Please turn with me in your Bibles to our text. Once again, in Daniel chapter 11, in verses 38 through 39, this will be the The last sermon in those two verses, we'll move on next. Lord's Day, God willing, verse 40 and following in chapter 11. But Daniel 11, verses 38 through 39. Speaking of this king, whom we've identified as the papal king, but in his estate shall he honor the God of forces And a God whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold and silver and with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strongholds with a strange God whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory and he shall cause them to rule over many and shall divide the land for gain. And then, 1 Timothy 2, verse 5. 1 Timothy 2, 5. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. What is prayer? Seems like a fairly simple question, but a very important one. What is prayer? Well, let me define it this way, and use some scripture as well to support this definition, but prayer is an act of worship wherein we offer to God our praise, thanksgiving, confession of sin, and requests according to God's will revealed in scripture through faith in our only mediator, Jesus Christ. Philippians chapter four, verse six says, in everything by prayer, and supplication, that would be petitions and requests, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. Let your requests be made known unto, who? God, unto God. Hebrews 7, 25. Wherefore he, that is Jesus, is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, by Jesus. Seeing he, that is Jesus, ever liveth to make intercession for them to God through our only mediator, Jesus Christ, and our text, of course, for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. Thus, having defined and confirmed that definition from scripture itself, to direct our prayers to any other being than to God or through any other mediator than Jesus is idolatry. It is a violation of the first commandment, thou shalt have no other gods before me, Exodus 20 verse three, or to treat any other creature as if they are God to whom we bring our prayers or through whom we bring our prayers. You see, this is not a small or a light matter, but it's to be taken ever so seriously because it has to do with our worship to God. And this is especially, I would submit, not only important to all men, but especially to those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. In light of what prayer is, according to scripture, what should we think about prayers? For what I'm about to read to you are called prayers. And we've already defined what prayer is. These are called prayers. These prayers are offered to Mary or to angels or to martyrs or to saints. These are prayers I submit to you that you can go to a website and search and find prayers that are approved by the Church of Rome that are much like these prayers that I took from a Roman Catholic website. This prayer is called Morning Consecration to Mary. My queen, my mother, I offer myself entirely to thee, and to show my devotion to thee, I offer thee this day my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Wherefore, good mother, as I am thine own, keep me, guard me as thy property and possession. Amen. Or this prayer, entitled Hail, Holy Queen. Hail, holy queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, pray for us, O holy mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen. for the sake of God's honor supremely, but also for the sake of the souls of dear loved ones and friends. We cannot glibly pass this off as a minor departure from the truth revealed to us in God's holy word. Mary certainly is to be honored. as a godly woman who was greatly blessed and chosen by God to be the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. But she cannot be the advocate or mediator of the faithful since she herself needed grace as a sinner like all of us. For indeed, Mary professes herself to be a sinner, which means that she did not have an immaculate conception as she declares herself in need of a savior, as she does in Luke 1 47, where she says, my spirit hath rejoiced in God, my savior. What did God save Mary from? The same thing that God saves us all from, from guilt and the condemnation of sin. You see, that's the only way that the word savior is used in the New Testament. The Greek word soter is used many times, but is always used with the meaning of savior from sin, from sin's guilt and condemnation. And so in so proclaiming what she did, that her heart rejoiced in God, her savior. She was also declaring herself to be a sinner and in need of God's salvation, which again means she cannot be a mediator between God and man. A sinner cannot be a mediator. Jesus Christ, the righteous, The sinless, therefore, is the only meat-eater between God and men. But the papal king that we have been learning about in Daniel chapter 11, verses 38 through 39, has not only exalted himself to be the vicar of Christ or a substitute Christ in usurping the office and authority of Jesus Christ as king of Christ's church here upon the earth and king of the whole world. But the papal king has also exalted Mary to be the queen, the queen of heaven and to be the co-mediator, the co-mediator for God's people. In fact, the papal king teaches that as Jesus is mediator and advocate, so is Mary. Though a lesser mediator and advocate than Jesus, but nevertheless a mediator and advocate. As Jesus is our hope, as we heard in the prayer, so Mary is likewise said to be our hope. As Jesus is the way to heaven, so Mary is called the gate to heaven. As Jesus is the author of grace, Mary is called the mother of grace. Though Mary did not die upon the cross, nevertheless, her sufferings contribute to our salvation. According again to the teaching of the papal king. Is this the teaching of scripture? Or is it further evidence that the religion of the papal king that we have been reading about is a significant, huge departure in apostasy from the religion of his fathers, namely the apostles, who knew and taught nothing of this. Well, in the sermon today, let's see again, as we continue to talk and discuss concerning the papal king and his honoring ma'uzim in Hebrew, honoring patrons, saints, protectors, elevating, exalting them to be like gods. and building temples and cathedrals that house them. They're called in chapter 11, verse 39, strongholds for these gods. So our main points this Lord's Day are these. First, there's only one divinely appointed mediator in 1 Timothy 2.5. And then secondly, objections to Christ as sole mediator. Again, our text in 1 Timothy 2.5, there is only one divinely appointed mediator, for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. So we have been, again, seeking to demonstrate that the papal king has introduced in fulfillment of prophecy, Ma'uzim honoring, venerating, not only the images, which we have looked at the two previous Lord's days, the images of Christ, images of angels, images of martyrs and saints, But the honoring and venerating of those images obviously goes back to first honoring and venerating whom those images allegedly represent. And so that's what we're talking about today. It's not just the images, but who they allegedly represent. That that is well, because it is those whom the images represent that become the mediators, that become the intercessors. that to whom people pray in order to obtain requests that they have, help that they desire, healing that they pray for through means of the prayers that they offer to these martyrs and saints and angels that are so glorified and exalted. As we consider our text, Just a real quick overview with regard to this epistle, this letter. As we consider the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2.5, let's note that this is an inspired letter written by the Apostle Paul in about 64 AD to a young minister, Timothy. who was a child, as it were, a spiritual child of Paul, whom he brought to faith in Jesus Christ. And Timothy was commissioned by the apostle Paul to establish, the church had been planted in Ephesus already by Paul, but Timothy was to remain in Ephesus, and he was to establish and ground that particular church there in Asia Minor, Ephesus. To ground it upon the firm foundation of the gospel, upon the firm foundation of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, which the Lord had delivered to the apostles. So when we come to chapter two, verses one through two, Paul says, I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Paul here calls Timothy and calls us by extension as well, to pray for all men without distinction. In other words, to pray for all groups and categories and classes of men. He's not saying pray for every single human being that lives upon the face of the earth. He's not saying pray for all men without exception. We can't, it's impossible. We can't pray for all men. We can pray for all men, regardless of the class that they may have. We can pray for, Rulers, as it mentions here, we can pray for those who don't rule. We can pray for rich and poor. We can pray for male and female. We can pray for young and old. We can pray for rulers and subjects. We can pray for all kinds of people throughout the world. That's what Paul is telling us to. Not to limit our prayers to just those whom we want to pray for. who are maybe most like us, but to pray for all categories and classes of men. Paul particularly, as we note here, mentions rulers, even wicked rulers, as were the Roman rulers at that time, as being those for whom we should pray. Why? Well, we don't want rulers to crush the God-given freedoms and liberties that we have. We want to enjoy those God-given liberties and freedoms God has given to us, and he's given that duty and responsibility to leaders to protect those privileges, those rights, not just privileges, but rights that God has given to us. And so that we as Christians might enjoy peaceful lives, Paul says. That our light might shine forth in godliness and honesty in a very dark world. Even when we feel like we're being crushed and tyrannized, we're to pray. were to hold up in prayer even wicked rulers. And that's why, again, we, each Lord's Day, lift up our prayers to God on behalf of the rulers of this nation. And we may believe, again, are not ruling the nation as God ordains. They have departed from the commandments of God. They may again bring dishonor due to their own lives upon the name of Jesus Christ, but we continue to pray for them that we might live in godliness and in honesty here in this nation. Then as we go to verses three through four, In verses three and four, Paul gives the first of two reasons why we are to pray for all kinds and classes of people. You notice verse three begins with the word for. So this is the first reason why we are to pray for all classes of people. Verses three and four, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. So the first reason why we are to pray for all classes and groups of people, Paul says, is because God, our Savior, desires all men to be saved. Again, the all there, like the all used in verse one, refers to God desiring all groups and classes of people to be saved. just as we are to pray for all groups and classes of people. So God desires all groups and classes of people to be saved, Paul says. To be saved from what? Again, to be saved from the guilt and the condemnation of sin. And so one application that we ought to take from that particular truth, that that's the first reason that we are to pray for all men, all groups of men, classes of men without distinction, is because God wants to save, does desire to save men, women, children from all groups and classes of people. And so we ought to, again, pray for all of those groups and classes of people, because God's gonna save people from those groups and classes. That means that none of you are excluded from salvation. None of you are excluded from salvation because of your heritage, because of the color of your skin, because of your gender, because of your age, because of your occupation and your financial status, because of your intelligence or because of sin, none of you are excluded because God desires to save all men. He's the savior of all who come to him. So if you are within the sound of my voice today, know you are not excluded from coming to Jesus Christ as Savior. What may hinder people more from coming to Christ at times is not the depth of sin into which they have fallen and of which they are ashamed. and thinking I cannot come to Christ because look how lousy, grimy, and dirty of a sinner I am. I cannot come to a holy God. But I think even more so than that keeping people at times away from Jesus Christ, which it should not, but nevertheless it does, but I think something that keeps people away from Christ even more than that is pride. pride in thinking that they are good people and do not need a savior. Not that they're sinners and need a savior, but that they're good people and do not need a savior. And I dare say that pride will keep more people out of heaven than idolatry, blasphemy, murder, or sexual immorality. For those who are guilty of what might be considered a very heinous sin may sooner recognize their need of a savior than those who are filled with pride and self-righteousness and do not think that they need a savior. You remember the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee, self-righteous, full of pride, looks up to heaven, says, thank you, Lord, that I'm not like this tax collector over here who's robbed and stolen from people. And the tax collector, on the other hand, is not even able to look up into heaven because he recognizes This sin that he's committed against God, and he beats his chest, and he cries out to God, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And so it's pride, it's pride, dear ones, that will keep, I believe, more people out of heaven than all these other sins. And so that's the first reason we are to pray for all classes and groups and kinds of people for Jesus is the Savior of all kinds and classes and groups of people. Then we come to 1 Timothy 2.5, our text, and here Paul gives the second reason for his exhortation that we pray for all classes, groups, and kinds of people. You notice verse five also begins with the word for, just like we read in verse three, for. First reason, for, in verse three. Second reason is given in verse five, begins with for. And this is the reason. There is only one God, the creator of mankind. Not many creators, not any sub-creators, but only one God, one creator. And there is only one mediator. Not many mediators, not sub-mediators, but one mediator through whom mankind must come to that one God for salvation and to whom and through whom one must come in prayer. Thus prayer is to be made, according to the Apostle Paul, is to be made for all classes of people. Why? First of all, because of the Lord being the Savior of all groups and classes of people. Second, because they were created by God. They were created by God alone, and because they need salvation through one mediator alone, through Jesus Christ alone. And it's by virtue of Christ's atoning death for sin that he is also able and capable of interceding for us. His intercession for us is not just a gift that is bestowed upon him. It is, again, that which follows from his having died for us, having become the atoning sacrifice for our sins. That's what the scripture teaches. We can't, God's just not going to appoint mediators, sub-mediators that have not died for and atoned for our sin. That's why there's only one mediator, because only he has died and atoned for our sins. that disqualifies that one fact, that one truth, disqualifies every other so-called mediator, every other so-called intercessor between us and God. This verse, dear ones, makes clear that God did not appoint any other mediators other than Jesus Christ. He did not appoint Mary. He did not appoint the apostles. He did not appoint the martyrs or the saints or angels. He appointed one, one mediator, and only one, Jesus Christ, often that one might as one pursues this because it seems like a rather obvious truth in the scripture and how could any church therefore talk about there being other mediators in light of a verse like this but this is often interpreted to mean That either he is a special mediator, and there are lesser mediators, he's one in that sense, or he is only a mediator by way of his atoning death and bringing us to God, but not a mediator when it comes to interceding for us in prayer. That there are other mediators that can intercede for us in prayer. But Jesus is the only one who is a mediator as it relates to bringing us to God through his death and his resurrection. But again, because it's one mediator, we go back in the same verse to one God. Are there lesser gods or is there only one God? Are there substitute gods? Are there gods again in heaven besides the one true living God? Or is there only one God? So in the same sense, since it uses one God and one mediator, we need to understand that the one mediator is just God. one and one only, just as there is one God and one only. And as I said, Jesus Christ is not only a mediator who brings us to God, but he is also our intercessor. Our only heavenly intercessor. between God and men as well. And if someone says, well, that's not what Paul is talking about, he's not talking about prayer when he speaks of one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, he's not talking about prayer there. The whole passage is talking about prayer. That's the context. In verse one, I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, giving of thanks be made for all men. So again, he's talking about prayer here with regard to Christ being the only heavenly mediator between God and man. Second Vatican Council in 1964, in the document Lumen Gentium, speaking allegedly infallibly, that's what the Church of Rome, the papal king claim that this council speaks infallibly, incapable of air. It said this concerning Mary, quote, in suffering with him, that is with Christ, as he died on the cross, she cooperated in the work of the Savior in an altogether singular way by obedience, faith, hope, and burning love to restore supernatural life to souls. To restore supernatural life to souls. Likewise, in the same document, we read, for after being assumed into heaven, She has not put aside the saving function, but by her manifold intercession, she continues to win the gifts of eternal salvation for us. To win the gifts of eternal salvation for us. In the same document, Mary is to be invoked, in prayer by the titles of advocate and mediatrix, the feminine form of mediator. Nowhere, dear ones, in scripture is a creature, angel or human, ever designated as our mediator in heaven through whom we must or even might go to God. No prophet, no apostle, not Mary. Nowhere in scripture will we find that language or an example of that in God's holy word. To the contrary, Jesus, the Bible teaches, to the contrary, Jesus is our high priest. Jesus is our only mediator before God who has put away all priests who were earthly mediators in the Old Testament, but he has put away all priests so that we have direct access through him to the Father. In Hebrews chapter seven, verses 24 through 25, we read, but this man, that is Jesus, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost, not Mary, to win the gifts of salvation, but he, Jesus, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him. through Jesus, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. He's the heavenly intercessor, Jesus is. You see, that's why that thick, thick veil within the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies within the temple. Why it was rent and torn into two parts from the top down was to indicate we now have direct access to God through Jesus Christ without any earthly let alone any other heavenly mediator, without any earthly, no priest any longer, we go directly to Jesus Christ. We go directly to God through Jesus Christ alone. Therefore, Mary cannot be our mediator, even if she might be viewed as a lesser mediator than Jesus Christ, since there is only one mediator. Mary does not ever seem to be exalted to such an office called mediatrix by Jesus. In fact, In Luke chapter 11, verses 27 through 28, we read, and it came to pass as he, that's Jesus, spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto him, blessed is the womb that bare thee. That would have been Mary's womb. Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps, the breasts, which thou hast sucked. But he, Jesus said, yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. Jesus wasn't dishonoring his mother at all, but he was putting that comment into a right understanding, a perspective. that those who follow and obey the Lord Jesus, who trust in him are blessed like Mary, that we have the same privileges as did Mary as a child of God. She did not hold in scripture at all any special office. In fact, the last reference that we find in scripture to Mary is in Acts 1.14. She is never mentioned in the rest of scripture after Acts 1.14, never mentioned in all of the epistles. For the Lord talks about the offices and the officers given to the church, where all manner of doctrine is given, government of the church is given, authority that is described, that is given to church officers, nothing is ever mentioned with regard to Mary after Acts 114, which is simply, and even in Acts 114, it simply mentions her as gathering with the brothers of the Lord Jesus and with the other apostles in prayer before the day of Pentecost. It says, these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and married the mother of Jesus and with his brethren. Last time that Mary is mentioned. That's not to dishonor her. That's only to say the Bible does not, as is taught by the papal king and the Church of Rome, does not exalt Mary to the status and to the office that is claimed. There's complete silence thereafter. And that silence is not a silence of some kind of approval of what Rome has subsequently decreed concerning Mary because there is not that veneration that Rome now gives to Mary, was not given in the first couple hundred years. One will not find that veneration and exaltation of Mary, praying to Mary, invocation of the saints. that is given hundreds of years subsequently, that develops gradually as certain doctrines are brought to life, which are not true doctrines found in the scripture concerning Mary, her exaltation. As various doctrines exalting Mary came into practice or to belief, well, the practices in the Church of Rome began to conform to those doctrines as well over time. What about some objections to what we have just found from God's word? What objections might be offered? Well, there are a number of objections that are offered by the papal king to support the multiplying of endless saints Ma'uzim, whose lives it is claimed were filled with so much merit, these saints whose lives were filled with so much merit that they can give blessings from heaven as they're invoked. They can appear and allegedly have appeared, made appearances to people here upon the earth as well. They can heal spiritually. they can heal physically, they can protect, they can supply needs to those who invoke them in prayer. No doubt the papal king can produce, in fact, can produce many pages of alleged miracles in appearances of, say, Mary, due to praying to Mary, to the apostles, to the angels, to the martyrs and the saints. And even if, hypothetically, that were the case, that there were many miracles that followed from praying to Mary or to the martyrs and the saints, even if hypothetically that were the case, We are warned in scripture to beware of lying wonders and signs that would be performed by the papal king, the man of sin and the son of perdition, in 2 Thessalonians chapter two, verses nine through 10, where we read from the apostle Paul, even him, speaking of of the papal king, the son of perdition, Antichrist. Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And so we are warned in such a passage not to be misled and not to be deceived by lying signs and wonders, which may be again exhibited in the world through praying to Mary. The Apostle Paul likewise warns us in 2 Corinthians 11, verses 13 through 15, even at the time in which he lived, For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of life. or light, therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their works. So again, we are warned, beware, be careful. Remember God allowed the magicians in Egypt to mimic the miracles of God through Moses to a certain point, and then God said enough. no more counterfeiting, no more mimicking the miracles that Moses was performing by the power of God. Remember as well that it's not miracles that we are to follow. We're not to be miracle chasers. like there are storm chasers who chase after tornadoes and storms to see how close they can get to them. We're not to be miracle chasers, but we're to be chasers of the truth that God has revealed in his word. You see, sometimes God even sends miracles or allows miracles to be performed in order to test us as to whether we will be misled by a miracle that is not presenting the truth of Jesus Christ or whether we will discount the miracle because it is contrary to the truth of Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy 13, verses one through four, the Lord gives to Moses this very truth. If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass. So there's something miraculous that happens, something supernatural this individual has brought to pass. They come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou has not known, and let us serve them. Thou shall not hearken unto the words of that prophet or the dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God proveth you to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him, and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him and cleave unto him. So the Lord says that even if there is something supernatural that is done, if what that person is teaching is contrary to God's word, don't follow them. It's a test to see whether you're going to follow the miracle or you're going to follow the truth. It's not to say God can't, God certainly can perform miracles, real miracles. That's not to discount God's ability, God's power at all. But miracles confirm not sin and error, miracles confirm the truth. And the truth is again confirmed by way of the miracles. Another objection not just the miracles that are allegedly performed, and therefore we are to follow the papal king because of these miracles, wonders, this type of thing. But furthermore, in Revelation, Chapter 5, verses 7 through 8, talking about whether there are other intercessors or mediators in heaven besides Jesus Christ. If you want to turn there, Revelation 5, verses 7 through 8. There it states, and we read, and he, that is Jesus, the lamb, God's lamb, he came and took the book. This is a book which basically details all that is going to happen in the rest of the book of Revelation, all of the events that are to follow. And so Jesus the lamb came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne, that is out of the hand of the father. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and 20 elders fell down before the lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials of odors, which are the prayers of saints. So it is alleged here that Here you have these saints represented by the four beasts and the 24 elders, that they are taking prayers from those upon earth and presenting them to God. Whereas, again, I would simply say it doesn't say where those prayers came from. I believe that those are the prayers of the saints that are in heaven. They are the prayers of those who are simply offering their prayers to God. Not the prayers of the living upon earth presenting their prayers to those who are dead and in heaven, but rather the prayers of those who are in heaven already. Those are the prayers of the saints. And how do I know that? Well, because I think the prayers are very often given by way of expression of singing. Prayers are very often, think of the Psalms. How many of the Psalms that we sing are prayers to God? Many, many of them, I'd say perhaps even most of them, are prayers to God, and yet we're singing them. Well, here are the prayers I suggest, the prayers of the saints are found in verses 9 and 10. And they sung a new song, saying, thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood. out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and has made us unto our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. And so again, I think that the prayers of the saints, likewise, the same thing we might see in chapter eight, verse three. where it once again mentions the prayers of the saints. It says, and another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And there, I would simply say that many times in Book of Revelation, Jesus appears as an angel, the angel of the Lord of the Old Testament. Many times that same title is given to Jesus. He is the messenger of God. He is God's chief messenger. He is the word who became flesh. And so again, here it simply has Jesus. offering the prayers of the saints. He's the mediator. Of course, he would be receiving the prayers of the saints. He's the mediator. That's all he's doing is his work of mediation. It's not that Mary is taking the prayers of the saints. It's not that others, martyrs or saints are taking the prayers. It's the angel, it's Jesus that is taking the prayers of the saints and presenting them to God through his mediation. The objection is sometimes offered praying to Mary or to any of the other saints in heaven. It's simply like us asking those on earth to pray for us. You know, we go to one another and we say, will you pray for me? And so the objection is, that's all that's happening. You know, when we pray to Mary, to the saints in heaven, we're just doing the same thing. Well, there's quite a difference between those. They're not the same. For the reason prayer is made to the saints, is due to their merit, due to their power, due to their perfections. Whereas here upon earth, we pray for one another in spite of our weaknesses, in spite of the fact that we are sinners who need daily God's grace. We know that saints here upon the earth hear us, Furthermore, when we share with them our needs, we have no biblical revelation at all that tells us that that is true of saints in heaven, that they can hear individually our prayers. There's nothing in scripture that teaches that ability or power, which implies a kind of omniscience. to be able to hear all prayers that presently throughout the world, millions and millions perhaps at the same time flooding to Mary, she would have to again take on an attribute of omniscience to be able to hear and to be able to respond to all of those prayers and again, It is a kind of deifying of Mary and the saints to attribute that power to them. Furthermore, again, when I go to a brother or a sister and ask them to pray for me, I'm not praying to them. I'm asking them to pray for me, but when one goes to Mary, we've already seen, they are praying to Mary. They are praying by way of an act of worship to the apostles. I'm not performing an act of worship when I ask someone to pray for me, but that's what's happening when People pray to Mary. It is an act of worship. It is praying to them. It is rendering that which belongs only to God. Among things forbidden to God's people in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 1811 is consulting with familiar spirits of the dead. not consulting with them. That is forbidden in Deuteronomy 18, 11. And I would simply add that by way of that prohibition, King Saul's calling the witch of Endor to bring up the spirit of Samuel is condemned as well. We are, dear ones, to honor the godly. who have lived in the past. We are to honor them who are glorified by remembering their courage for Jesus Christ, their faithfulness to the truth, and by walking in their footsteps. That's how we honor them. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, one, follow me as I follow Christ. And so we are to walk in their footsteps, but we're not to exalt them. or not to venerate them, to be like gods, or not to pray to them. That worship is owed to God alone through Jesus Christ alone. And then Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16 is a parable, first of all, but furthermore, It's a parable of communication between the dead and the dead, not between the living and the dead. I don't doubt and I don't dispute that the dead communicate with one another. I don't doubt that at all. Whether, again, those in hell communicate with those in heaven, and that's perhaps, again, that's the parable that is used there, but whether that's simply teaching something else. But again, even if that were the case, That's still the dead communicating with the dead. That's not the living communicating with the dead. So that cannot be used as an example of why we should be praying to those who are departed saints or angels or martyrs in heaven. There's no basis for that from that parable. By way of application, as I close today, I do want to emphasize there is a very real spiritual union and communion, not direct communication, but real spiritual union and communion that we who are saints here upon the earth have with the saints that are glorified in heaven. Why? Because we are united all, whether in heaven or upon earth, we are united to Jesus Christ. Those saints in heaven have a closer communion to Jesus Christ than we do here upon the earth, but we nevertheless share in that union and communion with Jesus Christ, with the saints, with our departed brethren in Jesus Christ. And that's whom I'm referring to as saints, not some special category of Christians, but I'm talking about believers in Jesus Christ, our saints. We on earth only have a functional communion one with another. We don't have a functional communion with the saints in heaven. but we do have a real spiritual union with them and communion with them in all that Jesus Christ has purchased for us. You see, our communion with the saints in heaven refers to all the blessings that we share in common in Christ one with another. It refers to the fact that we have one God, one mediator, one blessed spirit who indwells us, We have one common inheritance with the saints in heaven. We have one heavenly home. We have one faith, one worship. according to God's will. We share that and much more with the saints in heaven in Jesus Christ. In fact, in Hebrews chapter 12, verses 22 through 24, very interesting passage talking about our communion with the saints in heaven, where Paul says, but ye are come, speaking to Hebrew Christians, When they gather for worship on the Lord's day, this is what he says concerning the gathering of God's people for worship, but ye are come unto Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel. You see, what Paul is saying is, When we come to worship as God's people on the Lord's day, we have a communion, a union and a communion with the saints in heaven who are in an eternal Sabbath, worshiping God according to his will, as we have an earthly Sabbath here upon earth, worshiping God according to his will. we share in the same mediator, the same God, the same spiritual blessings. You know, that ought to change the way we worship. When we come to worship on the Lord's Day, that we are joining together with all of God's people and angels in heaven in worshiping this glorious God of ours and the Lord Jesus Christ. We here upon the earth are given by the Lord and his word certain privileges and duties that belong to us in our communion one with another. But those same duties and privileges, all the one anothering passages, praying for one another, exhorting one another, admonishing one another, encouraging one another, all of those passages are functional duties that we have, functional communion that we have one with another here upon the earth, that we don't have functionally. We have spiritually many things in common, but functionally, no, those we do not hold. That's never taught in scripture. that we're to admonish, or they're to admonish us from heaven, or we're to pray to them, seek their prayers for our healing and that type of thing. We're never taught that in God's word. All of that has to do with our functional communion, one with another here upon the earth. And the silence of God concerning any of that functional communion with the saints in heaven, complete silence, that that would be the case. And God's silence is not his approval. God's silence is his disapproval. We need to have a precept. We need to have an approved example in God's word. And I end in this note. by way of application, talking about our communion, our union and communion with Jesus Christ here in our expression of Christ's church. Are we communing with one another only in doctrine? Is that the level of our communion, one with another? That we simply profess the same faith? That's important, I'm not discounting that. But if that is all the communion that we have with one another, we are greatly lacking in our communion with one another. We're lacking in our love for one another by way of showing mercy one to another, forgiving one another, allowing love to cover a multitude of sins one with another, not slandering, not gossiping about one another, encouraging and praying one with another and for one another. Praise God for our communion in the truth. but that's only a part of our communion in Jesus Christ. We are told by the Lord that people will know that we're followers of the Lord Jesus Christ by our love one for another, by our love one for another. So that, again, we're not just simply thinking it in our minds or expressing it to someone else, yes, I love the brethren, but that we're actually showing it and demonstrating it in our words and our deeds and our service, our help, our assistance, one another. I'm gonna close on this verse from the Apostle John. In 1 John 4, 10 through 12, herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us. And sent his son to be the propitiation, that is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. Jesus didn't come because we were lovable. He came to save those who were unlovable. He came to love those who were unlovable. And that is, dear ones, the communion of the saints that we cannot miss. that we must exercise, beginning in our families, husbands and wives, parents and children, and children and parents, because it's not gonna be shown in the church if it's not shown in the family. And then it will have its leavening effect as well in our church. God grant us his grace that we would be those who not only have a communion in the truth, but also have a communion in love for one another and demonstrate that.