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Again, good morning. Please open your Bibles to Revelation chapter 22. We'll be looking at verses 18 and 19. Verses 18 and 19. Revelation 22, verses 18 and 19. I think I'm a liar because I was thinking I'd get through this week, but it looks like it's going to be next week.

So I also thought we were going to get done by Christmas. But you know, there's something about the Word of God I teach in my hermeneutics class is that the Scripture is the tech, is the master, and the speaker is merely the servant. And so we have set up a time frame, say 50 minutes here at Emmanuel, in which the Word of God is to be served up.

Well, that puts a certain kind of constraint upon the text, doesn't it? So what that means is you can't teach a 50-minute text in 20 minutes. It doesn't mean you can't it can't put 10 pounds in a five pound bag, so to speak. And so As I go through this, we just end up spending a little more time because I start understanding what this text touches upon, and so we want to give it its full jurisdiction.

So, text is Lord even over the time it takes. And so, I appreciate this church and your understanding and love for God's word, and appreciate you encouraging me to walk through it carefully. Revelation chapter 22, verse 18. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book.

And if anyone takes away from the words of the book, of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city which are written in this book. Well, happy Father's Day. I hope you have fathers that you all appreciate. I appreciate my father, my earthly father, that the Lord gave me.

I appreciate all the different experiences he gave me growing up. One of them was farming, even though we weren't any good at it at all. It was a noble effort. And one of the things, I sunk a lot of my dad's tractors. I did on many occasions, would take one of those beautiful John Deere tractors and just sink it.

And one time that comes to my memory was: my dad had just told us to go plow this bottom land, and we were kind of dodging the range and journey. Okay, it's dry enough, get out there, go and stay out of that mess up there. Stay out of that mess.

Okay, I'll stay out of that mess. There was a mess, and then there was a big mess, and there was a swampy mess, and then there was a great big mess. So, in my mind, I'm like, okay, I'm going to stay out of the mess. But I'm also driving a John Deere tractor.

So I can get pretty close to the big mess without getting into the mess. Well, so as I take off there, guess what? I sunk the tractor in zero-time flat. Just and my uncle comes out to the tractor, and he's looking at me with this curious look. I thought your dad just said to stay out of the mess.

I was like, oh, that mess. I thought he meant that mess. And so there it was. That mess. That's the mess you were referring to. I thought there was a bigger mess, and so I stayed. I added to, perhaps took away from what he said. But paying attention to my dad and honoring my dad's words was a good way to stay out of the mess.

And that is a much truer sense as it relates to our Heavenly Father, who has given us His Word. And He intends for us to listen to it, to hear it. And those who do will stay out of the mess, the eternal mess. We're working our way through this conclusion to the book of Revelation.

The ultimate author of this book is God. The ultimate audience of this book are his bondservants. And a bondservant fundamentally seeks to be a good steward. That's what a bondservant does. A bondservant seeks to be a good steward of that which has been entrusted to him, to her.

And so far, as we've walked through this conclusion, that begins in verse 6 of chapter 22, we've noted several things. A good steward. Of the words of Revelation lives expectantly of Christ's return. A good steward heeds the words of Revelation. A good steward recognizes his fellow servants. He does not worship them, but worships God.

A good steward of the words of Revelation does not conceal them, but proclaims them. A good steward of the words of Revelation invites people to come to Jesus. And this morning we'll add another. A good steward of the words of Revelation does not change them, does not change them.

Look back at verse 18. We've entered into Jesus' closing testimony. And listen to just how strong these final words come to us. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. I testify Jesus Himself. This is His personal, ongoing, I am testifying witness.

I am testifying. It's like He's under oath on a witness stand, that kind of testimony. That's what we have in these final concluding thoughts. Notice who He's testifying to. I testify to everyone who is hearing, is hearing. It's directed to Everyone, everywhere where these words have been read will be read, and it includes us today.

It's a solemn statement to the truth. And I hope you pick up on the gravitas of this testimony. I testify to everyone who is hearing, look back, the words of the prophecy of this book. The words of the prophecy of this book. And it's another reminder of what the words of Revelation are about.

They are prophecy. They are prophecy. Jesus' sworn testimony, his serious closing testimony is that the words that we have in Revelation are fundamentally prophetic words. They do not fall under the category of apocalyptic literature. So when you're approaching the words of Revelation, you approach it as prophecy, not as what many do in a genre study.

They come up with these many different rules for interpretation based upon non-inspired sources and their idea of what the rules for interpretation. Apocalyptic literature should be. No, the rules for sound biblical interpretation come from the biblical writers themselves and Jesus Himself, who expected, and Jesus Himself expected scripture to be read, understood, and obeyed, including Revelation.

And he understood prophecy. He can identify prophecy when he sees it. He was a man who lived his life fulfilling prophecy. Listen, for instance, what he said in Luke 22, 37. I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in me. And he was numbered with the transgressors, for that which refers to me has its fulfillment.

Jesus understood prophecy. He understood that it prophetically spoke about him being numbered with the transgressors and going to the cross. He understood prophecy. Luke 24, 44, remember on the road to Emmaus, Jesus explains to his disciples, These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.

Every prophetic sound. Syllable has to be fulfilled. And that is what he understood about prophecy. And he expected others to understand prophecy as well. You remember in Luke chapter 12 speaking to the Pharisees, scribes who were his enemies, the gospel. And I'll read from the ESV saying this, you hypocrites, Luke 12, 56, you hypocrites, you know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

In other words, he's contending with them, saying, look, and these are hypocrites, these are unbelievers. He's saying, it's plain enough that you should get the message and recognize your times. He expected people to understand prophecy. He expected people to read, understand, and heed the warnings of the prophetic words.

But also, he wanted people to look forward to the blessings that the prophecies announce. And ultimately, that's where prophecy ends. Prophecy ends with blessings. And that is why they need to be heeded. The words need to be heeded and understood and obeyed. So if you leave, Revelation. Make sure you understand what is the primary genre of scripture or category of scripture that Revelation is.

It is prophecy. We have the sworn testimony of Jesus Himself. I testify. He knows what He's talking about. But notice where this prophecy is contained. Look back at verse 18. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy. Notice these words, of this book, of this book.

What book is that? Does this refer to the words of Revelation or to the whole Bible? Well, in this context, it's certainly the book of Revelation, of this book. Think about the situation where these words come into being. John is there, perhaps in the cave, on the island of Patmos.

The scroll containing the words. He's just about through with this scroll. He's putting on the final touches. He's down to the last sentences. The reference is to that which is laying before him, and that is the book of Revelation. Of this book, of this scroll. Scroll, if you want to use the reference there, it's scroll.

And so it's certainly referring to the words of Revelation. But there are implications for the whole canon of Scripture as well. They appropriately close the canon of Scripture. John is the last apostle, and with him the apostolic age comes to a close. Those who knew Christ, those who walk with him, with John now they are gone.

And so the apostles of Christ, well, there may be other apostles in time where you can put with a little A, but there are only that original 12 of the big A apostles that Jesus Himself sent out. Everyone else would have been sent out by the apostles. The words of Revelation cover from the time of John all the way to the inbreaking of the kingdom of God upon the earth and into the eternal state.

So the whole panoramic time sweep in which they refer to cover the rest of human history. So you cannot possibly say anything else prophetically that doesn't impact this time period. So it's the last apostle, the prophetic apostle. Apostolic age comes to a close. The words themselves speak about all the way into the eternal state.

There is no way that anybody else can add to them without impacting this period. So, certainly, this statement that we read about that Jesus giving here has implications for the whole canon of Scripture. But it's important to understand them in context, specifically referring to the words of Revelation.

And think about it. The first group to read them, after John, I guess, but the first group to read them were those original pastor messengers that were to take these words and read them to the seven churches. And these are the strongest words, strongest warning that we have in Scripture about changing the words of Scripture.

So, think about that situation. Think about the temptation that the original pastors and messengers who were to read these to the congregations, think what they were facing. They had some words that may have seemed a little far-fetched to some, fantastical, even to others. They had to relay words of difficult times.

They had to relay words of God's judgment. They had to relay words of eternal punishment and a host of other things. And don't think those doctrines were any easier to proclaim then than they are now. Eternal punishment has always been an anthema to the unbeliever. Jesus knew the way of false teachers.

He knows what they would do to the book. False teachers distort the words of Scripture to suit their own agendas, but he's not particularly writing specifically to them. Of course, they are certainly included because this testimony is for all. He also knew the disposition in all people to dismiss scripture altogether.

But probably what comes into focus here, he knew the temptation that his own messengers faced to shrink back from declaring everything that he had revealed to John. Think about it. He addressed them. And he specifically addressed them and identified the two ways. In which they would be tempted to change his word.

And that's certainly applicable to us today. You pick up the words of Scripture, and sometimes we want to shrink back a little bit. Sometimes we want to say something more. Sometimes we want to walk them back. Why? Because we're tempted to let the pressures of the world impact our theology more than God's word.

They were difficult words, they were blessings, but they were also difficult. I want us to look this morning at these two ways that people are tempted to change the words of Revelation and Scripture in general, for that matter, so that we will honor them. I mean, what is a child supposed to do about toward their father?

To honor him, right? They are to honor their father and mother so that it will go well with them. Fundamental to honoring them is listening to them, hearing them, and obeying. How much more true is that in the heavenly sense? We are to listen to what he said.

We are not to try to make him say something that he didn't. If we do, we'll stay out of the mess. And he warns about. Failure to do so brings catastrophe, as we will see in a moment. So a good steward of the Word of God does not change the Word of God.

So a good steward of Revelation does not change the words of Revelation first by adding to them. And then we'll look at the second one in a minute. Look back at verse 18. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book.

Notice there's a conditional statement with the promised consequence. Notice the conditional statement. If anyone, there is no respecter of persons in this statement. If anyone, if anyone fits this category, these will be the consequences. If anyone adds to them, literally, if anyone lays upon them, that's the verb, to lay upon them, or to put upon them or inflict.

It's also the word for attack. Attack by inflicting or attack by putting something upon them. In Matthew 26, 29, it's the same word is used speaking about putting a crown of thorns upon Jesus. Head. They added a crown of thorns. The man to Jericho in Luke 10, the word refers to a man who is inflicted with many blows.

Listen to this. Luke 10:30 says this: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him. That's what they did. They struck him. That's the idea. Added blows to him. They laid upon him punches and hits and strikes.

Remember Paul when he was in Philippi, when they had struck them with many blows, when they had struck them with many plagues, that's the actual word. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw him into prison. That's the idea of laying up on. And it often contains the idea of attacking.

Paul was in Corinth. And in Acts 18, 10, it says, God said, don't worry, Paul, I am with you, and no man will attack you. No man will lay upon you like that, or put upon you harm. It's also the word we get epithet from. You know what an epithet is?

A little description attached to a word. A phrase like Alexander the Great or Ivan the Terrible, a little phrase that kind of modifies everything to give it a characteristic. And so, with regards to the words of Revelation, you're not to be just adding to or putting change by way of adding a more thought or inflicting your own thoughts upon it.

Those who do, Jesus solemnly testifies what will happen to them. Look back at verse 18. Look at the consequence. Seen the condition? If anybody wants to inflict Revelation with their own thoughts and not coming under his thoughts, this is what God will do. Verse 18, God will add to him the plagues written in this book.

God will, it's the very same word. It's kind of a play on words. Somebody's going to inflict the words of Revelation with their own ideas. God is going to inflict upon them the plagues which are written in this book. Again, in this book. Words of Revelation. This is the scroll that John nearly has completed in this book.

What is the word for plagues? Plagues, literally strikes or hits or blows. As I read Paul and Philippi, you have both words about to go to the Philippian jail. When they had struck, that is, when they had laid upon him many plagues or many blows, hits, they threw them into prison.

That's what God is saying here. If someone wants to inflict these words with their own ideas, God is going to inflict them with the plagues, the strikes written in this book. What are they? It should take us down. Okay, what are the plagues written in this book? Well, they are the disciplining punishments and or judging activities of God.

They are God's strikes, God's blows, either to push people to a point of repentance or to bring about complete judgment on those who will not. Listen, Revelation 9:20 uses this word. The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent. Revelation 18, 4. I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive.

Of her plagues, her discipline, her judgment. Revelation 18:8 says this: For this reason, in one day, her plagues, Babylon the Great, will come, her plagues, her strikes will come. And then he describes them: pestilence, mourning, and famine, and she will be burned up with fire, for the Lord God who judges her is strong.

Plagues also are a reference to some of the trumpets or the bowls. In fact, in Revelation 21:9, the angel giving the tour says this. Then, one of the angels, one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues. All of these are plagues, strikes that are written about in the book of Revelation.

And so we're talking about these in this book. In this book, book of Revelation. Now, some of the plagues mentioned in Revelation are tribulation-specific, especially the seven last bowls. Some of the plagues mentioned could be taken as timeless, such as mourning, such as fire. But it's clearly a reference to those.

Written in the book of Revelation. So, guess who's going into that tribulation period? All of those who are alive at the time and who subscribe to the school of thought that God's word can be set aside, they are going to suffer the plagues written. But here's the point that certainly shouts out from it.

Jesus does not want any of his warnings, his promises, his instructions, or anything else he has spoken to be superseded at any point by any person. He doesn't want anybody laying up on them some epithet. You see, there's a temptation to change the words of Revelation by adding to them.

Well, let me just say one more thing about. I know what this says, but let me just and completely modify what was said. But there's another way to distort their intended meaning, and that is to subtract from them. A good steward of Revelation does not change the words of Revelation by adding to them, nor by taking away from them.

And here again, Again, verse 19, there's a condition statement, and there is a consequence, a promised consequence, a sworn testimony kind of promise. If anyone, again, Jesus is no respecter of persons in this statement, he means what he says. If anyone takes away, now what does take away?

It's to remove something, to rob something, to cut off something. In fact, in the three synoptic gospels, all of them use this word to describe Peter cutting off the ear of the high priest's slave. Remember, Peter in that rage pulls out his blade and he struck the slave.

Of course, he ducked, probably cutting off the ear. That's what some people do to God's word. You don't like something that it says. Just like Peter, get in a rage, cut off that part of the word. Welcome to our world today. Welcome to the world back then. He didn't really say that.

Or if he did, it needs to come into the 21st century. Cut it off. But there's also a temptation. For us in the church to shrink back, to cut off. Well, let's not really talk about that issue. Let's really not go there. It's where we get our word apathetic from.

To cut off. Apathetic, what does that mean? It's a loss of motivation to be apathetic or to be lack of, to be missing a concern for something you should have. It's the idea. It's also the word we get aphoresis from. English. You want an English language? You understand English, right?

What an apheresis is? Well, you will in a moment. There's a little town down the road here that spells its name like this: H-U-M-B-L-E. What does that spell? Did you say humble? What did you say? Humble, right? I love Texas. I wasn't born here. I did get here just about as quickly as I could.

But I still have a hard time understanding the language at times. Humble Texas. I remember, no, it's. Around here, it's humble. I remember when I first came, and one of my Christian brothers says, Brother, you need to humble yourself. So, you better tell me what that means. There's no telling what I might go do if you don't clarify with that.

Humble. Oh, you mean humble yourself? No, humble. It's like, so you get when you, that's what aphoresis is: it's cutting off one of the first letters. Where are you from? America. Where are you going? About to go to humble. But that's the idea: to cut off even the littlest part.

It's directed at anyone and everyone who would reduce God's word even the slightest bit. We're not to cut off even the smallest part or take away. That's the condition. Look at the promised consequence that Jesus Himself states. Verse 19: God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

He's talking about the words of Revelation and how we relate to the words of Revelation. Of course, this has implication for the whole canon of Scripture as well. But same word, take away. If you take away, if you are of a disposition to take away from what God says, God will.

This is Jesus making his final testimony in the most severest language to get your attention so that you will not take away even the smallest part. If anyone, God will take away his part from the tree of life. What is part? Take away his share. If anybody wants to take away God's part in speaking, God will take away his share, his inheritance, his place.

Those who cut off God's right to speak, God will cut off their right to live. That's how severe this warning is. Those who cut off access to a portion of God's word, God will cut off their access to the tree of life and the holy city. I'm just reading the text here.

Just going with the plain, simple what he is saying. I wouldn't preach this if it were taking me in a different direction. We have to deal with what he's saying here and the context. What is the tree of life? Well, the tree of life. Is that emblem of eternal life?

Adam was cut off from that, couldn't live, and died, so it is necessary for eternal life. We've already spent some time talking about the tree of life, so I won't go back into that. But it's fundamentally that which is necessary to enjoy eternal life. The tree of life is necessary.

Holy city, what is the holy city? The new Jerusalem that is coming down, which is where the tree of life is. It is where God will dwell with his people. And those who do not want to give God a voice in their lives will not dwell with him in the new city.

Shouldn't be hard to understand. God wants a relationship with his people. That relationship involves listening to him and hearing what he has to say and paying attention to it and not putting words in his mouth or cutting words out. But why can we not, why? This might sound harsh, but why are they cut off?

Why are they taken away from a right to the holy city? Well, to change God's word is to become a liar. This is what Proverbs 30, verse 5 says. Every word of God is tested. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his word.

Or he will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. To change God's words is to take away or add to, and you will be the liar. And guess what? We've already seen all liars are forbidden access to the holy city. And this has been repeated several times, just in these last couple of chapters.

And there's three lists. And in each list, the liar is put in the place of emphasis. Listen. Revelation 21, 8. But for the cowardly, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and the murderers, and immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake which burns.

Revelation 21, 27, and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination or lying shall ever come into it. Third list, Revelation 22, 15. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices lying. Three times, and you become a liar by changing a portion of God's word, because his word is truth.

So let's read these words again. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of this book, of the book, of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city which are written in this book.

This really is one of the most challenging verses in Revelation. And especially if you approach Scripture with my hermeneutic, with the way that I have come to believe it is to be read. As you know, I tend to look for the literal meaning, even though there's much of symbolic language, symbolism.

I look for the literal meaning behind it. I look for meaning in the near context. And I tend to be precise rather than just broad-brush things away. Now, it's pretty easy if you've got a broad brush hermeneutic and you can just say, okay, well, that's just allegory. That's just, I can just, all he's saying there is just be careful.

Yeah, he is saying that. But if you read That language carefully. It is very precise in who is speaking, the severity of it, and what he is saying to do and what not to do. And so I have to think through. I've spent a lot of time thinking through this, and I've got several observations I want to make.

First of all, I don't think either of these statements refer to a loss of salvation, but they do provide an indication of a person's faith. Those who add to the words of Scripture or subtract from the words of Scripture do not really believe the words of Scripture. That's the problem.

Or you don't really believe the one who gave them. See, those who do not believe God will have no life with Him. Second observation: I do not think this warning forbids expounding on Christ's words in a teaching or preaching setting. Better hope that, right? What have we just done the last three years?

What have I just done? In other words, we're not just to simply read them without comment. And such was evident in Deuteronomy when a similar exhortation was given. Listen to Deuteronomy 4:1. Now, O Israel, listen to. The statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you.

You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command. Listening to the words was necessary to obey the words, which was necessary to go in and live. Same principle.

But then he goes on in Deuteronomy 6, speaking about these same words: you shall teach them diligently. Deuteronomy 6:7. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and talk of them when you sit down in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.

So, see, even though there was this same warning about adding to and taking away, it didn't forbid talking about the words, trying to understand them, meditating upon them, expounding on them, and discussing them. It's all part of coming to understanding and obeying them. Deuteronomy 12:32, whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do.

You shall not add nor take away from it. Third observation I want to make about this. This warning ought to strike fear in teachers. Anyone who would pick up the book of Revelation and venture to speak on these words. I am surprised as I've gone through Revelation and have read many commentaries.

I'm surprised at the lack of fear that exists among many people who speak on Revelation today. I went to the Evangelical Theological Society in San Antonio last fall, and I spent most of my time listening to those who were speaking about Revelation. And wow, the fanciful ideas that people were coming up with to explain what it means or how to understand.

And in their methods, they were setting aside plain meaning and they were filling it up with all kinds of notions. Very cavalier. If there's one One thing clear: Jesus does not want his servants to be cavalier about these words. He wants us on a trajectory of respecting them, of paying attention to them, and growing in our understanding of them.

There's two trajectories with regards to the words of Revelation. You're either on a trajectory of understanding and growing in hearing and understanding, or you're on a trajectory of setting aside, adding to, or taking away. He wants them treated with the utmost respect. So obviously, those who deliberately add to or subtract from God's word are going to suffer the consequences.

And whether they do that because they are apostate themselves or they're afraid of the apostates. But I also think there's an implication here for those who approach these words recklessly. I think the one who deliberately sets them apart, sets them aside, will be held accountable, but so will those who do recklessly.

We are not to be on a trajectory at all, of adding to or taking away the words of Revelation or Scripture entirely for that matter. But several timeless principles are involved, and with this, I'm going to. Finish up. Seven timeless principles. I'll go through this quickly. First of all, to add to or to take away scripture is to deprive its ability to speak for itself.

And Jesus does not want any of his warnings, his promises, his instructions, or anything else that he has spoken to be superseded at any point by any person or diminished at any point by any person. We're never in a position for any reason at any time to change God's word.

We're never at a position to pick and choose what we think it ought to say and dismiss what we think it shouldn't say. Second, timeless principle: adding to or taking away from God's word is the way of the liar and the evil and all of the evil that follows in its wake.

If we've learned anything from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, this is how it happens. There is a setting aside of God's Word or an addition to it or subtraction before there was overt violation of it. And all the evil that we have seen in earth's histories follows that of the liar.

Third, timeless prayer. Principle to change God's word at any point is to elevate yourself above God. It's like saying, No, God, I know more than you, at least on this one matter. I know you've got 90% of it right, God, but there's a little bit that I know more.

You see, the elevation. We are not to elevate ourselves above God's word. Timeless principle number four: God is a speaking God, and those who dwell with Him must listen to Him. This is what being made in the image of God is about: fellowship with Him, hearing Him, honoring Him.

He's our Heavenly Father. Which parent in this room doesn't want a voice in your child's life? You want your children to listen to you. You want that relationship. You want to keep them out of the mess. It's important that they listen to you. God's the same way. He wants a voice in our lives.

Timeless principle number five: those who show little regard for God's words will be shown little regard by God. And this isn't just a threat, it's reality and a fundamental aspect of what it means to be alive. To cut God out of your life is to die. Where are you with God today?

Are you listening? To him? Are you hearing him? Or are you dismissing what he says? At one point or another, but to cut God out of your life is to die. But to let him speak into your life is to live. And that's why he gives us these words, is so that we would live.

Timeless principle number six: God has a right to speak and be heard. To take away any portion of God's right to speak is to forfeit life with him. Timeless principle number seven: declaring the whole counsel of God is a challenge in any age. Remember Jeremiah. Consider this exhortation to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 26:2. Thus says the Lord, stand in the court of the Lord's house and speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the Lord's house. And what's Jeremiah to speak? All the words that I have commanded you to speak, do not omit a word.

So Jeremiah was facing the temptation to omit something. In every age, there is a temptation to soften God's word, to backpedal, to even be ashamed, to weaken their force, or to omit a word. Think about the pastors and messengers that had to first proclaim these. Words to their churches, there certainly would have been a temptation to omit some words, soften them, especially the rebukes.

Think about you're the pastor over there at Tyratira, and you got to call this woman out and call her by the name Jezebel. Jezebel! Not by her, Jezebel, this is who Jesus calls you and who you are. And all of you who are in line with her, this is what's coming upon you if you do not repent.

Could you imagine how they might have felt the need to walk it back? But in every generation, there is that temptation to make Christ's words more credible. Let's blend it with science or relevant or culturally acceptable. Let's blend it with the cultural norms. It is holy. God's word is holy because he is holy.

And it is not to be syncretized with the thinking of the world. But regardless, God always, no matter what generation we live in, he always expects faithful transmission of his words. No matter what your situation you're facing in our generation, whether it's workplace, political, relational, whatever. It is, you can be sure he wants you to not add to or subtract from his word.

But in context, as the end of the age approaches, we've been informed. We can expect churches to continue in operation. There's going to be lots of churches going on. We can expect that there's going to be compromises of all kinds going on within these churches. There's going to be an apathy to godliness on the part of many.

They're going to keep despising his morality. There's going to be growing hostility outside the church to biblical morality. And then there is going to be this reluctance to teach and preach the words of Revelation as they are. And the reluctance to teach and preach the words of Scripture as they have been given.

But a good steward does not change the words of Revelation by adding to them or by taking away from them. Let us face the future and let us not be a people who change the words no matter how tempting that may be. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we bow our hearts, thanking you for this exhortation that you have thought through your Your word.

You know what it says, and you intended to say what you said. Help us, Father, not to be ashamed of your word. Help us to believe you, believe your word, and believe what we have in our hands as the word through which you are speaking to us today.

Father, we thank you that the words of this prophecy look beyond just doom and terrible times, but ultimately it paints the most glorious picture we could ever imagine. The good days that are ahead, the loving kindness of our Heavenly Father, who has sent our sins away as far as the east is from the west, who has reserved for himself a people and has likened himself as a father to them, where he will abundantly lavish his goodness upon them forever.

Father, we want to be among that number. Forgive us for the times where we have felt like we could improve on your word, and we haven't just taken you at face value and come to you. We understand you want a relationship with us. Help us, Father, to have that relationship with you.

In Jesus' name.