The Word of God is Not Bound - Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Well, good morning. Meet me in your Bibles, please, in second Timothy chapter two. Let's begin in verse eight again and then we'll focus on one verse this morning. Verse nine will be our focus, but let's read the context. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal, but the word of God is not bound.

Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Lord, we thank you for your word. We thank you this morning that it is not bound. We thank you Lord that it is powerful. We thank you Lord that it is precise in its ability to convict and convert.

We ask Lord that there be utmost reverence for the scriptures, that we would realize that every time this word is opened, read, declared, taught, you are speaking. And we pray that we would sense that assisted by the spirit of God who would take these truths and melt them into our hearts. We ask Lord that you would protect us from the birds of the air that would steal the seed from the hearts of those who need it the most. We pray oh God that our minds would be fixed, and not just fixed, ready to obey. We ask Lord that you would help us.

We give you our weaknesses this morning. We offer you what you do not have in yourself, our weakness. And we pray that you would make perfect your strength in us, especially in this moment as there is a very important transaction that is taking place. Do so in your strength. Stretch forth your arm and make your power known in the sanctuary.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Paul continues to encourage his spiritual son Timothy with what encouraged him in the midst of his own suffering. He began by calling both Timothy and ourselves to do one simple thing. So simple yet we often forget and that is to remember Jesus Christ.

Remember Jesus Christ, not just for a moment but to have a constant meditation and to have your imagination fixed upon his beauty. And not just in a general sense, we are told to remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead. In other words, remember that your Lord, your savior is alive and well today. And because of the reality of his reigning presence in heaven, but also his omnipresence on the earth, he is watching over you. He is near you.

He is supervising every activity and everything that you are enduring. He is closer than you think. And this is something that the disciples failed to understand on that chaotic boat ride as we discovered last week. That though they felt like they were distanced from their Christ, he was watching over them from that hillside. And just at the right time, he was walking by them and was ready when they would call upon his name.

But don't just remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead. Remember that he is the offspring of David. That Jesus Christ, although he is truly and fully God, is also human. And part of the sacrifice of Christ into coming to save us was that he permanently put on flesh for all eternity. You have to realize that when Christ rose, he didn't raise as a spirit, he raised as flesh.

And he occupies the throne today and all the angels and all the creatures that we cannot fully understand and describe are beholding not just God, but God in flesh. And what does that mean for us practically? Well, this God who is flesh can truly sympathize with us. He understands what it's like to be tempted. He understands what it's like to be tired and weary.

He understands and therefore, he will not withhold his encouragement. He will not withhold his compassion. Every time you come with your pain and with your temptation and with your suffering, he is there as a physician ready to heal you, to console you, and to pick you back up on your feet to walk again. But then Paul continues to shower his spiritual son with even more encouragement and it is for us as well. And this is done by a bold declaration that has proven to be true throughout generations and it will remain true until the day of eternity.

This is what he says in verse nine. The word of God is not bound. What a triumphant call. What a victory cry. Nothing can bind this word and I can't help but feel a flood of encouragement every time I read this verse within its context because this man who said, you cannot imprison the word of God is writing it while he is in chains himself.

As Paul was apprehended like a criminal would be, he could still feel a joy. He can know a delight in knowing that no governing authority, no iron prison gate, no plan from the government to liquidate all the Christians from the land, will be able to put a halt to the advancement of the gospel. And this understanding of God's sovereign protection and purpose over his word is able to put the soul at rest for this apostle and even bring him the light in that dark dungeon. You know why? Because this man, his life was about the truth.

He was saved by this truth. He lived to proclaim this truth. He traveled the world to tell of this truth. He was willing to die for this truth because he understood, he was fully convinced that what was revealed to him was and still is the sole remedy, The sole cure for sin and the rescue for sinners. And so beyond his own condition, beyond his own circumstance, he could rejoice because his life was centered around the truth.

So if he is bound that's one thing, but the fact that the word of God is not bound is all I care about. And you see this knowledge of God's word being an unstoppable force on the earth, will not mean much to those who don't value truth. Who don't understand the power of this truth. Who can't echo what the psalmist said about the word of God, more to be desired are they than gold. Even much fine gold sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycombs.

This truth that you just heard that the word of God is not bound won't mean a thing if you cannot echo what Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation. It won't mean a thing to you this morning if you have not experienced the reality of the words of Jesus who assured all mankind and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. How can you be passionate about truth if all you care about is Bible knowledge but hasn't transformed your soul? Of course, you're not gonna be shaken. Of course, you're not gonna be stirred.

Of course, you're not gonna feel confident. But if you've tasted of this power, if you've understood what this word of God can do because you know what it's done in you, you also wanna spread that truth and know for certain that it will touch others, so you can rejoice in knowing that the word of God will never be bound. And perhaps, we don't see the importance of such a promise. Maybe we don't understand what this implies, but it is absolutely vital to understand especially in our day because unfortunately what you have is many believers who are convinced that the effectiveness of the gospel is totally dependent upon the social and political liberties that provide freedom of expression. Under that illusion, people might even believe that the power of the gospel is at risk of being restricted because we have got on the bad side of culture and the cancel culture police.

And so we think that as long as we do it in a certain way, we'll be okay. But this misconception of thinking that this word is somehow subject to outside forces, leads to many troubles for the church. And this is why you have many who are compromising certain truths in the church today. Then who just lay off certain things in the scripture, who who know how to play hopscotch with the Bible and skip over the things that might might set off a bomb, and let's just stick with the things that universally people can agree with. Because if we do these things, then we're gonna forfeit our witness.

We won't have the full liberty anyway. So so so why don't we just avoid it? Let let's let's agree with them, and let's just do our thing. Get some money, have some glory, and move on. Thinking this is leading to so much compromise.

And not only that, you have others who because they think that all these things in our world, our culture, our institutions, our laws are beneficial to us, that their hope is completely set on those things. Meaning what? That some have been fully convinced that unless we fight to maintain our rights to freedom and our liberties of religion and expression of our faith, we will forfeit our ability to witness altogether. And that's why you have good hearted Christians who are witnessing and observing what's happening today, and they are feeling more fear than confidence. They're more worried than they are ready to worship.

And so, this is exactly what Paul is saying. The word of God will never be able to be bound by anything in heaven or on earth or under the earth. It is unfettered. It has been unleashed and God's sovereign promises over it. No man can touch that purpose or influence that purpose.

Men have tried to bury it. Men have tried to burn it. Men have tried to silence it. Men have tried to twist it. And men have tried to threaten those who proclaim it, but the word of God is not bound.

It never will be bound. And that's the truth here. And before I move on, I wanna make it very clear about where I personally stand on the understanding of the laws of our land because we are a nation unlike any other nation, and history even testifies to that. So I wanna make sure nobody misunderstands what I'm saying concerning making use of our laws in relation to the gospel. In fact, I'm a firm believer that the church has an obligation to be good stewards of what God has allowed for the church in its respective context concerning the freedoms and the graces that are given by the government.

I think that the church is actually irresponsible if they don't understand what is happening politically, what is happening in terms of legislation and and different things. They're irresponsible if they do not use those things to further the gospel. If they don't use it, if they don't protect it, and even fight for it as long as it's done in righteousness and wisdom. Here's proof of that. When you go to the first epistle of Timothy, we are told the first instruction for the church is to pray for rulers and governing authorities for what?

That we may live peaceful and quiet lives for the sake of what? That the government would not intrude, persecute, threaten, put any obstacles to our mission and message. In other words, what is Paul saying? Ask God for favor wherever you live from those who have power and resources to make your task much more difficult. Ask God for favor.

And not only that, the same apostle who gave that instruction also exemplified by his life in more than one instance that he understood his rights as a certain citizen of Rome and he used those rights to protect and preserve and pursue greater advancements of the gospel. I wanna prove that. Turn to Acts chapter 16 quickly. This is just a side note, but it's worth exploring. Here's what's happening in Acts 16.

You have Paul and Silas, and they come to a certain region, Philippi. And here they are seeking to pray. And as they find a place of prayer, there's a slave girl who has a spirit. She's demon possessed. And this demon possessed girl is following them around, and she's saying this in verse 17.

These men are servants of the most high God who proclaim to you the way of salvation. And she kept going and she kept going, and Paul was annoyed. And so he cast the devil out of her. Do you know why? Because it's not good for a demon to testify on your behalf.

Doesn't do your ministry much good for a demon to say something about you. And so which is a little shocking, don't you think? Because the demon is saying the right thing. So just because people say the right things doesn't mean that they're possessed with the right spirit, by the way. We need discernment.

So these men are servants of the most high God who put and Paul's like, yeah. She's not stopping, Silas. She cast the devil out of her. Now here's the thing, those who own that slave girl because she would tell fortunes and predict things, were mad. So they brought these men, these missionaries brought them before the magistrates and without trial, without investigation, they stripped their clothes up, beat them with rods and throw them in prison.

And that's where the famous passages where they sing hymns and the earthquake comes and the Philippian jailer is ready to commit suicide realizing that all these prisoners are set free. Paul stops him, preaches the gospel to him. He gets saved. He invites him over at their house, washes their wounds, they have a meal, and the whole household is saved. And then we are told here on the next day what happens.

Verse 35. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police saying, let those men go. And the jailer reported these words to Paul saying, the magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore, come out and go in peace. So these civil rulers realized that what they had done to these two missionaries was wrong.

They overstepped their bounds. And so they send the police over to the jailer's house and they said, look, we were wrong. Have these two guys just leave peaceably. Let's not make a scene. We don't have to do anything else.

They they're free to go. They don't have to go through trial or anything. Just let them go. Now what would most Christians do in this moment? Oh, wow.

Look at this opportunity. Let's get out of here before they change their mind. Right? Let's move. Let's go.

Let's go. Come on. This is God's grace. Is that what Paul did? What Paul's about to do may offend many Christians.

But you have to understand why he's doing it because there's wisdom here. And it calls for discretion in certain circumstances when to turn the other cheek and when to take advantage of a situation for the sake of the gospel. Verse 37, but Paul said to them, they have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens and have thrown us into prison and do they now throw us out secretly? No. Let them come themselves and take us out.

Not very Christian, Paul. He says, we're Roman citizens, and they treated us this way. You think we're just gonna walk away secretly? No. Get those rulers, have them come, and let them escort us themselves.

So what happens? Verse 38. The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them, and they took them out and asked them to leave the city. Do you realize that Paul, as a Christian, who said set your mind on things above, who said we are citizens of heaven, also appeal to his rights as a citizen of Rome.

He said, I am a Roman citizen. That made them shake in their boots because they realized that they try to sweep their wrong like many politicians do under the rug. And they didn't affirm it, they didn't address it, they didn't try to make it right. And Paul says, you think you're just gonna get away like that so easily? No.

I'm a Roman citizen. I appeal to the protection and my rights as a Roman citizen. You did not give us a trial. You mistreated us. And so we have to deal with this.

And this is what he's saying, because you publicly shamed us and condemned us, because it was a public thing, you must match the crime by publicly acknowledging that you were wrong and that we are innocent. Now why is Paul doing this? Because we don't wanna misapply it. He is not doing this to to shame them or embarrass them. Nor is he even doing this for the sake of his well-being.

He's not trying to get some retribution here. Paul's been beaten many times, shipwrecked, all these things, tortured. He's endured much. So we can't think that he's all for a sudden offended that he has some scars, new scars on his back. Why is Paul doing what he's doing here?

We have every reason to believe that it was for the sake of the testimony of the Christian faith. In other words, if Paul had not done this, it would have been left in the minds of those who observe their beating and imprisonment that they were guilty of some kind of crime. That there was a legitimate reason to why they were arrested. And so what Paul wanted to make sure was that the testimony, that there was no reproach, no scandal and that those who are aware of their imprisonment would now see that they were in fact innocent. You see what was occupying his mind?

The testimony of the gospel. As they come to Philippi and Lydia was converted and this fill this Philippian jailer was converted. He didn't want people to have a bad taste in their mouth that these Christians cause trouble in society. And so he appeals to the law for the sake of protecting the testimony of the gospel. That's wisdom.

That's thinking like a missionary. That's not being so black and white in our understanding of how we relate to this world including the political world. And so if Paul exercised such discretion, should we not? Should we not also utilize and take advantage of the freedoms and the rights that we have today? Not for our own preservation, not so that we can win an argument, not so that we could be more comfortable for the sake of the gospel, for the sake of the truth.

Because here's the reality, Paul did that here but in second Timothy, his rights as a Roman citizen have ran out. Now he is imprisoned unjustly again and guess what? There's gonna be no sign of freedom. In fact, he's going to be executed very shortly. And so he had a window of time, he took advantage of that window of time.

When will the church in America take advantage of the window of time that we have today? And so we have to understand here that Paul knew when to do these things but Paul in the context in which all his rights were stripped from him, it was in that kind of context he said the word of God is not bound. Not because I'm a citizen. Not because we have a constitution. Not because we have conservatives in the Supreme Court.

No no no no. The Word of God is not bound because God's sovereign protection is over it. So let me give you some illustrations of that before we break bread. Ever since the beginning of time, Satan has attempted to thwart the purposes of God on the earth. Ever since the beginning.

And listen, he is so filled with pride. He is so consumed with his himself. He he he actually believes that he is on par with God, That even though he has failed over and over and over again, especially at the cross, especially at the grave, even then he still thinks he can cancel God's prophetic plan on the earth. He actually believes it. And people wonder like, doesn't Satan know his end?

Of course he knows his end, but he is so deceived by his pride that he thinks he can actually change the outcome that has been set by eternity past. And so he attempts and he attempts and he attempts and he attempts to the point where he actually does so when things are coming near to the end. And I want you to see that in Revelation 13. When the Antichrist appears in full blown manifestation on the earth and we are told very symbolic things about the Antichrist, one day hopefully we'll go through Revelation. Might be too late by the time we get there.

We were told something about him in verse seven. Also it being the beast who is the Antichrist. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

You have to understand, the vaccine Maybe I'll get in trouble because I said that. Maybe I'm gonna delete this. The vaccine is not the mark of the beast. Okay? Be relieved.

It's not the mark of the beast. For one sole reason, the the the mark of the beast is a pledge of allegiance to a person. It's an act of worship and it's not gonna be discreet. It's gonna be obvious. And the condition of the world will be so grave, so dark, so desperate that people are going to be willing to take the mark of the beast for the sake of their own livelihood.

Because that's how desperate Satan is for worship. He has to put these incentives on it. You can't buy or sell without the mark, so worship me. It's like okay, well, I'll I'll have to eat, my family has to eat, so I'll worship you. Some will do it out of genuine allegiance, some will do it out of desperation.

But notice that it says, it will be given. Who's giving him this authority? God is giving him this authority. Whatever plots prevail, whatever whatever things he accomplishes, no matter what kind of allegiance he has, no matter what kind of surrender he coughs up from people, ultimately God sovereignly allows it and permits it. He's the one who's truly in control of this and he has his chief end in mind concerning his glory.

And so he allows him, but he doesn't just allow him to have people worship him. It doesn't have him just establish a global economic system, global police system. More than that, he is allowed to actually make war on Christians. During the tribulation period, he will turn and he will come against those who stand for the lamb of God. And guess what?

He will conquer them. That's what it says. Other translations, and he will overcome them. He will overcome them. Not their faith because nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

But it's speaking about a physical dominance. He will be able to apprehend them, arrest them, confine them and even torture and kill them at an accelerating rate, at a great rate, at a terrifying rate. And as we are told this, verse nine, we're giving a proverb. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. We've seen that before.

Right? If anyone has an ear, let him hear. And here's the proverb, if anyone is taken captive to captivity he goes. If anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

I want to give you an interesting observation. No matter where you stand concerning pre trip, mid trip, post trip, no trip, whatever. Notice here, if anyone has an ear let him hear. Where have we seen that before? Early on in the book of Revelation among other places.

In Revelation chapter two and three, we are told in every part, every letter to the different churches, whoever has an ear let him hear. Right? No. Whoever has an ear let him hear what? What the Spirit says to the churches.

That's omitted here. We're not told whoever has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. We're told whoever has an ear let him hear. Implying what? Here's what people believe, that because the spirit is not being addressed and the church is not being addressed, it's because the church is long gone by this point.

The church is not on the earth at this point. There are saints on the earth. There are believers on the earth. But some who hold to a rapture that's early on would say, it's because the rapture has taken place already. You might disagree.

That's fine. We'll figure it out together when it happens. But one thing is for certain, there are saints on the earth at this point. There are Christians on the earth and they're being encouraged to embrace the fate of their death or their imprisonment when the Antichrist manifests his wicked plans. They are to be encouraged that God is in control even over the Antichrist who seems to be in control of everything.

Now this is what it says in the ESV and the NASB and the King James, New King James. It reads differently. Right? It doesn't say if anyone is to be taken captive. It actually addresses those who are persecuting, not the persecuted.

And so in other translations, it would actually say it this way, that those he that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity. He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. In other words, he is saying that those who issue these injustices and persecutions and these deaths upon my people will ultimately be held accountable. They will be judged. They will meet my righteous wrath and then and that understanding, there is encouragement to endure.

God will take care of these ones that are gonna spill my blood in a moment. Endure until the end. Both translations have the same application. You and I are to endure. No matter how fierce and ugly things are, we are to hold fast to our confession in Christ.

But that's not the main point because you read chapter 13 and it's dark, it's it's gloomy, it's frightening even. When you see the control that the Antichrist will have and you see that he is doing a very good job getting rid of the witness on the earth concerning the gospel, Whoever is remaining on the He will hunt them down like dogs. He will try to find them and seal their mouths so that he can seal the fate as many people as possible into an eternal hell. But when you come to chapter 14, you see just one example of what Paul said that the Word of God is not bound even under such dire circumstances and pressures and persecutions. I want you to notice something.

As you come to 14, it's like black and white. There's so much hope and encouragement in 14, especially in the first few verses. But look what happens in verse six. Then I, John, the one that that wrote chapter 13 also wrote this, then I saw another angel flying directly overhead with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. Do you understand what's taking place here?

If this observation is chronological to what we read in chapter 13, While the Antichrist has this worldwide mission to destroy and silence the remaining Christians on the earth, God is going to do something very rare because the proclamation of the gospel has not been given to angels. It's been given to men. You and I have the privilege of being ambassadors for Jesus Christ and preaching the message of reconciliation. That task has not been given to heavenly beings, but to redeem creatures. But at this time in redemptive history, God is going to make an exception.

And he is going to open the heavens and allow an angel fly overhead at such a height so that all can see him and at such a rate that can all can hear him, proclaiming the eternal gospel. Out of reach of the Antichrist and any foes that would try to hinder him, and he is going to give the world one more chance to repent and believe. You know what I read here? The mercy of God. The mercy of God.

That while Satan and those who are under his influence are trying to eradicate the gospel, God is gonna say, you're gonna treat my people that remain under this way. Let me send an angel preach the gospel. And this gospel will fly overhead and declare the truth. And some would say that this angel is actually the fulfillment of what Jesus said in Matthew 24, that the gospel we heard by all nations and peoples before the return of Jesus Christ. Whether you believe that or not, it's still an encouraging point.

This angel will go forth and give this depraved, twisted generation, unlike what we've seen in history, another chance before the last sequence of judgments are poured out on the earth. This shows me the love of God, man. He doesn't want people to perish. And even under the Antichrist rule and reign on the earth, that window of time that seems so bleak and discouraging, God will open the heavens and send an angel to preach and trumpet the gospel. And what is he gonna say?

Verse seven, and he said with a loud voice, fear God. Is that part of our gospel today? Fear God and give him glory because the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. Don't fear the antichrist. Fear God.

Don't worship the Antichrist. Give glory to God. All the plagues, all the things that you've seen in this terrible hour, God is sovereign over them. God is sovereign over that man, That man that people are praising and fearing. I am sovereign.

Fear God. Does our gospel cause us to fear God? What kind of gospel are we preaching if people don't fear God as a result? It's not a complete gospel, I'll tell you that. We are to tremble before God.

We are to have reverence for God. We are to understand how holy he is and how really he is and that he can intervene in our lives in a moment. And had it not been for the grace of God on the cross and the grace of God today because of the cross, we would all be evaporated because of our sin. Fear God. Tremble.

Do we tremble at the word of God this morning? Do we not realize how powerful this text is? How great and glorious it is? How unstoppable it is that it will remain forever? When man fades, flower fades, buildings fade, when this world is melted, the word of God will remain and stand.

This is not a small thing. This is not something that's light this morning, and neither it is when you spend time with this word every day by yourself. The word of God is not bound. The antichrist won't be able to stop it. Persecution won't be able to halt it.

And no man who has attempted to get rid of it has ever succeeded. In fact, let me give you one more image and actually the Old Testament. We'll conclude there before we break bread. In Jeremiah chapter 36. Jeremiah is a prophet, as you know, and he's been given instruction to write a prophetic word, divine revelation on a scroll, and to give this scroll to one of the kings to warn that Babylon is coming to judge you because of your sin.

And so he sends his secretary, Baruch. Baruch sent it to certain people in liaison with the king, and they read it in his presence. And let's read here from verse 22. It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. And Yehudai read three or four columns.

The king cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the firepot until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the firepot. Now look at their response. Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor that they tear their garments. So as the scroll is being read, after three or four columns, the king would take that piece and slice it up with a knife and throw it just to feel the fire. And though this is a real thing, this is actually a physical thing, spiritually speaking, men are doing that today.

They're cutting parts of the word God out. The things that they don't like, the things concerning judgment, the things concerning holiness. They're cutting them apart and they don't even tremble. They cut it out of their preaching, out of their teaching, out of their institutions, out of their seminaries. And just because they're not physically doing out of their bibles, they should take scissors and do it anyway because they're doing it in their convictions.

They're taking pieces of God's word and throwing it into the fire, and they have no sense of trembling. That if you do not declare the whole counsel of God, you will be held accountable before God. You know what's so amazing as they did this? God speaks to his prophet again. This man thought he could eliminate this prophecy, that he could evaporate God's for sure prophetic declaration over him and over his people.

You know what God does? It's not nothing supernatural. It's so simple, but it speaks so highly of the word of God not being able to be bound. Verse 28, God is speaking. Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll.

It was Jehoiakim, Jehoiakim, the king of Judah had burned. Just rewrite it again. You think you can you think you can burn my word? You think you can turn it to ash? You think that by destroying the medium in which the word of God is presented that you have you have erased my will and my counsel on the earth?

And then he pronounces a judgment. He says, and concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, you shall say, thus says the Lord, you have burned this scroll saying, why have you written it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land and will cut off from it man and beast? The word of God that Jehoiakim tried to destroy it ended up destroying him. And I love this illustration of how the word of God is not bound. You know why?

Because when this man thought that he can bury the scriptures, when this man thought that he can trample upon the word of God, when this man thought that he can eliminate the Lord's purpose once and for all, ends up living to this day while he is buried somewhere disgracefully. You can't bury God's word. It'll remain forever. And men who have tried to assault it have been assaulted by it. God overlooks his word.

He holds it in integrity. And men who do not tremble or fear and even try to destroy it will let themselves be destroyed. And some even share this story often, and I'm hesitant to share it sometimes because I like to look at the validity of it, but it's a common one, about Voltaire, the French philosopher. If you've heard of Voltaire, he was a man who criticized Christianity greatly during his day. And what's so amazing about Voltaire is that at one point, he says something along the lines of, a hundred years from now, the Bible will only be seen in museums.

And what's so amazing is that history shares apparently, some share that history tells us that Voltaire's house ended up becoming a printing press for the bible. You can't bury God's word. You can't. So what does that demand of us? I mean, there's so many things that we can explore in the scriptures, but you're you're stating a fact about this Well, how does that relate to me?

What's my response to that? Well, there are many responses. Let me give you one as we close, in Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12, and then we will break bread together in the presence of Christ. A wonderful thing is told in Hebrews 12 verse 28.

Therefore, let us be grateful. You want a response? Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And not just that, and thus, let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe for our God is a consuming fire. Here's two applications in light of the brief exploration of the fact that the word of God has never been bound, will never be bound.

Be grateful. You are part of a kingdom that cannot be stopped. When nations rise and fall, when people and governments will bend their knee, you and I will be a part of a kingdom that will be established for all eternity. Be grateful that you are part of something that is guaranteed success, and that nothing and no one will be able to stand before it victoriously. And not just be grateful, fear God.

The reverence and awe for the word of God is missing in our day, and there needs to be a revival of the Bible in America. We need to come back to the scriptures in its totality, and not just honoring it academically, but proclaiming it with a trembling from the pulpit and hearing it with a fear as well. Reverence and awe because our God is a consume not was a consuming fire. This is New Testament, brothers and sisters. God is a consuming fire to this day.

So you and I have before us a word that cannot be stopped, a word that is real, a word that will remain and stand forever and ever. And guess what? We're on the winning side. We are on the winning side. Aren't you glad you're saved this morning?

Perhaps you need to be reminded, as as I do need to be reminded, and that's why we're gonna be reminded together. That not because of our works, not because of anything else, solely based on the work of Christ, are we part of his kingdom that cannot be shaken? Will we be rewarded on top of our salvation? Will we be crowned that we are undeserving? Though we will make mistakes, God is gracious to put those things behind his back, and to praise us with praises that will shatter us, I'm sure, when we hear them.

But for now, let us give thanks to him. Let us be grateful for his kingdom with reverence and awe. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Blessed be the name of the lord.

We come before you, oh god, just having a taste of the testimony of this truth that you've unleashed your word on the earth and it will not return void. We ask you, oh God, to give us a understanding that you are true, your word is true. It is proven to be true, it will remain true. So why be ashamed of your gospel? Why be intimidated by the threats that we see on the news?

Why tremble when we see the trends ahead of us when nothing can subdue your word? We live for your word. We love your word. Our lives are surrounded and centered on this word. And so Lord, prepare us for what's ahead and help us be wise to take advantage of what we have today.

And we ask, oh God, that as we approach your table, that you would see reverence and awe as well as gratitude. That two thousand years ago you sent your Son, the Word who became flesh, to reveal the father perfectly and to be the substitute of man perfectly. We worship you together. Lord, let our hearts come alive. Let our let our hearts come alive as we come to this table together, realizing that your presence is with us, that you see us.

You see our hearts before you see us taking part, and so we take our time to meditate and to worship you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.