Let's take our Bibles and turn
to the book of Revelation chapter 14. Revelation 14. I'd like to deal with verses
11 to 13 today, but as we come to that portion, we remember that
there was a promise that was made by the third angel in verse
9 of Revelation 14. It said, And the third angel
followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the
beast and his image, and receive His mark in His forehead or in
His hand. He is making a promise. If any man kisses the hand of
the beast that came out of the earth, false prophet. We have looked
at those two beasts of Revelation 13. That one who by the means
of lying wonders deceives all who dwell on the earth and receives
his mark, that mark of a man, 666. If any man worships that beast, receives
that mark in his forehead or in his right hand, any man that worships, I got
to thinking about that, if any man worships. Now, you know,
I got to watching you have to. You've seen these fellows just
so prevalent on television now. You just turn on television,
you'd see men preaching. And they've got women up there,
Bob. You know, they're supposed to be doing the same thing, they
say. Any man worshiped. Now, you know
the thing that I've noticed about everybody that's preaching this
false religion. Everybody is talking about they
hate Satan. They hate him. Satan is a roaring
lion and they're saying all these things that they're admitting. We don't have anything to do
with Satan. He's a liar and he's out to rob you. They're outwardly speaking and
saying that they don't worship him. That's what they're saying.
The Scripture says they are, that they're worshiping him.
So I got to wondering about that. What does it mean when it says
if any man worshipped the beast and his image, how do you know
that they are worshipping the beast? Well, the Lord, let me
just read this verse of Scripture, Matthew 12, verse 30. He that is not with me. There it is, Carl. He that is
not with me is against me. And he that gathereth not with
me scattereth abroad." So what does it mean? What does one have
to do? To worship the beast. I'll tell
you what he's got to do to worship the beast. Not worship the Son,
as he's revealed in these Scriptures. That's what it means. Any man
that does not worship Kiss the hand. Kiss the son, the psalmist
says, lest he be angry. Any man that worships not, any
man, any woman that believes not in their heart and worships
the sovereign God of this universe, One who has spoken all things
into existence, The One who upholds all things by the Word of His
power. The One who has the right, the power, and the will to choose
one and leave another to Himself. Sovereign God whose hand alone
holds salvation. Any man that worships not Him
that way worships the beast. If you're not with me, you're
against me, the Lord said. Anyone that doesn't believe the
report, Isaiah says, that God has given of His Son, this is
serious, serious business. What will happen? Verse 10 says,
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is
poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. And
he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence
of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb." What will
happen? What's the promise? This is the
promise right here. He's going to drink the dregs
of God's wrath. The unmixed wrath of judgment. You know, we looked last week
where David says there's a cup that's full of mixture. God's people. They drink of a
cup that is mixed with the mercy of Almighty God. And things that
believers go through is mixed with God's compassion. And we
go through things. We have trials and tribulation
whom the Lord loves. We have chastenings. But we go
through the things that we do because of His love for us. showing us of ourselves His grace. But those that worship the beast
shall drink the wine of the wrath of God poured out without mixture."
No mercy. No compassion in redemption. There is no mixture. Justice
only. He shall be tormented, the Scripture
says. Tortured with fire and brimstone. Sulfur is what that word is interpreted. I don't know about you, but the
smell of sulfur, I don't like that smell. That's a hideous
smell to me. It's a sulfur smell. The burning sulfur. He shall
be tormented. Now turn with me over to Luke
16. I want to show you something.
Luke chapter 16. He shall be tormented. That's what the Scripture says.
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God poured out
without. Luke 16, 19. Here is an account that we want
to look at. It tells us a little something.
Luke 16, 19. There was a certain rich man
which was clothed with purple, fine linen, and he fared sumptuously
Every day, that word fared right there. That word fared means
he was in a good frame of mind. That's what it means, good frame
of mind. He fared sumptuously, luxuriously. He fared sumptuously. He was in a good frame of mind. Felt good about himself. Didn't
worry about anything. He fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar
named Lazarus. which was laid at his gate full
of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell
from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked
his sores, and it came to pass that the beggar died and was
carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." The rich man also died
and was buried. And in hell, he lifted up his
eyes being in, and I want you to notice something real carefully
here, being in torment. And seeth Abraham afar off, and
Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried, and he said, Father
Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus, that he may dip
the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am
tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember
that thou in thy lifetime receivest thy good things, and likewise
Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted, thou
art tormented. And beside all this, between
us and you, there's a great gulf fixed, so that they which would
pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that
would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore,
Father, that thou wouldest send to my father's house. I have
five brethren. that he may testify unto them
that lest they also come into this place of torment. And Abraham
saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear
them. He said, Nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from
the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they
hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded,
though one rose from the dead. Back in Revelation, we are going
to be looking at this for just a minute. Back in Revelation
it says, "...the same shall drink the wrath of God poured out without
mixture into the cup, and he shall be tormented with the torment,
fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels." Now as I
began to think he is going to be tormented, And in Luke 16,
it spoke of this man that died, and he was in torments. Now, what are the torments that
are being spoken of in Luke 16 referred to in Revelation chapter
14? First of all, the torments back
in, well, I told you to turn. If you want to turn back to Luke
16, just a minute, and just look here. First of all, it says that
this man that died and went to hell, it says that he seeth Abraham
afar off and Lazarus with him. Now, the thing that we realize,
that before this man knew what happened, he died, and the Scripture
says, in hell, he lifted up his eyes Torments. Torments. Well, you can be sure
that the torments of the wicked, according to Luke 16, is associated
with the fire. Now, whether that fire is literal
or whether it's figurative, because I looked up the word and that's
what it means. It could be literal or it could
be figurative. But whether or not, whatever
it is, it is the association of the wrath of Almighty God. Torments, fire, literal or figurative. The Lord speaking and said of
this concerning the fire, our Lord said, If thine hand offend
thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter
into life maimed, having two hands, to go into hell, unto
fire that never shall be quenched, where the worm dieth not, and
the fire is not quenched. Like I said, someone says, you
think it's literal? I don't know. But I can tell
you this, the Lord referred to it as fire. And whether it's
fire of wrath or fire of fire, it's still His wrath. So I know
this, the torments that is associated with this place called hell has
something to do with the fire of God's wrath. But also, in
these torments that's being spoken of. And it was the torment. He
lifted up, verse 23 of Luke 16, lifted up his eyes being in torment. So he actually felt the wrath
of Almighty God. But secondly, I know this, as
he said, it says he lifted up, verse 23, he lifted up his eyes
being in torment. And listen to this. He saw. He saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus
in his bosom. Someone can say, do you think
he actually saw? The Word says that somehow this
man perceived. He knew something. He said, Concerning
this, he said, verse 24, he said, Father Abraham, have mercy on
me and send Lazarus that he may dip his finger and cool my tongue. I'm tormented in this flame. Now, this word that is being
interpreted, tormented here, is grieving. I am grieving. I'm grieving. In this grieving,
in this flame, while I am seeing." This word in verse 24 of Luke
16, this word interpreted, tormented, is the word grieving. It's a different word than the
word in verse 23, torments, which means tortures. I don't know how I can set forth
with perfect understanding what I'm about to tell you, but I'm
going to throw out a Scripture and I will leave, as Mr. Robert
Hawker says, I'll leave it to the Spirit of God to teach us
some things. Turn with me to Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians
2. Even when we were dead in sins,
have quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved. and hath raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ, that in the
ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace
in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." Now, the word interpreted, ages, in
verse 7. that in the ages. You know what that word is? Forever. That's what the word means. Forever. I am absolutely, without a doubt,
convinced that for those that die in Christ, we're going to
deal with that verse in Revelation in just a minute. For those that
die in the Lord, They will forever in the ages to come behold the
exceeding riches of His grace. Forever they shall behold Him
who has mercifully shown them of Himself." Showed them kindness
and compassion and mercy. But I will leave this. to the
interpretation of that which the Spirit of God might be pleased,
because I'm going to be real honest with you, I don't know
for a fact. But I question and wonder, is part of the grieving of hell,
is the grieving either the seeing or the remembering or the perception. I know we are going to deal with
remembering in just a minute. But I wonder, is it now as far
as those in heaven perceiving hell? No. No. There is no more remembrance
of sin. But will those who are in hell perceive or see the indescribable
mercy of Almighty God and go throughout eternity beholding
God's mercy and grace that in the ages to come He might show
the exceeding riches of His grace. Can you imagine the torment of
knowing that you are separated forever from Almighty God No
mercy, no compassion, no kindness forever. Beholden. The Scripture says that this
man died and he lifted up his eyes being in torment. He sees
Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he said, Father
Abraham, have mercy. And the Lord says, there's no
crossing over. No crossing over. I'm tormented. I'm tormented. But Abraham told
him, he said, Son, remember, remember. He says, Lazarus is
now, verse 25, he says, Lazarus has received good things. He
said, you, in this lifetime, you fared sumptuously every day.
He says, now, Lazarus, is comforted, is called, consoled, or near. And thou, you're tormented and
grieving. And you remember. Turn over to
Matthew 11. Matthew 11. Matthew chapter 11, verse 20. He began, Matthew 11, 20, Then
began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his Mighty works
were done because they repented, not woe unto thee, Chorazin,
woe unto thee, Bethsaida. If the mighty works which were
done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have
repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you,
it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of
judgment than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art
exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell, for if
the mighty works which had been done in thee had been done in
Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto
you that it should be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the
day of judgment than for you." Remembering the gospel that you
heard, every time A man or woman refuses to believe. Every time
they've heard the gospel of free grace, every time they've made
fun of every preacher that they ever heard, and laughed at them,
made fun of them, scorned them, despised this gospel, they've
despised the Lord Jesus Christ. They've hated Him. And I'm telling
you, they will remember throughout eternity every time they heard. And the Lord said it will be
more tolerable for those that never heard than it will be for
you. You'll remember. The Scripture
sets forth that this word remembrance, remember, it's a word that means
the fixture of a mind. It's not that every once in a
while I just, Oh, you know what? No. Here's
the same word in the Scriptures. It says in Luke 23-42, He said
unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. Luke 1-54, He hath helped His
servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy. It's a fixture
of the mind. So all that drink of the wine
of spiritual fornication The false prophet shall also drink
of the wine of the wrath of Almighty God, which is poured out without
mixture in the cup of his indignation. He shall be tormented, the Scripture
says in Revelation 14, tortured with the tortures of seeing,
beholding the mercy of Almighty God to others. It says, and I'm
willing to admit, Someone says, do you think they will? I can
only tell you just how far the Scripture seems to indicate.
I don't know. I don't know the depth of what
a man will remember, what a man will see. I can safely say that
there will be no more remembrance of pain or sin or anything. God's people in heaven behold
Him. But if Almighty God in His indescribable
wrath and indignation were to allow a man to behold in the
ages to come that He might show, display the exceeding. To those
in heaven, I definitely understand that. But to those in hell, to
behold the mercy of God that was despised and rejected and
hated, and to have to watch that and to feel the wrath of His
indignation, to behold His mercy to others that I myself, if I
were to refuse Him, refused forever, and to remember, remember, and
to say, it's my fault. Have you ever noticed how many
men? This thing gets me about somebody
when they're guilty. It's never my fault. It's somebody
else's. I was a victim of circumstance.
Wasn't my fault. Their fault. Always somebody
else's fault. No, it's not. If you refuse,
it's your fault. You refused. You refused. You despised. Don't blame it
on anybody else. You refused Him. They'll remember
the arrogance that they've had in refusing to receive the love
of the truth. And this, the Scripture says,
last part of verse 10, in the presence of the holy angels,
in the presence of the Lamb. Obviously, as we said last week,
in the presence of the Lamb who is the judge, but also in the
presence of the holy angels, the messengers who are the witness. And then for the sake of time,
I won't go back, but it was Revelation 19, 1-6, when all cried, Hallelujah,
Hallelujah, worthy, and they were cast into hell. Hallelujah,
you're right, you're judged. Well, in verse 11, "...and the
smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever. And they have no rest, day or
night, who worship the beast in his image, and whosoever receiveth
the mark of his name." The smoke is the evidence of God's wrath. It's the evidence of fire. You've
heard the old saying, you know, smoke this fire. The smoke, it's
the evidence of His wrath. And probably this is derived
from the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. And I'll
show you why. In Genesis 19, 28, it says, speaking
of Abraham, he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward
all the land of the plains and beheld, and lo, the smoke went
up as the smoke of the furnace. Now that was the account Now
in Jude, verse 7, it says, Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the
cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication,
spiritual fornication is the picture here, spiritual adultery,
and going after strange flesh are set forth as an example,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. So Solomon Gomorrah was
a picture. I mean, they were they were they
actually were rebellious people against Almighty God. They were
rebels against God. They they hated and despised
God's message. They came in there and they remember
how the folks, the men there, they they wanted the two men
that had come in and locked told him, he said, don't don't take
my daughters, you know, and And they said, no, we want to have
them. That's what we want. That's what
a man by nature wants. I want to rebel against God. I want the illicit spiritual sexual impurity. That's what
they're saying. I don't want something that actually
produces life. That's why the Scripture sets
forth immorality of illicit homosexuality. It's a picture of that which
doesn't produce life. Free willism is spiritual homosexuality. It doesn't produce life. Unreal! The smoke says of these or tormented,
ascendeth up forever and ever." The sufferings of the wicked
shall be everlasting, eternal, because they ascend against an
eternal God. And they have no rest, day or
night. The word rest there, they have
no rest. It means intermission. That's
the interpretation of that word. They have no intermission. You
know what an intermission is. The other day we went out and
we cut down a tree over at the house. Cut down a tree. We was
cutting it up and everything. Everyone said, you know, let's
take a break. I had to take more breaks than
Glenn. Y'all understand that. Take a break. Rest. It's like
an intermission. They have no rest day or night. There's no interval of pain. Time, I just want to catch my
breath. Let me just hang on just a second. Let me just rest just
a minute. There is no stopping, no rest, no intermission. No
intermission of the pain, of the remembrance of anything. It's forever. And it's the most
intense. I can't even imagine the intensity
of those. There's no rest whatsoever of
those. who worship the beast and his
image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." And then
the Scripture says in verse 12, here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments
of God in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's the patience. Here's the cheer. Here's the
endurance. Here's the comfort of all that
have been kept by Him all who have kept, the Scripture says,
His commandments and have been faithful. As Brother Scott says,
not on their own legs, but on the legs of another. Here's the
one. This is their hope. Turn over
just a few pages back to 1 John. Here's the ones that keep His
commandments. 1 John 3.23. Here's those that
keep His commandments. 1 John 3.23,
and this is His commandment, that we should believe on the
name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He gave
us commandment. Turn over to 1 John 5.1-3. What is it to keep the commandments
of God? They that keep His commandments.
1 John 5, 1, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born
of God. And everyone that loveth him
that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we
know that we love the children of God. When we love God and
keep His commandments, what was the commandment of God that you
believe? This is the love of God that
we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous. They're not burdensome. What
is it to keep the commandments of God? It's to believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's it. Believe. Believe. Believe that He's kept. That's what we believe, Carl.
That's the belief. What is it to keep the commandments?
It's to believe on Him that has kept it all for me. That's believing that He has
fulfilled perfectly the law of God for me. And believing on
Him, trusting in Him that what He's done, God has imputed it
to me. that I kept it perfectly in my
substitute. That what He's done, I've done
in Him. Here's the patience. There's
the comfort. There's the cheer. There's the
endurance of the saints. And they realize all the while
the only reason that Almighty God has not looked upon me as
worshipping the beast is because He has given me a heart to believe
on Him in whom I am chosen and whom I am kept. Verse 13. This will be the last
verse we will deal with today, but this one you talk about some
comfort. And John says, And I heard a
voice from heaven saying unto me, Blessed are the dead which
die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they
may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them."
Now here is the sure truth. That verse of Scripture holds
many truths. But here is the sure truth. Number
one, we are going to die. Blessed are those that die. The
Scripture says in Hebrews 9.27, as it is appointed unto men once
to die, then the judgment. But what is the authority of
what's going to be said right here? Here it is. John said,
I heard a voice from heaven. And you know, I may tell you
something. You may tell me something. And what it's based on makes
all the difference in the world. But he's about to say, from heaven
itself. Here is a voice from heaven. Here is the voice of the Master.
Here is the voice of the Savior. Here is the voice of the Word
Himself. Here is what He said, Blessed
are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth, from now
on. Listen, to die in the Lord. As I said last week, this is
the only blessing that is associated with dying. to die in the Lord. But the question that I would
ask myself, and I'd ask you, if the only blessing is to be
found in dying in the Lord, then what does it mean to die in the
Lord? What does that mean? What does
that mean? If that's the only blessing, well, the word Now,
I think that's an important word. A man dies in the Lord. If he doesn't die in the Lord,
then he's got a problem. Blessed are the dead that die
in the Lord. The word in, just the little
word in, I in, I in. That word means this. It is a
position in your state, in time, and in place. Blessed are they
that die in the Lord." It's a position in state, in time and place,
and also this is a continuation of the meaning. It means the
relation of rest. Now that can be positive or negative,
what you rest in. You may rest in a lie, Gary. It's your relation of rest. Blessed are the dead that die
in the Lord. In Ephesians 1 through 3, the
Scripture sets forth that we're chosen. And remembering that
interpretation, it's your state, it's your time, it's your place,
or it's your relation of rest that we're chosen in Christ. That's your state. That's your
place. That's where you rest. 1 Corinthians
1-2 said we are sanctified in Christ for sake of time. I won't
read all these. Go back and read them. 1 Corinthians
1-2. Sanctified. Set apart. Set apart
to be holy. It is a setting apart. Sanctification is a setting apart. What God
has said, this is holy and made to be so. If I could say this
is a Bible, and I'm going to set it right here, alright? A
sanctified Bible. Set apart. That's my Bible. That's
my Bible. I bought it. Paid for it. Wrote
a check for that. That's my Bible. Sanctified. That's what the word sanctified
means. Set apart. We're set apart in
Christ. Romans 8.39 says the love of
God is in Christ. in Christ. Ephesians 1, 3 and
4 speaks of us being accepted in Christ, our state, our position,
our relation of rest. It's in Christ, blessed in Christ. 2 Timothy 1, 9 says, who have
saved us and called us, in that order, with an holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to His mercy and His
purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the
world began." He saved us and called us. He saved
us. He saved us. He is saving us.
He shall save us in Christ, in a position. So when we consider
in Christ, What does it mean? Well, it means to die in faith
of the Lord. Turn to Romans 4. This is important. Romans chapter 4, verse 19, and speaking of Abraham, being
not weak in faith. That word weak there means impotent
or sickly. Being not weak in faith, he considered
not his own body, now dead when he was about a hundred years
old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief, but it was strong in
faith, giving glory to God, being fully..." Now listen, what does
it mean to be in Christ? It means to die in faith of the
Lord. What does it mean to die in faith? Here's what it is. Verse 21,
being fully persuaded at what He had promised, He was able
also to perform. That's what it means to die in
Christ. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. They died being fully persuaded. Now you listen. And I pray God teach me this,
that when that time comes, and I know it shall be because of
His promise, that you'll die leaving this world fully persuaded. And I'm telling you, I have watched. I've watched someone die and
leave this world fully persuaded, confident. resting, leaving this
world fully persuaded that what He had promised He was able to
perform. That's what it is, first of all,
to die. It's to die in faith of the Lord. Secondly, it's to die being found
in Christ. Blessed are the dead that die
in the Lord. Turn over to Ephesians. Ephesians
chapter 3. Ephesians 3, 4. Ephesians chapter
3, verse 4. Though I might also have confidence
in the flesh, Paul says, if any other man thinketh that he hath
whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more circumcise the
eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, the
Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law, Pharisee concerning
zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which
is in the law. I am blameless. But what things
were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ, yea, doubtless,
and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ."
Now here I said the second thing, what is it to die in the Lord?
It's to die being found in Christ. What does that mean, to be found? Look at verse 9. And Paul says,
"...and be found in Him." What does that mean, Paul? To be found
in Him. Look at the next part of the
Scripture. "...not having mine own righteousness
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." To be found
in Him means to not have and to realize by God's grace. Not
having my own righteousness. which is by the law, by my works,
by my doing, by my free will to be found in Him. It's not
my own righteousness. Thirdly, what is it? To die in
the Lord. Blessed or the dead, to die in
the Lord. What is it? It's to die following
Him. Look at Colossians. Colossians,
turn over a page or two. Colossians 1, verse 21, And you that were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled
in the body of His flesh through death to present you holy, unblameable,
unreprovable in His sight, if you continue in the faith, grounded
and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel,
which ye have heard and and which was preached to every creature
which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister. The Lord said in Matthew 10,
22, And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but
he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Not endureth in religion. Not enduring in church membership.
Not enduring in moral acts that you consider moral, but he that
endureth to the end in the gospel, in the belief of the gospel.
Settled. Grounded. Stay. They don't move. They don't move. They don't move.
They don't move. They don't move. They're right
there. They'll stay right there. The
blessed, they die in union with Christ. Blessed are the dead
that die in the Lord. One with Him. And why are they
blessed? Those that die in the Lord. Why are they blessed? Well, that
latter part of verse 13 says that they may rest from their
labors, from their pains is what that word is. Their labors, their
pains, their toil and their troubles. They are blessed because they
are resting. They have got an intermission. They are resting from the body
of sin that shall no more distress them. No further sorrows because
of the indwelling of corruption. God's people, they struggle right
now. Believers, you that believe,
you struggle. You see the body of sin. No more
tears because of the viewing of sin that doth so easily beset
us unbelievers. I hate myself when I don't believe
Him. And I'm telling you, all that's
got to happen for me to see my unbelief is just let something
come up. How many times do I have to remind
myself of Romans 8.28? All things. All things. Surely not this. Surely not this
thing right here. All things. Blessed are the dead
which dine the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they
may rest from their labors. And look at this, and their works. Do follow them. Their works. Now, you know, there is something
for a fact that I know. that we're going to have works
that are going to follow us. And their works do follow them. Now, it's referred to as their
works. Well, it's one of those Scriptures
where you know you read that and you say, now based on everything
I know, I wonder what that means. What that means, it's their works,
and their works do follow them. Turn over to Matthew 5.11, and
we'll try to wrap this up. Matthew 5.11. I'm sorry, 5.16, I'm sorry. Matthew
5, verse 16. Let your light, let the knowledge
that God's given that your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Turn over to Matthew 23. Matthew 23 verse 2. Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees
sit in Moses' seat, These scribes and Pharisees, they'd read the
Scriptures. I'll tell you what Moses said. They'd read the Word
of God, Bob. The Lord says, Oh, therefore
whatsoever they bid you observe, what they read, what they read
out of the Scripture, that observe and do. But do not ye after their
works, for they say and do not, for they bind heavy burdens and
grievous to be borne. And lay them on men's shoulders,
but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for
to be seen of men. They make broad their phylacteries,
and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost
rooms of feast, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and
greetings in the markets, to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. And the Lord spoke and said, ìLet your light so shine that
men may see your good works.î Iíve said before, donít forget
how those works were described. They were good works. But you
remember also, thereís none good but God. So whatever these works
that do follow them, They are God's works. They are the works
of Almighty God. Not yours. Not mine. To what
do these works refer? What are they? Well, I know this,
they are not works that I have done or because of the nature
of which I have been born. It is not something that is born
within me. Titus 3, 5 says, not by works
of righteousness that I have done. And according to His mercy,
saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy
Spirit. So I know that whatever these works are that follow me,
that follow them, who rest from their labors, that die in the
Lord, they're their works. But they're not works that you
produced. I know that. I know, secondly,
they're not works of our flesh. For Christ, by His blood, has
borne them away. 1 John 1, verse 7, "...but if
we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth
us from all sin." What are these works? Turn to
1 Thessalonians 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse
2 to verse 4, we give thanks 1 Thessalonians 1-2, we give thanks
to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,
remembering without ceasing. Here are the works that do follow
them. Your work of faith, your labor of love, and patience of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father. What works follows the believer? Well, first of all, it is a work
of faith. True faith is a working grace. It is a working grace. It believes
God. James chapter 2. James 2 verse
14. What doth it profit, my brethren,
though a man say he hath faith and hath not works? Can faith
save him? For brother or sister be naked,
destitute of daily food, and one of you saith unto him, Depart
in peace, be warm, be filled, notwithstanding we give them
not those things which are needful to the body. What doth it profit?
Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead. Works that believe God. I'd let somebody help him across
the street. Now, I will tell you this. Now,
don't get me wrong here. If there is no evidence, you
know, James was saying, you know, he said, if someone says, you
know, verse 16, one of you says, you know, you see a brother or
sister and they're naked or destitute of daily food. If you see somebody, And they're
in need. And you know they're in need.
They're not panhandlers or something like that. They're in need. If you see a brother or a sister,
especially, the naked, destitute of daily food, one of you say
unto them, Lord bless you. Party in peace. Lord be with
you. And be warm and filled. I know
you don't have anything to eat. You don't have anything to drink.
You ain't got no clothes and stuff like that. Lord bless you!
Notwithstanding, you give them not those things which are needful
to the body, what does it profit? That religious air, you know,
arrogance. I understand. I mean, I do understand. Believe me, there's people out
there and they make a living. of doing this. They're not in
need. I like what old Michael Jordan
said. Carl was telling me, somebody asked Michael Jordan, somebody
was begging, can you, he got a dime, he said, same man that
says, you got, you know, got a dime, can also say, how can
I help you at McDonald's or something? If a man doesn't work, he shouldn't
eat either. I'm not talking about this lazy,
uncaring, I'm not talking about that. But there are times that
people will find themselves by God's good providence in trouble. Someone comes to them and they
say, you know, be filled. I love you. How is the love of
God manifested in that? It is not. Paul says we are thankful because
of the work of faith. You believe God. It manifests.
We don't place any hope in our standing before God in our works
of obedience, but the absence of the evidence of true faith,
obedience that believes God, is not faith. The labor of love
or that labor or that work of faith that is produced by love
toward God. Love to Christ and others will
be found in that one who is faithful to worship. Now, this is the
labor of love. Someone says, well, it doesn't
really matter if I'm out there. Paul says, forsake not the assembling
of yourselves together, as the manner of some is. Forsake not. This is the time we come together.
But you know what? This is a labor of love. You
know why we're here today? Because we want to be here. This
is why we're here. We desire to be here. and your
patience of hope in our Lord Jesus, your cheerful endurance
in trials because of the hope or the expectation that we have
in Christ. We have a hope in Him. Not a
maybe. You know, this word hope is a
staple. Sure. This is our hope right
here. This is the way that God's people,
this is their works. It's a work of faith. It is a
labor of love. It is a patience of hope in our
Lord Jesus Christ. Those works. Follow them because
they did not produce them. It was given unto you to believe. And that which God gives, He
gives without repentance. They are never taken away. It
rests in the Lord. Last verse, Matthew 7, 15-16,
Beware of false prophets. which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." How are you
going to know them, Paul? I'm sorry, this is the Lord speaking.
How are you going to know them, Lord? He said, you'll know them
by their fruits. You'll know them exactly. Not
by what they say. Any man can say anything. Any
man can say, I believe the Lord. What do you believe? I believe
the gospel. Tell me what the gospel is. I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Tell me the report that you believe. What is the works that do follow
God's people? It's a work of faith in Christ. Labor, love, endurance, patience. Those who are blessed are the
dead that die in the Lord. They rest from their labors,
and their works do follow them. They are blessed people. May
God teach us these things, the blessed security, peace, and
comfort that we have in Him.