It's amazing how we went through
the book of Revelation, and then we started over. And there's
22 chapters in it, and we're in chapter 19 in the review.
It's been a rich study. I'm going to look at a couple
of verses, 13 and 14, but let's pray together. Our Father, it's so good to be
able to talk to you. Our hearts are refreshed when
we realize that we're able to approach you through and because
of the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ. That He has opened the
way by Himself, by His blood, by His obedience, because of
Him. we can speak to you with assurance,
that we can approach you with boldness, with assuredness, that
you hear us because of our being accepted in Him who is the Beloved. Lord, would You bless the Word
today to our hearts and truly allow us to see and hear and
understand. May we feast today on Him who
is the bread of life. For Christ's sake we ask. Amen. Here's an amazing thing. God
allowed heaven to be opened to John. John was on the Isle of
Patmos and he actually saw heaven opened. When he saw heaven open,
in verse 11 of Revelation 19, he saw a white horse, actually
a fit symbol of triumphant glory. And he said the one that was
sitting on that horse was called faithful and true, dependable
and truthful. If you ever wanted to know, who
could you depend on? John said, here he is. He's dependable. Whatever he says, it's so. Truthful. John said, in righteousness,
here was the judge. The judge that was going to judge
All men, everybody, everybody from the beginning of time when
actually God made man, when actually the recording of when God allowed
things to happen in a sequence. The eternal God who caused there
to be time. We were late, you know. We talked
about last week, you know. Well, next week, if the Lord
wills. But we deal in time. But here is the judge who is
going to judge for eternity, in consideration of eternity,
all things. But he is going to judge it according
to himself, how things are, how men are. as they measure up to him. Now
that, you know, that becomes pretty sobering. The Lord said,
I'll lay all things to the plumbing. I'll lay the plumb bob, you know.
Then you drop a plumb bob and you say, that's where it's going
to be, right there. Where are you going to dig? Right there.
Here's where the post is. We're going to put up a building.
And how do I know exactly where that post has got to be? Well,
let me drop a line. You drop that line, you dig anywhere
else, and I am telling you it is going to be off. How are things
going to be judged according to Him who is absolute righteousness? Who is this? He is the omniscient
God, verse 12, whose eyes were as a flame of fire. He absolutely
beholds and knows all the thoughts and the intents of men." I think
about when the Pharisees, there were a couple of instances when
it was recorded, when he would be speaking and some of the Pharisees
would think something. And he said, why thought ye in
your heart? And they thought, ooh, I didn't
know you could know that. Yeah, he knows all things. Omniscient. And He had on His head many crowns. The only one that's worthy to
wear the crowns of glory. All the crowns. You know, on
His head many crowns. This is God. He's God Himself. Almighty God. There's one Messiah. He wears the crown being the
Messiah, the only Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. How many great high priests are
there in heaven? One. How many lambs of God are
there? How many husbands of the church
are there? Oh, the crowns of honor. And
this man had a name. John said that no man knew, no
man understood but himself. But of all the glorious honors
that can be bestowed, no one honor is more precious than this
one. This is where we will pick up
this morning, verse 13. No honor, no name, no character. No attribute. Here is one that
every believer absolutely cannot thank Him for enough. Verse 13,
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. Here is the garment of our redemption. You know, we know based on verse
12, that he had a name that no man understood. That is, understood
fully. No one, no believer, no taught
believer, no informed, no aged, no wise believer would ever say,
I know him in fullness. No believer would ever foolishly. I know that we know Him in part. No man knew that is completely. When that says in verse 12, He
had a name that no man knew but Himself. That means understood
in the fullness of understanding. No man. No man. But here's something
in verse 13 that we do know. The Scripture says he was clothed
with a vesture dipped in blood. His name is called the Word of
God. We know that. Job said, I do
know this. I know that my Redeemer liveth. I know He does. The comfort that a believer has
this morning is that he's alive. Do you believe that? I believe
he is. Do you believe that he's here? Do you believe that the vesture
that he was wearing right here where this Scripture is recorded,
do you believe that the Father viewed him in that vesture before
the foundation of the world? There are some things that I
admit that I can't perceive. It's like I can grasp hold of
a few bits and pieces of it, Neal. Slain from the foundation of
the world. Well, I know that he came in
time, and I know that in time he actually laid down his life,
but as far as the Father's purpose and will and knowledge, and that
the Father trusted Him. He trusted Him from the foundation
of the world. How assured was God Almighty
that the Lord Jesus Christ was actually going to lay down His
life? How assured was He? I'll tell you how assured He
was. He justified His people before the foundation of the
world based on what He knew Christ would do. He's done. He justified. Justified Him freely
by His grace in God Almighty who never changes. Are they justified now? They
were justified then. God doesn't change. He doesn't
change in His attitude. He had a vesture. Here is the vesture of our redemption. The Lord said, I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for that means in the place of the sheep. Gives his life
in the place of, in the stead of the sheep. The only one that
has eternally stood for the sheep, answered for the sheep, been
the substitute for the sheep, always have done event, always
accomplished, always been. He had a name no man knew but himself understood. But I'll tell you this, his name is called the Word of
God. Now let me ask you this, how much do you understand about
that? He had a name that only God could
pronounce. He had a name that no man knew.
Only God beholds. Only God perceives. Only God
understands. But His name is the Word of God,
the thought of God, the reasoning of God, the motive of God, the
cause, the intent, the will, the purpose of God. We just stop for a second and
just start thinking, how much do I know about that? I don't know anything. I know so little. I know, but here is the final spokesman
of Almighty God, the Alpha and the Omega, the alphabet of God. The one who spells out deity.
The one that utters all that God's got to say. Everything
that God is going to say to man, this man has said it. This man
has revealed it. This man has declared it. That's
what he said. No man has seen God at any time.
The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father,
He hath declared Him. He has told him forth. He is the one who has made the
incomprehensible God to be perceived somewhat. I mean, we do perceive
something. We perceive something of our
salvation. And He has given us faith Faith
that believes. Believes in part. That's what
John said, Paul said. We know in part. We prophesy
in part. Oh, but one day when this body of flesh is put
off, we're going to know Him as He is. That thought, just absolutely. I mean, when I think of how silly
I am, how frail I am, how little I comprehend, and then to know
that He has said, we'll know Him as He is because we will be like Him to
see Him in the fullness. And the Scripture says, The armies, verse 14, which were
in heaven, followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean. I've entitled this little message
this morning, Who do you follow? Who do you follow? Now, here
is the revelation of our eternal state of glory. The Scripture
says we follow Him. The armies which were in heaven
followed Him on white horses clothed in fine linen, white
and clean." So I know that this is the redeemed church. Because
they're wearing the robe of His righteousness. The fine linen,
white and clean. The righteousness of the saints.
The robe of His obedience. The robe of His holiness. We're
wrapped. We're considered in. When we
say that we're robed, that His righteousness has been imputed
to us, means that God Almighty looks upon, considers us in Him. He sees Him and we are in Him. Now, the Scripture says that
the armies in heaven followed Him. Now, every man, every woman
born in Adam is going to when they leave this world. Now, I
understand that when we are born, we are born as dead sinners,
dead, incapable of knowing God, seeking God, beholding God. No man seeks after God as he
is born in Adam. But for a believer, for the elect,
one of God's own, one of the objects of His mercy. Somewhere
along the line, in time, in this life, all that the Father has
given Christ is going to come to Him. Now, that's just as assured
as God's Word is sure. All that the Father giveth me,
what's that next word? shall. Shall come to me. My sheep, all
that the Father has given Him, my sheep, they're going to hear
my voice, and they're going to follow. They're going to follow
Me. And those that are drawn to Him
powerfully, He gives them a new heart. He gives them a new heart
first. And by that new heart that sinneth
not, that new nature, that new will, that new mind, new spirit,
born from above, that new man that does not sin, that which
is born of God sinneth not. Now you stop and think for just
a minute. For a believer, there's two natures. One of them that absolutely does
nothing but sin. It was born flesh. That which
is flesh is flesh. And that old nature, I've got
an old nature in me that does not believe God. I've got an
old nature, and you do too. You that believe, you do too.
I've got an old nature that doesn't believe God, doesn't love God. It's not going to seek God. I
have nothing to do with God. I've got an old nature that despises
His Word. I've got an old nature that has
an attitude of wrath before God. You say, man, I didn't realize
you were that bad. Well, I am. You are too. But I've got a new
nature that has been imparted A brand new nature, born from
above, born of God, that the Scripture says does not sin. I've got a new nature that loves
Him. That loves Him because He first
loved me. And that new nature, by that
new nature, I follow Him. I follow after Him and I hunger
after Him. And I thirst after Him. And that
old nature hates that new nature and strives against it. And the
new nature strives against the old. And I've got a battle going
on. And I'm very aware, because they're
both me, I'm very aware that they're both there. And I see in me, Paul says, I
see in my flesh that there dwells no good thing. I see it. He said, in my flesh, I serve
the law of sin. I bow to it. I love it. It's
my master. I want to. I strive after. But in my mind, in my new mind,
new man, he said, I serve the law of God. Now, you know, that's
a battle there. But I'm telling you that there's
a new nature in a believer that follows after God that is faithful,
is faithful to Him. Follow after Him with a heart
that loves Him and a heart that wants to love Him more, know
Him more, desire Him more, more understand. My sheep hear my voice and they
accompany me in this life. in this life. Now, if we follow
Him now while we are plagued with the
presence of this old nature, what do you think we will do
in heaven? We will accompany Him, the Scripture
says, on the symbols of holiness, His holiness, white horses. more than conquerors through
Him that loved us. We, right now, follow after Him,
longing for Him, hungering after Him. There is, and you can tell
when a believer comes assemble themselves together, you can
tell of the truthfulness of God's Word that has kept them faithful. They're there. They hunger. They thirst. They long for. And
in their heart, I can't see in your heart, but I can tell you
this, for a believer, there's a fire that burns, that glows
for Him, that longs to follow Him. And all the while, you're
saying, Lord, in my heart, I can truthfully
admit, I don't know how to follow as I ought to, but I want to. Wherever you go, that's where
I want to go. Wherever you are, that's where I want to be. Wherever
you bless, that's where I desire to sit. Lord, you help me. Who do you follow? I want to read one verse of Scripture
and I'm going to stop. Turn with me to 2 Peter 2. 2
Peter 2. Verse 1 and 2. Here's my question. How do I know if I'm following
him? I think that's a good question.
How do I know? My sheep hear my voice and they
follow me. Now, how do I know if I'm following
him? Well, the best defense, the best
proof, the best argument that I can give for that answer is
the Word of God. And this is going to settle it
right here. This is going to be the end of it right here.
Because in that day, it really isn't going to matter what I
said. It's not going to matter what you say. You know the only
thing that's going to matter? What He says. Now, I think we'll
agree on that. It's going to come right down.
What does God Almighty have to say about it? This is going to
end it right here. 2 Peter 2, 1 and 2, But there
were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall
be false teachers among you, who privilege shall bring in
damnable heresies, even denying the Lord, at bottom
and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow
their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall
be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall
they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose judgment
now of a long time lingers not in their damnation slumbereth
not." Here is the bottom line. Here's
the bottom line. How do I know if I'm following
Christ? Do you believe what God Almighty
has said concerning His glory in the salvation of
His people. Or in other words, do you believe
the gospel of sovereign grace? Do you believe the gospel of
free grace? Do you believe that God Almighty
before the foundation of the world, chose a people according
to the good pleasure of His will, not because one was better than
the other, because none of them in themselves were worth anything
according to God's favor, for God to show favor to. Do you believe that God Almighty
chose a people in Christ that He was going to save. And do you believe that the Lord
Jesus Christ eternally stood as their substitute, as their
Lamb, as their Redeemer? Do you believe that the Lord
Jesus Christ came into this world to live and to die for all that
the Father gave Him, that He laid down His life for those,
only for those. He said, He said, I lay down
My life for the sheep. But remember this, He told some
Pharisees, He said, you believe not because you are not My sheep.
So I know based on His Word, Travis, I know that there were
some that weren't. I know it. I know it. How do
you know it? He said it. He said, You're not
my sheep. My sheep hear my voice and they... Do you believe that the Lord
Jesus Christ came into this world and He lived in perfect obedience? before God's law because that
was the demand. They were going to obey God.
They were going to be faithful. And he lived for them and his
life as the man of Christ Jesus. A man obeyed God. A man obeyed God. And God said of him, that is
my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. You hear what He has
to say. And when He went to the cross,
He hung upon that cross. And the Scripture says that He
made Him sin. And upon that cross, with all
of the respect that I can utter, He was made what I am. He was made sin. And God forsook
Him. God forsook Him. And He didn't
forsake me. He did not forsake one for whom
Christ was dying. He was made sin. And there He
was made to be what everyone that the Father chose were as
they were born in Adam. And he made him sin. And God
forsook him and gave him what I deserved judgment. And God
judged him. And God Almighty had never looked
upon the sheep in judgment. Never. Never. Why? Because He
eternally looked upon the Son in judgment. And when Christ
died on that cross, He said, just before He gave up the ghost,
He said, it's finished. It's over. It's done. It's done. And there was obedience. There was substitution. And there
was satisfaction for all that the Father had given the Son. And God was satisfied. And three
days later, He came out of that ground. justified openly, openly
declared to have been accepted and everyone for whom he died
came out with him. God was satisfied. He saw the
travail of his soul and he was satisfied. In time, as I said a while ago,
The Spirit of God is going to blow as the wind. You don't know
where He's going. You don't know where He's coming
from. You don't know anything. But somehow, by the grace and
power of God, God's elect hear that message. And not by any
works of righteousness that they've done. I'm talking about any of
them. Just please, for goodness sakes,
give an answer of something you think you've done because that's
the most disrespectful thing before God that you could ever
say. Don't tell me what you've done to merit your salvation
because you haven't done anything. It's not by works of righteousness
that we've done. Please don't say that. It's so
disrespectful. It's so dishonorable. The Spirit of God blows. And one of God's elect, God imparts
life. And all of a sudden, they believe.
They didn't believe before He gave them life. But after He
gave them life, they said, Lord, You have mercy on me. I'm a sinner. Almighty God, save me. And He's already saved you. We
react after He's done. You believe that. You believe
that message. You believe that message, then
you're following after Christ. You're following after Christ.
You're not following yourself. You're following Christ. My sheep
hear my voice and they say, Lord, you know what you said. That's
what I believe. That's what I believe. I didn't
used to believe it, but I believe it now. Now, all men are going
to follow something. But I can tell you how you know
one of the sheep. They follow Christ.