Hello, everybody. I just got a new pair of glasses
yesterday and thought I could read pretty
good through them. It was the day before yesterday,
wasn't it? Yeah, Monday. I just couldn't read the print
in my Bible. Now, I'm going to take them back,
of course. I don't know what they're going to do about it. But these
are readers, and I hate readers. My wife wants me to put them
on top of my head when I'm not using them, and I ain't going
to do it. So forgive the looks. It'll hide a little bit of the
ugly looks behind it. But my goodness, how wonderful
it is to be among you. It's been a long time, a very
long time. Let's see if I can... My papers are wanting to slide.
How about turning back to that passage from which we read just
a moment ago? Now don't worry about the time. I won't keep you over a couple
of hours at the max. That's a joke in case you don't
know me. All right. Here's my title. Is my name written in the Lamb's
Book of Life? There is such a book. Is my name
on it? Is yours? Well, here's a simple
way to find out. Isaiah chapter 4. I mean to tell
you it's right there. Let me turn to that. As we go through this, I need
to consult some other scriptures. My lovely wife did print for
me a few, as many as I asked her to do. But there are some
verses that you can't just let somebody read to you. You want
to see it. So if it's not too much trouble,
if you'll turn with me on those occasions, I'd appreciate it.
All right, I'm going to read this through again. and make
a few comments, but my main text is the third and fourth verse
of Isaiah 4. And in that day, seven women
shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread and
wear our own clothes. only let us be called by your
name to take away our reproach." Now that is the plight of every
sinner, past, present, or future. That's the state we're in. And
if our Redeemer does not come to redeem us and deliver us from
this sin that destroys the soul, there's no hope for us. I'll
write the second verse. In that day, same day that covers
the statement in verse 1. In that day shall the branch
of the Lord, that's none other than Christ himself, be beautiful
and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent
and comely, for whom? for them that are escaped of
Israel." Now this is not spiritual Israel, this is national Israel. It's much like in the States,
you know, we talk about our old religion. Have you been delivered
from that? This religion that does not honor
God and glorify His Son? preach on anything but the Bible
and but Christ and Him crucified. Well here are two people that
have escaped from that Israel and there must be an innumerable
number for every generation to live on the face of the earth. You remember Saul of Tarsus? I'm telling you that man had
a passion for National Israel and he killed a bunch of people
and sent plenty more to prison. But he met Christ on the Damascus
Road. That's what it means to be escaped
of our own old religion. I'm telling you, when I think
about what I grew up hearing and teaching and preaching, I
I just can't figure how we got that message out of this book. But I'm telling you, Saul's...
You can't call it a reformation. It's life from the dead. It even
changed his name from Saul to Paul. And a friend of his, at
about the same time, in the book of Acts, I think chapter 8 if
I remember right, had to be the eunuch from Africa, who had adopted
the Jewish religion, had been to Jerusalem to worship with
all of their ceremonies and sacrifices and whatever else went along
with it. And now he's on his way back in a chariot reading
a scroll of scripture that happened to be the scroll of Isaiah the
prophet. And that man was reading from the 53rd chapter. Now my friends, there's no greater
or better gospel statement than Isaiah 53. God sent Philip to
him and he asked him simply, do you understand what you're
reading? He said, how can I accept some man? Help me. And Philip
preached to him Christ, because that's the message of Isaiah
53. It's the message of the whole Bible for that matter. And a
little further down the road, The eunuch said, well, what hinders
me to be baptized? He said, there's a pool of water.
And Philip said, if you believe, I'll baptize you. And he said,
I believe. I've been changed. I'm not the
same person anymore. That's what it means to escape
a bad religion. I don't know how long Baptists
have been in America, but it's an awful thing that in our ancestry, as Baptists, there were people
in previous generations that were the most obvious saints
of God ever to live. And now look at what we have.
It stinks, nauseates. Verse 3, And it shall come to
pass that he that is in Zion, no more Israel now, we're leaving
that term behind. It shall come to pass that he
that is left in Zion, he that remains in Jerusalem, shall be
called holy. even everyone that is written
among the living in Jerusalem." Now what writing is this? What do they mean about everyone
that is written among the living in Jerusalem? Let's find out the answer to
that question. It is glorious indeed. Verse
4, When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters
of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the
midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of
burning, And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of
Mount Zion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and
the shining of a flaming fire at night. For upon all, no exceptions,
upon all, the glory shall be a defense. You know why this
church is still here? Because our Lord Jesus Christ
is constantly pleading and praying for his people. And without it, we'd have left
a hundred times over. All right, verse 6. There shall
be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat,
and for a place of refuge or safety, and for a covert from
storm and from rain. So let's just take just two verses
out of Isaiah 4, namely verses 3 and 4. Is my name written in the Lamb's
book of life? I hope I have this in such a
form that it'll make sense to you. Looking at this third verse,
We ask this question, who are these people whose names are
written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Who are they? All tribes, all tongues, all
nations, male, female, children, adults. But not all of them, but some
out of every one of those categories. And it's not important that we
know precisely the number or anything such as that. They are
said to be living, that is alive to God in Christ. For we cannot
have life except in, by and through Him. The living and the written. This is that list of names. in
that book of life. Is my name in that book? Oh God, help us to make it so.
Now I want to pause and read a few scriptures. At this time
I'll not ask you to turn, but there are several things in our
Bibles that teach us these things, and we find them in Old as well
as New Testament. But in the book of Revelation
we have this statement, a couple of verses, and all that dwell
upon the earth shall worship him. And that him is not Christ. That him is Satan, the devil. All that dwell upon the earth
shall worship the devil. Now here's the reason I can say
that. Whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life. If my name is not in that book,
there's no hope for me. Yet we cannot see that book,
at least not yet. But we ought to be able to know
if a work of grace has taken place in our soul. And then the Apostle John adds,
if any man have an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches. That's in Revelation 13, 8 and
9. Here's another statement out
of Romans chapter 11. It is verses 5 and 6. In regard
to this same subject, who are these people? Even so then, at
this present time also, There is a remnant according to the
election of grace. What is the election of grace?
It's when God elected a people and gave them in that everlasting
covenant of His grace to His Son, the Lord Jesus, for Him
to redeem us, to die in our stead, to provide for us a salvation
for sinners, confessed sinners. Anybody that says they're not
a sinner, they're not even on the right planet. We just leave
that be. And if by grace, then it is no
more of works, otherwise Otherwise grace is no more grace,
but if it be of works, then it is no more grace. Otherwise work
is no more work. My religion is either my work
or God's work for me in Christ. And I hope I don't have to tell
you which one of those you want it to be, because none of us
wish to perish in eternal burnings in hell, but we shall. if we
do not know the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. All right,
the second thing now about this third verse, we tried to answer
who they are, but what about what they are? What are these
people? Well, they're called holy. Right
in this very verse, Third verse, latter part of the verse, let's
see if I can find it, there it is. And it shall come to pass
that he that is left in Zion and he that remains in Jerusalem
shall be called holy, even everyone that is written among the living
in Jerusalem. My, what a statement indeed. We'll be brothers and sisters
of the Apostle Paul and the Ethiopian eunuch. If we're in this book,
obviously they have to be. There's no question about them.
So who are they? In that text, verse 3, they're
called holy. So that's a pretty significant
word. It is the opposite of what we
are by nature. We're unholy. We're ungodly. We're sinners. I've been at this thing a long
time. I was in false religion a lot longer than I care to reflect
on. But I'm at Bethel Baptist in 19, went there in 81, probably
in 83 maybe, I can't remember the exact year, somewhere along
in there. I kept noticing one of the men
sitting about four or five pews back on that end, and every Sunday
morning, you know, he got where his seat
felt good and he conked right out. Went to sleep every Sunday. I threatened to throw songbooks
at him, but I thought better of it. But I said, I'm going
to find a way to keep this guy's eyes open long enough to hear
what I'm saying. And all I did was turn to Romans
5 and answer the question, for whom did Christ die? You know
what it says? He died for sinners. But what
about people who aren't sinners? There ain't no such creatures.
Not a one. Not even the Pope. Not at all. None. Goodness me. And let's see, the second time
in Romans 5, it is, oh my goodness. You might as well turn with me
because I didn't write that one down. And if any of you know Some pills
to take when your brain is beginning to leave you stranded. I'd sure like to talk to you. Romans chapter 5. Well, I can't seem to get my
papers to... There we go. Verse 6. When we were yet without
strength, this is Romans 5 verse 6. When we were yet without strength,
in due time, Christ died for whom? The ungodly. And that old boy came unglued.
When he went out that morning, he was, man, he was so mad at
me he couldn't even talk to me. It wasn't long before he didn't
come back, left his wife, and I don't know where he is. And
then down in verse 8, God commends His love toward
us, in that while we were yet or still sinners, Christ died
for us. Now I guarantee you one thing,
if He died for you, He'll have you. I guarantee that. My soul, he doesn't even have
to lift a finger to make us come as beggars to the throne of grace
to find help in time of need. Marvelous, marvelous indeed. Let me read you another statement
now on this next... No, on the same verse, I'm sorry. These holy people. Let's just
stop a little bit and see how this lays out in our Bibles. If you'll turn to 2 Thessalonians
chapter 3, I think we can figure this out
by what is revealed in this book. They're called holy. These people
we're talking about are called holy. Alright? I take it you've got
2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 13. Paul says to this congregation
of people, but we're bound to give thanks always to God for
you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has from the
beginning. When is that? Before this world
was ever made. Before there was even a sinner.
Not even a human being. According to this statement.
God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. Of the truth. Now, I want
to go back to the gospel accounts. Well, we haven't been there yet,
have we? Matthew is the first book in the New Testament. Everybody
here knows that. I'm just checking to see if I
still know it. Chapter 5. Chapter 5. All the way to the end of Matthew
chapter 5, it will be verse 48. And look what it says. Be you perfect? We used to think, well God needs
us, we have to do this. No, you don't. Be you therefore perfect. Even as your Father which is
in heaven is perfect. And we cannot be perfect, lest
we are in Him who is our perfection, our precious Redeemer, the Lord
Jesus. Now, there are two ways in our
Bibles when we find a statement that begins like this, Be you
therefore perfect. Some guy attended our church
for two or three years finally left because he didn't like what
he was hearing. When he first came, he liked to broke my neck
the first two Sundays. He loved my message so good,
he just grabbed me around the neck and just gave me a big bear
hug. Two years later, he's fine in thought. He said, well, you
know you made a mistake here and there and this, that, and
the other. And I, you know, my goodness. Come to find out. Here's his philosophy. Here's
his religion. If God tells me to be something,
It means I have the ability to be it. And I'm telling you, if
that's your religion, you ain't got no religion. Nor have I. God enables whatever He commands. He only accepts what He does.
And therefore, if He doesn't give it to us, we can't be accepted. But if He demands holiness of
me, He must indeed, in spite of me, give me that holiness
in Christ. It's a divine command. It cannot
be ignored and said, well, that can't be. If this is not the
case, you tell me how it is we can be perfect. And there ain't
no other way, except in our crucified Savior. Now, I don't do this while I
do it home. I don't know how often I do it,
it don't matter. I want to read you the comments
of Robert Hawker in his commentary on the book of Matthew. On the
very verse that we're looking at. It's just one paragraph,
and here's where I figured out I couldn't read this with my
new glasses. I mean, that's some small print, buddy. And here's
what he said. Was there ever such a refinement
of the most perfect law of the Lord as is here drawn? And where shall we look for the
fulfillment of it? Of what? Be you holy? Be you perfect? There are various
statements throughout the Bibles in both of those categories.
He indeed, and He only, deserved it in the fullest extent of it,
namely our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And therefore, the close
of the chapter is expressing the purpose that God has with
an eye to Christ, and only to Christ. Be you perfect, that
is, in the perfection of the Lord Jesus, for there's no other
way of finding perfection but in Him. When men talk of God
respecting sincerity in place of perfection, He said, this idea was formed nowhere
else except in their own brains, and they missed it a country
mile. But as the members of the body
partake in all that belongs to the head of the body, so the
members of Christ's body are considered perfect in Him. And
when our Lord said, Be you perfect, He wills what He commands, and
God only accepts what He gives. If He doesn't give it to you,
I don't care who gave it to you if it ain't Him. If it ain't
the triune God that gives you this, then there's no hope for
you. He won't take it from any other
place. His biddings are enablings. Be
you perfect in Me. Hence the answer by the prophet
Surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength, or as Paul renders
it, perfect in Christ Jesus. It's all the same thing. Either
way. Either way. Alright, we come
now to the fourth verse. And that is to say, what these
people shall be. They shall be washed and purged. I want you to look at this scripture
with me. I can give you the page number but it ain't going to
do you no good. Zachariah, Z-E-C-H. Zachariah, I had it marked and I must have
moved it It's past Ezekiel going toward
the New Testament. It's past the book of Daniel. Well, if I'd have known I was going
to use that verse, I would have had more information for you.
Zachariah. Just after Haggai is Zachariah. Excuse me for that dead spot. My wife complains about it all
the time. Chapter 13, verse 1. what these people shall be. In that day shall be a fountain
opened to the house of David and to all the inhabitants of
Jerusalem. Now please remember, we're not
talking about literal Jerusalem. I don't even care if they rebuilt
the temple, it still wouldn't be any place that God would have
anything to do with it. Because it's Antichrist. To the
house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for
uncleanness. Thank God. Coming now to the
second part of the fourth verse in our text. When you all get old enough,
you're going to have as much trouble as I am getting these pages apart. The simple answer to who shall
do all this at the end of the fourth verse, the precious Lord
Jesus Christ. His blood and His righteousness
alone can save. The creator of the soul must
be its redeemer. So how will the Lord do all of
this? How on earth can he do this? It is said by the spirit of judgment
and the spirit of burning. Now this time I'm just going
to read you my printed verses. I want to answer that question
as explicit as I can. by the spirit of judgment and
the spirit of burning. And when He has come, our Lord
is talking about when the Holy Spirit comes. He will reprove the world of
sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because
they believe not on me. Unbelief is the greatest sin
that you can be guilty of. There's a remedy for all other
sin. But not if unbelief continues
and is insisted on until we breathe our last breath. We're beyond
hope. Beyond hope. of righteousness
because I go to my Father and you see me no more. If that's
not tantamount to saying this, that Christ was the only man
in all of the scriptures who was truly righteous. All other
people who have a genuine righteousness, it comes to them through the
nail-scarred hands of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we have to have
it, He has to give it. We can't earn it. We can't deserve
it. Of judgment, because the Prince of this world
is judged. Now if you don't know this, if
you really truly don't know this, you ought to give some awfully
serious thought to try to understand it. That the devil is Christ's
devil. He does only what he's allowed
to do. Now I know people get upset when
you say, oh that can't be so. I'm telling you it is so. The prince of this world is judged. The devil works by permission
only. Whatever's in the newspaper around
the world to say what took place on this day Every single solitary
thing to come to pass is, without question, the will of God. If it ain't His will, it ain't
gonna happen. It's that simple. You say, ah, preacher, that's
too simplistic. Well, sounds good to my old poor
heart. One more question. How is the Lord Jesus going to
do all of this? Back in verse 4 where we were
reading about Him. How is it that He's going to
do all of this? And the statement there in that
verse, the fourth verse, is by the spirit of judgment and the
spirit of burning. Now what does my soul say to
this precious scripture, namely the third and fourth verses of
Isaiah chapter 4? Let's see if we look at it any
differently. And it shall come to pass that he that is left
in Zion and he that remains in Jerusalem shall be called holy,
even everyone that is written among the living in Jerusalem.
Now mind you, Jerusalem was full of people who were not alive
spiritually. I lost my place. He shall purge the blood of Jerusalem
from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the
spirit of burning. My, oh my, oh my. I want to read you one other
verse and I'm through. This is in the book of Isaiah.
Do you remember much about Jeremiah. I tell you what, that old boy
was treated pretty awful. And he had thrown in the towel.
He said, I ain't doing this no more. Oh, but he did. Let me read it to you. Let's
see, that's Jeremiah 20 verse 9. Now here's the wrong thought
and the right thought. Jeremiah's at the end of his
rope. He said, I can't take this anymore. Then I said, I will not make
mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word
was in my heart as a burning fire. shut up in my bones, and
I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." Oh my
goodness. We think we can, you know, we can cause God to
be a failure. Lord have mercy. Marvin, that's all I can say,
buddy.