Join me tonight, if you would,
in the book of Revelation, Revelation chapter 15. And I think if I'm
correct, Brother Duane, is there about a hundred of these lessons
now? About a hundred lessons that
we've had in the book of Revelation. Brother Wayne Boyd has been putting
them on the internet and He's putting some of Brother Gene's
on the internet, and he put the ones that Lance preached while
he was here on the internet, and there's been downloads on
all of those around the world, downloads on all of those. And
there was someone came to his service the other day and said
that they'd found him in Central Point as a result of the internet. said he'd been living in the
area for five years, staying home, reading his Bible and watching
some videos because he couldn't find any place to go and he ran
into him and went to services. I'll be here next Sunday. So
Brother Wayne is just really encouraged over that use of the
internet. And you pray for him down there.
All right, Revelation chapter 15. Revelation 15. And I want to read these eight
verses and then spend a little time on the first couple of verses
here. that share with us as so much
of the Book of Revelation does. In fact, I think we could honestly
say this about all the Bible, that like this, like other chapters
in the Book of Revelation, they fortify the church's assurance
of victory. That's what we find here in the
Book of Revelation. They fortify the church's assurance
of victory. We're promised victory. It's
good to be assured of it. It's good to constantly be told
that. It's good to be constantly reminded
that we have victory in Christ. Every day, as we read through
the scriptures, we are constantly refreshed that we have victory
in Christ. And we, a weak and needy people,
certainly need that kind of encouragement on a daily basis. that Christ
is as effectual and as valuable and as important in our life
today as he ever will be, and that he constantly shares with
us the promise of his victory. Now, in this chapter, it begins,
and I saw another sign in heaven. great and marvelous, seven angels
having the seven last plagues, for in them is filled up the
wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of
glass mingled with fire. And them that had gotten the
victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark,
and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having
the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses,
the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, great and
marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are
thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord,
and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy, for all
nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments
are made manifest. And after that I looked, and
behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was
opened, and seven angels came out of the temple, having the
seven plagues, clothed in pure white linen, and having their
breasts girded with the golden girdles. And one of the four
living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials
full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever. And the temple was filled with
the smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no man
was able to enter into the temple till the seven plagues of the
seven angels were fulfilled. Let's look a little bit at the
first two verses of this chapter tonight. First of all, we notice
here that the statement is made, I saw another sign in heaven,
great and marvelous. That's a message that John was
used to record. I saw another sign in heaven,
great and marvelous. And the church is so overwhelmed
with the message of distinguishing grace. By that I mean that the
church is informed of their value constantly and a specialness
about the church. They are shared with this fact
of distinguishing grace. Now Judas, not Iscariot. There's a verse we want to read
in the book of John. Judas, and it's very clear, not Iscariot,
made a question. Ask a question. Turn with me,
if you would, over to the book of John, chapter 14. John, chapter
14. Here, a question is asked. This
is the kind of distinguishing grace that we find in the book
of Revelation, that we find in the book of John, that we find
in the book of Luke and Matthew, that the church has a particular
place in the love of God, has a particular place in the redemptive
work of God. In fact, all redemptive work
of God is toward the church and no one else. All of the ministry
of Christ is toward the church and no one else. It is distinguishing
grace. Grace and grace alone is given
to the church. Now in John chapter 14 in verse
22, Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot. That Judas couldn't
come up with this question. It wouldn't have gone through
his mind. But this Judas, being a disciple of the Lord Jesus,
asked this question. How is it that thou wilt manifest
thyself unto us? Now that's gonna take a long
time to answer. How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto
us and not unto the world? distinguishing grace. Judas recognized
that there was something special about the grace of God, something
special about the love of God, something special about the redemptive
work of God, something special. Though he had done nothing to
deserve it, and though he couldn't work for it, and though it was
not a reward, It was something that God, through his son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, would instruct a group of people about grace
and not instruct the world. Judas again says, Lord, how is
it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us and not unto the world? And as we go through the book
of Revelation, the church is going to keep this thing in mind,
this item in mind, this statement in mind. the revelation of Jesus
Christ. And that's gonna prevent me from
turning this into a free-for-all of end-time study. I am convinced that the last
two or three weeks, pulpits in this land have been filled with
earthquakes in diverse places. We've had quite a number in the
last month or so. starting with Haiti and Chile
and Chile and Pakistan and several other places. But how is it,
Lord, that you will show us your grace and not show the world? Now, that's distinguishing grace. And the people that understand
that realize they didn't do anything to deserve this revelation. They're
not working, they're trying to provide it by works. They're
not trying to provide it by good standing with God, their own
righteousness, keeping the law. They realize that this is given
to sinners and held back from the whole. Those who are not
sick, those who are righteous, this is held back, but sinners
get to see that Jesus Christ has distinguishing grace. It
is given to a people. So as we read here in the book
of Revelation chapter 15, I saw another sign in heaven, great
and marvelous. And there's gonna be a few that
see this benefit. They are gonna see what this
is and the rest will pass by, the rest will look at it as,
oh my goodness, I can't wait to get and tell God what I discovered
in his word today. Great and marvelous, seven angels
having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the
wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of
glass. Now when I read that, I'm reminded
of a great sea in the Old Testament. That sea of brass that was there
at the temple. It was not at the tabernacle
because it was too heavy to carry, but it was a huge brazen sea
And it sat on the back of 12 brazen oxen. And it was very
thick. In fact, when you read about
it, it says that there was so much brass in it that Solomon
quit measuring it. And when it was hauled off, It
says, the brass was so much that they didn't even count it. It
was immense brass. And it was huge. Turn with me,
if you would, over to First Chronicles chapter four. Let's just look
at a couple of verses there with regard to this great sea. Now, there's one thing about
the sea that is above everything else. It is a picture left for
us of being washed in the blood of the Lamb and not ever being
able to see your sin. It's washed away. It's taken
off. There's so many gallons of water in here. If you wash
your body in it, you will not even be able to tell that you
did. There's so much. Now, if you
do it in a cup, it's going to be a whole lot different than
doing it in this sea of water. This great sea of water is immense
and has many, many gallons of water. And it is for a purpose
to show the people that the fountain of blood of the Lord Jesus Christ
is absolutely sufficient to wash us from all our sin and never
to be seen again. The high priest goes over there
and washes his hand in this basin of water. My goodness, he didn't
even make a dent on it. You can't even see the dust that
he washed off. It's hidden from him. The water
has taken it. There's so much water, you can't
see what you washed off your hands. And that's the impression
that this great sea was to make unto the children of Israel.
It's so immense. And the fountain of the blood
of the lamb is so immense that it will take care of all the
sins of all his people and never to be brought up against those
people again. Second, excuse me, First Chronicles,
chapter four. First Chronicles in chapter four,
verse two. Chapter four and verse two of
First Chronicles. Second Chronicles, that makes
a big difference. Second Chronicles, chapter four
and verse two. 2 Chronicles chapter 4 verse 2,
and he made a molten sea of 10 cubits from brim to brim. That's
about 30 feet. Huge. Or 18 feet. From brim to brim, round and
compass, five cubits in height thereof, and a line of 30 cubits
did compass it round about. And it set on the similitude
of oxen. And it's just immense. The gallons of water that would
take to fill this is a lot. And the whole picture here is,
this is a picture of the sufficiency of the cleansing power of the
blood. This is so immense that it will
take care of all sin, all dirt. Now, turn with me just a little
further to the book of Zechariah, Zechariah chapter 13. Zechariah chapter 13, and we
read about this fountain. One of the old hymn writers wrote
a hymn about this. There is a fountain filled with
blood, Zechariah chapter 13. We read about this, as it's mentioned
here in the Old Testament, a fountain. And this fountain is so immense,
like that sea in relationship. Now this fountain is spiritual.
Those people could go out and see that brazen sea. But everyone
that walked up to it, I can't help but think this, man, this
is big. This is big. This is bigger than any wash
pot we have ever been around. This is bigger than any basin
we've seen. And it was intended to be that
way. I used to take kids down to the
courthouse. And I'd say, look at the doors of this place. And
look at the ceilings of this place. This is huge. It is to impress on you something. That this is a big place in the
sense of there's where law is given. The respect for it. Well, they come down to see that
brazen sea. This is immense. This is huge. And here, that little guy there
washing his hands in that basin, well, my goodness, you could
drink after it. It is so huge that it would take care of that.
Now, notice here in Zechariah chapter 13, Zechariah chapter
13 and verse 1, it says, In that day there shall be a fountain
open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
for sin and for uncleanness. fountain open. Now this is a
spiritual statement about the fulfillment and completion and
the wholeness of this fountain that God washes us in the blood
of Christ. It is so huge that it takes care
of all our sin. Where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound. There's no leftovers. There's nothing that's not covered.
There's no Achilles' heel. He plunges his people completely
and totally here to wash us from our sin in the blood of Christ.
Spiritually speaking, he does that. He did it by paying for
all our sin on the cross. And this statement is just brought
up. Now over here in the book of Revelation, we have a group
of people standing out on this great sea of glass mingled with
fire. Now that's an important thing. Let's go back over there. These
people are standing on this. They're standing on this great
sea of glass mingled with fire. In Revelation chapter 15, I saw,
as it were, a great sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that
had gotten... Now notice who's getting to stand
on this great sea. We're not talking about water,
and we're not talking about a mirror. We're talking about a picture.
We're talking about what people in the church stand on, what
they depend on, what they rely on, what is necessary for them
to go from one day to the next day. They're standing on the
complete and total righteousness of Christ. That's what they're
standing on. And it is so complete that it
takes care of all our needs. Says there, who's standing there?
Them that have gotten the victory over the beast, and over his
image, and over his mark, and over his number of his name,
they stand on the sea of glass. Now what does that mean, all
those things, that list of things? Well, it just means complete
victory. There's nothing left to be victorious
over. There's nothing left that we
have to get involved with. It is all so completely and totally
victorious. We stand, and it is imperative
that we do this, we stand on the blood and righteousness of
Christ. It is our mirror. It is a mingle
of fire. Judgment was poured out there
and we're standing right there where judgment fell. We're standing
in the blood and righteousness of Christ. And in that we have
every victory. We have victory over the beast.
All that religion we have ever had. We have victory over it.
And we have victory, it says, over his image and over his mark. This is total victory that God
gives his people, and it's symbolized here in heaven by standing on
this great seat. This, as in the Old Testament,
a great seat, they didn't stand on it, they walked up to it and
it says, immense, huge, large, grandiose, and it takes care
of the dirt of the priest's hands. That fountain that Zachariah
wrote about, immense and huge. We just finished in verse 20
of the previous chapter how much sin there is. And the next thing
we come to is a place where it is taken care of. Here it is
bridled deep and 200 miles in every direction. And that immense
sin of people taken care of by the immensity of the blood of
Christ, the completeness of his redemptive work is taken care
of and we get to stand there. on this completed work of Christ.
I saw it was as a sea of glass mingled with fire. By what is
done on it seems to indicate much more than its water, but
the wonderful redemptive work of God and the Godhead." What? The Father's re-election of sinners? We stand on that. Over in the
book of Psalms, at Psalm 9, we've been in, woe unto the nation
who does forget God. Woe to the people who forget
God's sovereignty. That's what that means. People
can forget God, but the people, they hang on to God, but forget
who he is. Forget his sovereignty. Woe unto
that people. We're right in the middle of
that. We've had a hundred years of free will preaching and we're
reaping it right now. We're reaping it all around us,
and we're reaping it in religion. A hundred or a hundred and fifty
years of that nonsense. And after a while, people are
believing that they are free will to do anything they want
to. I went to the principal one time,
I says, what's wrong with these kids? They're acting like animals.
Well, don't teach them that up in the science room then. Teach them that they're animals,
and then when they act like it, we don't like it. Teach them
that there's free will and when they express it, we don't like
it, we want to put them in jail? My goodness. God's wonderful
grace, his sovereignty, his holiness, all of these things were on the
tips and tongues of God's preachers and God's congregation. And then
they begin to forget it. Church is filled with people
who didn't know what it was. You're just amazed when you read
the history of the Metropolitan Tabernacle and find out how quickly,
how quickly it left. I'm amazed at how quickly a church
in Ashland, after 50 years of hearing the gospel, would depart
from it. Just how quickly. But the church depends totally
and completely on the blood and righteousness of Christ. That's
what we stand on. Everywhere else is quicksand. You'll fail and falter. It's
shamrock. It's not the rock. This is the
rock. The Father's free election of
his sinners, the Son's free blood brought redemption. That's what
we stand on. And the Holy Spirit's quickening
work and redemption, we attribute every bit of God's salvation
to God. And we are just like Judas, not
Iscariot. How can this be? that you would show sinners grace
and hide it from the world. How can this be? Why? Only known to God. Why? The sea is stood on. The church
stands on the truth of the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. We stand
in that victory that he won for us. They've gotten the victory
over everything. It is complete victory. Now,
let's look for just a moment at this word found in this verse
2, this word victory. They had gotten the victory over
the beast. Let's look at that word. Would
you turn with me to Luke chapter 11 and verse 22? It's the first
time in the New Testament, first time in the Greek Bible that
this word was used. And it's found in Luke chapter
11. I think by the time we're through looking at what this
word means as it's found in other verses of scripture, we'll have
to conclude this is Christ's victory. It's not mine. It's given to me, but I didn't
do anything to claim it. I didn't do anything to have
it. I didn't do anything. It's not my victory. I didn't
fight for it. He did. I stand in his victory
and his victory alone. In the book of Luke chapter 11
and verse 22, 11 and verse 22, the scriptures share with us
there. Chapter 11 and verse 22, but
when a stronger than he shall come, let's back up there. When
a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he shall
come upon him and overcome him. Now that's the same word we find
over here for victory, overcome him. My goodness, we are strong
in ourself. We are reliant upon ourself. We're telling God, my righteousness
is enough. Now you can add just a little
bit, but I am in pretty good shape. And then the stronger
man comes. And what does it say there? Luke
11, 22, the stronger man comes, then he shall come upon him and
overcome him. Now what he says is, I'm going
to win the victory here. Your righteousness will not and
is not. Your works cannot and they won't. He taketh from him all his armor
wherein he trusted and divided his spoils. He taketh all the
armor wherein he trusteth. What is natural man trust in?
What is man trust in before God comes along and overcometh them? Our works, our religion, our
righteousness, our law, our legalism, there's just so much. And the
stronger one comes and wins the victory and strips him us of
all our armor that we trust in." Well, it's no wonder that we're
instructed over there in the book of Ephesians to put on the
whole armor of God, which he puts on us, just like someone
might say, oh, Adam clothed himself. Well, go over there. He was clothed. We may say, we put on the armor.
No, no, no, no. He puts on the armor. He is the
armor and he puts it on us. So he overcame, and that's victory. And that's the same word we find
over here, having the victory. Turn with me just a little further
in John chapter 16. John chapter 16 and verse 33,
the same word is mentioned there, and the Lord Jesus uses it again
here in this passage. Only he uses it about himself.
It would have been a sad day for the church to find out that
Jesus Christ could not win the victory over this world. Went through and did all he did
and then find out he couldn't do it. John chapter 16. We are dependent upon him overcoming. Winning the victory is what it
means. He wins the victory. He wins every victory. He has lost none. He that has
begun a good work. will perform it to the end. He
that goes into battle will be victorious in that battle. It
doesn't matter whether we're nine feet tall or two and a half
feet tall, he will win the victory. And it doesn't matter whether
we have all these things that we've accumulated, spiritually
speaking, our own self-righteousness, or we're just getting started.
He has to win the victory. John chapter 16, verse 33, the
scriptures share this. These things have I spoken, these
things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace.
In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have
overcome. I've won the victory over the
world. I have overcome the world. Now once again, the Lord is telling
us it is His overcoming, it is His victory, just like we found
over there. The strong man comes in and takes
care of the issue, binds the weaker, strips him of all his
armor that he depends on. Turn with me just a little further
in 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2, we read this
again. These that stand on this sea
of glass are victorious. These that depend upon the righteousness,
the blood and righteousness of Christ are victorious. Why? Because he has given them the
victory. 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter
2, verse 13. 1 John chapter 2, verse 13, I
write unto you fathers, because ye have known him that
is from the beginning. I write unto you young men, because
ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you little children,
because ye have known the father, the young men, because you have
overcome the wicked one." How did that happen? How is that
victory? That victory is the victory that
Christ won over the wicked one, won over sin, won over death,
won over hell, won over all our enemies and all his enemies.
This is how we overcome. This is how we overcome the evil
one, the wicked one. This is how we overcome ourself.
is the victory that's in Christ Jesus. He is the victor. And we enjoy that victory that
he gave us. 1 John chapter 5, verse 5. We read this with regard to Revelation
chapters 2 and 3. Blessed is he that overcometh. They shall do this and that and
that. And he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches. Who are those? Religion tells
us, there's your job. From the moment you're saved
to the moment you die, this is your job. You gotta strive to
overcome. Now let's listen to this. Listen
with me if you would. First John chapter five and verse
five. Who is he that overcometh the
world? Good question. But he that believeth
that Jesus is the Son of God. Now it's not our striving that
we overcome. It's Christ that has overcome
for us. We will never overcome on our
own. They overcame the beast by the
blood of the lamb. No other way. This overcoming
fits right into Revelation chapters 2 and 3. About every church,
their question came up or the statement is made, he that overcometh
shall sit with me in my kingdom, shall be in the temple, shall.
Who are they? Everyone that believeth that
Jesus is the Son of God. Peter summed it up this way.
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Great confession
of faith. But even the Lord answered him
this. Flesh and blood didn't give that
to you. Flesh and blood didn't give you
the victory and flesh and blood didn't cause you or allow you
to say that about God. Flesh and blood did not reveal
this unto you but my father which is in heaven. That's how he knew
that Jesus is the son of the living God and that's how these
were victorious to stand on this great sea of glass mingled with
fire standing on the blood and righteousness of Christ, standing
on his redemptive work, saying, not my will but thine be done,
standing and saying, not my righteousness but his righteousness, standing
and saying, not my works but his works, standing and saying,
not my relationship but his relationship. Boy, here's one area, it's not
what you know, it's who you know. Knowing Christ makes all the
difference. It's not what we know, it's who
we know, and who knows us. One other verse along this line.
Turn with me, if you would, to Revelation chapter 21. Revelation
21 and verse 7. These that stood in the victory
that's in Christ Jesus, this can be said about them. And those
who stood there are those who are in the church of the living
God. Those who know Christ. Those
who confess Christ. Those who believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. Those God has worked a work in. Those who have been raised from
the spiritual dead. Those who have been brought out
of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son. These Revelation
chapter 21, verse 6 and 7, and he said unto me, it is done.
I'm alpha and omega. We can say it's finished. That's
what he said from the cross. That's what he will always say.
That's what he says here. That's what he says in the days
of John. He's still saying it. It's finished. It's done. I'm 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. He that
overcometh shall inherit all things. And I will be his God
and he shall be my son. And this is a statement right
out of the everlasting covenant. I will be their God and they
shall be my people. Right out of the everlasting
covenant. So those who stand, as we go back here to the book
of Revelation chapter 15, those who stand on this glass mingled
with fire, representation of that we see over in the Old Testament.
They can walk up to it, they could touch it, they could see
it. Great sea filled with water. Priest come down and wash his
hands. There wasn't enough dirt on his hands, even if they were
really muddy. to make that water look like it was dirty. That
was the purpose of it. It is so much that even with
what you put in it, you can still drink it. It's a picture of the fountain
of blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the real cleansing element,
the real cleansing agent for sin. And here again, here it
is, this great sea of glass mingled with fire. The most invaluable,
most important thing that we can see about that is they stood
on it. What does it say there? They'd
gotten a victory over the beast and over his image and over his
mark and over the number of his name. That means there was complete
victory given to them. They weren't haunted. by his
picture. They weren't haunted by his image.
They weren't haunted by 666. They can just say, that's just
another number. I know what I am. I am of weak
frame. I am a sinner in my flesh. I am a sinner in my spirit. And
I'm a sinner in my mind. 666. But God's given me the victory
over that. And he'll not hold that against me. I have redemption
in him. And then it says there, over
the number of his name, his name is not even valuable anymore.
Well, it was important. Now it's invaluable. They stand
on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And when we went
through this before, there is one note they know. It's the note of the sovereign
grace gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ping! It is so clear that even the
psalmist said, blessed is he that hath, there we go. First thing to go is the nouns.
Knows the blessed sound. Blessed sound of the gospel. They have their harps and there's
one tune on it, one note, and that's all they pluck. Because
that's all their salvation and that is all their hope. Now from
here on, we have them singing the Song of Moses and the Song
of the Lamb. You know what? They're the same
song and they have the same tune. When Moses, his song over there
on the Red Sea, God is sovereign, and he took
care of all those guys. God is sovereign. That's what
he sang. God is sovereign. He did with
them as it pleased him, and he did with us as he pleased him,
and we sing God is sovereign. He ruleth over all. We'll look
at that song and also the Song of the Lamb. I am sovereign and
over all. All right. We'll look at that
next time, Lord willing.