which turned back to John eight. Tonight, I'm going to be preaching
from first Corinthians chapter four, and the title of the message
is puffed up. He said to the Corinthians, you
are puffed up, you are inflated. And that was what was behind
all their problems. I've entitled this message, His Hour Was Not Yet Come. Before the physical creation, it's hard to grasp this. As a matter of fact, it's impossible.
But it's true, there was a time when there was no matter. There was no universe. There
were no galaxies. There was no sun, no stars, no
moon, no angels. Before, there was time in eternity
when all there was, was God. in the Trinity of His sacred
persons. That's all there was. Before time, and we just actually
heard about it in that song we just heard, before time there
was a book with names written in it called
the Lamb's Book of life, the lamb slain from the foundation
of the work. Now, somebody says, was this
a literal book? I think it's figurative language. Maybe it
is. Maybe it is. I don't know, but I do know this.
The point is there were names written in this book. As a matter of fact, turn with
me to Revelation chapter 13. Hold your finger there in John
chapter eight. Verse eight, and all that dwell
upon the earth shall worship him that is the beast. That's
not talking about worshiping God, but worshiping the beast,
the false prophet. All that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of
life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Look in Revelation 20 for just
a moment while you're there. Verse 15, Revelation 20. And whosoever was not found written
in the book of life, that same book we just read about of the
lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Whosoever was not
found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of
fire. In Revelation chapter 5, if you're
in Revelation you might as well go there, Revelation 5. Now, we read of something that took place before
there was time, before there was a universe. We read of the
Lamb having been slain from the foundation of the world, before
time, before there was ever a sinner, there was a Savior. The Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. Now we're going to
look at another scene. And this is after time is no more, eternity
Future? That's a dumb thing to say, I
realize that. We're grasping when we're talking about these
things, but the scripture says in Revelation 10, when time is
no more. Okay, look in Revelation 5. This
is when time is no more, and actually this is the last scene.
It's repeated three different times in Revelation, but right
now it's in Revelation 5, but this is the final scene of Revelation. This is the eternal scene. This
is eternity. Chapter five, and I saw on the
right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book, a book written
within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. Now this book
was full, front page, back page, no room for any additions. Is
this the book of Life that we just read about, certainly it's
part of it, but I think more than anything else, this is the
book of God's decrees. Nothing can be added. Nothing
can be taken. Do you know that everything that
takes place is according to God's decree? Everything. And I saw a strong angel. You
know, I guess that's the only kind of angel there is. I don't
think there's any such thing as a weak angel. I saw a strong
angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open
the book and to loose the seals thereof. And no man in heaven
nor in earth, neither under the earth was able to open the book,
neither to look there on and I wept much. Because no man was
found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto
me, weep not, behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root
of David. hath prevailed to open the book
and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld in low
in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and in the
midst of the elders stood a lamb." This lion is a lamb. The lamb having been slain. That same view of eternity before
time is the same thing after time. This is interesting. What is the subject of the eternities?
The lamb having been slain. Now, when he saw this lamb having
been slain, he didn't see a wooly sheep with horns. He saw the
lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, bearing the scars of his having
been slain. what he saw. Go on reading verse
six. And behold, low in the midst
of the throne and the four beasts in the midst of the elders stood
a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns, omnipotence,
seven eyes, omniscience, which are the seven spirits of God
sent from the earth. And he came and took the book. He didn't ask for it. As the
father's equal, he took it. There was no disrespect, no irreverence,
but as God the son, equal with the father, he took the book. Out of the right hand of him
that sat upon the throne, 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 full of
odors, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang
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 I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about
the throne, and the beasts and the elders, the number of them
was 10,000 times 10,000, thousands of thousands, saying with a loud
voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain. This is heaven. This is eternity. Interestingly, in both of these,
lamb having been slain before time and after time, it's spoken
of in the perfect tense. Literally, the lamb having been
slain. Perfectly completed, never to
be repeated. It's gotta be this way if it's
eternal, doesn't it? No past, no future. The eternal present. The lamb having been slain, that's
who he is, that's what he did. With this lamb that we read of
in the eternities entered time. He entered that period of seconds
and minutes and hours and days and weeks and months and years. He entered time. You see, he made time and he
entered time for his hour. When they wanted to take him,
his hour was not yet come. That would not happen for another
six months. He said, with regard to this
hour, and now as my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father,
save me from this hour? For this cause came I into this
hour. The Lord created the universe. for this hour, his hour. And know how is my soul troubled
and what shall I say? Father saved me from this hour,
but for this cause came I into this hour. Is this talking about
a literal 60 minute interval? I don't think so, but it's talking
about a definite time that doesn't last very long. This is why the
Son of God came. This is why the earth was created. This is why the universe was
created. This is why man fell for this hour, the hour of the
Son of God, the Lord lived 33 years on this earth, which would
be just under 300,000 hours, each hour of infinite importance
as he, as a man worked out a perfect righteousness, yet his coming
was especially for this one hour. The hour where the lamb was to
be slain, that hour that had been determined in eternity. Now in John chapter 8 verse 12, Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Now he is the light as to how
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Holy One of Israel, can look
at this woman who was caught in adultery and say, I do not
condemn you. The only light there is, is the
Son of God, because she was guilty. But he says, I don't condemn
you. And the only reason the Son of
God would say that is because there was nothing to condemn
her for. And that is what Christ did. He took that sin away and
he could look at that woman and say, I do not, where are those
thine accusers? And no man condemned thee, neither
do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. He's the light as to how that
could take place. Notice how it says in verse 12,
he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but you'll
have the light of life. He is the light of how his life
is that woman's life and every believer's life. That perfect
life of the Lord Jesus Christ, his perfect death, where he put
away sin, his perfect life. That's my life before God. You
want to know my history? Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John. Verse 13, thud. The Pharisees
response, thud. The Pharisees therefore said
unto him, thou barest record of thyself, thy record is not
true. Interestingly, they use the scriptures
to try to prove their point. They were using the scriptures
where it says only the testimony of two men are true from the
book of Deuteronomy. They were using the scriptures,
quoting them accurately, believing what they said in order to further
their wicked design. You can use the scriptures for
anything if you want. You sure can. A lot of people do. But
they were saying, You're a liar because you're bearing witness
to yourself. Who else is bearing witness to
this preposterous claim that I'm the light of the world? And
I can imagine how upset they got with this. What if I said
I'm the light of the world? You would just be offended. If
any man came up to me and said, I'm the light of the world, I'm
saying, you're a darkness, a deceived, and everything else you can think
of. How can you call yourself the
light of the world? You're bearing witness yourself. The scriptures
prove you're not telling the truth. Verse 14, Jesus answered and
said unto them, though I bear record of myself, yet my record
is true. For I know whence I came. I came
from eternity. That's what he's saying. He's
speaking of his own transcendence. I know where I came from. You don't. I do. I came from eternity. And I know where I'm going. I'm
going back to eternity. And I know what I got to do to
get there. I'm going to have to go to the cross. I'm going
to have to go into the grave. I'm going to walk out of that
tomb, and I'm going to go back to eternity. I know where I'm
from. I know where I'm going. My record
is true. But you can't tell whence I come. And whether I go, you don't even
know what I'm talking about. You judge after the flesh. Your
judgments are fleshly judgments. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. They that are in the flesh cannot
please God. If you're not born from above,
if I'm not born from above, if all I am is a natural man, I'm
flesh. I can't please God. I can't know
God. I can't understand the scriptures. I've got no light. unless God
is pleased to give me life, his life, the light of life. You judge after the flesh. I've
judged no man. Now, what does he mean when he
says I judge no man? When he first came, he didn't come to
judge. He came to save. He said, I didn't come to condemn
the world. but that the world through me
might be saved. But when he comes again, listen
to this, verse seven, and to you, 1 Thessalonians 1, 2 Thessalonians
1, 7, and to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus
shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming
fire, taking vengeance. on them that know not God and
that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall
be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence
of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come
to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them
that believe. Now, the first time he came,
he came safe. The second time, he will come as a judge. He'll say to the sheep, Come
ye blessed of my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. He'll say to the goats,
depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and
his angels. He'll come as a judge then, not
right now, but he will then. Verse 16. And yet, if I judge, my judgment
is true, for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent
me. And my judgment that I make, it's the judgment of the Father
as well. The two persons, I and my Father,
are one. So that His judgments are my
judgments, and my judgments are His judgments. He bears witness
of me. Yes, I bear witness of myself,
but he bears witness of me as well. There's the two witnesses,
me and my father. Verse 17, it is also written in your law
that the testimony of two men is true. This is what they were
trying to use to say, you're not real. You don't have another
testimony. He says, well, you're right, the law says the testimony
is true, of two men is true. I am one that bears witness of
myself and the father that sent me beareth witness of me. Now I bear witness of myself. He spake as one having authority. He spake the very words of God. And when he spake, his words bore witness to who
he is. And if you do not see that, it's
because you are dead in sins. If you have spiritual life, you
know his words are the words of God. Amen? The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life. Not only do I bear witness of
myself, my father bore witness of me. You remember when he was
baptized, what happened? A voice came from heaven. This is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. You remember the man of transfiguration.
When his deity burst through his humanity and his face was
above the brightness of the sun, his clothes glistening in white, Peter says, oh Lord, it's good
for us to be here. Let's make three tabernacles.
You see Moses and Elijah were there speaking with him, speaking
of the death that he should accomplish. Let's make three tabernacles.
What an insane thing for him to say. And then that bright
cloud overshadowed them and they hit the dirt, scared to death.
And the voice came from heaven the second time. This is my beloved
son in whom I'm well-placed, hear ye him." The father bore witness of him
by causing him to do what only God can do. He healed the sick and I don't
mean a gradual healing. where they went through a process
of getting better. No, when He healed, you were
healed immediately. He cleansed lepers, men who were
covered with leprosy. By an act of His will, He cleansed
them to where their leprosy was gone. Perfect flesh, healthy. He controlled the weather. Can
you imagine power like that? What if some man could control
the weather? What manner of man is this that even the winds and
the sea do obey him? He demonstrated omnipotence by
bringing matter into the universe, which had not been there before
when he made that food. He created food from nothing.
Only God can do that. What omnipotence he demonstrated
to us when he raised the dead. Only God can raise the dead.
I mean, you see a body laid in a coffin and you know there's
nothing you can do to bring them back. They're dead. There's someone
who can. Only God can do that. Well, I
think of what he said to the Pharisees when he said, you destroy
this body in three days, I'll raise it up. He didn't say God
will raise it up. He said, I will raise it up.
Oh, how the father bore witness of him. Verse 18, I'm one that
bear witness of myself, and the father which has sent me bear
witness of me. There's the two witnesses. And
they said unto him, and we can almost feel the contempt in their
voice, where is thy father? They didn't know who he was speaking
of. Where is thy father? You're making all these claims.
Show us your father. Where is your father? Jesus answered, you neither know
me nor my father. If you had known me, you should
have known my father also. You see, all who know me, the
Lord says, know my father. All who've seen me have seen
my father. He said, he that has seen me
hath seen the father. He said in John 10 30, I and
my father are one. And by that he's saying, I am
eternal God. One with the Father, you believe
in God, believe also in me, or even so, believe in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. You believe in God, even so.
The same way, believe in me. I'm sure this sounded offensive
to them. You don't know me. You don't
know the Father either. You see, no man can know the
Father except the Son revealing. You and I are completely dependent
upon Jesus Christ to make himself known to us. You'll never figure
it out. I'll never figure it out. We're totally dependent
upon revelation. Him making Himself known. Lord,
make Yourself known to me. I hope every one of you pray
that prayer right now. Lord, make Yourself known to
me. Don't leave me to myself and my own understanding. Make
Yourself known to me. These words, verse 20, these
words spake Jesus in the treasury as He taught in the temple. And
no man laid hands on Him that wanted to, You don't know
God, he said to them. You don't know me, you don't
know the Father. Well, they were irritated by that. We know God,
we Abraham's seed. What are you doing talking to
us like that? They tried to get him arrested earlier. No one to again. But no man laid
hands on him yet for this one singular reason. His hour was
not yet come. Turn to John chapter 12 for a
moment. Verse 27, now is my soul troubled. And this is the son
of God speaking. Why was his soul troubled? Because
his hour was very near. You remember in Gethsemane's
garden when he says, it'd be possible, let this hour pass
for me in the book of Mark. You see, only he understands
the evil of sin. He's the only one that does.
You don't, I don't. I know it's evil. But how much
more acutely did he understand the infinite evil of sin? And he knew he was going to drink
the content of that cup He knew he was going to be made sin and
how his holy soul recoiled at the thought of being made sin
and being forsaken by his father. But the only way you and I can
be saved is if he's made sin. And look what he says. Verse
27, now is my soul troubled. What shall I say? Father, save
me from this hour. But for this cause came I into
this hour. This is my purpose for coming. He said to those who are getting
ready to crucify him, now is your hour. And the power of darkness. Now when it's called his hour,
why does he say now it's your hour? Because that lets us know
that although this is God's eternal purpose, my sin is all my fault. And those who crucified Christ,
they were only doing what God's hand and power determined before
to be done. The scripture says that. They
were doing exactly what God purposed for them to do, but they're held
completely responsible for their actions. You see, God is completely
sovereign over the free and uncoerced actions of men. When those men
were driving the nails in his hands and feet, they did so because
they hated him and they wanted him dead. They wanted him out
of the world. You with wicked hands have crucified
and slain. Him being delivered by the determined
counsel and foreknowledge of God, you with wicked hands have
crucified and slain. You see, our sin is our fault. I can't blame God's sovereignty.
My sin is my fault. But God is in complete control
of every event, even the thoughts going through your mind right
now. He's in absolute sovereign control of. He's God. Now, this hour is the subject
of the eternities, before there was ever a creation,
before there were any angels praising Him. He's the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world, and we just read in Revelation 5
that glorious Picture of eternity future. What is the song then? Praising the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. Now this is the whole counsel
of God. This is the eternal purpose which
he purposed in Christ Jesus the Lord. This hour was the reason
for the creation of the universe. The reason for the fall of man.
You see, the Lamb slain took place before the fall of man,
didn't it? This hour has not yet come when
it had come when Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross to put
away sin. This is the most God-like thing
God ever did. God nailed to a cross. Well might the sun in darkness
hide to shut his glories in when Christ, the mighty maker died
for man, the creature's sin. What glorious mystery This hour is the hour that God
makes himself known in his fullness. The only way you and I will know
the true character of God is by looking at the cross. How
holy is God? When sin was found on his son,
he killed him. That's how holy God is. How just
is God? Don't ever think one sin will
ever go unpunished. It won't. God's just. The power of God to put away
sin. You see, when Christ said it
is finished, all the sins of those he died for were made not
to be. They're gone. If you're a believer,
you have no sin. What power is involved in that? It's put away. What mercy and grace and love
is seen in the person of God that he would give his son to
die? God's sovereignty is seen. He's
a lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He's a lamb slain
in time. Every attribute of God is on full display. Every attribute,
without exception, everything God's been pleased to reveal
concerning himself is displayed in the lamb having been slain
from the foundation of the world. And listen to this, this hour,
is the only way a sinner could be saved. You see, he said, if it's possible,
let this cup pass from me. If it's possible. If he was going
to save anybody, it was not possible. Why did he ask this? No doubt
because of the thought of being made sin was. You and I just never understand
that. Not even in glory, but we understand that. But he did. He that knew no sin was made
sin. And this hour is the only way
a sinner can be saved. This hour is the lens through
which we see everything. Paul said, God forbid that I
should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's
all I have confidence in, what he accomplished on Calvary Street.
I glory only in that. By the grace of God, I don't
want to glory in anything but that. By whom the world is crucified
to me. I see the world for what it is,
only through the light of the cross. And it has no more value
than a crucified being. And I unto the world. Now here is my only hope. At the end of that hour, when
he said, it is finished. I was saved. When were you saved? Number one,
before the foundation of the world in the land slain from
the foundation of the world. Number two, when he said it is
finished. Number three, when I looked to
him, as everything in my salvation.
And all my confidence, all my trust is in this. He said, it
is finished. Nothing else is needed. God is completely satisfied. I need no other argument. I need
no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died
and that he died for me. Do you trust Christ only? If you don't do so, you don't
have any other hope. Right now, while you're sitting
there, look to Christ only. Look to his hour as all that
is needed for your salvation. He said, all that the father
giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me. You hear
that? I don't care who you are. Him
that cometh to me for mercy, for grace, for salvation. What
does it mean to come to Christ? It means to trust Him only. Nothing else. Not your works,
not your experience, not your intentions. Trust Him only. This is the work of God that
you believe on Him whom He has sent. You don't have a right to believe
that you're saved. And you won't be saved unless
you trust Him only. You trust Him only, you'll find
out you were saved from the foundation of the world. And you were saved
when He said, it is finished. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you. For the hour. Of thy dear son. Lord, we thank you for. His 33
years of life when he. Perfectly obeyed your law, but
how we thank you. For that hour when he was made
seeing as the center substitute. And put away sin and glorified. every attribute that you have. Lord, I ask in Christ's name,
the high and holy name of thy son, that you won't pass us by,
that you would give everybody in this room a saving interest
in thy son, and that you would give everybody in this room the
grace to believe on him only. Lord, that won't happen unless
you do it. We ask in Christ's name that you would do it and
that you would say to dead sinners, live and believe on my dear son. Oh Lord, do that for Christ's
sake. In his name we pray. Amen.