture and you know there were even people that wrote
not knowing the significance of what they were writing you know Daniel is an example of that
when he got done writing everything he wrote he said and I heard but I understood not then
said I oh my Lord what shall the end of these things be and he said well sit
down and I'll tell you no he said go thy way Daniel for the words are closed up and
sealed at the time to the time of the end saying well you don't get to know
but does that subtract from the things that Daniel wrote and say well you know can we trust what
he Daniel wrote well of course because he still wrote under inspiration OK so
again to whatever degree the authors were or were not illuminated God's
message was accurately accurately recorded by inspiration OK
even I would say even those who had no understanding of their words being inspired
look at John eleven verse forty nine he said and one of them named Caiaphas being the high priest that same year said unto
them you know nothing at all nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man
should die for the people and that the whole nation not perish and
he's talking about you know we should we should kill Jesus so that the Romans don't come and destroy our city
and just destroy our temple he says in verse forty one and this he spake not
of himself meaning he wasn't doesn't mean he wasn't talking about himself meaning it wasn't of
himself you know this is something that God put in his heart his heart but being
the high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation
so you know Caiaphas here the high priest he's speaking under inspiration and I don't believe he
even understood it or even knew that he was he was just saying something that just you know he just thought came to his
mind made sense to him he had a completely different meaning when he said it
but God you know used it to to prophesy of Jesus
now if you would go to first Corinthians chapter number two first Corinthians chapter number two
and I want to kind of just try and simplify this a little bit to boil this down a little
bit more because we're talking about the revelation we're talking
about inspiration we're talking about illumination what are what do all these things mean and
I'm trying to help us to understand but I think first Corinthians chapter two you know will help us
understand this this whole concept here if you look there verse nine it says but as it
is written I have not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the
things which God has prepared for them that love him look at verse 10
but God hath revealed them unto us revealed them unto us by
his spirit so he's saying that God has revealed these things unto us by
his spirit so that's what a revelation right and really when you think revelation you can just
think of disclosure right just you ever hear people just you know hey full disclosure
let me just tell you everything right let me just come out and say it that's really what revelation is that's
just God disclosing things to us and God has revealed these things unto
us by his spirit right goes on and says for the spirit
search with all things yea the deep things of God for what man knoweth the things of
a man save the spirit of man which is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man
but the spirit of God verse 12 now we have received not that spirit
which is of the spirit which is of the world but the spirit which is of God
so again this is what I was referring to earlier illumination
so there's the revelation right the fact that God has revealed things unto us by his spirit he has
disclosed these things unto us and then we have the fact that we've received these things
by the spirit which is of God which would be the illumination and
really another way another word you could use there is discovery discovery God
discloses things we discover them right he discloses them by his spirit in his
word and we by his spirit discover them in his word that we might
know the things that are freely given to us of God which things also we speak
not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing
spiritual things with spiritual and this you know is a you know
would be a reference to the
the inspiration of scripture it's the Holy Ghost teaching these things right it's
comparing spiritual things with spiritual and you could just think of the documentation
OK so we start using these terms you know revelation we're talking about just got the disclosure
of truth that God has given to us we talk about illumination we're just
talking about the fact that we're discovering these things by the spirit and then you have the inspiration
right which is how these things were documented which is how we have these truths
so we have the inspiration in scripture right there's many different revelations in
scripture throughout scripture that come from different sources that
were you know written by personal observation or they were divinely inspired but they're all
all of it is inspired meaning it's all preserved OK it's all that's the
vehicle that God has given us given us all these truths now if you would go to Ephesians
chapter one and you know I hope you'll stick with the series I hope
you'll come and listen because you know it is important again I talked about the fact this morning that
you know we we believe in the preservation of scripture we are
King James only by faith we believe we believe that is the preserved inerrant word of God by
faith and over the next several weeks as we go through this you know I don't we
start to delve into the more you know scholastic parts of this issue I
don't want us to think that you know works and things like that ultimately I mean that's all good things that help
back up what we already believe but we believe these things by faith and I certainly don't
want us to just walk out of here feeling like well how do I apply this I'm always trying to look
for ways to apply this to us and as I've been thinking about this you know
it seems to me like you know God has gone through a great deal
to reveal unto us his truth hasn't he you know I said it this morning God's not hiding in a
corner somewhere hoping we find him God's right out in the open he's
you know even to unsaved man even to the whole world to some degree he's revealed himself through nature
so that they are without excuse and he's he's shown himself to be there and
every every one of us every person and God has revealed himself and he's gone to
great lengths to do it I mean the Bible is an amazing book but think about all the
things that had to come together think about all the things that the people had to go through that wrote those books
Isaiah Ezekiel Jeremiah I mean folks and I want us to
keep that in mind as we read Ephesians chapter 1 verse 8 look God has what abounded
toward us in wisdom he did excellent things in wisdom
God has given us so much wisdom and knowledge and understanding in the Bible he's abounded toward
us and he's what he's made known unto us the mystery of his will we can't
say well I just don't know what God wants me to do I don't know what God's will is for my life it's
all right there in the Bible so you know here's the thing it's great
to understand these things about the Bible how we got the Bible where the why we believe what we believe about the
Bible but you know what it's important to understand what the Bible actually says what's
more important that is what the Bible creates remember that God's gone to a great
great deal God has abounded toward us but not just so we could sit back in awe and we do
sit back in awe and we are moved and we are inspired but not but that we can actually do those
things to not be hearers only but doers also okay so let's go ahead and pray
dear Lord again thank you again for the Bible thank you for that that amazing book Lord
and I pray you'd help us Lord to appreciate it for what it is and Lord that we would
appreciate the wisdom that's in it that we would apply it to our lives Lord so that you could bless us
we ask these
you