It's good to see you this morning.
Let's pray together. Our Father, we thank you for
another day. And, Lord, if this is the last
day we ever have, for this we're thankful. This is a day you've
made, and you've made it to bring honor to yourself. We pray that
You would bless the services today. May we truly worship for
Christ's sake. Amen. Just a moment ago, as I was thinking,
even as we were praying together, asking the Lord to allow us to
worship I thought on this during the
week. God's people truly desire to
worship, and about the best way that I
can set forth and describe what is
it to worship God. There's times that you come and
you sit down and you hear a message. And as I've said before, it's
one that is doctrinally sound. It's got all the right points
and the right verses. And you walk out and someone
asks you, well, how were the services today? Truthfully say,
well, they were, you know, they were good. I mean, it was it
was fine. It was didn't hear anything that I disagreed with.
I didn't. You know, everything's OK. It
was good. It was. But then there's times that.
The Lord blesses it. And when he blesses it, it's
as if you heard something again. for the first time. And it was
like you've never heard it just exactly like that. And your heart
is just aflame. And you think, man, that is like
the best drink of water that I've ever had on a hot day. Just a cold drink of water. It
was just so good. And I mean, your heart just rejoices
and you think, That's worship. There's the difference right
there. I pray the Lord allow us to worship today. This is
not just, you know, filler. This is truly a day. And I tell
you what it's going to take. It's going to take the Lord blessing
it because we can't work it up, Bob. I just I can't I can't make
myself worship Carl. If God doesn't bless me to worship
Him, if I could do it, then I've got something to glory in. But
if He blesses it, then I can only glory in Him. Turn with
me to Revelation 17, verse 14, and let's just look at something
for just a minute. Revelation 17, verse 14. John on the Isle of Patmos penning this book that we refer
to as the Revelation. And I'll tell you something.
This book right here is the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the bottom line. But let me tell you how it applies
to God's people. It is a revelation of Him to
them that reveals to them, Neil, how they are in this world. And
it's a revelation of Him to them of how He has kept them and sustained
them while they're going through this valley of death, this Bacchus
Valley, the valley of tears. And we're struggling. We're going
through some things. There's some people in this room
today that's dealing with some stuff, and the reason I say that
is I know how I am. Is there any word of comfort?
John writing in verse 14 says, These shall make war with the
Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, and He is Lord of lords
and King of kings. And they that are with Him are
called and chosen and faithful now. These what? Well, he had been talking previously
about the beast, about the ten horns, The ten kings, verse 12,
the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings. These areas, these
kingdoms, these, and as I said before, I can, I can easily see
and read back and show where these kingdoms, these ten areas
of power, ten being a symbolic number, Try to get 10 in your
mind and try to make it fit something that you think it's supposed
to fit when the scripture hasn't revealed it. Jeff, it's not going
to do any good. You guess it. That's all you
do is guess it. Speculation. But for me to say
that that number is a symbolic number of areas of power that
oppress me. I can enter into that. I can
say I know that's for sure. Someone may say, well, what if
that's not all it represents? Well, if the Lord be pleased
to reveal something else to me, then I'll say the Lord's revealed
something else to me. But until He does, I can say
I truthfully know that there are areas of power, kingdoms,
the cares of this world that war against me. Areas. But I know this, the gates
of hell are not going to prevail against God's people. But though
I know the gates of hell are not going to prevail against
God's people, I know that I'm still in a battle. But maybe what I deal with is
not what you're dealing with. But Almighty God has providentially
placed you exactly where He's placed you, and you're dealing
with some things that He is seen fit. But I know this. They make war. These what? These areas of power, the cares
of this world, the things of this beast of this world, these
things make war. How do I know that it is making
war? With me, well, Galatians 5, 17
says, For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against
the flesh. Paul said, I know, Romans 7,
18, that in me, that is in my flesh, there dwelleth no good
thing. Turn with me to Peter, 1 Peter,
1 Peter 2, 11. 1 Peter 2, 11. 1 Peter 2.11, Dearly Beloved, I
beseech you as strangers and pilgrims. Are we not strangers
and pilgrims in this world? I mean, listen, let me ask you
this. What does this world offer you that's got any eternal glory
to it? What kind of opinion Does this
world have that's going to give you anything that's lasting?
Everything that we've ever had concerning this world fades. It breaks. It rusts. It doesn't sustain. It goes down
in value. Dearly beloved, as strangers
and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which wars against the
soul. against me, this war that is
actually being waged by the beast, by this world, through the means
of this which is described of as ten horns. 1 John 2.15 says,
Love not the world. Don't love the beast. Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. The lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, the pride of life that are in the world. What are
these things? I'll tell you, let me tell you
what it is exactly. I'll sum it up just like this. Anything
that steals your heart and takes a precedent over the worship
of God. What are they? Anything that
takes a precedent over the worship of God. The things of this world. Well, I've got obligations. Are they taking a precedent over
the worship of God? I wrote an article. I didn't
know. I didn't write an article. I saw two articles. They're out
there. One of them Don Fortner wrote and one of them Henry Mahan
wrote. And I thought they were good. I wrote them. I encourage
you to get one of them. It's concerning. just exactly
what we're talking about right here. These things. I know this. I know that we're in this world,
and I know that we deal in this world, and I know that we have... It's not that God's people are
commanded to not enjoy the wonderful beauty of God's world and the
manifestations of His grace toward us to have a place to stay and
things to eat and things to wear. I'm not saying that, but it's
when these things take a precedent over the worship of God. Love not the world. Back in Revelation,
he says, these things shall make war with the Lamb. When these things make war with
the Lamb, do you know how this war is actually being waged in
God's people. That's where the battle is. That's
where the war is. But I know this, the Lamb shall
overcome them. He shall conquer, subdue. We're
more than conquerors through Him that loved us. But how is that? By the grace
of God. Do you think that I have or you
have the power within yourself to be able to conquer anything? that we come in contact with.
I just don't have it. The Scripture says the Lamb shall
overcome, He shall prevail, destroy the power of. How can that be? Well, John says
because He's the Lord of Lords. I like the way, look at the way
that's written. He is the capital L, O-R-D, of
the little l, O-R-D. He's the capital K-I-N-G of the
little K-I-N-G-S. He is the Supreme of the Supremes. He's a Sovereign of Sovereigns. He's the Sovereign. He's the
Lord. David said in Psalm 115, 3, Our
God is in the heavens if done whatsoever. He's pleased. He is. He's the Lord. I know
you're struggling. I understand. I know that God
Almighty in his infinite wisdom and grace and mercy and kindness
has taken us and placed us in this world. We're in it. We're
not of it. Why would he leave us in a place
after calling us out of darkness? Why would he place us and leave
us here? Oh, I could think of a few things.
I can sum it up by saying because he's been pleased to do so. I
know that. But isn't it a marvelous exhibition of the grace and mercy
of God when you see how we're in this world and we're kept
from it? Do you struggle against it? Oh,
my. Absolutely. Are God's people
tempted to succumb to it? Are they tempted to do so? Yes,
we are. Yes, we are. But how do you know
that they're not falling prey to it? God keeps them from it. He keeps them from it. He keeps
His people from it. They don't fall to it. Let me ask you this. How do you
feel inside, truly, whenever you find yourself in whatever
capacity, you know, leaning toward going toward that which is disobedient
to Almighty God. You hate it. You hate it. I hate
that. I hate that. I hate it. These shall make war with the
Lamb. The Lamb shall overcome them,
for He is the Lord of lords and Kings of kings, and they that
are with Him. Boy, this is three beautiful
descriptions of God's people. They are called, they are chosen,
and they are faithful. They are called. There are so
many things that can be said concerning those that are called. But I can tell you the one word
that sums up. God effectually calls. But the
one thing that absolutely sets forth the description of that
word called, right there, is it states their position of appointment. They're appointed. Listen to
this. 1 Thessalonians 5, 9 and 10. For God hath not appointed
us. Same word. hath not appointed
us to wrath." His wrath. God has not appointed us to wrath. And He never has appointed His
elect to wrath. Because if God ever appointed
His elect to wrath, God, who never changes, always would appoint
them to wrath. He never changes. God hath not
appointed us to wrath, to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ
who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live
together with Him. These are called. The second
word there, and I understand, listen, we can just preach a
whole message on the called, but for time's sake, secondly,
chosen. They're chosen. I looked up, again, And I wanted
to find out, let's get to the heart. It means picked out, selected,
and it can have overlaps of the word chosen. I mean called, but
chosen. But there was one word that jumped
out in all of the wording of the description, and this was
the word, the favorite, the favorite. I looked at that word, the favorite, and I thought, how is it but
by the grace of Almighty God? You know, I wouldn't. Boy, if
you ask me, you know, I've got four children. And, you know,
someone would say, Do you absolutely, can you positively say that you
have, you know, favorites concerning your children? Now,
let me tell you something. I'll go ahead and voice what
nobody else would voice. But do you know that even among
our children, there are areas among our children that we would
say, I have more of a leaning and a tendency to be favored
toward. But as far as my children, how
do you put one over the other without feelings of absolute
guilt or something like this? You see what I'm saying? I mean,
there's some areas where you say there's an area right there
that I would feel more comfortable with. But these are my children. And you love them. Which one
would you give in place of the other? I wouldn't. Why? Because
they're my kids. I couldn't. That one of them
might do something that would be more disappointing to me or
something like that? Yeah, I can say that. But as
far as my kids, I couldn't do that. They're my kids. I love
them. What would you do for any of
them? Everything I could. But for Almighty God to say concerning
those that He has everlastingly loved, the favorites. And the Lord said concerning
that boy, He planned in Himself how He was going to repent, how
He was going to come to His dad. And He came and His dad saw Him
afar off. How far off did Almighty God
see us? Far off. How far off? Did he see us in our depravity? And this was his attitude. He
saw that boy. That boy came up and he started
to give an explanation of what he had. You know, dad didn't
even hear it. He said, you know what? He said,
you put the vest robe on that boy and you put the shoes on
that boy. Kill the fatty calf. You know,
this is my son. He's lost. He's found, you know.
But there was one other boy. You remember? It was the boy
that never left. And when that boy came to try
to justify himself before his father, he said, you know, I've always been faithful. You know what? You never caught
me doing all of this stuff. And now when this, your son,
You know, you're your other boy, you know. You know, you gave
him the best robe you get, you know. This boy wanted to justify
himself before his dad based on his works, and all he did,
the more he opened his mouth, Scott, is condemn himself. I've
never done this. No, no, your words are evidence
in that. Boy, you've got a great attitude.
I can tell that right quick. What did the boy that left have
anything to glory in except that his dad looked on him in mercy?
Received him. That boy right there was faithful
because his dad was his dad. Merciful. Why are you faithful? You that believe. Because God's
shown mercy to you. That's the only reason. kept
by the power of God. I've told you before, there's
a whole lot of things I'd hate for you to know about me. A whole lot of stuff I'd hate
to be brought up. Things that I've done, but I
bet you you could probably write a chapter or two in there too.
You know? Let me ask you this. What do
any of us have to glory in concerning faithfulness to the Lord but
the grace of Almighty God? Oh, these things are going to
war against us, no doubt about that. But I tell you this, He
has overcome. We're more than conquerors through
Him. And let me tell you, this is the description that He gives
of you. You were called, you were chosen,
and you're faithful. You'll stay. Yeah, but you don't
know what I'm going through. God's not going to let you go.
Yeah, but I tell you, there's times that I'm tempted to quit.
I know you are. But you're not leaving. Why?
Because He's kept you. He's kept you. And He'll keep
you till the day of salvation, the day of redemption. Well,
let's stop for just a minute. We'll come back in just a second.