Sermon
# 90
Series: Revelation
Title: The Scriptures Confirmed
Text: Revelation 22:6-21
Reading:
Subject: Evidences of Inspiration
Date: November 20, 1988 - Sunday Evening
Tape #
Introduction:
“And he said unto me, These sayings are
faithful and true; and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show
unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.” My subject
tonight is - The Scriptures Confirmed. From
here to the end of this chapter, we have God’s own confirmation of the Holy
Scriptures as his Word. God’s last written word to man is a word of
confirmation and ratification to the whole Volume of Inspiration. Many think
that these verses refer only to the contents of the Book of Revelation. But
John begins by telling us that what he is about to say is includes and
completes God’s revelation of himself by the holy prophets. By divine
arrangement, this is the last chapter of the Book of God. What it says is true
of the whole canon of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.
Proposition:
In these verses, God the Holy Spirit confirms
his Holy Word to us, giving us distinct evidences of inspiration.
Before
we look at this inspired confirmation of Holy Scripture, let me make four
statements by way of introduction, which I believe are needful. Then I will
briefly give you an overview of these last verses of the Revelation.
1. This book
is the inspired Word of God (II Pet. 1:19-21).
“All scriptures is given by inspiration of
God” (II Tim. 3:16). Holy men of God, prophets and apostles, chosen,
ordained, and gifted by God wrote the Scriptures as they were infallibly guided
by the Spirit of God.
Though
these men were, for the most part, unknown to one another, though they lived in
different lands, cultures, and ages, though they were men of greatly varying
natural abilities and lifestyles (kings, shepherds, fishermen, doctors, etc.),
they all wrote of one Person and declared the same message, without the
slightest contradiction (Lk. 24:27, 44-47).
·
The Person of whom the Scriptures speak is our Lord Jesus Christ (John
1:45; 5:39).
·
The message the Scriptures declare is redemption by the blood of Christ
(Lk. 24:45-46), redemption purposed by grace, accomplished by grace, applied by
grace, and received by grace.
2. This Holy
Book, the Word of God, is to be reverenced, honored, and esteemed by us as the
Word of God (Psa.
138:2).
David
said, “Thou hast magnified thy word above
all thy name.” I know that men and women can be idolatrous and
superstitious regarding the Word of God. But let us never depreciate or in
anyway show any disrespect or disregard for the Word of God. If God has
magnified his Word above all his name, then surely those who know and reverence
his name will reverence his Word.
In an
attempt to rebuke a superstitious attitude for the Scriptures, I have heard men
say, “Apart from the application of the Holy Spirit, this Book is no more
valuable than the morning newspaper!” Oh, no! Unlike any other printed Word,
there is a special blessing promised to those who read, hear, obey, and keep
the things written in this Book. This blessed Book is the Word of God (Heb.
4:12).
3. We are
required to submit to the total authority of this book as the Word of God (II Tim. 3:16-17).
Faith
simply submits to God’s Revelation. Faith does not argue with God’s Word,
oppose God’s Word, or ignore God’s Word. Faith believes the Word, submits to
the Word, and obeys the Word. Faith holds the Book of God to be singularly
authoritative in all things. The Holy Scriptures alone are authoritative in the
kingdom of God. This Book is our only rule of faith and practice.
4. And we
recognize that this Book, by the blessing of God the Holy Spirit, is the source
and instrumental cause of all spiritual life in men (Heb. 4:12; James 1:18; I
Pet. 1:23-25; Rom. 10:1;7).
God
saves his elect by the Word which he has given, through the preaching of the
gospel. And this word is fully proclaimed to men and women by the preaching of
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Compare Acts 20:27; I Cor. 2:2; I Pet.
1:25).
This
Book, in its entirety, is the Word of God, inerrant, infallible, and immutable.
Let us reverence it as such, submit to it as such, and preach it as such. Now I
want to briefly give you fifteen confirmations of this blessed Book as the
inspired Word of God.
NOTE: I make no effort to prove
the truthfulness and validity of Holy Scripture to those who believe not. I
simply declare to you the truth of God and demand, by the authority of God
himself, that you believe it. But for you who believe, here are fifteen facts
that will help to strengthen and confirm your faith in God’s Revelation of his
Son, the Holy Bible.
I. The Bible is confirmed to us
as the Word of God by the name of him
who gave it (v. 6).
This
blessed Book has been given to us by our Mediator, Jesus Christ, who is the
Lord God of the holy prophets (Rev. 1:1).
A. Christ is the living Word of
whom the written Word speaks (John 1:1-3).
B. The whole Revelation of God
to man is given in, by, and through the Mediatorial Man, Christ Jesus, the Son
of God.
C. And all that our Lord God
reveals is faithful and true.
Not one word from God has ever fallen to the
ground - Not one prophecy - Not one promise - Not one threat.
II. The Bible is confirmed to us
as the Word of God by the messengers God
has employed to give it (v. 6).
The
holy God gave his holy Word to his holy angels, to give to his holy prophets,
to show his servants in every generation the mind and will of God in all
spiritual things.
NOTE: I do not know how the
angels are involved in giving us the Word of God, but they are involved (Gal.
3:19). Perhaps the angels are charged with secretly protecting and preserving
the Holy Scriptures for us.
NOTE: Those who wrote the
Scriptures and those who faithfully preach the Scriptures have nothing to gain
and everything to lose by faithfully declaring the truth of God in this world.
III. The Scriptures will soon be
confirmed to all the world as the Word of God by the accomplishment of all that has been revealed in them (vv.
6-7).
This
Book reveals certain “things which must
shortly be done.” Though men scoff and mock, they shall be done.
·
Christ shall come! - The resurrection!
·
This world shall be destroyed! (Babylon/the world’s religion and
Babylon/the world’s system).
·
We will stand before God in judgment!
·
God will make all things new!
·
We will spend eternity somewhere!
IV. This Book is confirmed to us
as the Word of God by its honesty and
forthrightness in exposing the sins of its most eminent characters (vv.
8-9).
The
first time John did this, it might be overlooked as a mistake. He may have
thought the angel was Christ himself. But here, John’s fault reveals the
sinfulness and idolatry that is in the hearts of all men (Rev. 19:10).
NOTE: Even when John was in the
Spirit, he was only a sinful man, prone to every imaginable evil!
Why
does the Word of God so plainly and frequently reveal the corruption and sin of
God’s elect?
·
To show us our depravity.
·
To show us that salvation is by grace alone (I Cor. 4:7).
·
To show us that Christ alone is our righteousness.
·
To keep us looking to Christ alone for all our salvation (I Cor. 1:30).
V. This Book is confirmed to us
as the Word of God by its being open to
public scrutiny (v. 10).
This
is not a secret revelation. it is open to all, for all to read and hear. We
hide no part of God’s truth from anyone.
(Illustration: The two spinsters
at Ashland.)
A. All the doctrines of the
Bible are open for inspection.
B. All the prophecies of the
Bible are open for scrutiny.
C. All the Scriptures are open
to be studied and believed (I John 5:10).
VI. The Bible is confirmed to us
as the Word of God by the effect it has
upon those who hear it and read it (v. 110.
To
some it is a savor of life unto life, to others a savor of death unto death (II
Cor. 2:15-17).
VII. This Book shall be confirmed
as the Word of God in the day of judgment, for in that day this book, and the gospel it reveals, will be the basis of
judgment (v. 12).
In
that great day the Lord Jesus Christ will dispense the rewards of justice
according to the rule of Holy Scripture.
·
Those who obey the gospel shall be saved.
·
Those who disobey the gospel shall be damned.
VIII. This Book shall be confirmed
to all men as the Word of God by Christ
himself when he comes to reward his saints (vv. 13-14).
·
They shall live who obey his commandments (I John 3:23).
·
All who believe shall eat of the tree of life by just right.
·
They shall enter into the city of God.
IX. This Book shall be confirmed
as the Word of God, faithful and true, by
condemning and banishing from heaven all who despise its message and reject its
counsel (v. 15).
·
“Dogs”/prostitutes of the gospel (Duet. 23:17-18; Isa. 56:10-11).
·
“Sorcerers”/superstitious.
·
“Whoremongers and murderers”/profligate, lawless rebels.
·
“Idolaters”/worshippers of strange gods, materialists.
·
“Whosoever loveth and maketh a lie”/false prophets and those who follow
them, free-will, works religionists (Gal. 1:6-8; II Thess. 2:10; I Cor. 15:22).
X. The Bible is confirmed in
your hearing tonight as the Word of God by
the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ through his messenger (v. 16).
·
It is Christ who speaks to you by his Word.
·
The angel is his messenger.
·
His message is found and heard in his churches.
·
Christ is the root of David/He is David’s God.
·
Christ is the offspring of David/He is David’s son.
·
Christ is the Bright and Morning Star/The Fountain of our Light.
XI. The Holy Scriptures are confirmed to us as the Word
of God by the open invitation to sinners
here given by the Lord of glory (v. 17).
·
The Spirit of God and the Bride of Christ, say to the Lord Jesus “Come” fulfill your word.
·
The gospel preacher, the one who hears the Word of the Lord, stands
upon the walls of Zion, and says “Come...”
Sinner, come and welcome to
Jesus.
Lord Jesus, come to us poor
sinners.
·
The Lord himself calls sinners to come and take of the water of life
freely - “Him that is athirst!”
“Whosoever will!”
XII. God
confirms these pages of Holy Scripture to us as his own Word by the solemn sanction he places upon every
word, and doctrine, and precept revealed in these pages (vv. 18-19).
(Compare Deut. 4:2 at the end of the law, and Mal. 4:4 at
the end of the prophets, and Rev. 22:18-19 at the end of the apostles.)
XIII. The
Bible is confirmed to us as the Word of God by the testimony of Christ himself (v. 20).
“I will do what I
have revealed and promised” (John 14:1-3).
XIV. This Book is confirmed to
the world as the Word of God by the hope
and expectation of God’s saints in this world (v. 20).
Having heard his Word, the whole church of God stands upon
the tiptoe of faith and cries, “Even so
come, Lord Jesus!”
XV. And
this blessed Book is confirmed to us as the Word of God by the benediction of grace with which it ends (v. 21).
The Bible ends with...
·
A clear proof of Christ’s eternal Godhead.
·
A word of grace.
·
An assurance of grace - “Amen.”