back in Revelation chapter 21. Verse 2, God's church is referred
to as the holy city, the new Jerusalem, a bride adorned. Verse 9, the church is referred
to as the bride, the lamb's wife. In verse 10, that great city,
holy Jerusalem, Now, Bobby, I told Robin this morning, or last night,
I said any of those descriptions would serve as a good title for
this message. Because I was finished and hadn't
really thought of a title. As you know, Bobby posts the
messages on Free Grace. I'll let people at the hotel
know that, that we're dealing with. But I thought to myself,
well, I'll just leave it to Bobby, let her pick any one." And I
thought, eh, better not do that. Better not do that. So although
the subject is the same and all those descriptions are of the
Lord Jesus Christ's church, His bride, His body, and we are members
of that one body. Just before I put my notes in
my briefcase, I looked at verse 2 again. right here in Revelation
1. Look at it again with me. Let's
read it. Revelation 21 verse 2. This will
serve as the text. This will be the starting place.
And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven prepared, prepared. Christ said in John 14, I go
to prepare a place for you, a prepared place for a prepared people.
coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride, adorned
for her husband. And I thought, here comes the
bride. I said, Robin, how does that sound? She said, oh, I think
that'll work. Here comes the bride. Let me share a text with
you that I got from Sam Perkins. He was one of the first groups
that came Saturday before last. He's out of Gabe Stoniger's church,
too. They're in Kingsport, Tennessee.
They came down Friday night, and they were at the house early,
Saturday morning. They left Saturday night. They
had a motel room across town there. And I got a text from
him that they were home about 8 o'clock Sunday morning. They
had to leave, John, about 2 in the morning on Sunday morning
to get there at that time. But I sent the picture of the
other fellas and what was going on, and Sam said, I see from
the photos and heard from Gabe on Wednesday that they tore the
floor and cabinets out. I never thought about emptying
those. They were in the group that moved
everything. And I never thought of emptying those cabinets. It's
an invasive process. It's an invasive process, but
hopefully you can be back home soon. Those words of Gabe's to
me, it's an invasive process, I said, Boy, you got that right. You sure got that right. Look
at verse 23 here in Revelations 21. No, I'm sorry, verse 23, verse 23,
or is that what I say? Again, let's read that again.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to
shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it. Wow, what
does all that mean? I don't know, but it's good.
It's good. The glory of God did lighten
it. Don't need moon anymore, don't need sun. The glory of
God will furnish the light. And the Lamb, the Lamb, oh, what
a vision we'll have of the Lamb. We won't be looking through a
glass darkly anymore. We'll have perfect vision. We'll
have the ability and the opportunity to see Jesus Christ as he is. Remember the scripture reading
last Sunday, Psalm 90. You can see why my mind has continued
in this vein about our home in heaven. No storm's gonna destroy
that foundation. Remember Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses, the man of
God. These words have stuck in my
mind, the first two verses. Lord, thou has been our dwelling
place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought
forth, and ever thou has formed the earth and the world, even
from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. And God's people
have dwelt in the Lamb of God, the Bride of Christ. The church
were chosen in Him. Just as Eve was in Adam, that
rib that she was formed from was in Adam before she was ever
brought forth. And God created the woman out
of Adam's rib and she brought her to the man, presented his
wife, his bride, to Adam. And I believe he was well pleased.
Even so, we read that God chose us in Christ before the foundation
of the world. He's always been our dwelling
place, way before we ever knew it. I believe this issue with
the house, the parsonage, and moving into a hotel, and I think
I told John this on the phone the other day, I think it was
John, but we were in on the first floor, which is, this 70 year
old man didn't mind that at all, but A couple of nights ago, I
stepped out of bed, squishy, squishy on the carpet. What about
that? So we had to move upstairs. We left the house because of
water, then we had to leave our room because of water. But now
we're on the second floor, and I told Robin, if it gets up here,
I'm just leaving the state. We're just going to move on out.
But this issue with the house and so forth and the many other
things that go with that, has given me, I think, I think, a
better appreciation of something more permanent. I'm thinking
about that a whole lot more. A whole lot more. Thank God if
this was used to refocus me on that one thing needful, thank
God for it. It's worth it. I miss my home. Don't misunderstand me. But this experience has Made
me a little bit homesick, y'all. Should be that way all the time.
But to tell you the truth, I'm not. And I dare say you're not
either. We get so wrapped up in this
world. And there's, remember that old hymn, How Did It Go? This world is not my home. I'm
just a passing through. My treasure is laid up somewhere
beyond the blue. As Christians, we sing that and
sometimes find ourselves grabbing everything we can. in this world
and Jesus Christ said, don't be that way. Don't be that way. You're children of the kingdom. Your home is not of this world. I've chosen you out of this world
and I'm gonna take you out of this world to be with me in glory. But these things have made me
think about that a whole lot more. Has made me think so much
about my eternal home in heaven. That's as permanent as it gets.
as we just read in these verses in Revelation. Eternal, everlasting,
it's there, awaiting our arrival. 2 Corinthians 5 and 1, I think
a few weeks ago I preached on this. We know that if our earthly
house of this tabernacle were destroyed, we have a building
of God, a house not made with hands, eternal, eternal in the
heavens. That's permanent. 1 Peter 1 and
3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a
lively hope, a living hope, in a living Savior, with a living
union to that Savior, hath begotten us again into a lively hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance,
to an inheritance. I have never inherited nothing.
I don't think. I don't think I've ever inherited
anything. I may have to backtrack on that, but I don't ever recall
anybody leaving me anything worth anything in any will. There was a cousin of mine years
ago. He was about my age, and I think
he was a lawyer. I came home one day, and I'm
probably just in my 20s, early 20s, and Mom said, has been in
contact with some fella in England and claims that we are the descendants
of somebody that died over there. And Phillip's trying to figure
out, you know, how much we gonna get. And I thought, well, that
sounds pretty good to me. But come to find out, by the
time they tallied up all the hundreds of cousins and uncles
and aunts and all that stuff, we'd get about $1.50 apiece.
It wasn't worth the trouble. I forgot about that one. But
listen to what Peter says. We have been begotten again to
allow the hope to an inheritance. Oh, what an inheritance. Incorruptible
and undefiled, that fadeth not away. Reserve. Reserve, Billy. reserved in heaven for you. We made a reservation over there
at the Holiday Inn, and they said, it's only good for three
days. This place is filled up for one reason or another, and
I said, well, I'll take the three days. But thankfully, the Lord
arranged to where we're nearly two weeks now. Oh, here's the
reservation. Every child of God, isn't that
a comforting thought, has a reservation in heaven. A reservation in heaven. God Almighty made that reservation. Our names were written before
the foundation of the world in the Lamb's Book of Life. Thou
art my first elect, God said, and then chose us in Christ our
head. And there's the Lamb's Book of
Life. His name's on top. He has the preeminence. It's
his book, but you open it, and there's the names of all of his
sheep. and he has a reservation for
us in glory. And until we go there, until
we check in, we check out here and check in there, Peter says,
in the meantime, you're kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Man, that sounds
so certain. That's more certain than anything
down here, isn't it? That sounds so sure. Look down,
if you will, at verse 16. We didn't read down that far,
but let's look at it now. Verse 16 here in Revelation 21. And the city, the church, lieth
foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth. Perfect,
complete, nothing missing. And he measured the city with
a reed, 12,000 furlongs, the length and the breadth and the
height of it are equal. What about that? Equal. In my
preparation and study, I learned something I didn't know. Equal,
I learned equality comes from a Latin word meaning level. That's what it means, level. That's the expression, isn't
it? I want a level playing field.
I want it fair for everyone. There's nothing slanted in favor
of one or the other. No unfair or unjust advantages
in heaven. In heaven, everybody agrees. Now, that'll be a blessing on
it. In heaven, everyone's equal. People talk about one believer
getting more rewards than another believer. That is just, I want
to be nice, but that is stupid. We shall see Jesus Christ as
he is and be like him. That's a full reward. That's
a full reward. Jesus Christ to be where he is
like he wills us to be. My, so what more reward could
you ask for? What more reward? And what might
that reward be anyway? I've heard, you know, it's a
part of fundamentalism that you, well, yes, you're saved by grace,
but you have to work for rewards. You know, there's no doubt about
that. You're saved by grace, but these rewards, you know,
you've got to earn them. You're going to make God obligated
to you. You're going to make God owe you. I wonder, what are
those rewards going to be? I'm going to have a bank account
in heaven? I'm going to have a three-car garage? I mean, what
kind of rewards are they talking about? It's just carnal nonsense.
No, there are no extremes in glory between one and another. We're free from extremes. Everyone
will be tranquil in mind. Nobody vying for the supremacy
or dominance over anybody else. No scrambling for beachfront
property. Before Robin and I got married,
when we had decided we were going to get married, I had a good
sense to ask her. And we planned our honeymoon.
She said, oh, I love the beach. I said, yeah, that'd be great.
So I went online, Orange Beach. She told me about it. I got it,
and I forwarded it to you. I said, there it goes. I said,
we're confirmed. Honeymoon on the way. And she
called and said, is that oceanfront property? I said, they said it's
on the ocean. I guess it is. Well, I got to
looking and it wasn't. You know, it's the side. I mean,
you'd have to hang out the window or something. So I was able to
change the reservation. Oceanfront property. All the
property in heaven will be oceanfront property. It will be perfect. Perfect scene. Perfect, perfect
scenery. There are no districts in here.
There's no uptown and downtown. There's no upper class or middle
class or lower class. There's no such thing as being
on the wrong side of the tracks. I don't know how many times people
told me that growing up. Where are you from? I told them,
you're on the wrong side of the tracks. I didn't know what that
meant. When I got older, I'd fight them over that. The wrong
side of the tracks. No such thing in heaven. What
did we just read? And the length is as large as
the breadth. The length and the breadth and
the height of it are equal. Are equal. Measure it in any
direction and it's the same. Perfect. Perfect. That sort of,
in a sense, sounds like what Paul wrote concerning the love
of God. He says, For this cause I bow
my knees, in Ephesians 3, verse 14, unto the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is
named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his
glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner
man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye,
being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend
with all saints what? All the signs of the last times,
All this intriguing prophecy speculation know that ye may
be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and
the length, and the depth, and the height. Same words we read
in Revelation 21 and 16. God's love runs in both directions. From eternity past, to eternity
to come. I have loved thee with an everlasting
love, God says, therefore with bands of love have I drawn thee. Love from eternity. Now Billy,
me and you could put both our grave matter together and we
couldn't begin to grasp that. God, there's never been a time
that God didn't love his people. Well, you mean he loved you when
you were saved, when God saved you. When Christ saved you, that's
when he loved you. Oh, no, no, no. God didn't, Christ
didn't die to get God to love us. God loved us before he sent
Christ. That's why Christ died. God so
loved the world, a world of Jew and Gentile, the world of lost
sinners. That's what Paul prays for, oh,
that you might comprehend the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus. Believers are men and women,
although they're living in this world, having the same struggles
as other men and women have, living in the same ungodly society,
And yet having a struggle that the lost man, especially the
religious lost man, knows nothing about when they cry out, oh wretched
man that I am. But yet with all that being so,
this is still true. Though we are believers living
on this earth, we're still heavily minded. While we live in this
world, we're looking for a city whose builder and maker is God.
Just like Abraham. Pitching his tent every morning,
taking it down every night. He was looking for a city whose
builder and maker is God. And the writer of Hebrews 11
says that's what all God's people do no matter where they live,
no matter when they live. There are pilgrims and strangers
in this world. They just don't fit in. Your
very dearest loved one, who's an unbeliever, they just can't
figure you out. You are one oddball. They won't
tell you that to your face, but they think, man, he's odd. He's
odd. He just, he doesn't seem interested
in this world's glitter, in this, in the flash of the pan. It just
seems like he's, he's just not interested. Of course not. Because we got our eyes on something
better. We're traveling to that city
whose builder and maker is God Almighty. Why do I care about
this stuff? I'm going to the palace of the
king. I'm going to see King Jesus in
his beauty. Now you tell me what down here,
if you gave it all to me, what could compare to that? Huh? Seeing Jesus Christ as he is
and being with him. Ephesians 2 and 19. Now therefore,
ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens
with the saints in the household of God, and are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building fitly
framed, four square, fitly framed together groweth unto a holy
temple in the Lord, in whom also ye are built together for a habitation
of God through the spirit. Thank God we're strangers and
pilgrims. I used to, when I was young and
didn't have any better sense before God opened my eyes, I
tried so hard to fit in. You know, it became fashionable
to have long hair. So I grew long hair. I wanted
to be like everybody else. The hippie movement came along.
I jumped right in. I was a hippie. I was a pee-pee
and all that nonsense. Wanted to fit in. Tried so hard
to fit in. Broke my mother's heart, didn't
matter to me, I wanted to fit in. John, I thank God right now that
I don't fit in this world anymore. I thank God that I don't feel
at home in this world anymore. I thank God that he gave me a
different song. I don't dance to the tune of
this world anymore. My ears have been tuned to the
glorious gospel of the blessed God. That's what I want to hear.
That's what I want to listen to. That's what I want to tell
about. That's the song I want to sing. To God be the glory.
Great things He has done. Let the world have the world.
Isn't that exactly what Paul said? If, if, if. That's a big
if now. If ye then be risen with Christ.
If you really have. It wouldn't be hard to pitch
ten here. Maybe for a moment I will. If you've been risen
with Christ, why do you keep grabbing this world? If you're
risen with Christ like you claim you are, why is your heart so
set in this world? Why is everything out of your
mouth, out of your heart, proven by your actions, your heart's
in this world, that's all you think about, that's all you live
for? But if you're really risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above. Those risen with Christ do that,
because Christ arose. They're looking up to join Him.
Where Christ saideth on the right hand of God, set your affections
on things above, not on things on the earth, for you're dead,
and your life is here with Christ in God. When Christ who is your
life shall appear, oh, I'm trying to imagine that. I just can't
do it, but it's nice to try. When Christ who is our life shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory, where there
is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian,
Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all in all, and we'll
be on equal footing in glory. You know Paul and Barnabas. They
both knew Christ. They were both believers. They
were both dedicated, faithful preachers of the gospel, but
they had a disagreement that caused them to split over John
Mark. That happens. We see it. You
say, well, he must not be a believer. Nah, not in every case. It happens. We're still in this flesh. That'll
never happen in glory. You'll never say anything to
hurt my feelings. I'll never say, I'll never again
say anything, Robin, ungrateful to you. Dane Harley goes by, I don't
have to ask her, I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that,
I'm sorry. And we'll never have that in
heaven. Equal, all in the same glorious
position. Revelation 79. John says, I beheld
in low, low, check this out, a great multitude, which no man
could number, of all nations and kindreds and peoples and
tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, all on equal
footing, not some closer to the throne, not some at the end of
the line, none of them, they're all equal. They've all been redeemed
by the same blood. That's what they sing. They all
stand before the throne and before the lamb. Oh, I'm looking forward
to that. And they're all dressed the same.
They're dressed just alike. They're clothed with white robes. That's what we read. And that
white robe pictures, symbolizes the pure robe of the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. They're all dressed in it. If
they're not, they wouldn't be there. There's nobody there that's
weaved the robe of self-righteousness. No, they've been cast into hell.
They can't enter this city. They can't enter this place.
No, all the fig leaves, no, no fig leaves in glory. Everyone
that stands before that throne, before the Lamb, they're all
dressed up and they couldn't look better. They look like the
Lamb of God. They look like Christ, their
elder brother. He's the firstborn among many
brethren. They're all enjoying total victory. You ever sometimes think, oh,
will I ever make any progress in my spiritual journey? Just
when I think I've learned something, I do something to prove you haven't
learned a thing. My daddy used to say to me, son,
do you have to learn the hard way? I mean, if that's what it
takes, that's what I'll give you. And I declare in my walk with
God, I think it's the same way. It seems like I can only learn
things the hard way. Those lessons sink in, don't
they? Somebody asked Brother Scott Richardson sometime. We
were all together at a conference somewhere, and I don't even remember
the question that they asked Scott. But they made a statement,
something in scripture, and they said, isn't that right, Scott?
And Scott said, I really don't know. I've not experienced that.
And that was a wise answer, wasn't it? But in heaven, we all enjoy
total victory over this world, over the devil, and over sin
within. That's why this multitude are
every one of them waving the palm leaf of victory. That's what that represents.
And I like this last thought. They all sing exactly the same
song. They all sing the same song.
There's not a sour note to run it, like man's will, or man's
worth, or man's work. Oh no, not unto us, O Lord, not
unto us, but unto thy name give glory. for thy mercy, for thy
truth's sake. And they all sing, salvation
to our God, which setteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb.
Won't that be glorious? Won't that be glorious? Nobody
wants to say, now wait a minute, wait a minute, you might have
went too far. What about man's will? Doesn't
God give everybody a chance? No, you won't hear none of that
garbage in heaven. Everybody will sing as they never could
hear with a heart beating to the same glorious pulse, to the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, worthy is the Lamb, and everyone
will delight to have it so." Delight to have it so. Philippians
3 and 20, for our conversation, that is our citizenship, that's
what the word is, our citizenship is in heaven, for whence also
we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change
our bowed body, that it might be fashioned like unto his own
glorious body, whereby he is able even to subdue
all things unto himself." I had a few notes on this, but I'll
pass over this. But sometime when you're studying
along this line, you compare Revelation 21, especially verse
16, about the measuring of that city. to the vision that Ezekiel
saw in chapter 48 verse 35. Just listen to the verse. This
city that Ezekiel saw sounds just like what John saw. It was
about 18,000 feet measures and the name of the city from that
day shall be the Lord is there. Jehovah Shammah. The Lord is
there. That's what we read, didn't we?
The Lord in the midst shall feed them, shall dwell among them. Oh, I picture Christ stepping
off His throne and just coming down and just dwelling among them. Oh my, imagine that. Shall dwell among them. They
shall be His people and He shall be their God. We will dwell with
our God and Savior and he shall dwell with us and in us forever. No wonder, Paul said. I suppose,
Paul said, I reckon, I'll give this some thought, Paul said,
and I've done my utmost to calculate, and this is what I've concluded.
I reckon that the sufferings of this present world are not
worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed
in us. When the apostle John saw the
final glory of the church, the bride of Jesus Christ, when he
saw, here comes the bride, John, look up, here comes the bride,
the Lamb's wife, he described it, as I said, like Ezekiel,
that great city. Isaiah 62, the prophet said of
this city, the church, a holy people, the redeemed of the Lord,
saw it out. A city not forsaken, this is
Isaiah 62 and 12. Paul said Jerusalem is from above. Mount Zion, the city of the living
God and the heavenly Jerusalem. That's the church. That's Christ's
bride. That's his wife. Nobody's going
to harm her. He won't allow that. He paid
too high a price for her. I love what Brother Donnie Bell
used to say. Perhaps you heard him say it
here. He said, while we're waiting for Christ's return, for him
to come and get us either when he comes in the clouds of glory
or he takes us by the way of the grave, until that day comes,
Donnie said, we'll just keep looking out the window. I like
that. What did Don say? Brother Don
Fortner, he said, we're standing on the tiptoe of faith and just
looking out the window. Knowing soon that he which testifyeth
these things saith, surely I come quickly. Even so, come, Lord
Jesus. I want to read just a brief part
of an article that came to me yesterday, and it was in Clay
Curtis's bulletin. It was excellent. This is just
a portion of an article by J.C. Philpott on this text, 1 Corinthians
3 and 22. Whether of Paul, or Apollos,
or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present,
or things to come, all are yours. Things to come. He wrote, all
will surely be made to work for your good. All are in the hand
of your heavenly father, of your gracious redeemer, and of your
holy intercessor and comforter. All that lies in the womb of
time, all that is folded up in the bosom of eternity is yours,
because Christ is yours, your Lord and Master. So then, fear
not, fear not the future. The things to come will, if they
bring fresh miseries, reveal fresh mercies. If trials march
in the front, Deliverance will come in the rear. Surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And until
that happens, we'll just keep looking out the window. Let me close with this. I think
I've shared this with you, but it's been a while. Passing through
by a lady named Anna Johnson Flint. When thou passest through
the waters, Deep the waves may be in cold, But Jehovah is our
refuge, And his promise is our hope. For the Lord himself hath
said it, He the faithful God and true, When thou comest to
the waters, You shall not go down, but through. Seas of sorrow,
seas of trial, Bitterest anguish, fiercest pain, Rolling surges
of temptation, Sweeping over hardened brains, They shall never
overflow us. My brothers and sisters, they
shall never overflow us, for we know his word is true. All
his waves and all his billows, he will lead us safely through. Threatening breakers of destruction,
doubt's insidious undertow, shall not sink us, shall not drag us
out of ocean depths of woe. For his promise shall sustain
us. Praise the Lord whose word is true. We shall not go down
or under. He has said, thou passest through. Let's just keep looking out the
window. God bless you. Thank you for
your teaching. You're welcome, Billy. Uh-oh.
I'm going to have to do a little deleting on