Thank you, Pastor. Oh, what a
good morning so far. Turn with me to Revelation chapter
4. Revelation, the fourth chapter. How very thankful I am to God. for bringing you into our lives. My wife and I just often comment
to one another how very, very good God has been in giving us
such friends who are more than friends, just a vital part of
our lives. And I thank God for you. The
Lord does things wondrously. Fifty years ago, fifty years
ago, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where I was raised. I started
attending church because I wanted to date a little girl there.
I forgot her name now, but her daddy had enough sense not to
let me date her unless I go to church with her. So I started
going to church, and God began to speak to me. And one Sunday
morning, a fellow came up from Orlando, Florida, by the name
of Jewel Smith. I had never heard of the man
before, but it wasn't important. He had heard about the Redeemer
and God revealed Christ in me. And I never saw Brother Smith
again. Never saw him again. We went our separate ways. I kind of kept up somewhat with
his ministry for a while, but we never had our paths crossed.
Last year, I was preaching in England. And I met a young man
who pastored the church right in the heart of London. His name
was Jared Smith. He was his grandson. And now
we have dear friends in that place as well. I thank God for
you. Thank God for the blessed fellowship that's ours in Christ. And I ask you to pray for me,
pray for our congregation, pray for one another as we seek to
serve our Redeemer in this generation for the glory of God. As you
do, keep your minds ever focused upon Christ, heaven, and eternity. Think all you can about Christ,
heaven, and eternity. Nothing else really much matters.
Christ, heaven, and eternity. I often try to think. and we
can only think about it because I have not seen, nor ear heard,
neither is it entered into the heart of man the things that
God's prepared for them that love Him. But I try to think
about eternal things. That's a word we just can't get
our minds around, eternity. Eternity. We think about it in
redundant terms. We talk about eternity past and
eternity present and eternity to come. Eternity is eternity.
However things were, That's how they are, and that's how they
shall be. As we experience things, that
doesn't change anything. However things were before time
was, and however things are now, so they shall be forever when
God has finished his work on this little stage called the
earth. Let's read about it in Revelation
chapter 4. After this, I looked, and behold, a door was opened
in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was as it were
of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up hither, and
I will show thee things which must be hereafter." After this,
John says, After I saw the Lord Jesus, our mighty Savior, walking
in the midst of his churches. He's always in our midst. Always in the midst of his churches. He has his churches in this world
and he walks in the midst of his churches all the time. Holding
the stars, the angels of the churches, God's messengers holding
you. holding me in his right hand.
I saw the Lord Jesus and I heard him give me a word to write to
the churches. And I wrote these letters to
the seven churches of Asia Minor. These seven churches were literal
congregations, just like Central Grace Church in Rocky Mount,
Virginia, and Grace Badgers Church in Danville, Kentucky. Literal
local churches. But they are significant in that
they represent God's church in this world throughout the ages. They represent God's churches
in this world and they represent each local congregation. In our
midst, as I was preparing this message for today, I thought
to myself, this really kind of summarizes the congregations
to which we preach and in which we serve all the time. He gives
a warning to Ephesus about leaving her first love. There's right
here some folks who know the meaning of those words. And they're
known by experience more than by explanation. He says to the
church at Smyrna, says to you and me, be thou faithful unto
death. Oh God make me that. Pergamos
had a problem. There was in the church folks
who held the doctrine of Balaam, the doctrine of Nicolaitans,
that is folks who thought you could mix the religion of the
world with the religion of God, the religion of flesh with the
religion of the spirit, and it always leads to licentiousness
and ungodliness. There were folks at Thyatira
who entertained notions concerning that woman, Jezebel, and the
depths of Satan, works religion. It says, that which you have
already, hold fast till I come. Keep my works. Keep my works. And then he says to Totsardus,
and some of you here, he says, you have a name that you live,
but you're dead. So it says, be watchful, strengthen,
remember Philadelphia. He says, hold fast that which
you have so that no man takes your crown. Hold fast to me and
ever beware of the horrid danger of lukewarmness and indifference
to me. But watch this, in verse 18 of
chapter 3, After all this counsel, he gives counsel in verse 18,
he says, I counsel thee to buy of me gold, the gold of my grace. Without money, without price,
come and find grace for me. tried in the fire that thou mayest
be rich and white raiment by the gold of my grace and my perfect
righteousness that thou mayest be clothed that the shame of
thy nakedness do not appear. Nakedness in this book always
refers to shame and sin. He said, buy of me, buy of me
with faith in me, buy of me without money, without price, the gold
of my grace and the white raiment of my perfect righteousness,
that your shame and your nakedness not appear. And anoint thine
eyes with eyesalve, the eyesalve of the gospel of my free grace
that thou mayest see. Verse 20. Behold, I stand at
the door and knock. I stand at the door and knock.
Right there. Stand at the door and knock.
As you meet together, as we've come together here this morning,
I stand at the door and knock. If any man, anybody in here hears
my voice and opens to me, open to him now, open to him now,
here's what it says, I will come in to him and suck with him and
he with me. If we miss him, it'll only be
because we don't want him. If you don't hear his voice,
it'll only be because you don't want to hear his voice. If you
don't see him, it'll only be because you don't want to see
him. to him that overcometh I will grant to sit with me in my throne
I'm going to give him everything that I have even as my father
also overcame even as I also overcame and am sat down with
my father in his throne now, hold your Bibles open here at
chapter 4 and let's go through chapters 4 and 5 together and
I'll call your attention to a few things as we move along first
in verse 1, chapter 4 After these things, John says, these things
we just looked at, I looked and behold, a door was opened in
heaven. Will you hear me? There is a door open for sinners
by which sinners may, can, and do enter into heaven itself. The door is called Christ Jesus
the Lord. He said, I'm the door. I'm the
door. Enter in by me. I looked and
there was a door opened in heaven. Opened by God. Opened by grace. Opened by the gospel. And the
first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking
with me. In the book of God, a trumpet
refers to a trumpet of conquest. The children of Israel marching
around the walls of Jericho that blow the trumpet of ram's horns
and the walls fall down. A trumpet is described as the
jubilee trumpet of freedom. A trumpet is described as a trumpet
of joy. He said, I heard this trumpet,
the gospel of God's grace, proclaiming absolute conquest, total freedom,
blessed joy, talking with me. And this is what it said. Come
up here. Come up here. Come to me, and
I will show thee things which must be hereafter. Here are some things that shall
most assuredly be accomplished. Verse 2. Here's the second thing. First, he said, I saw a door
open in heaven, and immediately I was in the Spirit. God the
Holy Spirit came upon me. I was in the Spirit. I was in
the Spirit. Now, I really don't know exactly
what John's referring to there, but I do know this. God tells
you who believe, God tells me as a believer, ye are not in
the flesh, but in the Spirit. God, by His grace, has put us
into a new realm of life. We walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit, trusting Christ Jesus. I was in the Spirit,
and this is the first thing I saw. And behold, a throne was set
in heaven. If ever God reveals Christ in
you, if ever God makes himself known to you, this will not be
something you're going to learn 20 years later. First thing you
will recognize is that God sits on his throne, and his throne
is set. Permanently, unalterably, unmovably
fixed in heaven. A throne was set in heaven. And one sat on that throne. One sat on that throne. I've always been a pretty good-sized
fella. And I like to think I control things. If things bother me,
I'm not going to let you see it. I don't like folks to see
I have any weaknesses. But when things get to really
bothering me, I get up and pace. I'll get up and go get a drink
of water. I'll get up and just walk into
another room. Things are bothering you because
you're uneasy. You just can't sit. And if you sit, you're crossing
your legs and uncrossing them. You're fidgeting because you're
uneasy. And the thing that makes you
uneasy is that you're out, things are out of your control. Things
are out of your control. Oh, here's God our Savior, the
triune Jehovah, sitting on His throne. Sitting on His throne. Nothing
is ever out of His control. Nothing is ever out of his will. Nothing is ever out of his purpose. Satan said, I'll become God. I'll take over the God business.
And he huffed and puffed and tried to blow him off his throne.
And God responded this way, this is the purpose that is purposed
in the whole earth. Behold, a throne set in heaven,
and God, the triune Jehovah, in the person of our Redeemer,
seated on his throne. Look what he says next. And he
that sat was to look upon like a jasper, bright and glorious,
and a sardine stone red. He that sat on the throne is
one we can see. He is God in our flesh, bright
and glorious, as it were, covered with His own blood. And there's
a rainbow round about the throne. A rainbow round about the throne. Here He sits on His throne. And circling the throne, all
around this throne, is rainbow. A rainbow. Brother Bruce and
I were out in Great Falls, Montana preaching a few years ago. And
Brother Mitchell asked if we wanted to go fishing one day,
so we did. We spent the whole day floating down the Missouri
River, cold and drizzly and rainy. And it wasn't a really pleasant
day for fishing. Nobody caught any fish. Everybody got wet.
But coming home, the rain had let up, and we started to drive
back to Great Falls. And I'm sure you'll remember
it. First time in my life I ever saw one, a full spectrum rainbow. All the way down to the ground
on this side, all the way down to the ground on that side, and
we drove right through there. I said, what a picture, what
a picture. That bow is a symbol God gave Noah when he came off
the ark. You remember? Noah, I can picture
him when he first saw the first cloud rise. Uh-oh. It's fixing
to rain again. And I've done burned up the arches
for firewood. And then he remembered God said
I made a covenant. I won't do that again. This rainbow
represents God's covenant grace. Now hear me children of God.
Nothing comes to pass that does not come to pass proceeding from
Him who sits on the throne. And nothing comes to pass except
that which is in agreement completely with God's covenant of grace
and redemption for your soul. That ought to cause us to sit
easy. A rainbow is about to throw an insight like unto an emerald. the stove. which Judah's name
was engraved upon on the high priest's breastplate, was an
emerald. So that here we are, our Lord Jesus sitting on His
throne. He's sitting there with the rainbow
about His throne. And in the sight of that throne,
in the sight is a stone like an emerald, like an emerald.
Ah, our names engraved upon the breast of Him who sits on the
throne. Look at verse 4. Now look at
the people described here. And round about the throne were
four and twenty seats, and upon the seats I saw four and twenty-three
elders. And that's not what that says,
is it? Four and twenty elders. What's that talking about? All
the host of God's elect. All the Israel of God, all the
144,000 whose names are written in heaven, all the Church of
God, all the New Jerusalem, I saw them all seated round the throne,
sitting in the presence of God forever. How long has that been? For as long as things were, and
now, and forever. Brother Bruce, we were with him
around the throne from eternity. And we're seated with him now
in heavenly places. And we shall be with him in heavenly
glory. Not one of his elect missing.
All of them clothed with white raiment. All of them sanctified. All of them righteous. All of
them wearing the holy garments of priesthood. And they had on
their heads crowns of gold. All of them kings and all of
them priests. These crowns of gold. And there's
lots of talk about the crowns in scripture. And folks, I like
to tell you that if you're a real good Christian, you'll get some
crowns. And if you're not so good, you'll just have one or
two crowns. And if you're not really good at all, you won't
have any crowns. All of them seated on the throne. have crowns
of gold on their head, a crown of life promised as the reward
of faithfulness to the Lord, a crown of righteousness promised
to all who love Christ that is appearing, a crown of rejoicing
awaiting those who seek God's salvation, a crown of glory,
the reward of our union with Christ, an incorruptible crown
adorns the brow of all those who are raised in incorruption.
But these five crowns are really just one crown. Listen to the
scriptures. It is written, in that day shall
the Lord of hosts be a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty
unto the residue of the people. Christ is the prize we seek. Christ is the crown we wear. Christ is the heaven and the
glory of heaven where we're going. Christ is the reward of his people.
What more could we need? What more could we desire? What
can we want more? He is our glory our joy our righteousness
our life our incorruptible crown in heaven's glory Christ truly
is all Christ truly is all the verse 5 and out of the throne
proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices You read the newspaper and you
See the lightnings and thunderings and voices. Just confusion and
chaos and darkness. Wickedness on every side. You
wake up in the morning, get a telephone call and your family is suddenly
just disrupted. Seems like the whole world comes
crushing in on you. I saw lightnings out of the throne
and thunderings and voices. burning like lamps of fire, like
seven lamps of fire before the throne. What's he talking about?
Of Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Of Him who is perfect. And through Him, who is perfect,
having seven lamps, burning in perfect holiness, which are the
seven spirits of our God, His perfect being. Of Him, and through
Him, and to Him are all things. That means, Brother Mike, whatever
the thunderings and the lightnings, whatever the darkness that disturbs
your heart and soul, This comes from Him who's perfect for you. Got that? This is His Word. Read
on, verse 6. And before the throne there was
a sea of glass like unto a crystal. And in the midst of the throne,
around about the throne, were four beasts, four beasts full
of eyes before and behind. I know there's a lot of speculation
about who these four beasts are, and we won't start a new denomination
over it if you differ with me, but I'm convinced these four
beasts are gospel preachers. The same ones Isaiah saw in Isaiah
chapter 6. They're gifted with spiritual
wisdom and grace and knowledge. God's promise to his church in
every age is this, I will give you pastors according to my heart. which shall feed you with knowledge
and understanding. These men called and gifted of
God to preach the gospel. You folks here at Rocky Mountain,
God's given you a pastor, called and gifted of God to preach the
gospel to you. You folks who are from other
churches, God's given you a pastor, called and gifted of God to preach
the gospel to you. And these are men with eyes before
and behind. Eyes not of natural intellect
and natural ability, of God-given ability to feed you with knowledge
and understanding. Look at verse 7. The first beast
was like a lion. This describes God's servants.
Like a lion. Bold. Bold. Bold. Gospel preachers are not
timid, cowering little men. Gospel preachers are bold. They're bold. They are taught
of God to fear no man's face, neither his favor nor his frown. The second beast is like a calf. Strong like an ox. Strong. Strong. He's not talking about
physical strength. He's not talking about carnal
boldness. He's talking about strength that comes knowing that
you're God's servant. Boldness that comes knowing that
you're God's servant. This is called humility. It's
called humility. We think about humility, I'll
give you something free of charge. Whatever it is you think about
things spiritual, in a natural sense, it's wrong. Whatever it
is you think about things righteous, in a natural sense, it's wrong.
Whatever it is you think about things spoken of in this book,
in a natural sense, your thinking is wrong. We think about humility,
we get a picture of Mahatma Gandhi in a white dress, walking around
like this. I think that's humility. Get another picture of humility.
A man by the name of Moses walks into the throne room of the mightiest
king the world had ever known and said, God said, let my people
go. And he says, who is the Lord
that I shall obey him? Hang on, boy, you'll find out.
That's called humility. What? God-given boldness and
strength because God sent me. Read on. And the third beast
had a face as a man, the boldest of men, the strongest of men,
tender-hearted. God's servants are, they just
are. tender-hearted, full of compassion,
full of compassion. I know you preachers, you folks
here, you preach and hear us preach the gospel of God's grace
and talk about God's sovereignty and God's judgment. You're just
mean. You're just mean. You're so hard. A man who tells
you the truth with boldness and confronts you with the claims
of God is full of compassion for your soul. Tender hearted.
And the fourth beast was like a flying eagle soaring into heaven. That's where we do business.
We do business with God. Seek a word from God, serving
the cause of our God. Look at verse 8. And the four
beasts had each of them six wings. You remember Isaiah said with
two they covered their face, with two they covered their feet,
with two they covered their bodies. They're men of humility and with
six wings ready, ready to do God's bidding. six wings about
them, and they were full of eyes, full of wisdom within. They rest
not day nor night. They're laboring, laboring in
the Word and in the doctrine, laboring in the work of the Gospel.
saying, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, He who is the Lord
of Sabaoth, He who is the Lord of Hosts, He who is God Almighty
is Holy. Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit. And this one is that one which
was and is and is to come. Remember what I told you in the
beginning? As things were, So they are, and so they shall be.
As Christ was, so he is, and so he shall be. The triune God,
the delivering God, the omnipotent God, the eternal God, these living
creatures, these preachers of the gospel, the angels of the
churches, then lead God's saints in worship. That's what pastors do. They
lead God's saints in worship. Your pastor has been leading
the services here. That's not all. Faithful men
lead God's saints in the service of our Redeemer. They lead them
all the time. God's people are sheep. You,
my dear brothers and sisters, most of you are heapsights smarter
than me. Most of you are better educated. Most of you have better
sense than I do about most things. But I'll tell you something about
sheep. There's my dear brother Joe McSherry. There he sits.
Brother Joe, sheep are dumb as a box of rocks. They're just dumb. Sheep can't
get along on their own. Sheep can't find their own way. Sheep have got to have a shepherd. You've got to have a shepherd.
And that's what God's servants are here for, to lead you in
the worship and service of God. Look at verse 9. And when those
beasts give glory, when the beasts give glory, when these gospel
preachers give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on
the throne who liveth forever and ever, Verse 10, then, here's
what follows, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that
sat on the throne. We stand up here brother Paul
and preach the gospel of God's free grace and declare God's
glory and His majesty and God's people hear it. And they fall
down and give Him glory. Aren't you glad to hear who God
is again? Glad to hear who our Redeemer
is again. And they worship Him. The Word says it. They fall down
before Him that sat on the throne and worship Him that liveth forever
and ever. And they cast their crowns before
the throne. No sooner shall the Lord God
place the crowns on our heads, we willingly gladly take them
off, cast them at his feet, and cry not unto us, not unto us,
O Lord, but unto thy name, give glory for thy mercy, for thy
true sake. Why? Because Christ alone is
worthy. He alone is worthy of honor and
praise and glory. He's the one who chose us. He's
the one who redeemed us. He's the one who called us. He's
the one who preserves us. He's the one who is our righteousness.
He brings us to glory. Oh Lord, the glory is yours and
yours alone. We cast our crown before his
throne because we have a solemn reverence for him. When we see
Him as He is, we say that no flesh should glory in His presence.
We say, let it glory in the Lord. And we cast our crown before
Him because we have a deep sense of sincere humility filling our
souls. For we recognize I'm nothing. And I've done nothing. and I'm
capable of nothing. Everybody who enters into glory
with the Redeemer recognizes that. I was sick and you came and visited
me. I was imprisoned and you came
to visit me. I was hungry and you fed me.
I was naked and you clothed me. I was thirsty and you gave me
water. When did I ever do anything like that? Do you remember? God's people recognize The very
best we do is but sin and ungodliness. What evil is assembled here now? And here we are at our very best. At our very best. We cast our
crown before Him, for we recognize that He alone is worthy. He alone has done the work. And
when we cast our crown before Him, we declare, by the grace
of God, I know I am what I am. Look at verse 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory, and honor, and power, for Thou hast created all things. Now watch this next line. Watch
this next line. Would to God I could learn this,
and you could too. For thy pleasure they are and
were created. God made everything for his pleasure. It's right for him to use it
as he pleases. And to dispose of it as he pleases. You and me included. Yours and mine included. Now read on chapter 5 just as
if there were no break. Verse 1. Look at the book. And I saw in the right hand of
him that sat on the throne, I saw in the right hand of the crucified
Son of God, the Lamb of God, the incarnate God, sitting on
the throne. I saw in the right hand of him
as he sat on the throne a book, a book, a book written. Look
what it says here. A book that was written within
and without and on the backside and it was sealed up. with seven seals. And I saw a
strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to
open the book and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in
heaven nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to
open the book, neither to look thereon. That is, there wasn't
a creature found. who was capable of breaking those
seven seals, the book of God's eternal purpose, the book of
God's pleasure for which all things were made, the book of
God's everlasting predestination, the book of God's sovereign decrees
written before the world was, nobody Nobody was found in heaven
or earth who could open the seals of that book, open it up, and
read it to us, and explain to us who God is and what God's
doing. Ah, and I wept much, verse 4,
because no man was found worthy to open the book and to read
the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said unto
me, weep not. Oh, dry your eyes, boy. Behold,
the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed
to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. Christ Jesus,
who's sitting on this throne, is the Lamb slain before the
foundation of the world, who before the world was, as our
covenant surety prevailed. As our covenant surety redeemed. As our covenant surety justified,
sanctified, and saved His elect. And He prevailed over Satan before
ever the world was to open the book and show us who God is and
what God's doing. Look at verse 6. And I beheld,
and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in
the midst of the elders, have another picture of our Savior,
stood a Lamb." He's sitting on the throne. He's sitting on the
throne. He's sitting on the throne in perfect ease. And now he's
standing. standing in the midst of the
throne, as it were, rising up out of the throne and standing,
standing like a man about to work, standing like a man about
to do something. This one is Zelaiah, as it had
been slain, having seven horns, You folks, Shelby and I live
in a rural area. Y'all are familiar with both
farm animals and wild animals. I'll tell you a little secret
about animals. The ones with horns usually get their way. This lamb always gets his way.
This lamb has seven horns, perfect power, and seven eyes, perfect
knowledge and wisdom, which are the seven spirits of God sent
forth into all the earth. And he came, and he took the
book. He took the book as one who had
the right to do it. He took the book as one who earned
the right to do it. He took the book as one whose
business it was. Whose purpose it is to open the
seals of the book and to show us who God is and what God's
doing. Verse 7. He took the book out
of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. Now turn over
just a couple of pages to chapter 10. You'll look at it again. And I saw another mighty angel,
Christ the angel of the Lord, the angel of the covenant, come
down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, clothed with a cloud,
and a rainbow, God's covenant, was upon his head. Here's one, until he makes himself known
who is shrouded in mystery, clothed with a cloud, but the rainbow
is on his head, the bow of God's covenant. And his face was as
it were the sun, and his feet pillars of fire. He is the revelation,
the brightness of the glory of God. He has omnipotence, for
he is God incarnate. And he had in his hand a little
book. This is the same book. That book
that was in the hand of the triune Jehovah, that book taken in the
hands of our Redeemer, a little book. But Brother Don, you said
that's the book of all God's purpose. and all God's intention,
and all God's will, and all God's decree, and all God's predestination. That'd be a huge book. Yeah,
but it's little in his hands. He took the book and he stands. Watch this now. He set his right
foot upon the sea. and his left foot on the earth,
and he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roars, and when
he cried the seven thunders uttered their voices." Here's our Redeemer standing with his feet on the earth. Wonder
what God's going to do today. And he opens the book and turns
the page. Wonder what's going to happen
tomorrow. Well, tomorrow morning he'll open the book and fulfill
his decree. What about next day? Turn another
page until at last he's finished everything written in the book.
Accomplished all the purpose of our God. Let's see if that's
not so. Go back to our text in chapter 5 verse 8. When he had
taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders
fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them hearts and
golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints." Here, in heaven, these golden
vials full of sweet fragrance, the prayers of the saints. But so many of our prayers go
unanswered. I beg your pardon. I beg your
pardon. Our lusts go unanswered. And most of what we call prayer,
David, is our lust expressed in words we call prayer. You
have not. Why? Because you ask that you
may consume it upon your own lust. Our prayers are answered. Because this is what our Savior
teaches us to pray. Our Father, which art in heaven,
O God, sanctify your name. Is that what you want? Is that
really what you want? God's gonna sanctify his name.
Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. God, save your
people. Save your people. Thy will be
done. not my will thy will be done
in earth as it is in heaven and give me what I need give us this
day our daily bread and forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors
forgive us our sin lead us not into temptation but deliver us
from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever
amen and you know what I'm going to have everything I want. You too if you're His. Verse
9, And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take
the book. Oh, it's right for you to take
this book. Oh, blessed Savior, it's right for you to open the
seals of it. For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us. Oh, Lord
Jesus. You gave your life and by the
spilling of your own blood, you've redeemed us. You've purchased
us out of the house of bondage. You've purchased us out from
under the curse of the law. You've redeemed us from our sins. Redeemed us to God by thy blood
out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Now watch
verse 10. And this is what you've done
for us. Having redeemed us, you called us by your grace and you've
made us unto our God kings and priests. Kings and priests. Kings? Man, y'all don't look
much like kings to me. Kings. Kings are rulers. made by the grace of God to rule
over your flesh, and to rule over the world, and to rule over
Satan, and at last the God of peace will crush Satan under
your feet shortly. And priests. Priests are folks
who do business in the holy place all the time. Priests are folks
who live upon holy things all the time. Kings and priests unto
God, and we shall reign on the earth. Maybe that's talking about
the new heavens and the new earth and our everlasting reign with
Christ, perhaps it is. But he's speaking about what
was, and is, and shall be. We are right now reigning with
Christ in his kingdom over the nations of the world. Don't join
the pity party that the rest of the religious world has for
itself. We who are gods, we who are gods, we who are God's church,
always prevail. Always. Always. Doesn't matter
how things look, we prevail. What did our Lord say? He said,
I'll build my church on this rock and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it. Now I've told you this many times,
many of you, hear it again. I like to watch good movies.
I like to watch the old war movies. I like to watch wars from past
times. I guess it's got something to do with my nature, but I do
like it. I like to watch it, especially if they're historically
accurate. I'll tell you what I never, ever saw. What I never
saw. I never in my life saw an army
pick up a gate and attack another army with it. Did you? I've never read about such a
thing, never heard about such a thing. Why is that? Because
gates are not weapons of offense. Gates are weapons of defense. It is our business constantly
by the gospel to assault the very gates of hell and watch
them fall, and fall they shall. We don't. Verse 11, And I beheld
and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the
beast and the elders, all the host of God's elect, chosen angels,
chosen men, the redeemed, the called, the saved. The number
of them were ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of
thousands, all who believed. He says in verse 12, they're
saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb. All of them united
in this praise, worthy is the Lamb that was slain. He's worthy
to receive power, dominion, and riches, all the riches of creation,
and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.
But God's elect are not the only ones who praise Him. I'm anxious to see this come
to pass. I make you see this thing called the times of restitution
of all things. Read what it says, and every
creature, and every creature which is in heaven, and on the
earth, and in hell, every creature which is in heaven, and on the
earth, and under the earth, And such as are in the sea, and all
that are in them, heard I say, blessing and honor and glory
and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the
Lamb forever and forever. And the four beasts, and the
four and twenty elders, they said amen. They fell on their
faces. They fell down and worshiped
him that liveth forever and ever. Before time began, God Almighty ordained everything
for His pleasure, for the glory of the Lamb. Everything. Everything. Right now, God our
Savior holds the book of God's decrees in his hands and he's
accomplishing everything and only that which God ordained
from eternity to the praise of his glory. And when he gets done, when he gets done, oh my soul,
when he gets done, everything that has been and is and shall
be." Every man and every woman saved and damned. Every angel
kept by God and every fallen angel, the demons of hell, and
Satan, Lucifer himself, everything shall say he's worthy of praise
and honor and glory. And we'll say amen. Been trying
to tell you that all my life. Amen.