in your Bibles to First Timothy
chapter six. First Timothy chapter six. I
believe. I could spend the whole morning
singing hymns like that. Truly. God honoring. Hymns of worship. First Timothy six, I want to
read A few verses here, beginning with verse thirteen through verse sixteen. Paul says to young Timothy, and
also to us, I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth,
or makes alive, all things. and before Christ Jesus, who
before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession. I give thee charge that thou
keep this commandment without stop, unrebukable, until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in his times In his times, he shall show who
is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of
lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no
man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to
whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. Do you know what time it is? I don't mean this. Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1 says, There is a season and there is
a time to every purpose unto heaven. To understand something
of the purpose of God Almighty is to understand the times. To understand something of the
purpose of God Almighty is to understand the times, the times
we live in, the times in the past, and so forth. There was
an old preacher years ago, Ralph Barnard, who in 1950, I believe
it was, was holding a meeting in a very large Southern Baptist
so-called church, Southern Baptist And on the first row was an assistant
pastor, a young Arminian preacher, died in the wool, free will,
Arminian young man, twenty-one years old. And Brother Barnard
was preaching from Romans chapter eight, and he got to verse twenty-eight
and he told that young man, said, young man stand up and quote
Romans eight, twenty-eight for all of us. And the young man
got up and said, For we know, and we know, that all things
work together for good to them that love God, who are called
according to his purpose. And that young man today says
that as soon as he got through saying purpose, Barnard screamed
at the top of his lungs, Purpose! God does everything
on purpose. He said, young man, learn something
of that and you'll know something about the God of the Bible. Purpose. And that young man, the Lord has done great things
through that one word, purpose. The word of God is quick, it's
powerful, one word. God does everything on purpose
and for a purpose. And God does everything on purpose
and right on time, right according to his eternal schedule, which
will not be altered to the second. And that's why I say we need
to know what time it is. Now, there are different times.
There are past times, there are present times, there are future
times. And if you're taking notes, I'm going to take us through
seven times. Seven times. And our text here
in verse sixteen says they're his times, the times of Christ. They're his times. They all have
something to do with the Lord Jesus Christ, his times. I've chosen my words carefully. Now, it's proof—listen to me—it
is proof of man's ignorance and man's depravity that the
very times are measured by this One named Jesus. The very times
are measured in terms of this Lord Jesus Christ. You have B.C.,
before Christ. You have A.D., Anno Domino, in
the year of our Lord. It's proof of man's ignorance
and his depravity that although time itself is even measured
by Christ, they give no thoughts whatsoever to Christ. Now, the
first time we have, I want you to turn over to John chapter
1. His times, the times of Christ, seven times of Christ. The first
time is when there was no time, or the time before time. Eternity
passed, the Scripture talks about it. John chapter 1, turn over
there with me. The time before time, our Lord
Jesus Christ was and is. John chapter 1, look at verse
1 with me. It says, "...in the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Before
creation, before the angels, before heaven, before the earth,
before It says, verse 2, the same, where the word was in the
beginning with God. Jesus Christ was with God. Where was he? He was with God. Well, what was he doing? I've told you that story about
that old black preacher one time, and a fellow walked into the
service and the preacher was preaching about God Almighty
in his glory. He's in his glory. He's in his
glory. And he was talking about before the heavens were made
and before man was made. And he looked at that visitor
and he said, Oh man, where was God before time began? And the
man said, I don't know. And the old black preacher screamed
at the top of his lungs. He was in his glory. He didn't
need man, he didn't need the earth, he didn't need anybody
or anything, angels to support. He was just in his glory. But God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. We read throughout the scriptures
that if you have God, you have everything, right? What did they
need? So where was Christ before time? He was in his glory. He said
that in John 17. In light of that, think about
these verses, John 17, and Christ praying to his Father. He said
in verse 5, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self. Father, glorify me with your
own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world
was. He said in verse 24, he said,
Father, I will that they also whom you have given me be with
me where I am. Where is that? In his glory. That they may behold my glory
which thou hast given me, for you loved me before the foundation
of the world. So before time was Christ's time. And Christ, where was he? He
was in his glory. What was he doing? Being glorious. Before time was the times of
Christ. And then you have, secondly, the time of creation. God Almighty,
and back in John chapter 1, he says in verse 3, the time of
creation was the time of Christ. Verse 3, it says that this Word
that was in the beginning with God, that was in his glory with
God, needing, having need of nothing else. Verse 3, it says
that all things were made by him, and without him, without
Christ, was not anything made that was made. Now, we'll just
let the potsherds of the earth strive with the potsherds of
the earth and let them go about trying to disprove the deity
of Christ. It doesn't even bear arguing, does it? These verses. My sheep here, my boys, And all
of his sheep, all of God's people, see Christ stamped on those verses
as if someone took a big rubber stamp and red ink and put Christ
on it. The Word was with God, the Word
was God, and all things were made by Him, and without Him
was not anything made that was made. So Jesus Christ is no less
than the Almighty Creator of all things. Very God of very
God, the Scripture says. The verses in Colossians chapter
1 say this, that by him were all things created that are in
heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, dominions, principalities, angels, powers. All things were
created by him and for him. He is before all things, and
by him all things can say it. That's talking about the Lord
Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ made planet
Earth. He is God. And the time of creation
then was the time of Christ. It was his time, his times. The
same one who said, let the waters be gathered together and dry
land appear, let there be a great ocean gathered together, the
same one walked this planet and one day stood up to that ocean
that was boisterous, that ocean he made, and said, You hush up
now. And it obeyed him like a dog laying at a master's feet, didn't
it? How could that be? The ox knows his owner. The ass
his master's crib. The ocean knows who made it.
Hush up. Be still. The same one who said,
Let the earth bring forth the fruit tree. Let the earth bring
forth herbs, and every plant, and the fruit tree that bringeth
forth its fruit in due season." One day he was walking this planet
and walked by a tree, a fig tree, and there weren't any figs on
it. Now, it may have been February. It may not have been the time
for fruit to be on it, but he said, wither. You'll not have fruit any more
from this day forward. heard his voice. The same one
who said, Let us make man after our own image. The same one who
in the beginning said, I'm going to make man in my own image.
I'm going to be his God. He's going to be my man. He's
going to be my creature. I'm the creator. He's my creature. The same one walking along the
Sea of Galilee one day saw two such men, two such creatures
of his and said, Follow me." And it was like they dropped their nets, they
left their daddy, their boats, their livelihood, and just stepped
in line behind him. They knew their Creator, didn't
they? So the time of creation was the time of Christ. Christ's
time. His times. And the third one. The third
time. After you have the creation,
you have a certain amount of time that passed. And the scriptures,
it's known through the scriptures as the time of the prophets.
Right? Moses was a prophet. Abraham was a prophet. Our Lord
said, what did he say about Abraham? Abraham was a prophet. And Abraham
told his story to his posterity. Our Lord said, Abraham rejoiced
to see my day. And he saw it and was glad. Everything that transpired in
the lives of all of these early men and women down through those
years was Christ's time. Everything related to Christ
somehow, and it was all recorded in a book, wasn't it, Joe? Moses,
he said, wrote of me. Moses wrote all about me. Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, those are not the law, that's
the books of Christ's, his times, telling about the Christ who
is even the law. Even the law. Moses took dictation
from Christ. You know who it was giving the
law on Mount Sinai that day? You say, well, it was God. It
was Christ. He's the lawgiver. He was giving
the law. He was the one that was writing it with his finger
on those tables. And all the types and the symbols
and the ceremonies down through the years that God gave from
Mount Sinai, they all spoke of Christ, didn't they? God was
the great architect and the creator of all things, and he wrote a
book, Terry, and in that he laid down specific blueprints, all
to make up this glorious picture of the Christ. Samuel spoke of
the coming king. one who was a man after God's
own heart. David spoke of the coming King and Lord. Solomon
spoke of the coming Beloved One and the Wise One. Isaiah spoke
of the glorious substitute, his vicarious work. Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, all spoke of one person,
the Lord Jesus Christ. The times of the prophets The
times of Christ are his times. His time. And all of them said
the same thing. Someone is coming. Someone's
coming. Someone's coming. And the last
prophet. Turn over to Mark chapter 1 with me. Mark chapter 1. Do
you know who the last prophet is? Huh? Somebody tell me who
the last prophet is. John the Baptist. Good. John
the Baptist. The last prophet, he said here
in Mark chapter 1, look at verses 2 and 3 in Mark chapter 1. This is what our Lord says about
John, as it is written in the Prophets. Behold, Malachi 3.1,
Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, before the coming of
Christ, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of
one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight. Look at verse 7. And John preached
saying this, Somebody's coming. There comes one. Somebody's coming. Oh, John said, He's mightier
than I. I'm not even worthy to tie
shoes. I'm not worthy to stoop down
and unloose His shoes." He said in verse 8, I'll baptize you
with water, but He'll baptize you with the Holy Ghost. And
it came to pass. It happened. Verse 9, in those
days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized
of John in Jordan, and straightway coming up out of the water, he
saw, John saw the heavens open, and the Spirit of God like a
dove descending upon him. And there came a voice from heaven
saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Look
at verse 14 and 15. Now, after that, John was put
in prison. Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is
fulfilled. It's time. That's what he was
saying. It's time. The king is here. Now, did you
follow my chronology there? In the beginning. Paul said in
our text to young Timothy, it was his times. In his times,
he's going to show. In his times, God's going to
show, going to show off his Son. That's what time is all about.
Before time began, before there was time, Christ was. In the
time of creation, Christ made everything. In the times of the
prophets, all talked about the time when Christ would come.
And here this day and this hour came forth, and Christ stood
up before all men and said, ìItís time.î In other words, heís saying,
ìAll time is now fulfilled. Iím here.î Eternity had said, ìSomebodyís
coming.î Creation pointed to it. The whole creation groaned
and travailed. The prophet said, ìSomebodyís
coming.î And here this day and hour, the King of Glory walked
the planet and said, It's time. Here I am. I'm here. The King has come to earth. And then you have the fourth
time here. It's the time that Christ walked this earth. Oh,
what a time it was. In the space of thirty-three
and a third years, if all that was done Or all that was done
by him and said by him was written in a book? The scripture says
that all the libraries in all of the world couldn't hold the
things that were done by this one man in thirty-three years.
The time of Christ upon this earth. Paul said in Galatians
4, when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his
Son. made of a woman, laid under the
law to redeem them that were under the law. So when time Christ
came, and Paul said to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness,
at this time, the time that Christ came, I want to find somebody
Let's listen to me. To declare at this time, I say,
his righteousness, to declare who God really is. That's what
the whole book of Revelation is, to reveal the glory and the
majesty and the power and the honor and the holiness of God
Almighty, who Christ is. And when Christ walked this earth,
he didn't walk here to be an example. He didn't walk here
to show men how they ought to live. Oh, He did. That wasn't
Him. He came here to reveal the Father, to reveal God, the fullness
of time. To declare, I say, at this time,
His righteousness. So God sent His Son in disguise. God sent His Son, but He was
in disguise, you see. And men esteemed Him not. God
walked the earth. and men esteemed him not. He
walked in disguise, disguised as a man. And he was made under God's holy
law, and he came down here to establish holiness as a man,
to establish righteousness as a man, to establish a life that
God would accept for men. for some men. Then, the scripture
says, he gave himself a ransom for all of those people, all
of his sheep, to be testified in due time. To be shouted and proclaimed
from the rooftop in due time, what he had done, who he is,
why he came, and what he did. And I want to read to you from
John chapter 7 now. John chapter 7. Turn over there.
John chapter 7. And over and over again, the Lord, while he was upon this
earth, gave a little glimpse of himself. He opened up the
veil a little bit. Over and over again he would
draw back the curtain a little bit and reveal who he was and
show his power. And over and over again, men
And women tried to kill him. They tried to kill him. But they
couldn't. And he kept saying, It's not
time. My time has not come yet. It's
not time. Read in John 7 with me, verse
6. Then Jesus said unto them, My
time is not yet come. Your time is always ready. The
world cannot hate you, but me it hated, because I testify of
it, that the works thereof are evil. Go up into the feast. I'm
not going up yet unto this feast. My time is not yet full come.
Y'all go on up ahead of me," he said to his disciples. And
when he had said these words unto them, he abode still at
Galilee. Now, when his brethren were gone
up, then went he also up unto the feast, but not openly. He
hid himself, just as he did while he was on this earth. This day
he hid himself, as it were, in secret, he went up. Verse 11,
Then the Jews, they were all taught, a great multitude of
people, were met at this religious gathering. And they sought him,
this great teacher to peace, and said, Where is he? You'll see him soon enough. It's
just not time. Where is he? I want to have a
talk with him. Just wait. He'll be, reveal himself
here. Now, about the midst of the feast,
after all these preachers and this and that and the other men
got through talking about the midst of the feast, Jesus went
up into the temple. You remember the story of Solomon
walking into his temple? What must his gate, what must
his walk have been like? What a majestic walk. Walking
in, that was his temple. That whole temple was a picture
of him. And he went up into the temple and taught, sat down and
taught in the midst of that temple. Now, verse 25. And while he was
teaching, some of them were in the background, some of them
said, now isn't this he? Isn't that him? Aren't they trying
to kill him? Isn't this the one they're trying
to kill? Well, lo, he speaks boldly. He's teaching in the
temple. Somebody go tell the Pharisee.
Somebody go tell the Roman. Here he is, he's in the temple,
he's speaking boldly, and they don't say anything? Don't the
rulers indeed know that this is the very Christ? Do they know
that? Verse 28, And then cried Jesus
in the temple, as he taught, saying, You know me, Jesus, you
know which I am, Nazareth, but I am not come of myself. He that sent me is true, whom
you know not, but I know him, and I am from him. And he hath
sent me," now look at these verses, "...then they sought to take
him. But no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not
yet come." Over and over again, they tried
to kill him. But one time, they grabbed ahold of him and said,
You got him? Yeah, I got him. You got him? Let's take him. I thought you had him. Over and
over again this happened. It wasn't time. It wasn't his
time. And over and over again he said,
no man takes my life from me. You can't kill God. And finally, in the garden, one
last display of his glorious power and his might to prove
his invincibility, his immortality, like our The text says, who only
hath immortality. You can't kill God. One last
display of that stand. The soldiers and the chief priests
and rulers and all that came to get him one time. And he stood
up in front of his disciples, their blessed captain. They stood
up in front of him and said, who are you looking for? I don't know how he had disguised
himself or whatever, but they said, well, Jesus of Nazareth.
He said, I am. And one last display. They fell
back to the ground. No man takes my life from me,
but when the time comes, when the time comes, when it was time,
finally, our Lord said over in another passage in Luke, he said,
this is your hour. You remember that? When he said,
this is your hour, the power of darkness, and God Almighty
from heaven, as it were, said to his son, he said, let him
take you. Finally, when the time came,
God Almighty said, Let them have you. Let them do with you as
they will. So they took the Lord of glory
and they crucified him with wicked hands, but only when the time
was fulfilled, when his hour was come. They did what God had
determined before to be done, and in due time, In due time, Christ died for
the ungodly, the scripture says. And he hung on that tree, and
he shed his precious blood, and before he gave up the ghost,
he said, what did he say? It's finished. The moment that
time had been waiting for. The redemption of the sons of
God. In due time, he died. When the
fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son to be made
of a woman, to be made under the law, to redeem them that
were under the law in all time and eternity and history and
every event and everything that took place in the history of
man. And in the mind and the purpose of God Almighty pointed
to this one event, this central figure hanging upon this cross. And He said those three amazing
words. It's over. Sins were punished, God's people
go free, and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. And it
says three days later he arose from the grave, went back to
heaven, and sat down on a throne. Now do you know what time it
is? Huh? You remember when Noah made the
ark? What happened after he got the ark made? You remember? As
soon as the ark was prepared, what happened? You Sunday school
teachers, what happened after Noah made the ark? The ark was
complete. What happened? Noah went in. Right. But then what happened?
God waited seven days, didn't he? Huh? Seven days? Before he
closed the door? Seven days. is like the seven days before
the door of the ark is shut. Right? It's a day of salvation.
Today. Paul said over and over again,
today. While it's called today, harden not your heart, as in
the provocation, when our fathers did tempt him in the wilderness.
Today. This is a time of salvation. This is the day. This is the
hour of salvation. This is the time of calling.
What I'm doing right now is calling God's sheep. I'm on a trail of
God's sheep. Do you know what time it is? It's Christ's time. And right
now, at this particular hour and moment, it's the day of salvation. There's no promise of tomorrow.
It's right now, the day of salvation. It's time of calling, calling
his sheep out. I'm trying to call his sheep
out through his word, through his Holy Spirit. It's a time
of gospel preaching. It's coming a time when there
are no more gospel preachers, no more churches like this. No
more opportunities to hear this gospel. It's the time of the
Holy Spirit. You remember when Christ said,
I'll send my comforter? And he'll say like in Isaiah
40, Comfort ye my people. Go down there and spread the
blessed good news. It's the time of the gospel. The Holy Spirit. The gospel is running well under
the power and the direction of the Holy Spirit. Sheep are being
called out. Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost
saith, Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts."
It's a day of deliverance. It's a day when God Almighty
calls, and men answer. A day when God Almighty is calling. That's what I'm doing, through
a man. And the reason people can't bear to sit and listen
to this very long, or won't do it, is because it is a man. But
the fact of the matter is, God does call through men. He's still
disguising his voice. But it's the word of God, nonetheless.
And he said in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, listen to this. He
says, I've heard you. It's a time when God calls and
when men answer. Has God called you? Or have you
answered? Whosoever shall call upon the...
That's the answer of the child of God. That's the answer of
a good conscience toward God. Witnessing a good confession,
following him in baptism and faith and worship, that's the
answer of a good conscience toward God. It's the answer of the heart
to the call of God, to the call of the gospel. And God calls
and says, Sinner, you need Christ. And the sinner says, Christ,
I need you. And he says here in 2 Corinthians
6, he says, I've heard you in a time accepted. This is the
acceptable time. It's the time, Joe, when God's
receiving sinners. God's accepting worms. God's admitting worms into the
ark. Don't you know that when Noah got all those elephants
and rhinos and hippopotamuses and zebras and thoroughbreds
and all those glorious creatures in the ark, somebody said, well,
shut the door. No, no way. There's a couple
of worms. There'll be a while yet. I see
them on down the road, worms. Worms? We don't need worms. Who needs worms? Just hold on. God has a people out of every
species. God has worms, and God's still
letting worms in the And God says, I've heard you
in a time accepted. This is a time when God's accepting
such as we are, sinners. In the day of salvation, our
sucker day. Come on now. Weren't? Don't you
know Noah and all of them said, come on boys, you can make it.
Come on. Might have got behind them. Our sucker day. Behold, now is
the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. That's a good message, preacher.
I'll see you next Sunday. No, you may not. Paul said perilous times, perilous
times. Paul said it in the last times.
It's the last time, brethren. Paul said time short. He said
redeem the time. Make good use of it. Time is
short. Paul said, knowing the time, he said, it's high time
that we wake out of sleep. Didn't it? Knowing the time,
he said, it's high time. Did your daddy ever say that
to you, John? Some of you men? No, it's high time you listened
up here. Didn't he? Did he ever say that to you,
Joe? Oh, it's about time. I tell you what, it's high time,
son, that you straighten up and walk right. And that's exactly
what God said in that very passage of the scripture. Knowing the
time, it's high time. that we grow up and become as
men, put away childish things, begin to fought. He's right around
the corner. He's even at the door, the scripture says. It's
just about midnight. You know that? You know what
time it is? It's just about midnight. And the bell ain't going to toll.
The trumpet is. And wake everybody out of their
spiritual sleep. It's high noon. Anybody ever see those old westerns?
High noon. Huh? Was it Gary Cooper in that
movie? High Noon? You know what happens
at High Noon, don't you? Bullets are going to fly. It's
judgment time. Judgment time. It's High Noon. You know that? It's about High
Noon, when the Son of God is about to shine in His highest.
You know what High Noon is? That's when the sun rises to
its peak, isn't it? Especially in the summertime. High noon.
It's when the sun shines at its brightest and at its hottest.
It'll burn you to a crisp if you get out in the sun at high
noon very long. It's about high noon. The sun is about to rise. In judgment. In heat. That's
what it says in our text here. Look back at the text. Go back
to 1 Timothy 6. So it's the time of salvation. Not tomorrow. Not
tonight. Today. Time of salvation. And sixthly, it's the time of
Christ's return. Look at verse 12 through 15 with
me. The time of 1 Timothy 6. It's the time of Christ's return.
Verse 12. Fight the good fight of faith,
he said. Lay hold. It's a fight just to stay awake
in churches, to listen to this. He says, Lay hold on eternal
life, whereunto thou art called. You're called. You've got the
most blessed sitting here in this pew this morning is the
most blessed and glorious privilege known to man. You know that?
There's people down in Mexico right now that get in the back
of a steak bed truck and ride for five hours to come hear one
gospel message and sit in 100 degree heat with mosquitoes and
flies swarming their faces. I know, I got bit by them. And
we sit here in the fineries. And some of us, most of us, don't
have to drive more than five or ten minutes. Fight the good fight of faith.
Lay hold on eternal life. Whereunto thou art called, and
hast professed a good profession before many witnesses, I give
you charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and
before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good
confession. Don't you know he got tired?
He didn't sleep for four days before the crucifixion. You know
that? Christ didn't go to sleepstand
for four days. And he stood before Pilate. And finally, Pilate said, Behold
the man! What a man! What a man! And he tells us the
same thing. Witness the good profession, keep this commandment
without spot, unrebukable unto the period of our life." Wait!
Didn't our Lord say over and over again, watch, watch! When
the Lord comes, will he find faith on the earth? Watch! Wait! He's right at the door. Verse
15, because it says, "...in his times, when due time is come."
Now, you remember back everything I've been saying? Today is the day of suffering,
but there's coming a time. When time is no more. When God says to the Son, it's
time. Do you know that? He's sitting down on the throne
right now. And it's coming a time when God Almighty turns to His
beloved, blessed, glorious Son, that King sitting on the throne,
and says, it's time. See, He's seated right now. He's going to get up. He's going
to get up, and his train is going to fill the temple. He's going
to split heaven wide open, and the whole earth, even north and
south poles, are going to see him at the same time as he is. And he's going to say, And he's going to be put on permanent
display in his times. God's going to show who? Who? The blessed and only potentate. He's not going to be in disguise.
He's going to reveal his full splendor. He's not going to be
in the face of a man. He's going to be the face of
God. He's not going to be without beauty that none should desire
him. He's going to be the altogether
lovely one. He's not going to be a baby in arms. He's going
to be a king on a throne. He's not going to be riding a
donkey anymore. He's going to be riding a white horse, Scripture
says. The trumpet's going to sound.
The king's here. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, the
saints say. Amen! Amen! Come! Now, I want
to see this, don't you? It'll be the end of time, as
we know it. In his times, he's going to show.
What a show that's going to be! The potentate. Huh? He ain't
going to need a fish hat, is he? Who is the blessed and only—the
only master, teacher, rabbi, father, doctor, reverend, pope,
most high, head over the heaven and earth? The only one. And
all these petty popes and priests, they're going to jerk those hats
off just as quick as they can, aren't they? Soon as they see
him, woof, woof, woof, aren't they? Preachers are going to
turn their collars around so fast they can't help it when
they see him. The only potentates, these usurpers
of thrones, kings, presidents, are going to just rip their clothes
off and say, I'm a usurper, I'm a pretender. Dash their robes and collars
at his feet, they're going to melt at his presence. cry, it's
going to be a prayer meeting. The rocks and the hills fall
on us. I've been lifted up with pride. Now look who I have to
face. Kill me now and put me out of
it. And God's going to show them who's the only pope to take me.
Think of the audacity of a man to use that term, pope. Or for
that matter, rabbi. Or for that matter, reverend.
Huh? They're going to wish they never
had the title. When God shows in his times, the time of Christ's
return, and who is the king of kings, the king of kings, all
pretended rulers and monarchs and princes and presidents, all
in their regalia, they're going to see who really reigns and
rules. And the armies of heaven among the inhabitants of earth,
and they're going to see like on You remember Nebuchadnezzar when
he got all lifted up in his pride and his pompous attitude? He
said, I did all this for myself, didn't he? And God reduced him
to a bird, to a beast of a field. And finally he said, I now know
who reigns. Now I know. He said, I thought
I was in charge. And that will be the same with
every man and woman and boy and girl who thought they were in
control of their lives or destiny. They're going to see who reigns.
They're going to see who reigned all along in his time, from eternity
past to eternity future. Who's really reigning? Who's
running the show? Who's boss? They're going to
see. Who's king? That the Most High ruleth in
the kingdom of men, and he sovereignly giveth it to whosoever he will,
and the Lord of lords. The Lord of lords. They're all
going to see the one God, the one God-made Lord. Not some Jesus
that men say you've got to make him Lord, and whenever you get
good and ready, the one God-made Lord, they're going to see him.
And they're not going to see some Jesus men have to vote on,
decide to let him in their hearts. They're going to see the Lord
of life. They're going to see, they're going to hear keys jangling,
aren't they? Won't you let Jesus into your heart? Look at Stan,
he's got the key to every door, doesn't he? Huh? Isn't that what
the Scripture says? They're not going to see some
pitiful, helpless victim. They're going to see
the righteous judge before whom all must stand. And not the one
man asked, What are you going to do with Jesus? What will you
do with Jesus? Every eye is going to behold
the one, and they're going to ask this one question. What's
he going to do with me? King of Kings. Lord of Lords. Look at verse 16. Who only hath
immortality. Eternal life, to give or withhold.
And no man takes his life from him, he lays it down of himself.
And even then, he couldn't kill him. Even a grave couldn't hold
him. He dwells in the light which
no man can approach unto. He's a god who's a consuming
fire. in whose presence no man can stand, much less speak to
him. I hear all these mongrels and imbeciles and peanut head,
peanut brain people saying, I told Jesus that no man can stand in
his presence, no man has seen him, the scripture said, no man
can see in this flesh. You've got to be made perfect.
And he sums it all up by saying, to whom be honor and power everlasting. And he just adds to it. What
more is there to say? Amen. Amen. What time is it? Now do you know
what time it is? It's his time. It always has
been. It always has been. It's his
time. He made time for his sake, for
his glory, his honor. From the very beginning, when
there was no time, to the very end, when there'll be no time,
it's the time of Christ. Everything in between points
to him. It's his time. And it's high
time we got to know him and bow before him. This only Pope can
take. King of kings and Lord of lords. And bow at his feet. Someday every knee will bow and
every tongue confess he's Lord. All right, Brother Joe, come
on up and we'll sing that hymn that I had selected there. What number is it? Forty-two. All hail the power of Jesus'
name. Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth that royal diadem
and crown him. Let's stand and sing this together.