On the back of your bulletin, if you've not had a chance, I
want you to take it out. I want to read that center section there. I wrote, Brother Scott was received
into the presence of our Lord on May 18th, 2010. On the Wednesday night before
the Lord was pleased to call him home, he made these comments. I'd like to tell you again what
he said, and I quote. He said, I've come across something
that helped me and I want to pass it on to you. We understand
more about what heaven is and will be to us by what it is not
and will not be. There'll be no more sin, no more
darkness, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more jails, no more
crying, no more war, no more sickness, no more heartache,
no more dying in a ditch, no more fear, no more confusion,
no more lacking anything, no more vanity, no more waiting,
no more going astray, no more crooked roads, no more reproach,
no more affliction, no more trouble, no more curse, no more dishonoring
God. Our name will be no more be called
Jacob, will be the children of the living God. Brother Scott
read Revelation 22, three to five, and there shall be no more
curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it,
and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face,
and his name shall be in their foreheads, and there shall be
no more night there, and they need no candle, neither light
of the sun, For the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall
reign forever and ever. Then he said, no more birthdays.
Sound like Scott, doesn't he? After I read that, I got to thinking about that
passage that he read out of Revelation 22. I want you to turn to Revelation
22 with me. After I put that article in the
bulletin, I was stirred. Something else prepared. He read three to five, but this
is the part out of verse three that truly struck me. And there
shall be no more curse. The apostle John was shown in
a vision the eternal place of God's people. Just turn back
to Revelation 21. I'd like to read the first five
verses. John said, and I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out
of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men
and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and
God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes. I read that and I thought
he won't even allow the angels ministering spirits, they won't
do it, he will, he will. And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes. And there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain,
for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the
throne said, behold, I make all things new. And he said unto
me, write. for these words are true and
faithful. Revelation 22 verse 3, and there
shall be no more curse. Now to understand the depth or
something of the depth of the curse, listen to what the Apostle
Paul was moved to write in Galatians 3.10. For as many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse. That means they're under the
condemnation of the curse incurred by the breaking of the law. Now
listen, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And here the scripture does not
say as many as were born under the law. Paul, the apostle that
wrote this, we were all born, we were all born under the law. But it says as many as are of
the works of the law. That is, as many as are looking
to the law, or let me say it so we can understand it a little
bit better. all that are looking to their obedience, or their
work, or their ability, or their faith, or their will, or their
whatever someone is looking to apart from the Lord Jesus Christ
and his faithfulness, his faith. The scripture sets forth as many
as are of the works of the law. They are under the curse because
we can't fulfill it. We cannot fulfill the law of
God. Don't ever let anybody tell you
all you have to do in order to be saved is and they give you
some works. I watch television and a guy
comes on and he said If you wanna be a Christian, all you gotta
do, and he gives this little quick prayer, just, you know,
God, I'm sorry for my sins, I'm gonna ask you to forgive me,
come into my heart, and I accept you as my savior, amen. He said,
prayed that prayer, give me a call. Saved. That's not what scripture
says. That's not what scripture says. No, by the deeds of the law,
by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his
sight." Because I can't do it perfectly. I cannot obey God. So as many as are looking to
the law for their justification, your efforts, that's the world's
religion and it's a lie. It's a lie. I can prove it by
these scriptures. Titus 3, 5, I just quoted it.
By the works of the law. All of sin. No. God's people
know that they're justified. Turn to Romans. Hold your place
there in Revelation. Romans 3, 24. God's people know
this. Romans 3, 24. 24, 25. I just quoted verse 23, for all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. Now let
me tell you what we just read. Being justified freely. Being
justified, that is, here's the definition of justification.
It is the declaration of God. Not of men telling somebody,
well, you ported that quick little prayer, saved. No. The declaration by God. We just read it. Being justified
freely, what did God say? By His grace. If it's grace, then it's no more
works. Works and grace are not the same
thing. All right? Being justified means the declaration
of God that one is righteous before Him free from all guilt
based totally upon the redemption, the payment, the buying back,
the payment being made through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus. He was made what we are. We might be made what he is in
him. for God, so being justified freely
with no cause in us, that's what the word freely means, no cause
in you, me, being justified freely by His grace, through the Lord
Jesus Christ paying the debt, through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus, whom God, the Lord Jesus, has set forth to
be the propitiation, the satisfaction, the satisfaction. through faith
in His blood, believing what He did, dying for the sheep,
bearing their sins, paying their debt, Almighty God has justified
His people freely, freely, by grace, through the Lord Jesus
Christ, to declare His righteousness, not mine, not yours, but His,
for the remission of sins, putting away of sins that are past, through
the forbearance of God. So God's people know this. They're justified by the grace
of God. No cause in them. And they're not, therefore, under
the law to perform it. They're not under the works of
the law to perform it. They love the law of God. There's
not a believer that doesn't love the law of God. It's God's word. It's God's character, it's God's. Everything and everybody, turn
to Revelation 20, just page or two back, Revelation 20. Everybody
that is apart from being found in the Lord Jesus Christ, now
listen to what I'm saying. Everybody that is apart from
being found in Christ, and there's one evidence, there's one evidence,
knowing that a man or woman is in Christ. They believe God. They believe God. They believe
God. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. He that believeth not hath not
life. That is as clear as it can be. But everybody that does not believe,
and what am I saying to make sure you understand what I'm
saying? I'm saying that if you believe, that you are justified
before God because you did something. Because you did it. Now, do God's
people believe? Yes, they believe. Do they trust
in their belief? No, they don't trust in their
belief. They trust Him. They trust Him in whom they believe. They don't trust their faith.
He gives them faith. Faith is the evidence things
that's not seen. We don't trust our faith. We
don't, we trust Christ. He that believeth on the son,
we trust a person, a person. I don't want to take anything
away from believing, except you believe, except you repent, you're
going to perish. But it's not my belief. Belief
is the evidence of God's work of grace. So I'm going to tell,
I'm going to show you something. Revelation 20 verse 11 to 15. John said, I saw a great white
throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and
heaven fled away. And there was found no place
for them, I've said this many times, no place for them to hide. And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God, and the books were opened. And another
book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in the books, according
to their works. Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we prophesied your name, cast out devils in
your name, done many of my works in your name. I never knew you
in grace and mercy. My friend, listen, I'm telling
you. You trust in something that you're doing in order to be saved? God's people, as I said, they
do believe. They do believe. But they are not saved because
they believe. They believe because God saved
them. Told you about a baby. Does a baby breathe in order
to become alive? No. He breathes because he's
alive. If he was dead and then had to
take his first breath, and he really wasn't dead, And the sea
gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered
up the dead which were in them. And they were judged, every man
according to their works. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire. There'll be no more curse in
this place. No more curse. No more death. God's people, listen to me. You and I think in time. We look
in time. Turn with me to a passage of
scripture we've read so many times, Ephesians 1. Ephesians
1. We think in time. God is eternal. Everything that God Almighty
has done is eternal. All the works were finished,
windmill, from the beginning. Finished, what does that mean?
It means all the works of God were finished from the beginning.
Now you and I are watching it play out. But they were finished
from the beginning. Ephesians chapter one, verses
three to six. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love. Okay, let me ask
you this. When were God's people chosen
in Christ? Before the foundation of the
world. Well, I thought they were chosen.
I thought maybe they became one of the chosen when they accepted
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's not what God says. He
has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that
we should be. I looked this up just to make
sure that we should be, that we exist, that we exist. Holy and without blame before
him, love having predestinated us. I'm in the destination. beforehand, predestinated us
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. And
this is why he did it according to the good pleasure of his will. Oh, you mean he didn't look down
from heaven to see who would choose him and therefore he chose
them? No, no, he did it according to the good pleasure of his will.
The scripture sets forth that we are accepted in the beloved. The lamb was slain before the
foundation of the earth, of the world. What does that mean? That
means in the will of mine, I do know that he came in time. We all know that. He came in
time. When was it accomplished? From the beginning. When was
the beginning? I don't know. I don't know. But whenever. Redemption was
accomplished in the mind, will, purpose of Almighty God before
there was ever a sinner. Acts 13, 48. There was preaching. The Lord's pleased to save his
people. And it says, as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed. Romans 9, 22, 23. Turn there. Romans 9. Romans 9, 23. Or 22. Romans 9. Oh, here's a passage
of scripture that we could go over often. Romans 9, 22, 23. willing to show his wrath, God's
just, he's a just God, and to make his power known, endured
with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted or made
up to destruction, and that he might make known the riches of
his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had, now let's look
at this next word, afore, prepared unto glory. When did the Lord
make them vessels of His mercy? That He had a fore, fore, prepared
unto glory. In this world, there are some
that are under the curse of God. Who are they? It's those that
will. die believing that what they've
done is what has justified them before God. Don't trust your
works. Don't trust in yourself. But
all that's been chosen in the Lord Jesus Christ from before
the foundation of the world, all for whom he was made sin,
all that are robed in his righteousness, they have never been under the
curse of God. Never. Never. God never changes. Never changes.
Never changes. Atonement was made before the
transgressions were ever committed. Eternally he has stood as the
surety of his sheep. No curse. No curse. That's what it says. John said,
I saw heaven. I looked. There shall be no more
curse. Why? Because the Lord Jesus Christ
was made a curse for us. There shall be no curse, no more
curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it. I know we're, I said before,
we're so far over our heads here. We talk about heaven, like Brother
Scott, I was reading, he said, we know more about what it's
not than what it is. No more curse, no more sin, no
more dying in a ditch, no more jails. He said, I know it's not
gonna be any of that, but let me tell you what it will be.
The throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it. I don't know what to say. The
throne of God and the Lamb, one in themselves, shall be in it. The throne of God, there'll not
be no usurper. You've been cast out, all the
rebellion's been cast into the lake of fire. And here, God and the Lamb, one,
the same in essence, three persons, I don't understand this. One
God, one in essence, one in glory, one in purpose, seated, sit at
my right hand. I'll make all your enemies your
footstool. And his servants, his servants
shall serve him. Servants, bond slaves, bond slaves,
those willing, willing servants, those that have been given a
willing heart for the Lord Jesus Christ, one that's been delivered
from bondage of sin and self, bound to Christ, bond slaves. Being a servant is a position
to which we've been appointed. We're servants. Paul said in
Romans 1.1, he said, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, that was my
first calling, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle. He didn't say called to be an
apostle, then a certain, no, he said, This is me, this is
me, right? Called to be an apostle, separated,
appointed under the gospel of God. What is a servant? It's one that worships. He's a worshiper, worshiper.
Called out of spiritual darkness. The Lord told the woman at the
well, John 4, 23, but the hour cometh and now is when the true
worshipers, okay, I lifted up. See what I mean? True worshipers.
What is a true worshiper? Well, first of all, it means
true in nature, true in resemblance as he is. So are we in this world. Accepted. Genuine. True worshipers. Obviously, that
means there's some false worshipers. There's some true ones. The true
worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for
the Father seeketh, desireth, such to worship him. He desires
to have his people. He's everlastingly loved them.
It was said by the Lord Jesus Christ in John 12, 26, if any
man serve, minister is what that word means, worship from the
heart. If any man serve me. I always
hear that, you know, we ought to be serving the Lord. We need
to serve the Lord. Okay. What does that mean? What does that mean? Worship.
The hour cometh when the true worshipers shall worship the
Father in spirit and truth. It's worship the Lord when we
believe his spirit and truth. If any man serve me, let him
follow me, and where I am there shall also my servant, my worshiper
be. Revelation 7.15 says that concerning
what will be in heaven. No more curse. Revelation 7.15,
therefore are they before the throne of God, they serve him
day and night in his temple. unceasingly. What will we be
doing in heaven? Worshipping. I know that. Servants. Servants. What will we be doing?
Worshipping. I know that. Servants. What else? I don't know. I don't
know. I don't know. But I can tell
you this, little that I can perceive of the truth here. When God created
this earth the first time, he looked at it and he said it was
good, it was very good. And I know this, that which he
did that was very good, that ought to give us some indication
of what'll be here. I don't know. Will we be walking
around and say, well, let me ask you this, was Adam? What
will we be doing? I don't know, Ben, I don't know.
But I can tell you this, we'll be worshiping him. There'll be
no more curse. But the throne of God and the
Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. Right now, in closing, the believer
worships the Lord with a true heart. He does. Does he struggle? Does he struggle? Go back to
the first service. Does he struggle? Yes. Does he
serve the Lord? Yes. Does he love the Lord? Yes. Does he serve Him from a
new heart? Yes. Does he think upon Him? Yes. Does he desire and love
Him? Yes. The only reason that we
ever falter now is because we're still possessing a body of death,
sin, no debt to the law. There's now no condemnation to
them but being Christ Jesus. Let's make sure that we get the
debts paid, but the presence of sin's still there, still there.
I cut, I sliced open my wrist here a few years ago. You can
see it, the old slice right there. You know, I went immediately
to the emergency room, and a PA, you know, irrigated it, sewed
me up, and psh, doesn't even hurt. Doesn't even hurt. I feel
it. But you know what? The evidence
of it's still there. There it is right there. The
debt's been paid. But the evidence of it's still
there. It still plagues us. Nevertheless, though we struggle,
we serve him and serve him according to the scriptures as trophies
for the ages to come. Trophies of his grace. Never
cease it. to rest in Him. Let me just read
you this. And there shall be no more curse,
but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and His
servants shall serve Him. Let us remember, the pronouncement
of a curse by God is for one reason, disobedience. Disobedience. You can eat of all the fruit
of this except one. And the day you eat of that,
you're going to die. Disobedience. The Lord Jesus Christ, having
been made sin for His people, that they might be made the righteousness
of God in Him, has eternally answered God's demand for righteousness
and judgment toward His people. He was made a curse that we might
be delivered from the curse of the Lord. No curse is found in
heavenly Jerusalem, in heaven. No throne of rebellion is in
that place, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in
it. Immediately, just then, my mind
went back to how many of those that was with us, that are right
now experiencing what you and I only can know by faith. They
know by sight. They see Him as He is and know
Him, and are known as they are known. They know as they are
known. That's another one that I, you
know. The marred creation has been
purged, and righteousness in that place dwells. All that are
found in heavenly Jerusalem, all that have been washed white
in the blood of the Lamb, and all that are His servants, serving,
serving. They worship the Lord Jesus Christ,
who alone is worthy of all their praise and adoration. No more
curse. You and I look around now, we
see the evidence of the curse. If it's failing, we are, but
there no more, no more. Lord bless this to our hearts
for your glory, our glory, amen.