Open your Bibles to Revelation
chapter 14. Revelation chapter 14. We'll read verses 1 to 5,
and take note that the one who stands forth in this text is
called the Lamb of God, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, the
risen and exalted God-man. And Christ, remember, is the
Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. It's one of his wonderful titles,
isn't it? The Lamb of God. John, remember John said, behold
the Lamb of God. Takes away the sin of the world.
Oh my, isn't that wonderful? The name of this message is called
The Lamb and His People. And take note again as we read
this text that the preeminent one is the Lamb. The preeminent
one is the Lamb of God, again, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let's read Revelation chapter 14, verses 1 to 5. And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb
stood on the Mount Zion, and with Him an hundred and forty-four
thousand, having His Father's names written in their foreheads.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven, or and I heard a voice
from heaven, as the voice of many waters. and the voice of
great thunder, and I heard the voice of harpers harping their
harps, and they sang as it were a new song before the throne,
and before the four beasts and the elders, and no man could
learn that song but the 144,000 which were redeemed from the
earth. These are they which were not
defiled with woman, for they are virgins. These are they which
follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed
from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And
in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before
the throne of God." Look at that. Who are the ones who are without
fault before the throne of God? God's elect, God's people. Isn't that wonderful? Now, note
that John saw and described many things that he saw in heaven,
but nothing arrested his heart like seeing the Lamb of God,
seeing Christ. Oh, it gripped his mind and his
person, the sight of the all-glorious Lamb, the Lamb who stood on Mount
Zion. The Lamb of God. The Lamb who redeemed His people
from all their sins. The glorious Lamb who is none
other than the Lord Jesus Christ. God our Savior. God our Savior. The Lamb is the reward, glory,
and delight of heaven. Christ is our reward, beloved.
Christ is the preeminent one in heaven. Christ is the one
we'll be worshiping forever. The Lamb of God. And we see heaven's
delight is the Lamb of God, beloved. And think of this, heaven would
not be heaven without Christ, would it? Heaven wouldn't be
heaven without Christ. No. And to be in heaven is to
behold Christ, is to behold Him face to face. Oh my. And the Lamb is the reward, glory,
and delight of heaven. My. And marvel that God's elect,
who are represented by the number 144,000, are without fault. before the throne of God. Without
fault. Why? Because we've been redeemed
by the blood of the Lamb, beloved. Redeemed by the blood of the
Lamb. Without fault before the throne
of God. Not because of anything they've
done. Now these 144,000, they've done nothing. And all the gods
elect, we've done nothing for the saving of our souls. This,
again, represents God's elect. Oh my, and they've been saved
not because of anything they've done. They're saved sinners because
of the blood and righteousness of the Lamb of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Isn't that wonderful? And notice,
it says they're without spot. They're without fault. Before
the throne of God, sinners. without fault before the throne
of God. That's incredible. All through
the blood and righteousness of Christ. And again, they're without
spot and blemish. They're without fault. Because
they're washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. They're
washed in the blood of the Lamb. And look what it says in verse
3. which were redeemed, the very
last part of it, which were redeemed from the earth. And then verse
14, the latter part, they were redeemed from among men. How
were we redeemed? By the precious blood of Christ.
Isn't that wonderful? That's wonderful, beloved. My
And they're without spot. They're without blemish. They're
washed in the blood of Christ. They're cleansed from all their
sin. And they're justified by the perfect spotless righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we see they're before the
throne. We're all God's people in heaven before the throne.
Saying, worthy is the Lamb. That was slain for us. My and look look at how they
are in the sight of divine justice This is incredible in the sight
of divine justice. They are unblameable in unapprovable
Look at that For they are without fault before the throne of God
the latter part of verse 5 revelation 14 and beloved Love to God None
shall enter heaven but those who have been chosen by God the
Father, redeemed by the blood of the Son, and born again by
the Holy Spirit of God and made willing to flee to Christ after
they've been given faith to believe on Christ. Psalm 65, 4 proclaims
this wonderful truth. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest. Notice who chooses? God does. and causes to approach unto thee.
See, a lot of people don't like to hear that. But this is Psalm
65, verse 4. I'm going to say it again. And
note, note what's, see, scripture interprets scripture. We're made
willing in the day of God's power. Psalm 110, 3. Now look at this. And then Christ says, no man
can come to the Father But through me and and we know that's by
him drawn power Unless the father draw him so listen to this psalm
65 verse 4. This is wonderful Blessed is
the man or woman whom thou cheeses and causes to approach unto thee
see by nature We'd never approach God because the scripture says
there's none that seek it after God see how scripture interpret
scripture, right? Oh That he may dwell in thy courts. I We
wouldn't be able to dwell in the courts of God. We wouldn't
be able to stand in front of the throne of God unless he chose
us, unless he caused us to approach to Christ. And then we find out
Christ saved us 2,000 years ago. And then we find out that's all
according to the plan and purpose of God and eternity based upon
absolutely nothing in us. Look at this. We shall be satisfied
with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. Turn,
if you would, to Romans chapter 8. Oh, rejoice, beloved God. Not one of those for whom Christ
redeemed, not one of those whom Christ redeemed, not one of the
chosen, redeemed, and called ones shall fail to be taken home
to heaven. Not one. Not one. How do we know that? Well, we
know our Lord's own words said that. He'll lose none. And then
look at, here's scripture interpreting scripture again. Romans chapter
eight, verses 28 to 30. And notice as we read this, it's
all past tense. This is glorious. And we know,
this is some things God's people know. We've been taught this.
We didn't know this. And he's taught us this. That
all things work together for good to them that love God. And
then look, most people stop. Religious people stop right there.
They say, oh, see that? They don't finish the sentence.
Look at the rest of the sentence. To them who are the called according
to his purpose. That's according to God's purpose.
Isn't that wonderful? Remember our text in Psalm 65,
for blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causes to approach
unto thee. And look at this, for whom he
did foreknow, he did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his son. So predestination has to do with
being conformed to the image of Christ. People say, I don't
like predestination. I don't understand that, because
every believer I've met, we rejoice that we're being conformed to
the image of Christ, because we could never conform ourselves.
Right? Look at this. Conformed to the
image of the Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And that's
with an effectual, irresistible call. Isn't that wonderful? And
whom he called, them he also justified. Well, we were justified
2,000 years ago when Scripture says Christ raised for our justification. Isn't that wonderful? And whom
He justified, them He also glorified. So it doesn't say He'd lose any
of them, does it? No. No, by God's grace and for
His eternal glory, Salvation is planned, purposed in eternity,
and then executed by God the Father, sending Christ to this
earth to redeem his people from all their sins, who are chosen
sinners. Then grace completed that. And
when grace is finally being completed, in our lives, we'll be taken
home to be with the Father, to be with Christ. Then he also
glorified. It's sure. It's sure because
it's in Christ, who, as we looked at last message, is the nail
in the sure place fixed there by God, who we hang our eternal
souls upon. Though we are by nature corrupt
and defiled, in Christ, the Lamb of God, we are cleansed and made
fit to be in God's presence forever. blameless before the throne of
God. Isn't that amazing? By nature, we're corrupt. By
nature, we're defiled. My, but in Christ, the Lamb of
God, we're cleansed from all our sin. We're made fit to be
in the presence of God forever. And we are without fault before
the throne of God. all because of the perfect, sinatonic
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though we've all gone astray
from God, it's God's grace in and through the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lamb of God, which has brought us nigh. I love this portion
in Ephesians. If you want, turn to Ephesians
chapter 2. I love this portion. How are we brought nigh to God?
How are we brought close to God? How are we brought back to God?
by the blood of Christ, by the blood of the Lamb, by the blood
of the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's God's grace
that made us followers of the Lamb. Oh, though we were lost
and ruined by Adam's fall, born dead in trespasses and sins,
defiled by sin from the top of our heads to the bottom of our
feet, It's the blood of the Lamb, the blood of the God-man, the
blood of the one sent by God to save his people from their
sins, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which has redeemed all
of us, all of God's people from among men. Listen to this, Ephesians
chapter 2, verses 11 to 14. Wherefore, remember that ye being
in times past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hand." So
this is telling us that the Jews would call us uncircumcised. We're Gentile dogs to them. Right? And there it says, by that which
is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands. But
listen to this, that at that time, when we were dead in trespasses
and sins, you were without Christ. He was with us, but we didn't
even know it. You were without Christ, being aliens. Didn't
know anything about God. Thought we knew something, didn't
know nothing. aliens from the commonwealth of israel and strangers
from the covenant a promise they were they meant nothing to us
and it says without or having no hope no hope we we hoped in
ourselves which is a vain hope right and then it says and without
god in the world we didn't even think about We had no desire
for him. But listen to this. Listen to
what Paul writes these Ephesian believers. Remember, it's a Greek
city, and they're They now have Roman citizenship. And they were
pagans serving idols. And listen to what he says to
them. This is wonderful. And this is true of all God's
born-again blood-washed people. But now in Christ Jesus, you
were sometimes far off. far off, are made nigh by the
blood of Christ, but close. Oh, it's wonderful. For He is
our peace, who hath made both one, that's Jew and Gentile,
and broken down the middle wall of partition between us. At the
temple, there was a hall of the Gentiles. They couldn't go any
further, and the Jews could go in further, but that wall is
broken down. We can all approach the throne
of grace. We can all approach God through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's wonderful. Think of this. No one can approach God but by
the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot know, serve,
or praise and honor God in true worship except by the Lamb of
God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Christ is worshipped as the
Lamb in heaven. They praise Him. Our beloved
brothers and sisters in heaven are praising Him as the Lamb,
beloved. And we will one day, too. Oh,
they're praising it, praising the Lamb of God in heaven because
it was the Lamb of God, it was the Lord Jesus Christ who died
and accomplished the redemption of His people by the shedding
of His precious, precious blood. And then He who sits upon the
throne of God, in our nature, the God-man, is none other than
the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And He encourages us
to come to Him. He encourages us to come to him.
Christ, now think of this, Christ is a lion to his enemies, but
he's a lamb to his people. Oh my, and I ask you this, what
child fears a lamb? We never fear coming to the Lamb
of God upon the throne of grace, because Hebrews 4.16 says this,
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
And we approach the throne of God, seeking Christ the Lamb,
the Lamb of God. And marvel at this, to close,
every child of God, stands without fault before the throne of God,
because of the Lamb of God, because of the Lord Jesus Christ, through
the blood of Christ and the imputation of his perfect spotless righteousness
to us, we shall be in eternity without fault, without fault
personally, as we stand before our great God. Amen. And amen.