WEBVTT 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:07.759 We hear so much about the search for truth. Recently, 00:00:07.799 --> 00:00:11.779 a very prominent lady invited me to her home 00:00:11.779 --> 00:00:17.879 and she told me very frankly that she'd been 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:24.500 searching for truth for years. And knowing about 00:00:24.500 --> 00:00:28.640 our ministry, she invited me to be her guest. 00:00:30.730 --> 00:00:37.009 thinking perhaps I could lead her into truth. 00:00:38.590 --> 00:00:42.810 Looking around the room in which I was seated, 00:00:42.929 --> 00:00:48.950 I saw volumes of books on bookshelves. There 00:00:48.950 --> 00:00:52.590 were books there on practically every religious 00:00:52.590 --> 00:01:00.789 subject in the world. I turned to her. And I 00:01:00.789 --> 00:01:05.469 said, you want to know something? Just now, you 00:01:05.469 --> 00:01:10.450 can end your search for truth. That search can 00:01:10.450 --> 00:01:14.590 be ended this very minute. She looked at me. 00:01:15.109 --> 00:01:19.469 She said, what do you mean? I said, you'll never 00:01:19.469 --> 00:01:24.790 find truth in any of those books that you have 00:01:24.790 --> 00:01:30.500 on your bookshelves. There is... Only one book 00:01:30.500 --> 00:01:35.859 that is truth, and that's God's word. That's 00:01:35.859 --> 00:01:42.060 the Bible. And I said, I don't even see a Bible 00:01:42.060 --> 00:01:47.620 anywhere in the room. Oh, she said, I have one, 00:01:47.620 --> 00:01:51.359 though. It's somewhere. She turned to her maid 00:01:51.359 --> 00:02:02.849 and said, do you mind finding it? Beloved, if 00:02:02.849 --> 00:02:05.989 you are among those who are in search for truth, 00:02:06.310 --> 00:02:14.569 you'll find the only truth in the universe and 00:02:14.569 --> 00:02:22.330 you'll find it in the word of God. Suppose you 00:02:22.330 --> 00:02:27.050 take a book on science written oh, say, 40 years 00:02:27.050 --> 00:02:34.669 ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago, that book would 00:02:34.669 --> 00:02:39.069 have little or no value today except as a research 00:02:39.069 --> 00:02:44.629 book. For discoveries in the past 40 years, the 00:02:44.629 --> 00:02:48.250 discoveries that have been made regarding science 00:02:48.250 --> 00:02:53.629 in the past 10 years are almost outdated, outmoded 00:02:53.629 --> 00:02:58.900 today. And yet, this book that we call the Bible 00:02:58.900 --> 00:03:06.060 came into being in a civilization of camels and 00:03:06.060 --> 00:03:11.360 is still with us in a generation of jet planes 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:24.199 and hydrogen bombs. The Bible has only one author. 00:03:25.129 --> 00:03:32.849 And the Bible is truth. Consider something a 00:03:32.849 --> 00:03:36.490 little further, please. The Bible consists of 00:03:36.490 --> 00:03:40.930 66 separate books, 39 in the Old Testament, 27 00:03:40.930 --> 00:03:44.569 in the New Testament. And these books were written 00:03:44.569 --> 00:03:50.710 by 40 different authors, by kings such as David 00:03:50.710 --> 00:03:56.219 and Solomon, by statesmen, as Daniel and Nehemiah, 00:03:56.240 --> 00:04:05.159 by priests as Ezra, by men learned in the wisdom 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:10.520 of Egypt as Moses, by men who were learned in 00:04:10.520 --> 00:04:17.019 Jewish law as Paul. One was a herdsman, Amos, 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:24.100 a tax gatherer, Matthew. Fisherman is Peter. 00:04:24.360 --> 00:04:29.399 There was James and John. Unlearned and ignorant 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:33.860 men. And yet there was a physician. Luke was 00:04:33.860 --> 00:04:41.899 a doctor. And such mighty seers as Isaiah, Zechariah, 00:04:41.899 --> 00:04:49.220 Ezekiel. Imagine, just imagine another book compiled 00:04:49.220 --> 00:04:53.560 in a similar manner. Suppose for illustration 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:58.759 that we take 66 medical books written by 40 different 00:04:58.759 --> 00:05:01.379 physicians and surgeons during a period of 1 00:05:01.379 --> 00:05:06.600 ,600 years and bind them all together and then 00:05:06.600 --> 00:05:09.420 undertake to doctor a man according to that book. 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:15.680 Just take this for illustration. Just imagine. 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:24.860 66 medical books. written by 40 different surgeons 00:05:24.860 --> 00:05:33.040 and physicians, and tried a doctor, a man, according 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:36.839 to that book. Let me ask you, what success would 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:40.360 we expect to have? And what accord would there 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:44.939 be in such a medical work? Now, while the Bible 00:05:44.939 --> 00:05:51.350 has been compiled in the manner described, ancient 00:05:51.350 --> 00:05:56.189 history of myths and legends and religious speculations 00:05:56.189 --> 00:06:01.310 and superstitions? No, ma 'am. There's a progress 00:06:01.310 --> 00:06:07.850 of revelation and doctrine in it. The Old and 00:06:07.850 --> 00:06:10.970 New Testaments are not separate and distinct 00:06:10.970 --> 00:06:17.170 books. The New Testament and the Old Testaments 00:06:17.170 --> 00:06:25.589 are the Two halves of a whole. The Bible is a 00:06:25.589 --> 00:06:30.790 whole. The new is enfolded in the old and the 00:06:30.790 --> 00:06:35.189 old is unfolded in the new. You cannot understand 00:06:35.189 --> 00:06:40.810 Leviticus without Hebrews or Daniel without Revelation 00:06:40.810 --> 00:06:45.790 or the Passover or the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. 00:06:46.379 --> 00:06:50.800 without the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:56.879 John. And there is no contradiction. Anyone who 00:06:56.879 --> 00:06:58.500 says that there is a contradiction in the Word 00:06:58.500 --> 00:07:02.519 of God speaks in error. The New Testament does 00:07:02.519 --> 00:07:05.759 not contradict the Old. Neither does the Old 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:12.699 contradict the New. And yet, watch it. The Bible 00:07:12.699 --> 00:07:20.420 consists of 66 separate books and 40 different 00:07:20.420 --> 00:07:25.399 authors. And there is no contradiction there 00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:34.259 whatsoever. Are you looking for truth? The Bible 00:07:34.259 --> 00:07:44.029 is truth. And the Bible has only one author. 00:07:46.209 --> 00:07:54.709 The Holy Spirit. And he revealed the mind of 00:07:54.709 --> 00:08:01.209 God to the men who work as the stenographers. 00:08:03.610 --> 00:08:07.050 Making the word of God possible. The Bible possible 00:08:07.050 --> 00:08:12.000 unto us. That is the reason there is Only one 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:15.779 who can reveal the deep truths of this precious 00:08:15.779 --> 00:08:22.379 book to you and to me. Only one. The one who 00:08:22.379 --> 00:08:29.699 is the author. And all scripture is given by 00:08:29.699 --> 00:08:36.100 inspiration of God. All revelation is given by 00:08:36.100 --> 00:08:43.279 the Holy Spirit. If you want to understand the 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:47.600 Bible, if you are hungry for the deep truths 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:51.799 that are found in the Word of God, in the Bible, 00:08:51.940 --> 00:08:54.820 the only one who can give you that spiritual 00:08:54.820 --> 00:09:01.360 revelation is the Holy Spirit. I repeat, there 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:11.730 is only one author. The Holy Spirit. All the 00:09:11.730 --> 00:09:17.490 prophets spoke as truth was revealed to them 00:09:17.490 --> 00:09:23.669 by the Holy Spirit. The man who stands behind 00:09:23.669 --> 00:09:30.830 the pulpit today can only give you the truth 00:09:30.830 --> 00:09:37.409 as the Holy Spirit reveals it unto him. These 00:09:37.409 --> 00:09:41.059 are the things that we do not... get out of books 00:09:41.059 --> 00:09:49.840 or from our seminaries. They must come from God 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:55.840 himself. You know, perhaps the clearest New Testament 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:59.879 passage showing us that the Holy Spirit of God 00:09:59.879 --> 00:10:05.600 is the revealer of truth is found in something 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:09.559 that Peter said. Oh, and this is precious. I 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:15.159 just love it. Of course, you know how very much 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:21.259 I esteem and admire Paul. And you hear me quoting 00:10:21.259 --> 00:10:28.659 Paul over and over again. But here is once when 00:10:28.659 --> 00:10:32.450 Peter has come forth with something. That is 00:10:32.450 --> 00:10:36.009 really a masterpiece. And he understood fully 00:10:36.009 --> 00:10:41.029 exactly what I'm trying to say to you now. And 00:10:41.029 --> 00:10:43.570 I think I know a little bit what his feelings 00:10:43.570 --> 00:10:51.070 really were. He somehow is anticipating his own 00:10:51.070 --> 00:10:55.470 deaths. He knew he was going to live always. 00:10:57.230 --> 00:11:03.409 And he was making preparation. for himself, but 00:11:03.409 --> 00:11:07.509 for those that he was going to leave and who'd 00:11:07.509 --> 00:11:12.789 be left after he was gone. You know I'll say 00:11:12.789 --> 00:11:15.809 something confidentially. Sometimes I have that 00:11:15.809 --> 00:11:24.710 same feeling and I make some tapes, maybe a sermon 00:11:24.710 --> 00:11:29.429 that I feel that God has especially given to 00:11:29.429 --> 00:11:34.360 me and I think, well, After I'm gone, my voice 00:11:34.360 --> 00:11:42.700 is stilled by death. Maybe if this tape is played, 00:11:42.860 --> 00:11:49.259 maybe one more person will be helped. Maybe one 00:11:49.259 --> 00:11:54.139 more soul will be won, even though I'm gone. 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:57.919 In the same way, Peter was thinking about the 00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:02.659 time when he would be taken. And this is what 00:12:02.659 --> 00:12:07.820 he said. I will endeavor that ye may be able, 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:12.820 after my decease, to have these things always 00:12:12.820 --> 00:12:20.059 in remembrance. Now, I know that he wasn't thinking 00:12:20.059 --> 00:12:25.720 about radio tapes or television films. But he 00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:29.179 was planning some other way where the message 00:12:29.179 --> 00:12:33.799 could... still go forth, and his testimony could 00:12:33.799 --> 00:12:41.059 still live on after he was gone. Then, very quickly, 00:12:41.059 --> 00:12:52.019 he adds something. But we have also a more sure 00:12:52.019 --> 00:12:59.259 word of prophecy. More sure than what? Peter, 00:12:59.299 --> 00:13:05.500 what are you talking about? We have also a more 00:13:05.500 --> 00:13:13.120 sure word of prophecy. More sure than our testimony. 00:13:14.779 --> 00:13:20.840 Why? What was he talking about? More sure than 00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:26.919 the testimony I gave to you concerning the Father's 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:32.679 revelation. And what was that more sure word 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:36.740 of testimony? What was that something that was 00:13:36.740 --> 00:13:42.899 greater than the living testimony? The Holy Spirit. 00:13:44.259 --> 00:13:48.500 Peter is saying, even though I may be taken in 00:13:48.500 --> 00:13:54.399 death, even though I may not personally be able 00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:58.539 to leave anything with you after I am gone, There 00:13:58.539 --> 00:14:03.200 is one who continues to be the great revealer 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:08.799 of truth. He will continue with you. And that 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:16.159 one is the Holy Spirit. Mm -hmm. Oh, that's thrilling. 00:14:17.820 --> 00:14:22.700 And do you want to know something? As surely 00:14:22.700 --> 00:14:32.049 as the Bible. has only one author, as surely 00:14:32.049 --> 00:14:39.190 as there is only one word of truth, only one 00:14:39.190 --> 00:14:44.250 real truth in the world today, the word of God, 00:14:44.350 --> 00:14:53.350 I think it's significant. that the Holy Spirit 00:14:53.350 --> 00:15:00.230 never glorifies Himself. Never. He always glorifies 00:15:00.230 --> 00:15:08.289 Jesus. Do you know that in the Bible, we have 00:15:08.289 --> 00:15:13.409 some over 200 names and titles that are applied 00:15:13.409 --> 00:15:16.590 to Jesus Christ? But when we come to the third 00:15:16.590 --> 00:15:22.309 person of the Trinity, The Holy Spirit who does 00:15:22.309 --> 00:15:26.850 this marvelous work of revealing is referred 00:15:26.850 --> 00:15:34.009 to only as the Spirit or the Holy Spirit or the 00:15:34.009 --> 00:15:38.169 Spirit of God. There's no long list of names 00:15:38.169 --> 00:15:44.769 and titles used concerning the one who is equal 00:15:44.769 --> 00:15:48.690 in power with God the Father and Jesus Christ 00:15:48.690 --> 00:15:55.360 the Son. We have a revelation of the truth of 00:15:55.360 --> 00:16:02.000 God, and that truth centers in a person, the 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:09.039 Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will take 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:14.539 the written word, His revelation, and cause us 00:16:14.539 --> 00:16:17.759 to understand it so that it might be the means 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:21.120 of bringing us... into an intimate knowledge 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:25.220 of the Lord Jesus Christ, the way of salvation. 00:16:27.740 --> 00:16:34.860 You will not find it any other way. Jesus said 00:16:34.860 --> 00:16:44.440 of himself, I am the way, the truth, and the 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:52.379 life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:59.720 I have received a letter from a gentleman in 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:04.259 the state of Maryland. The letter is beautifully 00:17:04.259 --> 00:17:10.500 written. One of his paragraphs, and I quote, 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:15.630 I hope I never forget. to thank God for my blessings, 00:17:15.930 --> 00:17:21.809 which I do many times each day, even though I 00:17:21.809 --> 00:17:30.490 am a sinner. I live for the day that he will 00:17:30.490 --> 00:17:36.589 hear my prayers. And the man signs his full name. 00:17:38.349 --> 00:17:46.150 Here is a man who is still seeking When he can 00:17:46.150 --> 00:17:52.789 have that truth this very second, this very minute. 00:17:55.549 --> 00:18:01.369 Jesus said of himself, I am the way. There is 00:18:01.369 --> 00:18:11.750 no other way. I am the truth. I am the truth. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:17.599 Why look further? When Jesus said, end your search. 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:26.039 When you find me, you have found truth. I am 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:32.359 the life. Eternal life is only found in me, Jesus 00:18:32.359 --> 00:18:38.799 said. Your search has come to an end. And no 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:43.660 man cometh unto the Father but by me. And it's 00:18:43.660 --> 00:18:49.019 the Holy Spirit who reveals these things to men 00:18:49.019 --> 00:18:55.079 through the word, the Bible. He is the great 00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:59.539 revealer. He is the power of the Trinity. He 00:18:59.539 --> 00:19:07.460 is the great author. And yet, he never glorifies 00:19:07.460 --> 00:19:13.849 himself. He always glorifies himself. Jesus because 00:19:13.849 --> 00:19:25.430 in Jesus, men have eternal life. It's so simple. 00:19:25.650 --> 00:19:31.910 Don't miss it. Are you among those searching 00:19:31.910 --> 00:19:40.069 for truth? Pause just now. In this moment, and 00:19:40.069 --> 00:19:43.990 this moment can be the... greatest moment of 00:19:43.990 --> 00:19:51.829 your life with a sincere heart. And God knows 00:19:51.829 --> 00:19:56.529 the sincerity of your heart. Look up right now 00:19:56.529 --> 00:20:01.349 and say, I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. 00:20:03.769 --> 00:20:10.369 I accept truth. I accept Him. Knowing that he 00:20:10.369 --> 00:20:16.809 is the way, I accept eternal life in Christ Jesus. 00:20:19.109 --> 00:20:23.549 And in this moment, Father God, I pray that your 00:20:23.549 --> 00:20:27.809 spirit shall bear witness with their spirit. 00:20:27.849 --> 00:20:32.470 They have passed from death unto life. For Jesus' 00:20:32.470 --> 00:20:35.609 sake we ask it. Amen.