Well, it's good to see you this
morning. Before I begin, I'd like to make
an announcement. Asking you to be praying for
and remembering. Joyce and Daryl's family, Joyce's
sister Jan passed away here a few days ago and the memorial service
is going to be, Lord willing, next Saturday at the Goshen Road
Baptist Church. It's going to be, they're going
to start receiving visitors at 11 o'clock in the morning and
the service will be at 12 o'clock, so next Saturday, Goshen Road
baptist church and uh... also be remembering gene marches
daughter shoot he's got some upcoming surgery it's going to
be taking place and uh... charlie pennington there in wheelersburg
uh... the be remembering him talk to
charlie the other day he seems to be doing really good and he's
uh... He speaks just exactly like one
that the Lord's settled his heart, giving him some confidence, and
be remembering him. Remembering also this young man
that I have a lot of correspondence with, Kyle Brink in Japan. It's just been such an encouragement
to be able to talk to this young man, and he said, So few. A couple that's there
that he knows about that he can fellowship with. And it's just
been good to be able to talk with him. Be praying for this
church. Be praying, Lord, this morning. I was thinking this morning.
This is Sunday morning. It's about 930 in the morning.
And this is the one we normally meet. But I pray that the Lord
bless this service. That it's not just That we've
come together and kind of tried to get everything together this
morning and get breakfast and let's hurry and let's get to
church. May the Lord be pleased to settle our
hearts. We're here to worship. This is in the midst of a tragedy
concerning this world. that's happening all around us,
we've got a few minutes here to be able to stop and forget. May God grant our hearts to just
forget about everything else that's going on. That's one of
the greatest struggles of me. Just things. I'm like the ocean. I can't even talk without thinking
about something else. May God be pleased to settle
us down. Let's pray together. Our Father,
how we ask You this morning, Lord, help us. We so desperately
need that our hearts might be settled by Your blessed Spirit. Quiet our souls. Cause us to
be comforted. Lord, we're here today to hear
from You. Help us. Cause us to be able
to comprehend that which You so graciously have allowed us
to hear. And these things we ask for Christ's
sake. Amen. Revelation 21. Revelation chapter
21. The Spirit of God through the Apostle John has
been pleased to reveal to us who the bride is. You think about
that. The glory of that blessed thought. That we are who He says we are. I'm glad that she's not what
I perceive her to be in myself because finding some hope in
being associated with that group, looking at myself. Truly, I see no good thing in
me. John said she's great city, chapter
10, verse 10, chapter 21, verse 10. Holy Jerusalem descending
out of heaven from God. having the glory of God, having
Christ Himself, who the Scripture says is her light, and her light
likened to a stone, most precious, one of a kind, even like a jasper stone, clear
as crystal. She had a wall. Verse 12, great
and high and had 12 gates, the gates 12 angels, the names written
there on which are the names of the 12 tribes of the children
of Israel. That's what we saw last time. On the east three gates, north
three gates, south three gates, west three gates, they're going
to come from all points, every tribe, nation, tongue, people. In verse 14 and 15, that's what
I'd like to look at for just a few minutes. Now this is the
bride. This is the way she is in the
Lord Jesus Christ. The wall of the city had 12 foundations. And in them, that is in those
12 foundations, The names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The wall. Now just for the sake
of remembrance, the wall is the salvation of the bride. That's the Lord Himself who is
her salvation. When we say salvation, just Say
it like this, the Lord Himself. Just as He told Martha, I am
the resurrection. The wall of this city is the
Lord Himself. Our salvation. Well, it says here, the wall
of the city, Christ Himself. The salvation of the bride had
twelve foundations. Now we know that there is but
one foundation of the bride. There's one foundation. 1 Corinthians 3.11 says, For
other foundation can no man lay than is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. He is our foundation. He is our chief cornerstone. He is our salvation. He is the
foundation. But when we say and use the word
foundations, what does that mean? The wall,
salvation Himself had twelve foundations. Well, the word foundation
there is interpreted, that which is laid down, that which is set forth, that
which is declared. It means the witness. It means
that which is preached, that which is declared, the foundation. Listen to this scripture. It
will give you some understanding. 1 Corinthians 3.10, according
to the grace of God which was given unto me as a wise master
builder, I have laid the foundation. And another buildeth thereon. Paul was taught some things by
the Lord Himself. Paul and these other apostles. Now you think of the the Scriptures
that's been written. Peter, James, John, the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul was one that
God was pleased to use mightily. He said there was a man, whether
he was in the body or out of the body, I don't know. But he
was taken to the third heaven, and he heard some things that
were unspeakable, unorderable. Some things he saw, but there
were some things that were taught. The Apostle Paul said this concerning
the Lord's Supper, that which I have received of the Lord.
That's what I declare unto you. I give you what the Lord taught
me. Now these Scriptures right here did not originate with Paul. They didn't originate with James,
John, Peter. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God. It's profitable for reproof,
rebuke, for correction, instruction in righteousness. But what we
set forth right now is the foundations of the truth of the Lord Jesus
Christ. It is the message, the declaration. This wall of the city is built upon the declarations of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
is the foundation. And we preach that which we know. The Scripture reveals it had
twelve foundations. A number associated with the
apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Were they preaching something
that other men have not preached before? No. Well, why was it set forth that
those twelve foundations, in them, the names, the characters
of the twelve apostles of the Lamb? Ephesians 2.19. I'm going to
answer this right now. Ephesians 2.19 and 20. Now, therefore,
you're no more strangers and foreigners. He was talking to
some Gentiles. You're not aliens concerning
the covenant of promise. But your fellow citizens with
the saints and of the household of God and are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief cornerstone. So these foundations that we're
talking about right here means that which was preached or set
down or laid down or proclaimed by, according to this Scripture
right here, the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The names, that's what it says.
The authority by which one is taught. The wall of the city,
the Lord Jesus Himself, the Bride's salvation is set forth according
to the Gospel of God, the truth, the foundation, that was preached
by the apostles. But our minds comes back to this.
So many claim to be preaching the truth, the foundation of
this city. What is the significance of this
right here and the wall of the city had twelve foundations In them the names of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb." Why does it bring out specifically those
apostles? What's the significance of it? I want you to turn to 1 John
1, and I believe this answers this question right here. Why does it specifically? 1 John 1, verses 1-4, that which
was from the beginning, which we've heard, which we've seen
with our eyes, which we've looked upon, and our hands have handled
of the Word of life, for the life was manifested. John is saying right here, we
read the prophets, we read the declarations, we read the prophecies,
John said, we saw Him. That life was manifested. We've
seen it. We bear witness and show unto
you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested
unto us. That which we've seen and heard,
declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us.
And truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son, Jesus Christ. These things write we unto you
that your joy may be full. John said, we saw Him. We touched Him. We heard Him. The Spirit of God revealed this
unto us. And we're telling you this. We
saw with our own eyes. John said, I was there. I walked
with Him. I talked with Him. I heard Him
speak. I was there. When He was crucified,
I saw Him die. It's not a figment of our imagination. He came out of that grave. And
I talked with Him after He came out of the grave. I was there. I was there the
night Thomas was there. Thomas didn't believe us. Thomas
told us. Except I put my hand in his side. Till I take this finger right
here. Till I put my hand where that spear went. I'm not going
to believe it. And John says, listen, I was there the night. The Spirit of God has been pleased
to set forth based upon the prophecies, the prophets, the apostles, those
that were taught the Gospel from the Lord Himself. John said,
I'm telling you, this John right here, that which was from the
beginning was the one that was writing this Scripture right
here. He said, I'm telling you that you join me before. John
said, we're just like you are. And we saw Him. We touched Him. And we heard Him. Back in Revelation 21, verse
15, "...and he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure
the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof." Everything concerning this city
is going to be measured. I've entitled this message, Measuring. The Bride of Christ. John said
he had a golden reed, a measuring stick, a reed that you use to declare
that which is so. Now why is this pulpit right
here? Well, if I had tape, I'd hook
it over here. I think it's 27 and three quarters of an inch
long. How do you know? I measured it. That measuring tape, that's the
standard by which we decide. He said, this man, this one,
this angel that talked with me had a golden reed to measure
the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof. It's going
to be measured. How do you know? Everybody and
their brother in this world is saying this is so and this is
how the bride is measured and this is how the gates are measured.
This is how the wall is measured. He had a measuring reed in his
hand. This city, the gates and the
wall is measured by the unalterable, unchanging, Divine, indisputable
Word of God. How do you know how that city and the gates,
that's the door himself, the gates, and the wall, how do you
know what's so? I'll tell you how it is. God's
Word. Revelation 11.1 says there's
a reed like a rod, straight, truthful, strong. Just look on the other page right
there, Revelation 12.20. It says, I mean, I'm 12. Revelation 20, verse 12. I'll
get it right. I saw the dead, small and great,
stand before God, and the books were opened. Another book was
opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged
out of those things which are written in the books. according
to their works. Everybody's going to be judged
according to God's eternal Word, His will, His purpose in Christ. And that's going to be judged
as opposed to man's works and man's attitude toward God's Word. This is the standard. What sayeth the Scriptures? Now, friend, this is what the Word of God
declares. The Word of God declares that
all men are going to be judged according to God's Word. Heaven
and earth is going to pass away, but He said, My words are not
going to pass away. The books are going to be open
and the book is going to be open. And all that were found not written
in the book, the Lord Himself, the Word of
God Himself, written before the foundation of the world. No new entries. Somebody tells
you that they're a recording angel. writes down when someone
gives their heart to Jesus, the recording angel writes their
name in the Book of Life. I want you to tell them to give
me that Scripture where that's written. I'd like to read that
for myself. It ain't there. All the entries were made at
one point. I don't even know how to say
it. They were written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the
foundation of eternity. They were eternally written in
Christ. Almighty God is never separated
from His Word. He's eternal. His Word is eternal.
This is the Word. In the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh in
time. Not in existence. The eternality
of being the Word Himself. The Word is God. John said, this man, when he
talked to me, had a golden reed in his hand. What is that golden reed? It's
the Word of God. That which God says, that which
God declares, Isaiah 28, 17. Judgment will I lay to the line. Judgment, righteousness to the
plummet. When we tell men we're all going
to be judged according to the righteousness of God Himself,
and every man found wanting, what's going to be happening?
He's going to be cast into the lake of fire. What does God expect? Absolute holiness. Be ye holy,
I am holy. One infraction found chargeable
to a man. That man has no hope. The bride, John said, he talked
with me. He had a golden reed to measure
the city. This is what I like. The bride,
the city. That's the city. You know what
city. We've looked at that. The Mount
Zion, the city of God. Holy Jerusalem. The city is measured
according to what God says she is. God's Word. Listen to this. There is therefore
now no condemnation to them that be in Christ Jesus." Now, you
know what you can do? You can throw everything else
that everybody else has got to say out the window, because this
is what God said about her. There is no condemnation to them
that be in Christ Jesus. My question is this, how long
has she been in Christ Jesus? How long has she been without
condemnation? She's never been in condemnation. I've said before, if she's ever
been under condemnation, then God changed. Changed in His attitude. Changed His mind. Changed His
position. One time she was under condemnation.
Now she's not under condemnation. Well, God changed. And He said,
I don't change. The bride is measured, the city
is measured according to God's Word. Chosen in Him that she
should be holy and without blame before Him in love. When was
that decision made before the foundation of the world? She's
never been under the condemnation of God. The gates, that's what
Scripture says, the gates are measured according to God's Word. What are the gates? It's Christ
Himself, the door over which the names of the tribes of Israel,
a picture spiritually of all of God's elect. Tell me who Christ
is. I'll tell you who He is. It's
who He says He is. That's who He is. But the world
says He came into this world to try. to seek and to save that which
was lost." That's not what he said. He said, all that the Father
has given me, I'll lose nothing. Tell me who he is. Well, here's
what the Word of God says about him. He said, I lay down my life for
the sheep. Well, that's how he's measured then. That's what he
said. There's the golden reed right
there. There's the measuring tape. There's the stick by which
the city and the gates and the wall. John said he measured the
wall. What is that wall? That wall
is salvation in Christ. Well, the world says He's offered And if you'll accept, if you'll
give Him your heart, if you're sincere enough, if you'll repent,
now here's the steps of salvation, the world says. He died on the
cross to make it possible. And if you'll give Him your heart,
and if you'll pray through, or if you'll be baptized, or if
you'll Here's how the wall, here's how
salvation is measured. Salvations of the Lord. Here's how it's measured. I will
have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion on
whom I'll have compassion. Oh, how thankful I am for the
golden reed that declares the measurement the extent, the height,
the breadth, the depth of the mercy and grace of God. You know
what I've got to say about this? Let God be true, and every man's
a liar. That's what I say. May God speak
to our hearts and teach us concerning Him, for Christ's sake, for our
good. Let's take a few minutes break.