It's good to see all of you this
morning, and I'm thankful that the Lord has
been pleased to allow us again the privilege to be able to meet
together. And as I've told you often, never
consider it a light thing to be able to have a place to worship,
because where God is pleased to raise up the gospel His free
grace is a blessed place. That God would allow the gospel
of His Son to be preached in Katy, West Virginia, is a miracle. I want you to be remembering
Brother Mike Walker. Brother Mike is a pastor in Wilkesboro,
North Carolina, and he lost his wife about two days to three days
ago. I'm not sure. And Debbie is her
name. And she's been sick for a while. And so I sent Mike an email this
morning to just tell him that we were we were thinking about
him. Brother Rupert and Brother Don is going to preach her funeral
tomorrow. So Mike, Mike Walker and And
so, also, if you haven't met, we have some guests from the
Martinsburg area and also from the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
area. Introduce yourself to them. You'll
recognize our guests this morning. So, Chris and Ruth, we're glad
to have you and your family. Let's take our Bibles. Turn to
the book of Revelation, chapter 19. Revelation 19. Before we begin, let's ask the
Lord's blessing. Our Father, how wonderful it
is to speak to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
we realize that as we approach you, that we only can approach
you by him. Lord, we don't know what to ask
for this morning, but we ask that you bless us in accordance
with your will and purpose. We ask you to bless the word.
Lord, feed us. For truly, we hunger after you. Teach us of yourself. We pray
that you bless this message to our understanding and to our
comfort and peace. Pray for Brother Mike this morning.
Lord, help him. Help him that he might truly
remember the promises of your comfort that you'll never leave
him nor forsake him. Pray for that church. For Christ's
sake, Amen. John on the Isle of Patmos. We looked at Revelation 19, 11,
the last of the first few verses, first few words out of that passage. John said, I saw heaven opened by the good pleasure and the
sovereign electing grace of God. John actually perceived the rule. He saw all of heaven. Now you stop for just a minute
and think, what would a man see if he saw
heaven opened. The glory of Almighty God just
unveiled. What would you see? The Scripture says in Proverbs
20, verse 12, the hearing ear and the seeing eye. The Lord
hath made even both of them. But when it says He made both
of them, it means He ordained them. He appointed them before
the foundation of the world. God Almighty appointed. He chose. He ordained. He purposed that
everyone that was born in this world that He had everlastingly
loved and chosen in His Son In time, when it pleased Him,
He would give them eyes to see the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every person in this room this
morning that God Almighty has purposed to show you of Himself,
He's always purposed to show you that. And when it pleased
Him, He crossed your path with the Gospel. The power of God
unto salvation. When it pleased Him, you heard
somebody preach the truth. And the Spirit of God blessed
it to you. He gave you a new heart. And
when He gave you a new heart, that's when you heard. You didn't
see before. You didn't believe before. He
gave you eyes to see, and then you saw. He gave you a heart
to believe, and you believed. He gave you a new spirit and
then told you about it. And you came. We don't come before God gives
us life. John said, I saw heaven opened.
And when he saw heaven opened, heaven unveiled, that's what
we looked at last week. He said, this is what I saw. Behold, a white horse, and he
that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness
he doth judge and make war." Who did John see? Well, I tell you, the one that he saw is the one
that we want to look at this morning and talk about. Who was
he, John? Well, I'll tell you who he was,
who he is, and who he ever shall be. He is the one that John refers
here as being called faithful and true. Now, you know we read
words in the Scriptures, and these words have significance. We understand what is being said
concerning him. He was called. You and I are
called or summoned. But this word called right here
means one that has been given a name. He called. Gary, you were born and your
mom and dad called you Gary. That's what this word means.
He was given a name or he bore a name. Philippians 1, 9 says,
Wherefore, God hath highly exalted him and given him a name, which
is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, every tongue should confess that he is Lord to the
glory of God the Father. He was sitting on a white horse.
He is victorious. The Holy One. What is His name? Jesus Christ. The Savior anointed. Jesus, Savior, God in the flesh. And this is what John said He
was called. Now these are His attributes. He that sat upon Him was called. He was revealed to be. This is
who He is. Number one, He's faithful. What
do we call Him? I'll tell you what we call Him.
He's reliable. You know, there is nothing that
is sweeter than somebody that you can depend on. If you tell
me that you're going to do something, You know what I love? I can depend
on you. If you say you're going to be
there, you'll be there. If you say you're going to do
it, unless providentially you're hindered and you call me on the
telephone, write it down. Faithful. Who is he? He's faithful. Who is he faithful to? Well,
I know this. First of all, he's faithful to
himself. Second, Timothy 2.13 says, If
we believe not, and oh, how often we fail to. Now, I'm going to
tell you something. You that have been called out
of darkness, you believe. But Lord, help our unbelief.
How often I fail. I'm telling you, I thought about
Mike. Mike Walker just tell you about. You know. There is a. There's a there's a point at
which a believer. You take Romans 828. All things
work together for good to them that loves God. And we know that and we're convinced
of that. We're settled on that. You believe
that? Yes, I do. But I'm telling you, Mike, you
know, when the doctor says, I'm sorry, you know, the spouse is
gone. We believe, but boy, I'm telling
you, there's times that you just take a deep breath. Don't you,
Brother Scott? We believe. But I'm telling you,
there's times that our flesh wars against this new mind, this
new heart. God's people got two natures,
and they strive one against the other. But 2 Timothy 2.13 says,
If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself. Who's he faithful to? He's faithful
to himself, first of all. He will not contradict himself. He won't reject himself. He cannot
go contrary to his word. He can't go contrary to his nature.
And I'll tell you, his faithfulness does not believe on me. It doesn't say, I'll be faithful,
Marvin, as long as you are. Now you fail me, I'm going to
fail you. No, sir. His yea and amen is found within
himself and not in my ability or my lack of. He's faithful. Faithful to himself. God's grace
is not motivated by my merit. By my ability, by my works, by
my thought, God is faithful. Who is He? John said, I saw heaven
open. There He was. And who is He?
Faithful. I can depend on Him. Aren't you
glad for that? I can depend on Him. He's faithful, secondly, to His
Father. 1 Corinthians 4.2 says, Moreover,
it is required in stewards. that a man be found faithful."
A steward. What's a steward? A servant. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew
20, 27, 28, Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your
servant. Even as the Son of Man came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life
a ransom for many. Who? Not all. Who did He lay
His life down for? The sheep. Who did He die for?
His people. All that the Father had given
Him in that everlasting covenant, He gave to Him and trusted Him. Who did He trust? The Lord Jesus. It is all on
your shoulders. The government of all of God's
purpose is on the shoulders of the Lord Jesus Christ. And He
came into this world. Who? The Chief among us. He is
the Chief. Let Him be your servant. He came
not to be ministered unto. What am I going to do for God?
What can this frail creature do for God Almighty? but that He came into this world
to give His life a ransom for many. Those that the Father gave
Him, He's the servant. He came into this world to live
and to die for His people, to bring them to His Father. The
Lord Jesus said in His high priestly prayer, John 17, verse 4, I have
glorified Thee on the earth, I finished the work which thou
gavest me to do." What work was that? What work? John 17, 12
said that those that thou gavest me I've kept, and I've lost none
of them. But the son of perdition, that
the Scripture might be fulfilled. John 6, 37, all that the Father
giveth me. I love this. They shall. They shall. Why do we preach the gospel of
Christ? Why do we set forth the good
news of salvation in Him alone? Because, first of all, number
one, He commanded us to. You go into all the world and
you preach the gospel. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of it. Why? It
is the power of God unto salvation. What does it take that God Almighty
will call out a people? Preach the gospel. What does
it take? What motivates the people of
God? The gospel of God's grace. You
don't rule God's people by preaching law to them. You don't browbeat
them. You don't drive them. The Spirit
of God leads them, and He leads them by the preaching of Christ.
The love of Christ constrains us. Why are you here this morning? I want to hear of Him. Tell me
one more time of Him who loved me, gave Himself for me. Tell me of Him. All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me, and Him that cometh to me... This is the Father's will, John
6, 39, which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me
I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last
day." I'll tell you this, he's faithful. He's faithful to himself
and he's faithful to his Father. Isaiah 53, 10 and 11, it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. in lieu of bruising his people. It pleased the Lord. It pleased
God to bruise him. He had put him to grief that
he might not put his people to grief. When thou shalt make his
soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. When the
Father saw him, made sin, and He was
made sin. He was made what you and I, all
of His select, are by nature. He made Him sin who knew no sin. And He saw Him. It pleased Him
to bruise Him. Because He saw His seed, all
of those in Him, chosen in Him, But for the foundation of the
world, God saw them, and He bruised him, and He let us free. He shall see His seed, He shall
prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
His hand. The pleasure of the Lord. You
think about that. The pleasure of the Lord. Who
is that? That's His people. The pleasure of the Lord. He
saw His seed, and it pleased the Lord that they would prosper. He shall see the travail of his
soul, he'll be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquity." He's
faithful. Faithful to himself, faithful
to his father, and I'll tell you this, he's faithful to his
people. Hebrews 13, 5, let your conversation. Be without covetousness and be
content with such things as you have. What you have is what God
has allowed you to have, where you are is where he's placed
you. What you know is what he's given you. Be content with such
things as you have, for he has said, I will never leave thee
nor forsake thee. You know, that's comforting.
There's times that we get all, you know, how high is gas? Well, I'm glad it's down some.
How low is the market? I can't do anything about it.
What about it? What about it? Be content. Lord, would you settle my heart? I know it's right. I know it's
so. But Lord, teach me. Tell me. Settle my heart. Be content with what you have. He said, I'm not going to leave
you. I'm not going to forsake you. You know, when it comes to security
and hope before God, here's my comfort. He is faithful to me. I honestly believe that God has
given me a heart for him. I believe he has. I think he
has. I pray he has. And I say as old
John Newton, Lord, if you haven't for today, would you give me
a heart? You know, I think if a man has
a heart to ask for that, God's done something for him. I realized
if I If I have a heart for Christ, He's going to have to give it
to me, because I'm telling you, as born in Adam, I don't have one.
The Lord told Moses, I'm going to have mercy on whom I have
mercy. I'm going to have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. The triune God made with Himself
and all those found in Christ a covenant, a promise. a contract and it was a covenant
of grace and all of its demands were founded upon the obedience
of the Lord Jesus Christ to God's law that I could not obey. I have never obeyed one point
of God's law, never. I have never satisfied Him in
one point. This is all my hope. It's what
David said, 2 Samuel 23, 5, Although my house be not so with God,
yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things. As I've said before, all things
are in order. And they're sure. They're settled. This is all my salvation, all
my desire, although He make it not to grow. Ever wondered what
that last verse meant? Although He make it not to grow.
This is what David meant. My redemption, order in all things
and sure. It is therefore so complete.
Nothing can be added to it. Nothing can be taken to it. There's
not any room for anything else. That's what he's saying. It's
settled. And that's where I rest my soul.
This is all of it right here. Not that I've walked an aisle.
Not that I've been baptized. This is all my hope. This is
all my salvation. This is it. What is it? Almighty God chose according
to His own will and purpose to show mercy to me. How do you
know that, Marvin? Because He gave me a heart to
believe it. That's it. That's it. He gave me a heart
to believe it. And He revealed to me. He told
me by His Spirit, through His Scriptures, this is what I've
done for you. And you know what? That's good
enough. I'll rest my soul on that truth. John said, I saw heaven open,
and he that was revealed in heaven sat on a white horse. He was
called faithful, and he was called true. That was his other attribute.
True. Truthful. Truthful. Romans 3,
4. Let God be true, but every man
a liar. God's true and everybody else
is a liar. Men hear the gospel of free grace.
They hear that God's people are led and directed by the hearing
of Christ. They love him. They follow him. And they said, I don't think
that's enough. Well, to you that believe God's
true and every man's a liar. I think you ought to, but God
is true and every man's a liar. He's faithful and he's true. 1 John 5.20 in closing says this,
and we know that the Son of God is come. Not merely that we know
it intellectually. You know, the devils know that. When the Lord Jesus Christ walked
on this earth, there were demons that knew who He was. They knew
who He was. But when the Scripture says,
we know that the Son of God has come, we know that Christ has
come into this world to accomplish that which the Father gave Him
to accomplish. And that coming into this world,
He is still present. As I've said before,
the scripture reveals that where two or three are gathered together
in my name, that is, in my character, as he is set forth in the scripture
as sovereign. When two or three are gathered
together in my name, I am in the midst of you. And I truly believe that there's
at least two or three here. I believe there is. To believe
that He's here. To stand in this place and to
have the privilege to preach and to set forth the glory of
God in the person of His Son. Every word that I would say,
I weigh it. I weigh it carefully. This is
not a frivolous place. This is not a man's stance before
men to set forth something concerning God, you better thought it through
and ask God for some direction and ask God for some knowledge
and some help. You preach Christ set forth. We know that He's come and has
given us understanding, John said. What understanding? The great truths concerning Himself
in the Scriptures. The Lord was speaking to His
disciples in Luke 24, 45, and He said, Then opened He their
understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. Do
you know if a man or a woman believes what's being said concerning
Christ, do you know why you believe that? Because He gave you a heart
to believe it. That's the only reason. You leave
a man to himself as he is born in Adam. And he does not understand. Oh, he can read, you know, he
can read the words. I'm not saying he doesn't read
the words and understand the English of them. But he has no
heart for them. No heart. You remember I told you the example
of my little daughter, Rebecca. One day she asked me, Dad, would
you baptize me? I asked her why. She said, I've
heard what you say a long time. And she said, I knew something
about Calvinism and election. I understood all that, but I
had no heart for it. I had no love for it. It was
just empty. You know, when God gives a man
a new heart, a woman a new heart, they understand it and they love
it. John says that you may know him,
that is true. Life eternal. This is life eternal,
that they may know Thee. And we are in Him, that is true,
even in His Son, Jesus Christ. United to and represented by. Chosen in Christ. That's what
it means. Represented by. I'm thankful
for one that represents me. You think about this. He ever
liveth to make intercession. There is one. the only one, the
one, the one, who even now, our great High Priest, who even now
ever liveth, ever liveth, always living, to make intercession
for me. He answers for me, speaks for
me, and I'll tell you this, He comforts me. all that the Father
has demanded of me?" He answers. That's a great comfort. And this is the true God in eternal
life. He's been truthful about us. He said, without me you can do
nothing. He's true. He's faithful and true. Truthful
about me? What can I do? That's what he
told me. You can't do anything. Well, can't I do it? No. He's truthful about himself.
He said, I'm the way. I'm the truth. I'm the life.
No man cometh to the Father but by me. He's truthful. He's faithful
and he's true. And by him, we know the truth
of his salvation. This is what we know. God the
Father elected a people. God the Son redeemed them by
His grace, by His blood, by His obedience. And God the Spirit
regenerates them in time, in time. When it pleased God, He
blows as the wind. And I'll tell you this, you don't
know where He's coming from and you don't know where He's going.
Who knows? God may be pleased to call out
one of yours today. But I'll tell you this, if He
does, He'll call them out because He chose to, because He purposed
to. And He placed them exactly where
He placed them. He may have mercy on you. Who
knows? And John finished and said, and
in righteousness, Revelation 19, 11, last part, in righteousness
he doth judge and make war. He is the great judge. He's going
to judge all things according to himself. Now you think about
this. You know, I know some folks will say, well, you know, I'm
just as good as the other. Well, a maggot compared to a maggot
is still a maggot. He doth judge. in righteousness. The lion's laid, and he's the
standard. You measure to him, either for
me, he has either made war, he judges and makes war, either
he's made war with all things that opposed me, death, hell,
and the grave, and put them away. They have no sting, no dominion
over me. Or he'll make war with me in
the day of judgment. But he's going to make war. All
things are settled in him. John said, I saw heaven opened.
What'd you see, John? I saw him. I saw him. And that's enough. Well, let's
stop just a minute. We'll take about a five, ten
minute break and we'll come back and we'll have our second service.