Well, it's good to see you tonight,
and I want you to take your Bibles, and let's look before Brother
Gary comes to lead us in some singing. Psalm 85. Lord willing,
I'm gonna... Oh, no, that's right. We're having
the Lord's Supper. That was a test. What'd you say? I worried you?
Oh, me. Psalm 85. Thou has been favorable unto
thy land. Thou has brought back the captivity
of Jacob. Thou has forgiven the iniquity
of thy people. Thou has covered all their sin,
see law. Thou has taken away all thy wrath. Thou has turned thyself from
the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God, of our salvation,
and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry
with us forever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger
to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again,
that thy people may rejoice in thee? Show us thy mercy, O Lord,
and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the Lord
will speak, for he will speak peace unto his people and to
his saints, but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his
salvation is nigh them that fear him, that glory may dwell in
our land. Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the
earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the
Lord will give that which is good, and our land shall yield
her increase. Righteousness shall go before
him, and shall set us in the way of his steps. Let's pray
together. Our Father, we are so thankful
that you've allowed us to come together tonight or to hear your
word. I pray you'd bless it. I pray
you'd bless the preaching and the hearing. Pray for your men
that are standing in pulpits tonight and preparing to preach. I pray that you'd bless it. Forgive
us, we pray, for Christ's sake, All right, now let's take our
Bibles and turn to Genesis 24. Genesis chapter 24. Lord willing,
I'd like to finish this 24th chapter. I'd like to look at
verses 64 through 67. The journey For Rebecca has surely been a
laborious journey concerning the flesh. She's left her father,
her mother, a home of her youth, but the reward for the journey
is gonna be worth it all. Is this not the promise that
we have? We're in this world, the Apostle Paul said in Romans
8 verse 18, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us. The Lord's spirit had gone ahead
of Abraham's servant as Abraham had said. under the inspiration
of God's spirit. His journey was blessed. The bride was sought out. She
was found. She's been given a heart to follow
the servant of Abraham and to come to Isaac. She wants to come.
Never met him, but she's wanting to come. Just as the sheep of
God's choosing are all going to be willing in the day of God's
power The Lord said, we've quoted this, John 6, 37, all that the
father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me,
I will in no wise cast out. Rebecca had heard of the son,
the son of Abraham. She's heard of Isaac. She's heard
of him. with the hearing of the ear, but soon her eyes are going
to behold Him, face to face. And I think even as I'm saying
these words, how precious are the thoughts that very soon,
very soon, I mean just if a few more setting suns, that'll be
it. And we'll behold Him, see Him
as He is, and She's coming with anticipation, and are we not?
We know this. We know that we're going to meet,
we that know him, we're gonna see him, be like him. And before
she perceives Isaac by sight, before she sees him, Isaac sees
the camels coming. That's where we stopped last
time. He sees the means which were
sent. to bear the burden, carry all
the load for the journey. And when the time of arrival
came, the scripture says, and here, let's read verses 64, 65. And Rebecca lifted up her eyes. And when she saw Isaac, she lighted
off the camel. For she had said unto the servant,
what man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And
the servant had said, it is my master. Therefore she took a
veil and covered herself. Now she beheld the one for whom
she was apprehended. This was God's choice, God's
choice for the son of promise. And though she didn't recognize
him at first because she asked, it says in 64, she lifted up
her eyes and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel because,
for. She had just, she had said unto
the servant, she asked him a question. She beheld the one that she had
longed for. to see she willingly coming,
and didn't recognize him. It made me think of, turn with
me to John 20. John 20, verse 11 to 16. John
20. Reminds me of Mary Magdalene. John 20, verse 11. But Mary stood without at the
sepulcher weeping, and as she wept, She stooped down and looked
into the sepulcher, and seeing two angels in white sitting,
the one at the head, the other at the feet, where the body of
Jesus had lain, and they say unto her, Woman, why weepest
thou? She saith unto him, Because they
have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid
him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw
Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith
unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the
gardener, said unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence,
tell me where thou hast laid him, and I'll take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary, she
turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say,
master. How about the two on the road
to Emmaus, Luke 24. Turn back to Luke 24. Luke 24,
let's read verses 13 to 16. Scripture says, and behold, two
of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which
was from Jerusalem, about three score furlongs. They talked together
of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass
that while they communed together in reason, Jesus himself drew
near and went with them, but their eyes were holding that
they should not know him. But something happened. Something
happened just a few minutes after he was going and he had appeared
as though that he was going to go further and they constrained
him. The day's almost over, come on,
stay with us. So he goes in there and the scripture
says in Luke 24, verse 31, it came to pass as he sat at meat
with them, he took bread and blessed it and break. gave it
to them, and their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and
he vanished out of their sight. So here's what we know. The Lord Jesus Christ is unknown. Isaac was not known. She had heard of Isaac, heard
of him with the hearing of the ear, and she had seen him, seen
this man out there in the field. He had gone out there to meditate
in the field in the evening, And she saw him, saw this man,
and she asked the servant, what man is this? Who is that? Who
is that man? And he said, that's the son of
Abraham. That's my master right there.
And when she saw him then, knowing who he was, she came down, veiled
herself. So the Lord Jesus Christ, we're
blind. to know him until our eyes are
opened and the spirit of God in mercy and compassion reveals
unto us who he is. What man is this? That's what
I entitled this message. What man is this? Who is this man? It's my master. It's my master. That question
that Rebecca asked, what man is this? What man is this? Do you know that that is honestly
the continual question of every spiritual needy sinner? Every needy sinner regenerated
by the grace of God, that is that the heart's desire. Here's
what they're saying. Tell me who he is again. Tell me who he is. Paul the apostle
knew the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ had revealed himself to
Paul on the road to Damascus. But in Philippians chapter three,
the apostle Paul made this statement. Oh, that I may know him, that
I may know him. He knew him. Every blood bought,
Spirit-regenerated sinner wants to hear again. What man is this? Let me just, I just jotted down
a few of the titles that I could think of concerning the Lord
Jesus Christ. He's the son of the living God. He was made flesh and in covenant
agreement took upon himself the form of sinful flesh, yet without
sin, the Son of the living God. He is the promised Messiah. He is the one that God has chosen,
eternally chosen to be the Savior of His people. He is the bread
of life. Tonight, we're feasting. That's
what we're doing. We're feasting upon the bread
of heaven. The bread that has come down
from heaven. He's the light of the world. He's the door. He's the way. He's the truth. He's the life
under the Father. He is the good shepherd of the
sheep. How thankful we are that we have
a shepherd, the great shepherd. He's the resurrection and the
life. He's the true vine. He said unto John on the Isle
of Patmos, I am the Alpha and the Omega. I'm the beginning
and the end. He's all in between. That's what Brother Scott heard
him say that. He's the Redeemer and Savior
of his church, his bride. He's the great high priest who
ever liveth to make intercession for his people. He's the judge
before whom all men shall stand and give account. And he's the
husband of the bride herself, the one in whom we've been everlastingly
chosen and accepted unto God. And to the sheep, he's the master. Who is that man? Who is that? That's my master right there.
And you know what the sheep of God say? He's my master. Everything that Rebecca had heard
from the mouth of the servant of Abraham, all that she had
heard concerning the Lord's blessing upon him, of his greatness, of
his flocks, of his camels, his asses, the men servant, maid
servant, all that belonged to Abraham belonged to the son. Soon it was going to belong to
her, too, being in union with the Son. So when the Lord revealed unto Rebekah, the Lord
revealed unto her who He was, gave her a heart to come, and
she realized who that was. And everything she had heard
about Him, she came off that camel and put a veil and covered
herself. What a spirit of humility, she
bowed herself. That's the spirit. That's the
spirit of a believer. They're reverent, reverent. Moses, when the Lord revealed
Moses, this is in Exodus 3, 6, I've got it written down here,
I'll just read it to you. When the Lord revealed himself, Moses was on
the mountain and he came to this burning bush. And he saw this
bush and he said, this bush is not consumed. And I'm gonna go
over and I'm gonna look and find out why it is. And the Lord spoke
to him out of the bush. And he said, Moses, Moses. He
said, I'm the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Take your shoes off. because
where you're standing is holy ground. I'm here. And the scripture
says Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God. The Lord was pleased to convince
Job. I looked in the last few chapters
of the book of Job, convinced him of his ignorance. Remember
when the Lord told Job, he said, you gird up your lawn. I'm going
to talk to you. Where were you? You know those
chapters right there. And after the Lord had spoken
to him, the scripture says in Job 42, five and six, I've heard
of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee,
wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. When she saw Isaac realizing
who he was, who he is, she came down off that camel, humbled
herself, The attitude that's found in those that see and follow
after the Lord is an attitude of the abasement of self. That old wretched man, Paul said,
that I am. And when Rebecca saw Isaac, she
came down in a spirit of decency and submission and respect, but
now she's witnessing the promised son. She sees him. She sees the
one upon whom the Lord's blessing has been bestowed, and she sees
the accomplishment that the Lord had given the servant of Abraham. All that the servant... When
he first met her over there, where she was at the well, and
he was telling her why he was there, and the way she gave him
water, and watered his camels, and he went and told her family,
I'm here, but I'm not going to eat with you. Until I tell you
why I'm here, this is why I'm here. And she sees all that and
beholds what has happened in her. And she knows this is of
the Lord. God's blessed this. Back in Genesis
24, verse 66, and the servant told Isaac all things that he
had done. The bride has been brought and
Abraham's servant now gives an account of everything that had
transpired. She's come down off that camel,
she took a veil, she's covered herself, and the servant now
speaks to Isaac. He's gonna give an account about
everything that had happened concerning him going and finding
and bringing her and reminding us of the account that God's
preachers are gonna have to give. Now, Hebrews 13, if you wanna
turn there, Hebrews 13, I'm gonna read one verse of scripture,
and I'll be honest with you. I read this scripture again today,
and I don't know, I can't tell you the fullness of what this
verse of scripture means. But I know this, that according
to the word of God, this is so, right here. Whatever it does mean, may the
Lord help me to be faithful. Obey them that have the rule
over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls,
as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy
and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. I said,
what is the fullness? I've said this many times, I
know this, Preacher's gonna give an account unto the Lord immediately,
right now. I'm listening to the things I'm
saying. And God help me, these things need to be a part of this
book right here. Give account to you that are
listening, you that know it. I give an account to my own conscience. But the fullness of that scripture,
I don't know. But it is so. But here's this
servant, he's telling Isaac all the things that he's done. He's
gonna rehearse everything. And I know that Isaac wanted
to hear all that was done according to the absolute obedience of
that servant to his daddy's command and instruction. He wanted to
hear that that bride wasn't brought through deception, but by the
truth. That's what you want to hear. I want to hear. I want to know
that preaching, proclaiming the gospel of God's free grace, that
I'm telling you the truth. concerning who the Lord is. Isaac
wanted to hear what that servant had to say. He wanted to hear
that he wasn't dishonored, that Isaac wasn't dishonored, that
Abraham wasn't dishonored, that he wasn't misrepresented or sent
forth in any other way except the way that things are. And
I want to set forth the glory of God in the face of the Lord
Jesus Christ that way. I want to tell you, this is who
God says He is. He's the electing God, the Lord
Jesus Christ. He is the redeeming God of His
people, of His sheep. I want to set forth the truth.
Salvation is of the Lord. It's by grace, through faith.
I don't want to misrepresent anything. Isaac wanted to hear.
Boy, what a glorious picture of the gospel being preached
and the attitude of God's servants. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians
4, 1 and 2, Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we
have received mercy, we faint not, but have renounced the hidden
things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness or handling the
word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth,
commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight
of God. That's the attitude. That's the
attitude of God's people, God's preachers, all of them. God's servant preaches the truth
concerning God. and His eternal pleasure to call
out. He's chosen a bride, and He's
given them to the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Spirit of God
is going to call them out, but He'll call them out one way,
through the preaching of the gospel. So they preach the truth
about who God is, the Lord Jesus Christ, living and dying for
the sheep of God's choosing. They preach the truth about man. I want to tell you, Nothing good
in us. There's nothing good about us. We're sinners saved by the grace
of God and salvation is totally of the Lord. And then verse 67,
it'll be the last verse for this evening. And Isaac brought her
into his mother Sarah's tent and took Rebekah and she became
his wife and he loved her. Isaac was comforted after his
mother's death. I read that passage of scripture
over and over and over, and I thought, oh, the tenderness and the modesty
of what was said in that verse of scripture. What reverence
unto the Lord was displayed in Isaac bringing Rebecca into his
mother's tent, taking her to be his wife. He loved her. I thought, what a miracle of
God's grace that he loved her. He saw her, God gave her a love
for her and her for him, and he was comforted after his mother's
death. Now, obviously, from his actions,
here was a man who was taught respect unto the Lord because
of the Lord's mercy and goodness and compassion, not only to himself,
but to his mom and dad. They were chosen, loved of the
Lord and chosen and blessed of God. And here he was, he was
a man that was taught to honor his father and his mother, to
be respectful to the Lord and His direction and will. Here was a man that was brought
up, we looked at Ephesians 6 the other day, concerning children
obey your parents. Telling fathers, raise your children
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Teach them, teach
them who God is. How beautiful is this glorious
picture marriage. In our picture of our marriage
to the Lord Jesus Christ set forth in that passage of scripture,
the Lord said in Jeremiah 3.14, I am married to you. And I thought
about that. I'm married to you. Marriage
is the most intimate, most precious of all human relationships. man and woman joined together
in holy matrimony, that a union that, according to the word of
the Lord, exceeds even the closest and dearest of parents. Genesis
2.24, Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave
unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. This is the most
intimate of all relationships. On this earth, the sheep, though
once strangers, far off from the Lord because of sin, find
out that they've been everlastingly betrothed. God's people, sheep
of his pasture, his elect, his bride, his chosen, they find
out that they've been eternally beloved of God. I've loved you
with an everlasting love. I've always loved you. You've
always been mine. You've always been in me. Here they realize that they've
always been the objects of His affection according to covenant
mercy and grace. They find out and they hear He's
not ashamed to call them brethren. And He loves them. He loves them
and forgives them. And they love him. And they cleave
to him because they've been made willing in the day of his power.
I look at that verse, Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent,
took Rebecca, she became his wife, and he loved her. He loved
her. What, what a, what words. He loved her. Then the Lord draws his people
to himself. They hear this through the preaching
of the gospel. They run after him. And they
say in their heart, whom have I in heaven but thee? And there's
none upon earth that I desire beside thee. In a marriage, there's
confidence in the word of the spouse. And though we fail miserably
in our daily walk, he's ever faithful. And I think about these
words again, I say them all the time. These are the words of
our Lord to His people. I will never, I will never leave
you. I'll never leave you. I will
never forsake you. I'm, in myself, I'm worthy to
be left. I'm worthy to be forsaken. But by the grace of God, I am
what I am. And you that know Him are too.
There's communication in a marriage. The bride enters in her heart,
into her closet, seeking Him, who is the way, truth, and life
unto the Father, and she speaks to Him. From her heart, she speaks to
Him. And here's the amazing thing. He speaks back. Hear my voice. I can't explain that. I can't
explain that. But I know it's so. My sheep
hear my voice. And when you feel the impression
of the voice of God to you, you know it. You believe it. And
you follow him. That's what he said. My sheep
hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. The Lord opens. to his people,
the bride, the eternal pleasure of his will. And Revelation shows
her his glory unto her. Psalm 25, 14 says, the secret
of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them
his covenant. He will. He'll tell them. And
as Rebecca became one with Isaac, being now heir with Isaac, joint
heir with Isaac. We being one with the Lord in
marriage, heirs of God and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ,
we say unto him, Lord, you who are my maker, you're my husband. I pray God bless this to our
hearts. for the glory of the Lord Jesus. All right, I'll ask
the men if they'll come forward, we'll observe the Lord's table. While these men are passing out
the bread and wine, I want to express to you what a joy it
is to be able to eat and drink with you and to be able to worship
with you and have these times together. It's such a precious
time to be able to know that while we're assembled here, two or three gathered together
in my name, I'm in the midst of you. And I think that's a
special revelation in it.