Book of Revelation chapter 22,
and I'd like to spend a little time on verse 16 tonight. We looked a little bit at that
last Wednesday evening, and I just never got to the I am the root
and the offspring of David and the bright and morning star like
I wanted to. So we'll spend a little time
tonight on that. There are some things about this book and all
books of the Bible that I'm reminded of. And the verse that I would
like us to go, keep your finger right here or marker, because
we're going to be back here, but just back up two or three
chapters to Revelation 19. Revelation 19 and verse 10. In this passage of scripture,
we find that the Lord gave this message to John, John the He
was exiled to the Isle of Patmos while he was there, and I can't
help but think that he was just a little bit down being exiled
there alone, just maybe had a couple people with him. He'd been preaching
the gospel, and he was put on this island for preaching the
gospel, and then the Lord came to him one Lord's Day. He's in the Spirit on the Lord's
Day, meditating on the Word of God. And the Lord came to him
and gave him this letter. And what just an outstanding
blessing he received in being given this letter. But here in
chapter 19 and verse 10, he is given this to write down. I have
to remind myself and I want to remind us that John did not write
this letter. He was the secretary that took
the words down. The Holy Spirit gave him the
word. I'm thankful and John would be
thankful too. He did not get to put his ideas
into this book. He was only the secretary. He
was the reporter and he only reported what was given to him.
But notice here in verse 10 of chapter 19, and I fell at his
feet to worship him. Now, there's quite a section
here that goes with this, but he was going to worship, as it
turns out, and he said unto me, see thou do it not. And in the
original language, that is real stern. Don't do this. Don't bow
down to me, because he's a man. And men have never, those who
know grace, those who know God, have never asked anybody to ever
bow to them. They have never asked anybody
to worship them. That is foolishness. And he goes,
I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony
of Jesus. Worship God. That's who are to
worship. Though we may have very dear
respect for people, that those who brought us the gospel, or
those who preach the gospel, we may have a lot of respect,
but they're not, and they would not accept it if they're gospel
preachers. They'll not accept worship. They
don't want that. We're just saved out of the same
pews everybody else is saved out of. And then he goes on to
say, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Now
prophecy, one person said, is designed to uphold the loveliness
of Jesus. All the Old Testament prophets,
their whole intent was to uphold the loveliness of Jesus. Someone
else says the true person of prophecy is to bear witness of
the person and work of Jesus. Every prophet in the Old Testament,
that was their ministry. Now, whether they realized it
or not, that was the intent of the Holy Spirit, that as they
prophesied, their prophecy was concerning the coming of the
Lord Jesus, all of his glory, his attributes, his ministry,
his redemption, his sacrifice, all of those things the prophets
and all spoke of. In fact, Keeping that in mind,
turning with me back to the book of John, John chapter 5, and
we find here the Lord spoke of the word that they held in their
hands at that time. And once again, I just have to
remind myself, they did not have Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts,
1st and 2nd Corinthians, and the rest of the New Testament.
They only had the Old Testament. They only had Genesis to Malachi.
And when they preached the gospel, they preached the gospel out
of the Old Testament. So the Lord Jesus, in John chapter
five, shares a great deal about the subject of the Old Testament
when he speaks to a group of Pharisees. Now, people sometimes
have a very high regard for this book, just the pages of the book,
and a low regard for the Lord of the book. No, so we, we may,
I handed my Bible to a preacher the other day and he says, man,
that's a limp Bible. And I said, what do you mean?
He says, it's been used. It just, it folds open, you know, God
doesn't, I've got a ragged Bible. Someday I'll get a new one. I've
known of you. You had to put your old one up.
You hate to because you know where everything is on the page,
but you wear it out. You get another one. It's God's
not. after us if we wear out the Bible,
but he is going to be after us if we have no respect for the
author. the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit. He is interested in us being
in the book, but not disrespecting the author. All right, now, there
was a whole group of religious people in the days of the Lord
Jesus that had very little respect for the author of the Bible,
but boy, did they cling to the law. Whoa, and they made sure
everybody knew it. That's the thing. Now, the Bible
tells us if you're gonna fast, I'm not gonna know about it.
Bible says, if you're going to give, I'm not going to know about
it. Bible says, if you're going to pray, I'm not going to know
about it. That's between you and the Lord. That's why real
prayer is in a closet. And the Bible says, don't let
your right hand know what your left hand is doing when it comes
to giving. It's not to be show. That's not it. And here, John
chapter five, verse 39, we read these words. Jesus told these
people, search the scriptures. old testament scriptures now
it's true of the new testament now that we have it but search
the scriptures go through the scriptures read the scriptures
be in the scriptures for in them these pharisees says ye think
you have eternal life by just Well, I believe Exodus chapter
20 to the very flesh and bone. He says, you think you have eternal
life just because you've searched, but look at this, and they are
they which testify of me. He's the spirit of prophecy.
All of the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah 53, can you paint a better
mind image of the redeemer of his people than Isaiah 53? Who hath believed our report
and to whom of the arm of the Lord has it been revealed? And
goes down through his crucifixion and shares with us all of the
agony that it went through. What a prophecy. of the beauty
of the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus. And Isaiah spent much of his
time doing that, sharing with us the problems that come from
natural man and by natural man. And then here is that wonderful
oasis of grace, the Lord Jesus demonstrating through, and the
prophet shared with us many years before it came. So they are they
which testify of me. Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. We're in a great book of prophecy.
The book of Revelation, it's telling forth the glory of God.
And he also shared with those Pharisees, when you read the
Old Testament, they are they which testify of me. Now, another
verse here with regard to this, John 15. What's the ministry
of the Holy Spirit today? The ministry of the Holy Spirit
is to do one thing first, and everything else falls under this.
John chapter 15 and verse 26, the Lord Jesus shares this, but
when the comforter has come, when the comforter has come,
whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the spirit of
truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify
of me. That's the number one blessing
of the Holy Spirit. Now, the rest of that falls under
that. He says the Holy Spirit will convince the world of sin,
of righteousness, of judgment. That's the ministry of the Holy
Spirit. Please don't get involved in those areas because they're
not our areas. The Holy Spirit will convict
or convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.
But above that all, The backdrop to everything about the Holy
Spirit is he will testify of me. Now, when the Holy Spirit
testifies of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit is also being
glorified and the Father is being glorified. We don't go around
having special things for the Father and the Holy Spirit because
when the Son is placed in the proper place in our life, The
Father and the Holy Spirit will also be praised. They get their
praise through the Son. and only through the Son. If
we negate our praise of the Son, we're not praising the Father,
we cannot. And we're not glorifying the
Holy Spirit, because we cannot. If we leave out the Son, we will
not be able to praise the Father and be able to praise the Holy
Spirit. All praise is given to the Son, and His glory spreads
it out. All right, now, the book of Revelation
is filled with words of glory and praise and honor of those
beautiful, as that one said, to uphold the beauties of Jesus. We've seen the beauties of Jesus
as we've gone through the book of Revelation. time and time
again, the very aspects of him in his great work of redemption
and his ministry to redeem his people and bring them spotless
to his throne. He tells us that over and over
in this book. Now, as we come to the conclusion
of that, here in Revelation chapter 22 and verse 16, he shares with
us some things. I, Jesus, have sent my angel
to testify unto you these things in the churches. I have a testimony,
I have a messenger and it's going to be taking these letters back
to those seven churches of Asia and by the grace of God to us. Now there were some letters that
Paul wrote that were letters to churches that were not put
in the canon because they were not inspired. If they'd been
inspired, they would be here. If they're not inspired, they
won't be here. This is the inspired word of God, and that word inspiration
means God breathed. It's as you dictating words. God, the Holy Spirit, dictated,
past the words, if you please, over his vocal cords, to John
here to give. Now, anything that was not given
by the Holy Spirit, inspired by the Spirit, was not placed
in this canon. Everything that was, was placed
in this canon, and we have it as it is. All right, Jesus identifies
himself as he speaks, and we find in this passage of scripture
that this verb testify, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify
unto you. There are three other places
in this last chapter, excuse me, three places total in this
last chapter that this word testify is used, and it means to give
the record, to report on what's been given. That's what John
was to do, report on what's been given, to testify. Now, in verse
16 of this chapter, as we find it here, and then it tells us
in verse 18 of the same chapter, for I testify unto you, every
man that heareth the words of this prophecy, the Lord Jesus,
he puts on record. The Lord Jesus, John puts on
record, Holy Spirit puts on record, I testify. And then in verse
20 says, he which testifies these things says, surely I come quickly. The Lord Jesus puts on record,
is here for us. We can go back into the, I like
the term the old newspapers had for where all the old newspapers
were, into the morgue. Sometimes I've had the privilege
of going into the morgue of the newspaper. That's where all the
old editions are buried. And if you want to find something
out that happened 50 years ago or 100 years ago and was reported,
well, this was written 2,000 years ago. And we get to go,
by the grace of God, back here, read this, and find out what
God sent to those seven churches of Asia and to us. Now, I find
very little in this book that points to a specific event in
2011 I find a great deal in this book
that points to events that took place 2,000 years ago that were
going to be a comfort to these seven churches and to us today. I don't find Mussolini in this
book or Hitler. I don't find bombs. I don't find
that stuff. That stuff is not here because
this is the prophecy of the Lord Jesus. It's sharing with us the
beauties of the Lord Jesus Christ. And every time we find an opposition,
we find the master, the Lord Jesus, comes in and takes care
of it completely. Nothing is left. He takes care
of it. He is the lion of the tribe of
Judah and he hath prevailed over those seven seals. He hath prevailed. He has the power to prevail over
all things. All right, as we look here, we
also find in that verse of scripture in Revelation chapter 22 and
verse 16, Jesus says, I am. Now we run into this a number
of times in the writings of John. John was used by the Holy Spirit
to write a number of I am's about the Lord Jesus. I am the door,
I am the way, the truth and the life. I am the bread, I am the
good shepherd, the good shepherd giving his life for the sheep.
And when those soldiers came to take the Lord Jesus on that
day appointed before the world began, was appointed that this
would happen on that day, I really have I have an issue with my
old books that teach that Jesus didn't know what he was doing
and he was caught off guard. He purposed what he was doing,
predestined what he was doing when he was on this earth. And
he did not take one step without it being purposed before the
world began. He is like the director of a
play. He had it all worked out ahead
of time. And we watch him, everything
was a purpose. Everything was a purpose. Now,
when those soldiers came that night to take him, they said,
Jesus said, whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
And if you look there, it says, I am. And he has been put in
there. I am. And it tells us the next
thing that happened, all those soldiers were laying in the dust
by his very word, the word of creation, the word of power. By the word of power, he put
them down. So they didn't take him. He let
them take him. I lay down my life that I might
take it up. No man taketh it from me, is
what he said about himself. So here I am. Now, here in the
book of Revelation, there are a number of I am's. Chapter 1,
verse 8. Would you look there with me?
Chapter 1 of the book of Revelation, verse 8. Here we have an outstanding
statement about the eternality of the Lord Jesus and the beginner
and the ender of all things. It also shares with us some information
with regard to I. He is the author and finisher
of our faith. Here it says, I am. I am is the
self-existent one. No beginning, no end. No father,
no mother. No beginning of days, no end
of days. That's what we read about this one, the I am. He
spoke out of the burning bush to Moses. Tell him, I am that
I am have sent you. I'm the self-existing one. I'm
the one that has been from eternity and will be for eternity. Now,
it's words that I find difficult, but someday I'll understand it.
The eternity of God. But I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the ending. He is the first cause for all
things. All blessings of grace flow from
Him. He never has any grace outside
of Him. He has never had any blessings
outside of Him. all spiritual blessings begin
with him. He is the Alpha and he is the
Omega. He is the author and he is the
finisher of our faith. That's another way of saying,
I began your salvation and I will complete it. I was there in the
beginning and I drew it out as an architect would draw out redemption
and I will complete it. I will make sure the last nail
is in this house. I am the alpha and omega, the
beginning and the ending. Chapters one, verse 17, we read
these words. I am the first and the last.
One more time, he gives us, he shares with us, and when I saw
him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon
me, saying, ah, fear not, I am the first and the last. Now he's
not saying that there's something before me, I'm first in that
sense. I am the beginning of all things. Nothing that was
made was made without the Lord Jesus. He is the life of all
things. In Him we live and move and have
our being. We have no life without Him.
And He says, I am the first and I am the last. And then we have
there in verse 18, I am he that liveth, but am is supplied, I
am he that liveth and was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore,
amen. And have the keys of hell and
death. Chapter two, verse 23, would
you look there with me? Chapter two, verse 23, I am. I am he which searches the rains
and hearts. Let's start at the beginning.
I will kill her children with death and all the churches shall
know that I am he which searches the reins and hearts and I'll
give unto every one of you according to your works. I am he that searches. As we read Sunday, if I make
my bed in hell, if I'm a sin to the heavens, that you are
there. You know my down city. You know
my uprising. You know everything about me.
And here it is with regard to everything that has taken place.
Nothing catches God off guard. You know, that's truly God. No
surprises. He knows all things from the
beginning to the end. He has purposed all things from
the beginning to the end. And we are here, and we see things,
and we say, you know, why did that happen? Because he purposed
all things from the beginning to the end. He moves places. We have no concept of what he's
moving for, but he will get every one of his sheep out of every
place, and he will get them to hear the word of God, or he will
take someone there. I was in the doctor's office
this afternoon, Dennis' office, and he happened to have a copy
of the National Geographic Atlas. Well, I found Papua New Guinea.
I thought they only had 500 indigenous language. According to this book,
they had 750 indigenous language in Papua New Guinea, which is
about the size of the state of Oregon. Can you imagine dividing
Oregon into 750 little counties and nobody can understand the
language on the other side of the county line? That's what
our brother down there has to deal with. Brother Lance Heller. 750 languages in a canon. Why? I separated the people according
to my purpose is what we find in the Book of Acts. Everybody
is where I put them. 750 languages on one little piece
of property. And we have, in America, all
of this property. And, you know, we may not be
able to understand someone from Maine, but just write it down.
We can read the same alphabet. That's one benefit. Texas, go
to Louisiana. They still use the same alphabet.
All right. Now, let's look here in verse
22 and verse 16. 22 and verse 16. We just read this
we want to read 20, excuse me 21 and verse 6 I want to do that
first 21 and verse 6 as we think of the I am's of the Lord. He
said here and he said unto me it is done I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is
a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. You know,
that's his privilege, since he is the Alpha and Omega. He can
give of the water of life freely. He can bring every one of his
lost sheep up to this pool of living water, and they will be
made to drink, and they will drink of the life-giving stream. He is Alpha and Omega. These
sheep belong to me and I will find them all. He gave the illustration
of a lost sheep out on the mountain. How did he know where to go?
It was his sheep and he knew ahead of time where they'd be.
And he found them and brought them in. And there was great
rejoicing over one lost sheep that was found. All right, now,
I am the root, going back to Revelation 22 and verse 16, I
am the root and the offspring of David. I am the root and the
offspring of David, the bright and the morning star. The offspring
of David, the root and offspring of David, as to his deity, he's
David's creator. David's line came through God
Almighty. We can trace it back. There's
one line we can go way back on and we can come way down on.
Go to David, you can trace it down to Jesus. Go to David, you
can trace it back to Adam. This is a line that God protected. I am Alpha and Omega. I will
put my hedge around this line because this line is going to
bring the Redeemer into the world. I am the root of David. I am the beginner of David. I'm
the one that brought this line down. I created Adam. Adam had
a son, Seth. After that second son was killed
and the first son took off to the hinder parts, they had another
boy. I have, I'm the Alpha and Omega
of this line. I began it, I will end it. And
the ending will be the Son of God, born of a virgin in Bethlehem. This whole line is my line. I
brought it down through time. I protected it and watched over
it. I brought Rahab, the harlot, into this line. I brought others
into this line. And here's this line. I'm the
root of this line. I'm the beginning of this line.
I'm the alpha of this line. And this line is the line that
is going to bring the Redeemer of my people into the world.
I am, as a deity, David's creator, and as to his humanity, he is
David's descendant. Now this puts new light on a
passage of scripture in the book of Matthew. Would you turn there
with me? As we think about, I am the root and offspring of David. The Lord Jesus asked a question
one time. He often did this, and it tells
us here that those he asked the question of couldn't answer it.
All right? In the book of Matthew, chapter
22, The Lord Jesus asked a question, and it's a question that we ask
today, what think ye of Christ? What do you think of the Messiah?
He asked this question, Matthew chapter 22 and verse 42. It says
in verse 41, while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus
asked them. Pharisees are gathered together.
Now, I had a principal one time he called, Students that we're
not doing the right thing miscreants It's an English word. These are
miscreants They're only here for one purpose They're gonna
ask questions and let the Lord Jesus ask him and he's gonna
ask him questions and we're gonna see by nature You can't answer
him. All right, it says here while the Pharisees were gathered
together Jesus asked them saying what think ye of Christ? Whose
son is he? They say unto him the Son of
David and Now it's interesting here, Jesus didn't ask if he
is the Messiah. Who doesn't say, what think ye
of Christ? In the sense of, is there one?
No, there is one. What do you think about him?
This question is asked today. The Holy Spirit brings it to
our mind. What think ye of Christ? That's the question that needs
to be answered. What do you think of Christ? All right, it says
here, He saith unto them, How doth David in spirit call him
Lord Sain? Now you say he's the son of David.
Now these Pharisees could not understand this, but if you know
that he is the root and the offspring of David, there's no problem
here whatever. He is the beginner of David's
line, and he is also the son in David's line. That was the
purpose. He began the line, he is the
son in the line. David in spirit called him Lord
saying, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand
till I make thine enemies thy footstool. If David then called
him Lord, how is he his son? Now, if you are a Pharisee and
you don't know the Lord, whoa, that's one of those really tough
ones. We better go back to theology school. But if you know the Lord
and you know that the Messiah came born of a virgin, but he
is also the creator of heaven and earth, this isn't a problem.
This is just normal. This is God doing his business.
Yes, David could say, he is my Lord. And yes, David could say,
yes, he is my son. He created me. He created my
line. He created the heavens and the
earth. But by my line, he has promised that there would be
a son born, like no other son, born of a virgin, without sin,
and fulfill every prophecy in the Old Testament to its fullest.
He is the redeemer of his people. And David said, he is my son. Now the Lord Jesus is called
the son of David, but he is also called the root of David, the
beginning of David. Jesus Christ was before the world
began. Jesus Christ came in time. He
was the creator of heaven and earth. He was the one that spoke
the world into existence. He was the one that created Adam
in the Garden of Eden. He is the one that created Eve
out of Adam. He is the one that started the
line. He is the one that said, you know, Abel was a wonderful
guy and he was saved by the grace of God, but that's not the line. Seth's my line, took that line
on down. You can just trace it right down
through Noah, right down through one of Noah's children, down
through time. Comes along, here's Jesse, here's
David, here's Solomon. down through time. You can trace
it some more in the book of Matthew and the book of Luke, and it
goes back to David, back to Adam, back to David in one of them.
Here he is, the Son of God has come, born of a virgin, born
without man. And it goes on to tell us in
that verse of scripture, it says in Matthew 22 and verse 45, it
says this. If David then call him Lord,
how is he his son? And no man was able to answer
him a word. Neither durst any man from that
day forth ask him any more questions." You know, no man was able to
answer him a word. That's the truth. Without Christ,
there's just no understanding How could he? Oh, he can be the
creator. We've got the people on the other
side. He can be the creator, but he just can't be born of
a virgin. Or they say, well, he can't be the creator, but
he is man on earth. He was a good man. But if you
are given an inkling of grace, he is the God man. Great is the
mystery of godliness. God before the world was, came
in the flesh, dwelt among men, persecuted, downtrodden, and
yet went of a purpose to the cross and lay down his life,
a ransom for his church. He is not only the Lord of David,
but he is the Son of David. In Isaiah chapter 11 verse 1,
we get these words with regard to him being the root of David.
Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 1, I am the root and the offspring
of David, the bright and the morning star. I am the root. I am the very beginning. I'm
the essence of it. The right, the offspring of David. Here in the book of Isaiah chapter
11 verse 1, and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of
Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. That's a long
time after David's been gone, but Jesse is David's father. And there's going to be a root,
a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of
his roots. What was the purpose of the prophets? The prophecy. Jesus Christ is the spirit of
prophecy. The prophets, they wrote to uphold
the loveliness of Christ. The words of God fulfilled in
his son, the Lord Jesus. Oh, way down the line, someone's
coming along. I like what that one man said
about The Bible, thumbnail sketch, Genesis to Malachi, someone's
coming. Someone's coming. Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John, someone's here. Acts to Revelation, someone's
coming back. Someone's coming back, the Lord
Jesus. All right, 11th chapter of Isaiah,
verse 10. And in that day, there shall
be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an instant of the people. To it shall the Gentiles seek,
and his rest shall be glorious. There shall be a root of Jesse,
the root of David, And it shall be an ensign to the people. This
is a flag. This root's gonna be a flag of
the people of God. This is where we assemble. This
is where we are. This is the flag of Almighty
God, the Lord Jesus. And then in 53rd chapter of the
book of Isaiah, verse two, we read this. Isaiah 53, wonderful
mental or mind picture of the great grace of God in giving
his son, Isaiah 53, verse 2, for he shall grow up before him
as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. He hath no
form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no
beauty that we shall desire him. It's interesting that to many
people, Jesus walked in among them. They couldn't recognize
him from anybody else. They were getting ready to stone
him one time and he just moved out through the crowd. They didn't
pick him up. Where'd he go? Where'd he go? He wasn't obvious. He didn't come with a big crown.
He didn't have fine raiment. He was just a regular guy in
appearance. In fact, there was nothing about
him that would attract natural man. In fact, it was so unattractable
that they just were willing at any time to have him killed.
There was no form, but he was a root out of dry ground. He
is the root out of David, is a root of David. He's a root
out of Jesse. These prophecies made throughout
the Old Testament with regard to the Lord Jesus. And then he
says, not only am I the root of David, but I am the bright
and the morning star. Now, I'm not much at staring
at the sky in the morning, but there usually is a planet that's
brighter than all the rest. just before the sun comes up.
And then the sun comes up. I'm the bright and the morning
star. I'm the brightness of the Godhead, in other words. Would
you turn with me back to the book of Numbers 24? Numbers 24. This is spoken of in the book
of Numbers chapter 24, that there'd be a star out of Jacob. Numbers
chapter 24. Numbers 24 and verse 17. The Lord Jesus is called a star. I'm the root and offspring of
David, the bright and the morning star. Numbers 24, verse 17. And I shall see him, but not
now. I shall behold him, but not nigh. There shall come a star out of
Jacob. And a scepter shall rise out
of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all
the children of Sheth." Now, this is a prophecy with regard
to the Lord Jesus. A star come out of Jacob. The
Son of God is the star out of Jacob, a bright star, a glorious
star. This is a star that represents
all the glory of God and the kingdom of God. And in Revelation,
going way back over there to the book of Revelation chapter
2, we find out that this star is promised to overcomers. Revelation
chapter two. This is why I just feel this
is being brought out towards the end. This is our star. This is the star of God. This is the star of the kingdom. This is the bright and morning
star. This is the beauty of the kingdom
of God, the gospel of the Lord Jesus and all that. But here
in the book of Revelation chapter two, We read here in verse 19,
Revelation chapter 2 and verse 19, and at the end of every note
made to the seven churches, there's something mentioned about those
who overcome. Now, don't think by activity
you're going to overcome. Many people have interpreted
it that way. That's not the meaning of this word overcome. We'll
share that in just a moment. But notice in Revelation chapter
2 verse 26, Revelation 2 verse 26, it says, and he that overcometh
and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power
over the nations. And he shall rule them with a
rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken
to shivers, even as I received of the Father. And I will give
him the morning star. Now who's overcomers? Are they
the busy people that are trying to keep the law? No, they're
not. That's exactly the opposite of
these. Would you turn with me to 1 John chapter 5? John was
once again, he was the secretary to write some wonderful words
about who are overcomers. Who's going to endure to the
end? Who's going to overcome? And seven times there in the
book of Revelation, chapters two and three, it says, he that
overcometh, he that overcometh. Well, here in John chapter five,
first John, excuse me, first John chapter five, verses four
and five, it tells us who are the overcomers. This is important. Who are the overcomers? Is activity
involved or is a birth involved? A birth is involved. That's the
ones that are going to serve the Lord anyway. A birth is involved. Verse 4, 1 John 5, for whatsoever
is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh
the world? But he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God. Now that's overcomers. That's
not activity directors. These are overcomers and they
overcome by the new birth. God gives them the grace to overcome. It is his activity in them. It
is not works related at all in Revelation chapter two and three
about overcomers. It is just simply making another
statement. This is the benefit of the new
birth. I will give you the morning star.
And we say, well, he's the Bright and Morning Star. Yes, that's
who I'm giving, the Bright and Morning Star. He promised Abraham in the Old
Testament Book of Genesis, I am your exceeding great reward. That's what he told Abraham.
Here, he says, I'll give you the star. I'll give you the Morning
Star. I'll give you the Bright and
Morning Star. I'll give you Christ in the new birth. And seven times,
he mentions things to the seven churches of Asia. He concludes
those little notes to them and says to overcomers, I will do
this. In this passage of scripture,
it shares with us that he, in Revelation there in chapter two
and verse 28, and I will give him the morning star. I'll give
him Christ. Every believer is given the same
portion of Christ. And you know how much that is?
All. He's not divided up. Every believer
gets every bit of Christ. I'll give to them the morning
star. This word star is found a number
of other places in scripture. I'm the bright and morning star,
but I found it very interesting. It's the same word that was used
by a bunch of wise men from the East. Where is he that was born king
of the Jews? For we have seen his star. They followed that star from,
some people say, from India. traveled from India. Now they
might have been on a camel, but you figure the distance from
India, you just figure the distance, half the distance to India on
a camel getting 20 or 30 miles a day, how long they had seen
that star in the east that brought them to Bethlehem to see the
Lord Jesus at his birth. We have seen his star. Jesus
said, I am the bright and the morning star. This was a symbol
to these that had been revealed. We follow this and we'll find
him. That's this about this star. You follow this, you'll see him.
Turn with me to the book of Matthew, if you would, chapter two, three
times in a few short verses, the same word is used, but it's
always used in this passage of scripture with regard to those
wise men. Now, some people say there were
three. They only say that because there were three different gifts
that were brought. It doesn't matter how many people came.
I hope the Lord brought 25, meant that there were 25 wise men in
the East, not just two or three. But anyway, however many, there
was only three gifts though, gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
But in Matthew chapter 20, excuse me, chapter 2, verse 2, it says,
Well verse 1 and when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in
the days of Herod the king Behold there came wise men from the
east to Jerusalem Saying where is he that is born king of the
Jews now? That's an interesting statement
coming from these that have traveled so far it had to be revealed
to them Now whether someone went over there and preached the gospel
to them. I don't know but they knew something and Those are
the people I want to hear. Somebody that knows something,
I want to hear them. They knew something. Where is
he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in
the east. I'm the bright and morning star.
I can lead my people by my star. And are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard
these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. When
he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes and people
together, he commanded them where Christ should be born. And they
sent him to him in Bethlehem of Judea." Boy, those guys that
knew the Old Testament, at least they could find that. That's
what was prophesied in the Old Testament. He would be born in
Bethlehem. We hear he's supposed to be born
in Bethlehem, for thus it is written in the prophet or by
the prophet. and thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not
the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall
come a governor that shall rule my people Israel." They saw there
the Messiah. was to be born in Bethlehem.
Then Herod, when he had privilege, called the wise men and inquired
of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent
them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search diligently for the
young child, and when you have found him, bring me word again
that I may come and worship him. When they had heard the king,
they departed and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went
before them till it came and stood over the young child where
the young child was. When they saw the star, they
rejoiced with exceeding great joy. They saw the star, they
saw the star, and they saw the star, and this is the same word
that is I am the bright and morning star. Boy, this star led them
to where the young child was, the King of Israel. Not Herod,
not through his line, but through divine line. I am the King of
Israel. They saw his star and the Lord
Jesus revealed to us in this passage of scripture, oh, I am
the root and the offspring. I'm the beginner of David's line,
and I come through David's line. I am his Lord, I am his son.
And the people say, I don't understand that, but I sure do believe it,
because that's how the Messiah got here. That's how my Redeemer
arrived, was through that line. It was promised. He couldn't
come through any other line, because God said that's the line
he's gonna come through. He is the root and the offspring
of David, and then he says, I'm the bright and I'm the morning
star. I am the star that leads my people
to me. I am the gospel that brings my
people to me. I am the leader of my people. I am the attractor of my people. I am, as, I can't imagine old
Moses going out through the wilderness one day just following a, or
leading a whole flock of sheep, and here is a piece of sagebrush.
Now it doesn't say it was sagebrush, but I spent a lot of time in
eastern Oregon where there's a lot of sagebrush, and here's a bush
on fire that is not consumed. And the Lord, or Moses said,
you know, I think I'll turn aside and see what this is. And he
went over there, and I Am spoke to him out of that bush. I'm gonna send you down to Egypt,
and I'm gonna use you to set my people free. Now take your
shoes off, you're on holy ground. I am the root, I'm the very beginning
of David's line, Adam. and the covenant of grace before
that, and I am the son that shall come through the Lord. Jesus
says, what think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? Oh, he's David's
son. Well, David said, he's my Lord. How can he be the son? Well, he is. David's line brought
the son into the world, the perfect, righteous, holy one. I am the
root and offspring of David, the bright and the morning star.
Now, one verse I want to read before we close, and that's found
in 2 Peter 2. 2 Peter 2, and this happens to
everyone that he regenerates. Happens in a spiritual way. You
don't see a star out there in the heavens like happened many
years ago, but the Lord does cause something to take place.
2 Peter. Chapter 2, 2 Peter 2, verse 19. It says here. Nine, okay, verse nine. No. Well, it says here somewhere
that he's the day dawn, the light that rises in our hearts. Maybe
that's 1 Peter 2, verse 19. Nope. Well, we may have to have D next
time. Bring a verse. I thought I had
the correct one here. 2 Peter 2, verse 19. Nope. We'll have to look it up. I apologize. Talks about a day star dawn rising
in our hearts. 119, okay. Second Peter 119. We have also a more sure word
of prophecy, where unto ye do well that ye take heed as unto
a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and
the day star arise in your hearts. Now, a literal translation, until
the day dawns and the light bearing one rises in your heart. The
day star, arise in your heart. Just another word for the new
birth. Day star, rising in your heart. We're in darkness, got
light. All right, we'll stop there.
Lord willing, next Wednesday, we'll pick up here with verse
17 and look at that. The spirit and the bride say
come, and let him that hear us say come, and let him that has
a thirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water
of life freely.