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The book of John again tonight we were there this morning a few chapters over in verse or chapter 8 Of course a lengthy chapter a lot in there that we could preach about, but I'm just gonna focus on Really just one thing tonight. I'm gonna only have one point for you, and that doesn't mean it's gonna be a short sermon Okay it just means that I'm really only trying to like any good sermon you try to make one point and get it across because that's usually all you can expect people to really walk away with and That's what I'm gonna try and get across tonight is this idea that it is a great privilege that we have to be able to read the Word of God and Not just not just the fact that we have the Word of God that we have a preserved word That we have the very words of God in our own language But also that when we read the Word of God we can actually be spoken to By God that God can speak to us through his word. It's a very great privilege that we have and hopefully It's one that we're going to be availing ourselves of much in the coming year So I want to start out here, and we're gonna look really just at verses 42 through 47 Where the Bible reads there in verse 42 Jesus said unto them if God were your father you would love me for I preceded forth and Came from God neither came I of myself But he sent me why do you not understand my speech even because you cannot hear my word? You're of your father the devil and the lust of your father you will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there was no truth in him when he speaketh of a lie He speaketh of his own for he is a liar and the father of it and because I tell you the truth Ye believe me not which of you convinced me of sin, and if I say the truth Why do you not believe me he that is of God heareth God's words? Ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God so we see here in this passage that Jesus is making a very clear distinction That there are people that are of God and then there are people that are not of God of course he even goes a step Further here with the Pharisees by calling them that stating the fact that they are of their father the devil Okay Now that doesn't mean that there's only two groups of people in this world that there's the sons of God And then there's the children of the devil okay There's the also just people that are unsaved you know that are neither, okay? There's really three categories of people, but Jesus you know when he's speaking to these Pharisees He makes a very clear distinction that you're of your father the devil, and I am of my father the Heavenly Father, right? But he's making distinction here also More broadly that there are people that are of God and there are people that are not of God there are people that are saved And there are people that are not saved and look this I know we all understand this But again, there's a world out there. There's this popular Misunderstanding out there that God just accepts everybody that we're all the children of God that everyone's going to go to heaven That we're all going to be just let in you know gee that's not what Jesus taught you know Jesus taught that You know there's going to be few that are saved. Okay. We're gonna look at a few passages real quick You know I've got I've got a lot of blue lines in here tonight So that means there's gonna be a lot of bookmarking all right So hopefully you can keep up with me tonight I know it's it's an evening service But let's get get ready to get in the Word of God go over to Matthew chapter number 7 Matthew chapter number 7 You know God is a God who makes a distinction between people who are of God and people who are not of God and it's important to understand that because There's certain privileges that come with being of God There's certain things that we as God's people have that people that are not of God don't have okay You know even beyond salvation you know we obviously that's the greatest advantage that we have is that when we die we're gonna go to heaven and Have the new body, and we're gonna rule and reign with Christ and all that that's a obviously a very great privilege But you know there's privileges that we can take advantage of even here and now in this life that are off Limits to the world that other people don't have Matthew chapter number 7 if you look there in verse 21 Jesus said not everyone that saith unto me Lord Lord Shall enter into the kingdom of heaven So this goes very much against this idea that there's everyone gets to go to heaven And this is Jesus saying is about a group of people that are calling him by name. They're saying Lord Lord He's saying they shall not enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father Which is to believe on him whom he hath sent Christ that is the work of God But he that believeth excuse me, but he that doeth the will of my father Which is in heaven many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works These are good things these are things that Jesus himself did okay these works, and then I will profess unto them I never knew you depart for me ye that work iniquities So what's the iniquity that they worked is that the fact that they prophesied in his name? Is it the fact that they cast out Devils is it fact that they've done many wonderful works No the iniquity is is that they're trusting in those works to save them He's saying all your because we know that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Okay, go over to Luke chapter number 13 Luke chapter number 13 so again right out of the gate We've seen that there's a very clear distinction that Jesus himself makes repeatedly in Scripture that there are some people that are of God And there are other people that are not of God and that might not be a popular teaching But it's what the Bible says okay, and it's important to understand that because we're living in a very ecumenical Time right now where everybody just wants to hold hands and come together and just say you know we're all one We're all the same we all worship the same God no We don't in fact Jesus We just got done reading where Jesus is saying to certain people that are even calling him by name that they are Workers of iniquity okay because they're trusting in their own works. They don't have the true gospel This is what Jesus taught Luke chapter 13 if you would look at verse number 23 then Jesus said one unto him Lord are there few that be saved and he said unto them no There's many because everyone gets into heaven when everyone gets a free pass God's just gonna forget everything and forgive everything and everyone gets in that's not what he said folks we know this he goes and says and He answers this question in verse 25 by saying strive to enter at the straight gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter and shall not be able When once the master of the house is risen up and then shut to the door and you begin to stand without and to knock At the door saying Lord Lord open unto us, and he shall answer and say unto you I know not whence ye are then you should begin to say we have eaten and drunk in thy presence And thou was taught in our straits, but he shall say I tell you I know not whence ye are Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity And you know there's many other passages obviously that we could turn to that make it very clear that there is a distinction between Those that are of God and those that are not of God okay, and if you're here tonight And you're saved guess what you're in that minority You're in that that that you're the select few right you're in the chosen those that have been saved You are of what Jesus called his little flock Okay And that in and of itself is a huge advantage that in that of itself is a great privilege to be saved to have known The truth to be able to learn and understand the truth and to have believed on Christ, okay? But you know beyond that even beyond and keep something in Luke if you want to go back to John back to John Beyond that there's also the privilege of being able to have God's Word and to be able to Understand it the Bible teaches us that you must be of God to hear his word. Is that not what he said in John chapter 8 where we were in verse 47 he that is of God heareth God's words So those of us that are of God that have the Holy Spirit those of us that have been saved by grace We have the ability to hear God's Word. What a privilege that is to be able to hear God's Word Sometimes I think we lose sight of that sometimes I think we might forget what a great privilege it is to be able to open up the Bible and be able to read it And to have God speak to us. It's a very great privilege. It's not something that's available to everybody You know, there's even people that maybe will want will open up the Bible and say hey I'm gonna read this book and they won't understand it because they're not of God You know, this is I know this to be true for myself before I got saved. I sat down to read the book of John You know, I'm dabbling and expect, you know Experimenting and looking at all these different, you know religions out there seeking for truth You know and I'd kind of not looked at Christianity said well, you know what? I'll at least read one of the Gospels at least let me give you know The Bible a shot to try and convince me Which is the totally wrong approach when it comes to seeking for truth, right? I would say well I'll read the Bible and we'll see if it could convince me, right? So I was like, well my middle name's John I might as well start with the book of John, you know And I didn't get very far in the book of John before I started scratching my head and said what is going on here? What is this about? It's you know, this guy's out in the wilderness. He's wearing he's girded with a you know, camel's hair He's eating bugs and honey, and he's talking telling people to repent and baptizing people and you know, that's really all the further I got You know if we're of God we have this privilege to be able to hear God's Word We have the ability to pick up the Word of God and have God speak to us. What a great privilege that is Because he says there verse 47 ye therefore hear them not they hear not what they don't hear God's Word Because they are not of God To hear God's Word is a great privilege notice. You know, what do I mean by that when I say to hear God's Word? Obviously, you know you could it's not talking about physically hearing it, right? Obviously we could play an audio Bible for somebody even an unsaved person can read the Bible and hear these words But to hear God's Word what he's saying there is they have the ability to understand it to be able to actually comprehend what is being taught in Scripture and Again, we take this for for granted sometimes because we're just so used to we're just so used to opening up the Bible reading it Understanding what it's saying obviously there's difficult things in the scripture that we have to really maul over and think about and ponder and compare scripture with scripture and spiritual things and spiritual things to get a Fuller and deeper understanding of what the Bible is teaching But by and large we can pick up the Word of God and we can understand what it's saying and God could speak to us through it And we're so used to that. We're just so used to being able to do that that maybe you know Our Bible reading could become a little lackluster Maybe it can start to feel a little bit more like just a chore for us to just kind of get through Okay It ought not be that way We ought to go to the Word of God every day and when we read it understand that what we're partaking in is a great spiritual privilege that not a lot of people have Not a lot of people can sit down with the Word of God in the morning Open it up and have you know, the Almighty the Creator of all things speak to their heart through his word It's a great privilege. You should never lose sight of that To be able to understand it. That's what I mean by being able to hear it If you look there in verse 43, why do not understand my speech? Jesus said to them even because he cannot hear my word So not hearing it is equated with what not being able to understand it Obviously they can hear the words that are coming out of his mouth But if you notice when the scripture is being read everything's just going right over their head everything They're just like, well, you know, they're not getting any of it, which is something that you know happened often with the Pharisees and the unsaved But you know, that's not us we have this privilege to be able to understand it and that's something that some people will never have They'll never be able to hear the Word of God because they'll never be able to understand the Word of God And look this is something that you'll start to see in people and you see it, you know with with With the intellectuals of this world you see it with you know, a lot of people that are into Philosophies and maybe there's even writers and other people I mean, I've listened to people that are not believers people who have you know ruled out maybe even the existence of God and it's it's it's almost Sad to sit there and watch them try to you know Interpret the world and understand the world that they're living in apart from the Creator They're sitting there and trying to understand nature and creation. They're sitting there trying to understand Humanity and trying to make sense of the world, but they're trying to do it after having completely divorced it from God They're taking out this huge part of the equation called the Lord and then trying to look through and under and look through that that lens and try to that they have and try to understand what's going on in the world and You could see it with them. It's there's this sense of despair. There's a sense of not understanding There's just this cynicism. It's not there There's no, you know, sometimes it just feels like there's no love there and you almost feel bad for these people You know and a lot of times they end up just scoffing and mocking and ridiculing the things of God and it really it's just unfortunate but you know what it reminds me of how privileged I am as a child of God to be able to not to Understand and hear and know the Word of God that I don't have to just stumble through this life and just fumble through life wondering You know, what's the point of it all or trying to make sense of things? We're trying to explain why the world is the way it is I know why it is the way it is because I have this book Because I have the written Word of God to interpret to me and to tell me why things are the way they are It's a great privilege that we have and some people out there in this world will never understand it I know I had you book something bookmark Luke, you know, you probably end up spraying a finger tonight So just you might want to just turn around with me as we go but go to Ephesians Okay, Ephesians cuz when you get to Ephesians, I was gonna ask you to keep something also in Ephesians But you know what? I'm not bookmarking anything right now So you're gonna have to wait on me anyway when we get back there So you might as well just roll with me tonight. Okay Ephesians chapter number one if you look there in verse 15 He said wherefore I also after I heard of your faith and Lord Jesus and love unto the Saints Cease not to give thanks for you making mention you of in my prayers Paul's telling Ephesians. Hey after I heard that you got saved I just kept thinking God for you and I started praying for you and I cease not to pray for you What would you pray for somebody that's already gotten saved? Well, Paul's about to show us here I mean we pray for people to get saved we pray that we have the boldness and And the faith and the ability to go out and preach the gospel and pray for our loved ones and others to get saved But after they get saved, you know, the prayer doesn't stop we pray what we pray that they would You know that they would begin to understand that's what it Paul prayed He said I cease not to give thanks for you making mention you my prayers verse 16 verse 17 that the God of our Lord Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him that was his prayer that the people of Ephesus that they would after having gotten saved would be filled with the spirit of knowledge and revelation in the knowledge of God Okay, that's what he wants for them and look why does he pray that because it's possible Because it means that we can go to the Word of God and have things revealed to us We can have wisdom given to us from the Bible. Okay, that's a great privilege Not everybody has that a lot of people are gonna live Harder lives than they need to a lot of people are gonna make mistakes that they didn't need to make because they don't have the wisdom Of the Word of God guiding them And it's a great privilege that we have that's what it means to be of God that means what it means to be able to Hear and understand the Word of God that you actually are having things revealed to you. You're being given wisdom from the Bible It's a great privilege Go over to chapter 4 chapter number 4 look at verse 17 this I say therefore Ephesians 4 17 and Testifying the Lord that henceforth you walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind Having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Because of the blindness of their heart people who don't have the Holy Spirit the unsaved They are what they have their understanding darkened They're alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Look, that's not me and you he's talking about people that are not of God. That's what he's talking about unsafe people. That's not us But that was us, you know that one point that we would be You know lumped in with that group of people wouldn't me we would you know? We could say if before we were saved we had our understanding darkened We were alienated from the life of God But now that we're saved now that we have the Holy Spirit now that we are of God We have the ability to hear and understand and to be filled with the real wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of God in him What a privilege to be of God what a privilege to be able to hear and understand God's Word tonight If you would go over to 1st John chapter number 5 1st John chapter number 5 To be able to hear God's Word is to be able to understand God's Word and there's a lot of people in this world they don't have that and There's you know, and you say Well, what's that mean to them? It means they're gonna suffer needlessly Means they're gonna make mistakes and and do things that I mean, how else do you explain the things that people do in this world? Mean people are making a mess out of their lives are making a mess out of society Why because they they don't have the Word of God Their understanding is darkened. They're their past feeling Look there in 1st John chapter number 5 verse 18 He says there in verse 18 we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that has begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one touch at them not and we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth and wickedness and we know that the Son of God Has come and have given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him That is true. Even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. I Mean powerful words from the Apostle John here. He's saying this is the true God and Eternal life and we know that we are in him that we are in Christ We and notice there he says in verse 18. We know right Verse 19 and we know that we are of God in verse 20 and we know that the Son of God Isn't it great to know some things? Isn't it great to know that we're in Christ? Isn't it great that we know that him that is true and that we are in him even in his son Christ If that's something that we know You know, that's what the Word of God does for you folks when you read it You know, obviously we start out just believing the Word of God We start out just by faith believing in the Bible believing what the Bible says Maybe even sometimes we don't understand everything that it says at first. We just say well, I know the Bible is the Word of God I just believe it. I just trust it. I'm just gonna go with this I don't understand everything and if you do that I'm telling you get to a place where you go from believing that the Bible is the Word of God to Knowing it's the Word of God to say I'm unshakable in my faith I know what I'm reading is the Word of God because it's spoken to me. I Know that it's it's the Word of God because of how it's changed my life because I've seen the power of God Working in my life through his word. I've seen it in other people's lives Transforming lives changing people changing the way people think changing the way people approach life changing people's behaviors The Word of God it truly is powerful it is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword that is what we have in the in the King James Bible and It's a great privilege to be able to not only hear God's Word, but also to be able to understand it These are things that we know But not everybody does in fact fewer people know than than don't know Spiritual understanding the ability to be able to hear understand is a great Privilege if you would let's go back to Luke chapter number 10 Luke chapter number 10 not everybody gets to understand the Word of God not everybody gets to pick up the Bible and know what it says and Again, I you see this out there in the world you listen to people who really are very maybe even very intelligent people It can speak very intelligently in certain subjects You know, but then they they don't have this big piece of the puzzle cod called the Lord called the Bible and it's you can just it's like they're despairing almost and They're just groping and just grasping for trying to make sense of it somehow and they come up with a lot of very foolish things to try to explain the world I Had to go to Luke 10 look at verse 21 in that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said I thank thee Oh Father Lord of heaven and earth That thou has hid these things from the wise and prudent has revealed them unto babes Even so father it seemed good in thy sight It goes on and he says in verse 22 all things are delivered to me of my father and no man knoweth Who the son is but the father and who the father is but the son and he to whom the son will reveal him He's saying look there's things that God has hidden from the wise and prudent You know, it's we read about that with the Pharisees You know their eyes were blinded so that seeing they would not see their their ears were closed So that hearing they could not hear. Okay, they could not believe right But God had revealed those things unto babes God revealed didn't reveal them unto the wise and the prudent God didn't reveal them unto the mighty and the noble of this world He revealed it unto people that were humble simple meek people that would just believe the Word of God by faith And look that's us tonight. We're that same group of people You know, you watch all these intellectuals and all these, you know people in these higher institutions of learning sit there who have just mocked and scoffed and ridiculed the Word of God and then sit there and just chase their own tail trying to understand the world and yet then you'll have just a group of Simple people just everyday people who have the privilege of knowing The Word of God and understanding it and knowing the true and living God God truly has revealed these things unto babes and that's me and you and What a privilege it is again go back to Ephesians chapter number three Ephesians chapter number three Paul said in 1st Corinthians Awake to righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God You know, there's a lot of people in this world they don't have the knowledge of God, but it's not me and you praise God We've got it We have the knowledge of God. It's in your it's at your fingertips right now if you brought your Bible, okay? You know if you've got a bio every time you pick it up you're picking up the knowledge and understanding the wisdom and the revelation of God revealed unto even babes Ephesians chapter number three look at verse one It says for this cause I Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles if you've heard the dispensation dispensation of grace of God Which has given me to you word how that by revelation he may know none to me the mystery as I wrote in a few words Whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ I love that phrase whereby when you read you may understand, you know, that's a whole nother sermon right there You want to understand the things of God? You need to read the things of God whereby when you read you may understand You know people they they understand they don't understand things about the Christian life because they haven't read about them Okay, when you read you understand Now he's talking specifically here about the knowledge his knowledge in the mystery of Christ verse 5 which in other ages was not made known of the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and Prophets by the spirit and that specifically he's talking about the mystery of the fact that verse 6 the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and part Into the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Okay, so that's what he's talking about specifically But look, you know, we have this ability to be able to pick up the Word of God and we have this revelation That's been made known which in other ages was not made known under the sons of men we have that in our hands, but this great mystery has been opened up to us in the New Testament and It's our privilege to be able to pick it up to read it and understand it go to 1st Corinthians chapter number 2 1st Corinthians chapter number 2. I know I got you jumping around tonight, but it's you're just jumping around and God's Word so there's no better place to be jumping around in you know It's not a comic book in your hand I know but it's it's it's the knowledge and wisdom and revelation of God So let's jump around a little bit 1st Corinthians chapter number 2 you looked at in verse 9 It says but as it is written I have not seen Nor ear heard neither have entered in the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit for the Spirit search with all things Ye the deep things of God Bible saying look God has revealed these things unto us by his spirit You know I has not seen ear heard and neither has entered the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them to Love them and there was a time when you know they couldn't understand. They they couldn't understand everything that we understand today There's a lot of things that the prophets and holy men of old desire to look into they desire to understand But they understood them not we have this revelation that's given unto us in the New Testament We have this great privilege to be able to hear and understand the very words of God You Know again this all come it just boils down to the fact that there's some people that are of God And there's some people that are not of God and in order to be of God You know you have to be saved, and if you're of God you can hear his word you can understand it And this kind of helps us understand too sometimes when we see people who just choke on the Word of God people who might even claim to be saved people who might even gone to church with us for some time and Then they then it comes out They just believe some heresy and it's like and then you show them from the Word of God and say well No, the Bible is very clear here on this doctrine that you've got completely backwards You've got completely wrong what you say. Why is that it's because they're not of God You know that's why they don't continue with us they go out from us because they were not of us For if they were of us no doubt they would have continued with us Okay, some people are gonna come we're gonna think they're one of us But you know what and time is gonna be revealed that they're not even saved They don't understand the Word of God, and they're gonna go out from us now Obviously if you if you we believe something different on some minor detail in Scripture That's not a big deal. You know we can have our disagreements. You know we can debate Squatch I'm bringing it up again. We can debate you know these different things. You know we can have these minor Disagreements about the Word of God, but big things in the Word of God like oh, I don't know salvation You know that's not a minor detail. You know a lot of the all the minutiae of end times prophecy We can have our debates You know all these little things, but things like salvation eternal security baptism Preservation of the Word of God the inspiration the Word of God these major cardinal doctrines. How about things like the Trinity? You know the Trinity is not a secondary You know a doctrine. That's not something that's peripheral. That's a main doctrine That you we have to agree on we're talking about the nature of who God is and what the Bible teaches about that That's the great thing about the Bible. There's only one correct interpretation about the Bible. That's it. There's only one primary Interpretation the Bible that's where all the arguing comes in is because we can't we have to decide who's right and who's wrong Right, but there can be many different applications that are all right, but the Bible only says one thing spoke and folks It only says one thing You know and uncertain certain things we all have to agree on what it's saying These major doctrines okay, so when then you find people who choke on things you know like things like the Trinity You know that's just a sign that they're not saved because the Trinity is so clear in Scripture I mean just go back to John 8 where were we Johnny go back there. I mean it's even just there in in John 8 I Mean it's all over, but just look in John 8 and it's so clear It's just so I mean we go to Genesis 1. I mean it's just it's all throughout the scripture It's just abundantly clear in fact It's so clear that there's even unsaved people that understand that the Bible teaches a Trinity You know and that's it's such a stupid argument when these you know these heretics throw that in your face Oh, well, you know Catholics believe in the Trinity Well, yeah, it's because even an unsafe person can understand something that is so clear in the Word of God You know they also understand that that life begins at conception are we gonna argue that now? You know they've got abortion. You know right there right on that there You know they're right on some things you know because even a broken clock is right is right twice a day You know even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then as they say I Mean the so it's like when you see people that choke on doctrines like the Trinity it just tells you they're not of God Because if they were of God they would hear God's Word, but because they don't hear God's Word. They don't understand it They're not of God Okay Says in verse 14 Jesus answered and said of them though I bear record of myself yet my record is true for I know whence I came and whether I go But ye cannot tell whence I come and whether I go ye judge after the flesh I judge no man and yet if I judge My judgment is true. I am not alone. I Am not alone, but I and my I and my father that sent me. I am not alone because I am my father Is that what he's saying no, but there's people out there oh Jesus is the father and the father is Jesus Well, then how is he not alone if he's the same person? Hmm is this is this that hard to grasp is this really you know we're going way deep am I losing you tonight? Have I lost you? No, you can understand something. That's so simple and right on the surface because you're of God and even you know even that probably isn't a proper litmus test to see if you're really saved because Even unsaved people can get this so when you see somebody just can't get it through their thick head the Trinity It's just they're not of God period you know God has blinded them as far as I'm concerned Well you got any more verse 18 I am one that beareth witness of myself and the father that sent me beareth witness Look at verse 17 it is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true So he's going back to law saying look It's two men that have to bear witness for something to be true And then he's saying I am one that beareth witness of myself and the father that sent me bear witness of me He's saying my witness is true because I have two witnesses two different people You know I can't be my I can't be my own second witness I can't just put on a different hat and say well now I'm a different person because I'm using a different title You know I'm Deacon Corbin Russell bearing witness of this and that and now I'm going to be a second witness in some court case Because now I'm I'm just Corbin Russell. You know the dad You know or whatever I have some other title you know that you would say wait a minute. That's the same person That would never fly in a court of law. That's what Jesus That's the the the the illustration is using look your law says that the witness of two is true I am one and my father is that sent me is another that's two witnesses because it's two different people It's not the same person And then you'll have people say stupid things like no man has ever seen Jesus And the name of the Father is Jesus And when people choke on things like that, it's because they're not of God Because they can't hear nor understand God's Word and even when you show them these things plainly I Mean it's one of these same people. I was just telling somebody about this the other night They didn't even understand that Lazarus was literally dead Went soloing with one of these bozos and he's talking to some lady that had a Jehovah Witnesses in their living room Doing a study and I came here exactly how the conversation goes, but I remember him saying well, that's because Lazarus wasn't really dead When you know when Jesus said Lazarus come forth, you know when everyone's objecting and saying Lord it's been four days he stinketh You know he's you know I know if you had been here my my brother had not died You know Mary and Martha both said that it was two different people that they seem to understand that Lazarus was dead, and it's not that hard. You know he's kind of No pulse no breath. I think he's dead Right and then this lady asked this bozo. Hey, how do you know well? How do you explain Lazarus? Well, it's because Lazarus wasn't really dead I Mean who's read that story and thought well, what's going on here? Well how is he you can just call Lazarus forth and he comes out with his grave clothes still on him You know what what's going on? It's because Lazarus was dead. It was a miracle because Jesus is God You know I remember just thinking like and I got in the car with this guy, and I'm like You don't think Lazarus was was really dead. Well. No do you think he was it says right here Jesus saith unto them plainly Lazarus is dead You know at the time was just like well, you know young guy doesn't maybe even read his Bible enough. I don't know whatever Panicked he got nervous Fast forward a few years No, man has seen Jesus Nobody seen Jesus Jesus is the father It's like well, let's connect the dots here You know when you're reading the Bible, and you can't even get something as simple as the fact that Lazarus died And then you're going to rank heresy denying the Trinity it just tells me you're not of God because you can't hear God's Word Okay, and that's you know and I know a lot of people know the example I'm referring to and that's just a real you know it's a very convenient example, but this is something that you'll see Over and over again, you know this is something we'll see is people who just can't you know maybe there's somebody in your life When you show them things from the Bible and just they don't get it. It's because they're they're not saved They're not of God now. They need to get saved if they still can You know and you say well, how does that happen well go to Matthew chapter number 13 You know it's a great privilege to be able to hear and understand the Word of God because of the fact that You know that's not something everybody has and sometimes people lack this understanding because God withholds it from them I Mean we just read in Luke where he's saying look I know you have you you've you know hid these things from the wise and prudent what has revealed them unto babes You know that just speaks that you know again the spiritual privilege that we have You know when we go because of the fact that we are of God You know that we These things are not being held from us that we these things are being revealed unto us through the Word of God It's a great privilege when you read your Bible to be able to read it and understand it And I'm just preaching it because I you know I know how it is You know we read the Bible and if we read it long enough, and we've read enough times We we've heard the preaching we might just kind of get dull of hearing We might kind of just go through the motions And I'm trying to again rekindle these flames at the beginning of the year you know trying to you know inspire us again that when We you know when we go to our Bible, and we read it to understand. What's taking place it's a it's a it's a communion with the Lord that we're having and if we go to it with you know a right attitude if we're if we're right with God and we go to it with with Asking God to open our eyes and to help us to under behold wondrous things out of his lot we will that is a prayer that God will answer and God will speak to us out of his word I Had you in Matthew chapter 13 if you look there in verse 10 He said and his disciples and said it came unto him came and said unto him why speakest thou unto them in parables? Because remember he said he was open his mouth in parables and dark sayings He answered and said to them because it is given unto you to know the mystery of the kingdom of heaven But to them it is not given Meaning it's not they don't have that privilege Meaning God is holding that back from Jesus is purposefully speaking in parables so that they won't understand He doesn't want them to understand you understand You know that just again speaks to the privilege that we have to be able to understand the Word of God He's saying look they don't get to To them it is not given the end of verse 11 verse 12 for whosoever hath to him shall be given and He that hath shall have more abundance, but whosoever hath not for him shall be taken away even that he hath You know he's referring to the fact that Jews had the oracles of God They didn't do anything with it It was taken from them, and it was given under the nation you know given under nation bringing forth the fruits thereof It's one of sermon verse 13 therefore I speak to them in parables because they seeing see not and hearing they hear not neither Do they understand and in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah's which saith by hearing you shall hear and shall not understand and seeing You shall see and shall not perceive for this people's heart is wax gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with the ears and should understand with their heart and I Should be and should be converted, and I should heal hear them He's like there's some people It's just not given unto them to understand these things and obviously is a very specific group of people that Jesus is talking about in This passage he's saying the Jews these Pharisees these people that have been given much It's going to be taken away from them, and they'll have nothing and he's but it's showing us that God It's not it's not You know it's not be gone beyond God's will to just Take you know that that understanding from people so if we have that if we have that ability. It's a privilege It's a great privilege to be able to read hear and understand the Word of God tonight There's nobody said there in verse 16, but blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen Them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Obviously again He's talking specifically that would apply More specifically to the apostles that were with him saying look a lot of people Would have loved to see and hear the things that you're hearing saying here with me in my ministry And you're blessed because you get to you know and we're not you know And we're blessed in the sense that we can look back in that ministry and get a lot of those details Don't can't we you know we can pick up and read the Gospels And it's like we're there walking with Jesus where they're hearing the same things where they're seeing the same things through the Word of God Our eyes and our ears are just as blessed today. I mean that's what Paul or excuse me Jesus told Thomas He said you know blessed are they which having not seen believe Right those that have not seen believe you know That's a great privilege that we have Even today to be able to to pick up the Word of God to read this God And it's like we're there on the Sea of Galilee We're there listening to Jesus preaching, but we're watching him heal these people We're hearing the the Sermon on the Mount we're hearing John chapter 14 and 15 and 16 and said we're there in that upper room We're there with the Lord every single time we pick up the Bible and read it because we are of God This is something that we're blessed with it's a privilege that we have in the here and now The question is are we taking advantage of it are we availing ourselves of this great privilege that we have in? the Word of God There's a lot of people that desire to hear these things and well There's a lot of people that are going through this life without the understanding that we have So take advantage of your spiritual privileges Take advantage of it. You know because again this time of year I know we preach a lot about reading your Bible and these other things that we're just supposed to be doing and A lot of times it can just turn in you need to be doing this. It's just your job, but you know really And that's fine. That's good to preach it like that, but I Think it's really gonna help people and inspire people and motivate people to read their Bibles is when they understand What a privilege it is to read your Bible You know it's it's a great privilege to have the Word of God to be able to hear it and understand it It's it's something that not everybody has that's kind of the approach. I'm trying to take here You know we have this great spiritual privilege. Let's take advantage of it. I'll wrap up by going to Ephesians chapter number two actually you know what just go to Psalms 12 Psalms chapter number 12 I know we know Psalms 12. You know you have we have this great privilege and having what a preserved Word of God You know we don't have to sit here and scratch our heads are what is what I'm reading right Do I have everything that God has given me you know that's what's you know? That's the that's the the shifting sand of all these other false versions the shifting sands of all these Reformed you know folks all these people who are just changing the Word of God on a whim all these people that are just Constantly finding this version that version versions that are contradicting themselves Taking things out adding things to you know. Thank God We're not on that that we are on the solid rock the preserved Word of God for English-speaking people in the King James Bible You know in our language what a privilege that we have it in the English language You know there's people that they don't have it in their language They might have some version, but it's it's faulty it hasn't gone through that refining process That the King James has gone through you know providentially by the hand of God. That's my belief That God has you know given us this inspired Word of God preserved in the King James Bible Perfectly for English-speaking people not everybody has that Now obviously it makes sense it's in English because that's a very popular language. I mean that's that's an international language but you know it hasn't always been that way and You know would to God that we would get you know there would be You know a revival of getting the Word of God out into all languages obviously. There's there's plenty of other you know Versions, I'm sure that are written in other languages that are that are very good that people can be blessed by But I mean this is the standard I mean this is it we have this this pinnacle of Just excellence in the Word of God in the in the King James Look at verse 6 Psalms 12 for the words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times Thou shalt keep them o Lord thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever Now either that's a promise in the Word of God or it's not Either the fact it's a promise to all of us that God is going to preserve his word to every generation Or it isn't you either believe that or you don't I believe it I believe that God is going to do exactly that that he's going to preserve his word for every generation and that he has done that in this book the King James Bible and It's our privilege to open it up and to read it You know and people just have all these just nonsensical ideas about why they can't read the King James The same things like well, there's just so many words. I don't understand. I need another version like No, you don't you read these other versions and they're very difficult to understand You know and I mean you might have to figure out what thou and they mean they may have to look up a few words So what I? Mean let alone just the way it's written You know you read some of these other version it's just it reads like a you might as well be reading assembly instructions for like a Crib it reads like you know a set of stereo instructions or something how to put a car radio in You know it's it just reads so poorly. It's just like no wonder nobody's reading it You know the most read Bible is the King James Bible for a reason I mean even the world looks at the King James Bible and says it's the pinnacle of literature It's the greatest work of English literature ever made hands down the best-selling book of all time Most the most read book was widely read book I mean even the unbelieving world will look at I mean good night, and it's 400 anniversary It was the front page of the National Geographic And the last time I checked the National Geographic wasn't some stronghold of the Baptist faith You know wasn't some you know great bastion of conservatism was not the National Geographic I'm pretty sure they promote you know everything that's anti Bible everything that they promote all the evolution and everything else that goes along with it But yet even they when the King James Bible came around that's foreign anniversary Front page on the cover of national even the world knows how great the King James is anyone any any you know anyone with any kind of a brain out there that has any integrity whatsoever would admit that the King James Bible is a literary masterpiece and That's what just just boils my blood when people just write off the Word of God They just scoff it and they try to act so smug and you're so smug and full then act so smart like they know something Because because they're they just can't be bothered with the Word of God that that's Stone Age book written by a bunch of goat herders It's like you're an idiot It's like if you ever read it no Well, then you're a moron then you don't even know what you're talking about To sit there and say you know something well, but what the Bible is you've never even read it It's like just shut up It's frustrating Anyway, I'm gonna. I'm gonna get myself in trouble if I keep going But we you know this is the privilege that we have The Bible says the grass wither it the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God shall stand forever Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. I believe that that's what we have in our native language the English in the form of this high Literature called the King James Bible. You know I like literature. I like reading well-written things. I like reading poetic things I like reading things that challenge your thinking that you know make you have to really work at comprehending What's being said and what's being expressed by the author? You know I like that kind of reading. You know I'm not at home reading dr. Seuss unless my kids have made a request all right You know and my kids they love to read and every year It's great to see them read more difficult books books that are going to challenge their thinking books that are caused them to grow and become You know more intellectual and things like that, but look at you know Anyone who appreciates good literature you have to love the King James you have to appreciate it at the very least that it's bad But what I'm trying to get across to us tonight is it's not just good literature. It's the Word of God And we could pick it up, and we can read it and we could say where the word of a king is there is power And this is the word of a king. This is the word of the king the Lord Jesus Christ It's his word and there's power in it power to change our thinking power to change our hearts power to give us Encouragement power to encourage us and to convict us and to strengthen us and to maybe even weaken us to break our pride To humble it. I mean the Word of God is so powerful Why because we're of God yeah, you could take the same powerful word and read it to some unbeliever Just like Jesus spoke. I mean Jesus himself is speaking these people and just Just bouncing right off them, but not me and you man. We read it, and it just to the heart It can smite us right to the heart So the ability to understand to read God's Word is a great spiritual privilege that we have I hope that something I've said tonight will help you to see that and inspire you to continue to read the Word of God Not just out of duty But out of a sense of the privilege to be able to hear God's Word because we are of God's go ahead and pray