Don't Add or Subtract

Take your Bibles this morning and turn to the last chapter of Revelation, Revelation 22. You follow along as I read the epilogue, which is verses 6 through 21. And he said to me, These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. And behold, I am coming soon.

Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said to me, you must not do that. I'm a fellow servant with you and your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book.

Worship God. And he said to me, do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy. Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches.

I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. The spirit and the bride say come, and let the one who hears say come, and let the one who is thirsty come, let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in this book He who testifies to these things says Surely I am coming soon.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen. Let's pray. Father, we want this word to be alive, alive and working in our hearts.

God, keep us, any of us, from walking out of here this morning without a determination to change for your glory. Let this word work in our hearts this week. Now, Lord, as we seek to understand it, help us, help it to penetrate our hearts. I pray that your spirit would expose to us those areas of compromise and give us the desire to live wholly for you.

We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Mathematics. What a subject. Some of you love the subject. I've never really been a fan.

When my high school math teachers would start talking math, it sounded like the teacher in Charlie Brown. Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah. And then, you know, I... sometimes when I'm talking to Josh or Deb, who happen to be two great math teachers, and they mention quadratic equations, wah, wah, wah starts creeping into my ears again. At this point in the book of Revelation, Jesus starts saying something that's almost mathematical.

He says, don't add or subtract. And the last thing you want to happen at this point, for Jesus to start sounding like the teacher on Charlie Brown. You don't want Jesus to start sounding like wah, wah, wah, wah, wah. Well, what's happened here is we've come to the last and the fifth, the fifth and the last exhortation in this epilogue, in this ending, to the book of Revelation.

You recall that Jesus says, now that you've heard this book, Now that you have read this book, listen to the following. First you must keep the words of this prophecy Obey You must worship God You must be holy And the fourth exhortation actually invites you to come and drink. And now, the fifth exhortation, which is actually a warning. Here Jesus says, now that you have heard this book, I want you to take warning.

Take the warning. Don't add and don't subtract. so here we are this congregation has worked its way all the way through this book we have heard we've seen we've almost experienced the contents of this book and now we come and near the end which ends with a benediction right before that we have a warning and so for you to take warning you must first hear the warning and you must heed the warning. That's what God tells us this morning.

First, hear the warning and then heed the warning. Well, let's hear the warning first. Verses 18 and 19. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God will add to him. The plagues described in this book.

And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in this book. Hear the warning. Now pay attention to Jesus talking to you, this congregation. Hear the warning because it's Jesus who warns. He's the one who's saying this. I warn everyone who hears this prophecy.

Alright? It's Jesus who's saying this. Jesus is not some far off deity shouting warnings to us. Who is this Jesus? This is the one who we saw at the beginning of the book who walks among His congregations with His blazing eyes knowing everything that goes on in the congregation. He is the one who died a death beyond description in order to purchase for Himself and for His Father a people for His own possession.

Here is the One who all through this book has given us Heaven perspective on what going on around us It is Jesus the Lord of this congregation who says these words to us Now when we read these words, and I warn, we tend to get very academic and say, who's saying it and so forth. It is the Lord of this congregation who's speaking. It is the one who is the Lord of this congregation who gives us this warning.

It is this congregation then that must heed it or hear it. Hear the warning. Because it's addressed to the churches, the congregations who need it. He's giving this warning to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. That means His people. Remember, as we began this book and all the way through we understood this, that Jesus addresses this book to congregations under attack.

Congregations today suffer from blatant, violent attacks. Churches suffer for their faith. Churches who suffer for their faith are tempted to compromise, even to escape death. Boy, when things get hard, you don't like it. I don't like it. And the temptation is, I'll do whatever it takes to make it easier.

It's addressed to those who are in that danger. But congregations today are also subject to subtle, affluent seduction. Congregations who see possessions and comfort and prosperity not as danger, but as blessings. And it's a very real danger. Congregations will give up their loyalty for Jesus for the sake of possessions. for the sake of the seductions of a dangerous whore.

Now, it's written to churches not just to warn them. It's not just to leave them saying, oh my, what are we going to do? It's written to them so they can conquer in the midst of persecution and seduction. Again, remember what was said to the churches at the beginning. I want you to turn back to chapters 2 and 3. Again, this is addressed to these original seven congregations and to every congregation in the age described in this book.

And the whole content of this book was addressed to these congregations. so that they would what? Notice, chapter 2, verse 7, to the One who conquers. Right? Chapter 2, verse 17, to the One who conquers. Chapter 2, verse 26, the One who conquers and who keeps My works until the end. Chapter 3, verse 5, the One who conquers.

Chapter 6, verse 12, to the One who conquers. Chapter 3, verse 21, the One who conquers. Why is this written? Why is this warning here? So that we will conquer and share in the triumph of the Lamb. We are in the midst, in this country at least, we face full on force the seductions of the prostitute called Babylon.

And we are facing that all the time. And our allegiance is being drawn away from Jesus because of the seductions of the comforts of this age and the affluence that she offers. And so this whole book is intended to teach all of God's people how to conquer. If you would conquer in this age of persecution and seduction, you have to hear this warning. Now this warning to neither add nor subtract is not written to outsiders.

It's written to insiders. It's written to God's people, to congregations who profess allegiance to Jesus. Let me just say this. Just because a group of people call themselves a church does not mean it's a church. many, many, many are being drawn away from their allegiance to Jesus. And this is a warning addressed to us who we sit back and say, we have right doctrine, we have nothing to worry about.

This is a warning addressed to us. This is a warning addressed to us. Do not add nor subtract. So listen to this warning to neither add nor subtract from the words of this book. Now this goes beyond merely adding a text here or taking a text away there This is not addressed to Mormons who would say well, yeah, we believe the Bible's the Word of God, but the Book of Mormon is also a word from God.

And we go, shame, shame, shame. The Bible says don't add or subtract. This is not addressed to liberals who would say, well, you know, what Paul writes about women being involved in church leadership. That's outdated. That's really not a word from God. That's really not God's intention.

And we say, oh, oh, oh, shame on you. You're taken away from the Word of God. It's not addressed to that situation. It isn't. Now, the Bible does address that, but not here. Why do I say that?

Because first of all, Jesus refers here to this book. The words of this prophecy. the book of Revelation. So he's talking about specifically this book and not the whole Bible. And if we're going to understand what he means by subtraction and addition, we have to understand that John here, according to what Jesus says, uses a time-worn biblical way of speaking.

I want you to turn back to the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter 4. Let's start there. Deuteronomy chapter 4. How long does that read? Verse 1.

And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you and do them that you may live and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you. You shall not add to the word that I command you nor take from it that so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal Peor for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. but you held fast to the Lord your God but you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today now what does he mean by adding and subtracting from the word of God here Well what he means here when he uses that term is you add or subtract when you fall into these idolatrous ways You, who are alive today, are those who did not follow Baal, and therefore you are ones who obeyed the commandments of God.

You did not add or subtract. And notice that the adding or subtracting is so that you obey the commandments. Okay? Alright, look at Deuteronomy chapter 12 where we see the same kind of thing going on. Deuteronomy chapter 12, verse 32. And we'll read down into part of chapter 13.

Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it. Now, what's the definition? Keeping the word of God means you're not going to add to it or take from it. If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them, you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or the dreamer of dreams.

For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. Now notice again, adding to or subtracting from is identified with idolatry. It's saying listening to those who would compromise the covenant.

Listening to those who would get you to compromise on obeying God. Now, chapter 29. We heard it this morning already in our Old Testament Scripture reading. Let's just slice off verses 18 through 21. Beware, lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations.

Beware, lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart saying I shall be safe though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike The Lord will not be willing to forgive him but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man And the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven, and the Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the law. Here you see the idea that we heard in Revelation in response to adding and subtracting. What?

You add, we'll add the curses. You take away, what? Here, we'll block your name out. So you see that going on here. So what is going on here? You add by saying.

Well, this practice that I'm encouraging you to do is not inconsistent with what God has said. And you subtract because that practice ends up nullifying what God actually commands. You add and subtract at the same time. You say, what does that mean? Well, do you remember me telling you the stories, some of us who are old-timers here, you know, the Hosses, the Duttons, the Pazmas, the Greens, some of us who, when we started here some couple decades ago, we all had children. and those children would always get to running around and throwing things.

And you remember, we would, the Pazmas at least, would drive up to church and before we got out of the van would say, children, remember the rule. No running, no jumping, no balls. Meaning, don't run in church, don't jump in church and don't throw balls. There were balls here and they'd get to whipping them at each other, okay? So that was the rule, that was the law.

No running, no jumping, no balls. So what do they do? They find a doll in the nursery. And they get behind their barricades and start whipping dolls at each other. Now what are they saying? Dad didn't say we couldn't throw dolls, just balls.

You follow? You ever notice that children are natural lawyers? They know the law, right? So, Dad didn't say we couldn't throw dolls. He said we couldn't throw balls. Now, what's going on?

They're adding by saying God's law says it's... okay to throw. I'm sorry, dad's law says it's okay to throw dolls, all right? And in the process, they subtract because it nullifies dad's attempt to keep them from throwing anything. You follow? They're adding by saying it's okay to do this, but they're subtracting because it nullifies what God actually says.

And so that's what's going on here in the book of Revelation. Don't add by encouraging practices that say, this isn't inconsistent with what God says, but they're actually also subtracting because they're nullifying what God does say. And so he says to this congregation, don't make any compromises because then you add and subtract from the words of this book.

Now you remember what was going on. In those first congregations, they were tempted. They were tempted sorely to compromise their allegiance to Jesus. God said to them, you remember, you cannot worship other gods. And you cannot get involved in the immoral practices that go along with that. And so, what happens?

They would say, Alright, remember the guild feasts? If you belonged to a guild, there was a God who was over your guild. And if you wanted to practice your trade, you had to be part of that guild. In order to be part of that guild, what did you have to do? You had to go to the feasts, the guild feasts. If you will, go to the Union Hall.

You had to go to the guild feasts. And while at the guild feasts, you had to eat food sacrificed to gods and be involved in immoral things. and some of the people in the churches were saying, well, God understands. This is my livelihood. I can't give that up. If I don't go to the guild feast, what? I lose my job.

Right? We're the mark of the beast. Boy, if I don't do what they say, I'll lose my livelihood. God will understand. No. Surely God expects you to acclimate to the business culture.

You may have to cut some corners, but it's okay. God understands right God understands that you have to support your family No He doesn That adding and subtracting Earlier in this book you remember John records in one of his visions, in chapter 11, you remember this? And they have conquered Him, that is the dragon, and they have conquered Him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Right? surely with my wife and children i mean they depend on me i can compromise a little if i don't i'm gonna die i can't leave them behind what am i god understands that my love for jesus is seen in my allegiance to my family surely he doesn't want me to die well yes for the sake of christ you better be willing to die you don't compromise you don't add or subtract. Remember in Laodicea, Jesus had said, for you say I am rich, I have prospered and I need nothing. Not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.

And so congregations may be tempted to say I understand that there are millions of people around the world who need the gospel. And I understand there's even people around us that need the gospel, but you know, we really need to save this money. Yeah, we have a pretty good bank account, but boy, we need to save that for a rainy day. God says, you're not rich.

You're poor, pitiable, blind, wretched, naked. Don't add and subtract. That's what he says. How do you do that? You do that through compromise. What's the result? the result, frankly, there's no way around it.

What is it? It's eternal judgment. It is eternal judgment for those who will not be loyal to Jesus. Because now what he says in verse 18, if you add, what happens? All the plagues are added to you, including that last horrible plague, the plague called the lake of fire. And if you take away, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book Now I don want to spend a lot of time on this but automatically what going on in your heads is does Jesus assertion here mean that you can lose your salvation That what you asking isn it No it doesn mean you lose your salvation Why do I say that?

Well, let's look at a few reasons. First of all, he's using irony to make the point. He's using a literary device so that you get it. Isn't it easy to remember? If you add, what gets added to you? Plagues.

If you take away what's taken away from you, you're right to the tree of life and to the city. Is he saying you lose your salvation? No, he's using this memorable literary way. It's an effective way of stating a warning, isn't it? It's a very effective way. You remember that.

Add, add, subtract, subtract. You get it. But notice that Jesus addresses such warnings not to people losing their redeemed status, but to counterfeit, double-dealing, charlatan Christians. in the Christian community. Again, remember, look at 21 verse 8. We've seen this three times in the last two chapters. 21 verse 8.

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is second death. These are all those people who claim to be Christians, but who are liars, who will get involved in sexual immorality in order to keep their jobs, who will become idolaters in order that they don't lose the prosperity that they have. Right?

Look at 22. What? 22 verse 17. I'm sorry, 21, 17. Again, the same thing is mentioned here. Oh, it's not 21.

It says 21, 27. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. And then 22, verse 15. Again, as we saw a couple weeks ago, outside, or last week, outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and the murderers and idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

These are written to those counterfeit, double-dealing charlatans in the Christian community. For a time they play the part, considered by the church community as those who have a claim to the inheritance, but they don't. They don They show their true colors Remember also what this book has already taught us For example turn back to chapter 13 verse 8 Turn back to chapter 13, verse 8.

We're talking about the beast, you remember? And all who dwell on earth will worship the beast, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world and the book of life of the Lamb. And there's very clear indications that it's determined already. They are those who have not been written in the book of life. But don't lose the point.

How does God keep us, by the way? He keeps us by warning us, and we pay attention. Adding and subtracting equals judgment. Got it? Adding plus subtracting equals judgment. Don't compromise. don't compromise listen we need to hear this warning because this book is your defense in the age of persecution and seduction if you walk away from anything you walk away with this don't toy with the word of the lord don't toy with it why well he jealously guards the integrity of this book because it is the truth that will guard us against the fury of the devil.

It is the truth that will guard us against the fury of the devil. Do you believe that there is a reality, a coming glory that is better than anything that we have here now? Do you believe that? If you start not believing that, you're going to be willing to say, I don't want to die. I don't want to die. But if you believe it, you can say, come what may, I know there's something better.

Do your worst. If you kill me, you've done nothing. You've accomplished nothing. And remember that this word of truth tells you what? As we've seen all through this book, the ones who look like the losers the ones who die are really the victors how do you win against your enemy you win when you die at their hands that's heaven's perspective right if you die at your enemy's hands you're the winner The world doesn't see it that way.

And this book is the defense we have against the lies of the devil and the beasts and the prostitute. That's why, don't add or subtract, this word is our defense. Hear this warning. Now, he goes on to say in verse 20 to heed the warning. Heed the warning. He who testifies to these things says, surely I'm coming soon.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. when I say heed the warning I mean that is to say take it seriously take it seriously you know you're driving along the highway right you look in your rearview mirror and you go oh no and you see the flashing lights of the state patrol behind you so you pull off trooper comes up he talks to you you're nice you're trying you know right and you maybe cry get a few tears going you know and and he goes back to his car and you're waiting and he comes up to you and he hands you a piece of paper and he says, I'm not going to give you a ticket today. I'm going to give you a warning.

How do you respond to that? Do you respond to that this way? Wow! I better pay attention to this. I mean, I didn't know my driving was that bad. And if I don't change, people are going to get hurt.

Is that your reaction? Or is your reaction, oh wow, I'm glad I only got a warning. What is your reaction? You know what it is. Oh, I didn't get a ticket. I only got a warning.

You don't treat this warning that way. Oh, this is only a warning. Yeah, it's a warning. Listen to it. Take it seriously. Why?

Because it says, he who testifies to these things. This is Jesus testifying. He's witnessing to the authenticity of the book. He uses a legal term here to testify. He's not just saying, I testifying in the congregation He saying as if I testifying The word is used in the court When someone gets up and testifies he is a witness And so Jesus is a witness and He testifies that those who read and hear this book are accountable.

Do you realize that you've been faithful to church and now you're accountable to what you've heard from this book? You are now accountable to live according to this book. And notice, Jesus is the fourth witness to say this. It's not like someone's getting up and saying, you better pay attention, because I can tell you this book is authentic. There's also John who's testified to it, the angel who's testified to it, and the Holy Spirit who's testified to it.

Here's the fourth witness, Jesus himself. I'm testifying to you. It's as if the state trooper would testify in court. I'm here to tell you, I clearly warned him. I warned him! But he didn't pay any attention, obviously. you better pay attention because Jesus said this is the real deal here this book is the real deal you better listen don't add or subtract through compromise why because surely I am coming soon take it seriously because Jesus stands not only as a witness but as the judge that is to say don't add or subtract because when Jesus comes he himself will enforce the penalties for disobeying the warning.

That's what he says. Listen, don't add or subtract. Why? Because I am coming soon. Which is to say, I'm the one who will punish all those who do not listen to this warning. What does John say in response to that?

Amen, come Lord Jesus. Amen, which is a way of saying, this is trustworthy. This is true. Amen. come Lord Jesus. Now, can you say that this morning? Can you say that Can you say amen come Lord Jesus Let me say this to you right now You can only say that if you hear and heed the words and the warning that Jesus gives you.

You can only do that if you hear and heed the warning that Jesus gives you. You can say it then. You will hear these words only if you have entrusted yourself to the Lord Jesus as your Savior calling to him for mercy. You know, every one of us were born into this world under the wrath of God. And there's only one escape from that wrath, and that's through the mercy of Jesus Christ.

Just asking him, calling on him, saying, Lord, be merciful to me. Only then will you have the desire to hear the word. you can hear these words only if you've entrusted yourself to the lord jesus as lord believing that he has the words of life and committed to following them only then will you have the power to obey what he says you have the power to heed these words that's only for those who've entrusted themselves to christ Look, Jesus is returning. Jesus is returning.

It's not going to be a secret. When he comes, everybody's going to know it. And it'll be as real as real can be. Jesus is returning. Have you heard him this morning, and are you determined to heed these words? don't look at anybody else don't look at people around you you ask yourself this am I adding or subtracting by compromise Am I willing to take the pressure off by compromise Am I willing to keep the stuff that that whore gives me?

And I'm willing to compromise to keep it. if if you are determined to heed him then you also can say amen come Lord Jesus Father thank you for your word that lays out for us a straight and narrow path Father we are not convinced that we keep our salvation by our actions we don't save ourselves but we do know this that those whose hearts have been renewed will hear and heed the warning of Jesus but we have to hear it we have to obey it Father keep us from compromise keep us from adding to or taking away from your word oh God help us to be careful against the little compromises that always lead to the bigger ones give us eyes that see where our math goes wrong we start adding and subtracting give us eyes to see where we are willing to compromise and give us hearts that are determined to hear you and to obey you. God help us. In Jesus' name, amen.