Book of Revelation chapter 3
and it is my intention tonight to get to the 12th verse. This
passage of scripture here with regard to the church at Philadelphia
has shared with us so much as we notice in verse 7 this as
well as many of the first verses that were in the letters to the
seven churches had much to say about the credentials of Christ,
Christ's credentials. And we looked at that. And then
we saw in the second verse, as well as we have noticed with
almost all of the churches that we've looked at, the letters
to those churches, to the pastors of those churches, the Lord expressed
a knowledge that he had about them that sometimes we forget
about. He had knowledge about their
persecutions. He had knowledge about where
they were with the word. And he knows all and he reminds
us of that. And then we noticed in verse
9 of this chapter 3 that there was a synagogue of Satan there
in this community. And this is the Lord's setting.
He permitted that to take place. I think I've shared, I have shared
this, but I'm going to share it again. I remember a preacher went to
Brother Mahan and said they were building a Jehovah's Witness
building on just next door to their church. And he was dismayed
and all and he was tribulating over it. And Brother Mahan comforted
him by saying, we're not in competition. We're just not in competition.
Now, those churches, if I can use that term with regard to
them, are all around. But we're not in competition
with any of them. The grace of God is what separates. And so I'm thankful for a group
that God moved in mysterious ways as wonders to perform, to
build a building so that we could own it. And we have it now. They build it, we own it. So
that was good. They're just hewers of wood and
drawers of water, and the Lord used them for that purpose. Now,
whatever the circumstances in a community, whatever pressure
is put upon the people of God, whatever synagogue there is built,
The Lord has placed us and he has established our bounds as
well as the bounds of those. So he knew all about that. And
when he placed the gospel in this community, and we don't
know how many people God saved out of the synagogue of Satan.
I know there was one saved out of the synagogue of Satan. I
told a man the other day, call me up. He was thinking about
coming up here to visit. He was, he asked whether we were reformed
or landmark. And I says, we are neither. We're
just a church up here holding forth the word of truth. And
he mentioned something, I says, well, I pastored landmark churches
for 15 years and then the Lord saved me out of that. And he
said, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm a landmarker. And I will
not apologize. The Lord saved me out of religion.
And that's just another religion. Just another religion. It's Presbyterian. Methodist whatever it's just
religion the Lord saved me out of that so he may have taken
offense at it I've been told several times be kind to those
people on the telephone But sometimes you just have to say what the
truth is and if they embrace the truth They'll join you and
if they don't you won't see him I don't know how many I've had
call up and say they want to come to church out here. What
translation of the Bible do you use? And I say, I use the King
James, but there are people in our congregation that use other
translations. Oh, I couldn't go there. Well,
I'm sorry. If you can't go there, then... So there are synagogues all around
us, and Lord has given us grace not to be one of them. That's all it is. Lord's given
us grace not to be one of them. Lord hold us up so that we're
not one of them. I can say this and we'll get
to this in our lesson in just a moment. When a church leaves
the truth, they might as well be a synagogue of Satan. They
have nothing different than any other group on the face of the
earth. So we might as well just embrace them. If you forget the
truth, put the truth behind you, neglect the truth, or say it's
of no value, then a church, it doesn't matter the name or the
principles it was established on, is no longer a church of
the living God. So it's time to find another
place. And then we found in here that verse 10, the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ gospel. It's a gospel of patience. And
I love that. God is a patient God and his
patience has allowed this earth to stand to this second. But
when the last sheep is saved, this earth will be wrapped up.
And we're looking for that, I'm looking for that, because it
tells us in the next verse, Christ at His coming. And we saw that
last week, that there are a number of statements in the Bible with
regard to the coming of the Lord Jesus. I'm glad He came in the
gospel to me, but I'm anticipating now Christ at His second coming.
And then we'd like to look tonight at verse 12, Christ's blessings,
Christ's blessings. Now turn with me if you would,
keeping your finger here in Revelation chapter 3 and verse 12, but I
want you to turn back with me to the book of Ephesians chapter
1 and verse 3. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse
3 shares with us that the Lord Jesus Christ is this. He is all our blessings. We have no blessings anywhere
else but in the Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father will not honor
any blessings except in His Son. And in His Son is a full report
of blessings. As we read here in the book of
Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3, the scripture says, Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
And then, a list is given to us about some of these blessings
that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, according as He has chosen
us in Him before the foundation of the world. Now, God elected
His people in Christ Jesus. Christ is the first elect one. He's the elect and precious stone
and all his people are going to be elected in him, not in
themselves, not in religion, not even in the gospel, but in
Christ Jesus. And the rest of it will play
itself out as God uses means to bring his people in. But there's
a spiritual blessing that we have. He's chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world and another that we should be holy
and without blame before him in love. My goodness, to find
out that God's people, that we have been made holy and without
blame. God will not charge us if his
son has already paid for us. There'll be no second charge.
And then he goes on to say, having predestinated us, unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made
us accepted in the beloved." Well, it's just oozing with blessings.
And wherever we find Christ, we are going to find the blessings
that God has in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in chapter
3, verse 12 of the book of Revelation, we read this, Him that overcometh
will I bless in this way. Him that overcometh, I will make
a pillar in the temple of my God. Now that's a blessing. Now
who are the overcomers? Let's just be reminded of this.
Turn with me back to 1 John chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5 shares with
us who are the overcomers. They're not the ones that have
had special exercise. They're not the ones that have
read the most. They're not the ones that are the oldest. They're
not the ones that have taught. They're not the ones that have
preached. Who are the overcomers? Here in 1 John chapter 5 beginning
with verse 4, for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world. The ones that have been regenerated
will overcome the world. Those who are 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, if you have been born again,
if you've been regenerated, you will overcome. And no thanks
to us, but all praise to Him. Overcomers now notice over here
in Revelation chapter 3 verse 12 him that overcometh He that
is born again She that is born again. She that's born from above
He that's born from above he that's been regenerated. She
that's been regenerated This is he he that overcometh him
that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and And
he shall go no more out. And I'll write upon him the name
of my God and the name of the city of my God, which is New
Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. And
I'll write upon him my new name." Whoa. What blessings we have
in Christ. Now let's just look at some of
these as it sells us here. Him that overcometh will I make
a pillar in the temple of my God. Now there's a couple of
verses that I'd like to look at that has the same word in
and gives us some insight into what it is to be a pillar in
the temple of God. One of them is found over in
the book of Galatians, and it has reference to two or three
of our brothers in Christ. Galatians chapter 2. We read
these words, Galatians chapter 2, and we read here about three. Now they are noted pillars for
this reason. It wasn't because they happened
to be apostles. or disciples of the Lord Jesus.
Now that was good. It would be good. They were blessed
in a special way. They spent three and a half years
of instruction from the Lord Jesus. He taught them parables. He taught them his word. They
witnessed miracles. They were able to question him
and get answers. Now his disciples get to do that
today too. Now notice this, this is what
it says about these pillars. And when James, Cephas, and John,
who seemed to be pillars, pillars in the church, pillars, upholders. Now what did they have, what
were they a pillar about? That's what I want to know. What
were they a pillar about? These pillars over here in the
book of Revelation chapter 3 and verse 12, him that overcometh
will I make a pillar in the temple of my God. What are these pillars
about and what are pillars in the temple of God about? Notice
the next line. It says there, perceived the
grace that was given unto me. Now these three noted brethren
were pillars because they could perceive grace given to another. And that's how we are pillars.
It is all bound in grace. There is not works one, it's
grace. These three perceived the grace
that was given unto me. They gave to me and Barnabas
the right hands of fellowship that we should go unto the heathen
and they unto the circumcision. We're going to the Jews, you're
going to the Gentiles. But what was it that they perceived
in Paul or Saul and Barnabas? What was it that they perceived?
Not that they were doctors of the law, not that they were eloquent,
not that they memorized scripture. They perceived the grace that
was given unto them. What was that? Saying grace that
was given unto them. They perceived grace, and that
is what makes pillars. It's not works, it's grace. They're pillars according to
grace. They're pillars according to
the working of grace. They're pillars according to
the grace of God's elect. They are pillars because they
recognize the work of grace in someone. That guy was mean. He loves the Lord Jesus. I perceive
grace has worked in him. It's not that he worked hard
and overcome great conflict in his life and he was finally able
to overpower all that he was. No. We'll never do that. But
grace. grace. So pillars in the temple
of God have a recognition about grace that no one else perceives. I'm here because of grace. I'm
in the temple of the living God because of grace. I am called
because of grace. I testify because of grace. There's no other reason in this
world that God's people are ever placed in that great position
and blessed with that great blessing except for the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ. For by grace, and that could
answer all the questions, I'm here for by grace. I'm safe for
my grace. It's God's grace, grace through
his son, unmerited favor, faith that of God's elect is God giving
them the faith to believe. So these that were pillars and
you know, if they came into our church, we'd, we'd admire them
for being pillars, but they would have to say with all of us, I'm
here because of the grace of God. Except for the grace of
God, there go I. I'd be just like they are. Let's
not get too pointy with our fingers. Except for the grace of God,
there go I. So these that were pillars, it
says in verse 9 there, and when James, Cephas, that's Peter,
and John, who seemed to be pillars, oh my, admiration is given to
them. Paul too. But what would he say? What did he say? I am what I
am by the grace of God. Don't boast in me, boast in my
Savior. He's the author and finisher
of our faith. So these pillars. Now, turn with
me if you would to the book of 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy chapter
3. 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15, we have the same word here. Now the Apostle Paul desired,
and we all have desires, the Apostle Paul desired to come
see Timothy. It says right there, 1 Timothy
chapter 3 and verse 14, these things write unto you, hoping
to come unto thee shortly. I really want to come visit you.
Oh, how those who have made an influence in our life are welcomed. Grace welcomes. Grace welcomes. Now it says,
but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest
to behave thyself in the house of God. I'm sorry, he's not talking
about discipline. Now we know how to act like and
what to act like in the assembly of the saints. It's not foolishness,
it's serious, it's serious. But the Apostle Paul is sharing
with us here, he says, but if I tarry long that thou mayest
know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God,
which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground
of the truth. Now how is it that we should behave ourself in the
church of the living God? If there's one message, one lesson,
one teaching, one song that leaves this building without the grace
of God, we need to be disciplined. It's a pillar in the ground of
the truth. The saints of God, the assembly
of the saints of God is a support of the truth. And if we fail
to hold forth the word of life and the grace of God, we failed
in our mission. We're no longer. And who is our
support? I'm telling you the Lord Jesus
Christ will pull out his support when people fail to hold forth
the grace of God. Those three over there in the
book of Acts were pillars for one reason, they perceived grace. They perceived grace, how valuable
that is. They perceive grace. Oh, God's
grace has worked in this one. God's great and God's message
of grace has gone out from this one. And that's our ministry
here in Jerusalem is to preach the grace of God to the circumcision
to the Gentiles. The message will be identical. We will use the same text. We'll
go back to the same Old Testament books and preach the Lord Jesus
Christ out of all the Old Testament, whether it is to Jews or Gentiles,
that's what we'll do. Now, the church, the assembly
of the saints, the church of the living God, this assembly,
whether it is a local body or whether it's the body of all
believers, God has given to us the knowledge. We have that knowledge. What is valuable, and what is
valuable is the grace of God. And you know how to behave yourself. If you're given opportunity to
speak for the Lord Jesus, don't forget the grace of God. It's
the grace of God that makes us what we are. And that's our only
message, is the grace of the living God. So now, I'm going
to make you a pillar That's what Revelation says. Who overcomes
is going to be a pillar. What is that pillar going to
be? A declarer. It's like having a pillar out
here with a logo in it. We preach Christ and Him crucified. We preach the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ. We believe in sovereign grace. freely given by Almighty God
for no reason at all except He wanted to. That's the inscription
on the pillar. And when the pillar loses its
savor on that, it's no longer. When it forgets the truth, and
God's people can't. We've noticed here, there's some
churches here that have just swung around. What enticed them
to do that? You know what marvels me? How
soon after Charles Spurgeon was dead, that church was sunk. That marvels me. What marvels
me, how soon after Pastor Mahan retired, that church was sunk. It's necessary to be a pillar. And the only pillars are the
ones God's established. And He says, overcomers, born
again ones, will be a pillar and they'll be declares of the
grace of God and no other message. We won't get into politics. We
won't get into do's and don'ts. We won't get into cards and gambling. or just get into the gospel.
Stay there and God will herd his children. I am so confident
that the Holy Spirit will herd his children as he wants them
to go. He will take care of it. And
we get out, He'll bring us back. That's what He's doing with the
church at Philadelphia, and that's what He's gonna do with the church
at Laodicea. Now, let's go back over here
to Revelation chapter three and verse 12, and it says, here's
some more blessings. Here's some more blessings. Revelation
chapter three, verse 12. As we look at the blessings of
Christ. Christ's blessings to His saints. First of all, a pillar
in the temple of my God. Grace declares. Grace declares. They won't be gorks, declares,
but grace declares. They'll be able to say the truth
without hindrance. They'll not mix it. They'll not
mix works and grace. They'll not say He's almost all
that's necessary, but they'll say He's all and in all. He's
all there is. Now, notice here, second blessing. Chapter 3, verse 12, Him that
overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and
he shall go no more out. And I'll write upon him the name
of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New
Jerusalem. Now turn with me, if you would,
over to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 23. Jeremiah, chapter
23. The Lord has promised that he'd
write his name. He has a name. It's found over
here in Jeremiah 23.6. This is a good name. Adam, we go back there, you know,
that's a name that started a lot of trouble. Heart trouble. Heavy heart trouble. We can trace
our line back to Adam. But oh, thank God, he interjects
himself in our path and changes our name. We don't even have
that as a middle name. No, we don't have even Adam as
a middle name. We have here, as it's found in
Jeremiah chapter 23, Jeremiah chapter 23, verse 6. In His days Judah shall be saved,
and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is the name whereby
He shall be called." Look at those big letters. Talk about
capital L-O-R-D. The Lord Our Righteousness in
great big letters. Now if you have my Bible that
I can read in any pulpit, you can probably read them from there.
The Lord Our Righteousness. That's his name. Now turn with
me just a little bit further. Ten chapters. Chapter 33 and
verse 16. Chapter 33, verse 16, we have this recorded. In those days shall Judah be
saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this is the name
wherewith she shall be called, the Lord our righteousness."
What a new name, the sovereign king of all, the Lord our righteousness. I find it comforting to be found
under His robe. He is our righteousness. When
God looks at us, He does not see us, He sees His Son. When
He looks at us, He does not see our sin, He sees His Son, His
righteousness. When He looks at us, He does
not hear us, He hears His Son. When He looks at us, He does
not smell us, He smells His Son. When He has us before Him, He
is looking directly at His Son, because His Son became the absolute
perfect substitute for all his children and he took upon our
name so that we could take upon his name, Lord our righteousness. Now we go through the rest of
our life with a new name, Lord our righteousness, Lord our righteousness. Just a daily reminder of being
a pillar. What's a pillar? Someone who
knows the grace of God. That's a pillar, someone who
knows the grace of God. We've met, we've known, we've
heard of people who think they're pillars because they're old and
well-studied, but they're not. Those who know the grace of God
are the pillars. They're the ones that stand up
for the grace of God. They're the pillars of the faith.
And that's the pillar. Now here we find that we have
this blessed position, a new name given to us. I'll write
on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God,
which is New Jerusalem. Now there's much said in the
Old Testament that talks about Jerusalem in a sense that's different
than the Jerusalem that was there at that time. The Old Testament
is filled with words, with verses about Jerusalem as it is pictorially
or metaphorically about the church. Now, you know, when God saved
me, he opened up the Old Testament to me on that subject. Before
the Lord saved me, there was not one verse of scripture. This
is what I was instructed. There's not one verse of scripture
in the Old Testament that talks about the church. And I spent 34 years believing
that. And when the Lord saved me, I
found out that the Old Testament was a message that spoke of the
church from beginning to end. And if that's all we had, we're
going to find the church there. Now we have some wonderful verses
in the New Testament, but just think what it was to be around
at the time of James and not be able to use any verses that
had anything to do about God's people. But they didn't have
that problem. They looked at those verses in
the Old Testament. There was a Jerusalem that was
literal, and there was a Jerusalem that was figurative or spiritual.
And we find that same thing with the Lord Jesus Christ. And we've
mentioned this in the past. He says, I'm the bread of life.
All right, are you some of this new bread, seven grain bread,
eight grain bread? What are you, rye bread? No,
spiritual bread. So he himself, the Lord Jesus,
instructs us on what it is to look at things from a spiritual
standpoint. Now there's one reason I never
saw it is I didn't have any spiritual eyes. But turn with me, if you
would, over here to the book of Psalms 147. As we think about
New Jerusalem, as we think about Jerusalem which is above, When
we look at Jerusalem as it's found here in Revelation chapter
3 and verse 12, we find that this Jerusalem is a picture of
the new covenant as it's applied to us, and it's also a picture
of the elect of God called the church, and it is also a picture
of the elect of God called the bride. Those who are a spouse
to the Lord Jesus. his bride. Now notice with me
over here in Psalm, Psalm 147 and verse 12. The Old Testament
is just sprinkled with, and I'm not talking about five inch sprinkle,
that's five inches between raindrops. I'm talking it's a flood of verses
in the Old Testament that share with us about the church, about
the elect, about the bride, about spiritual Jerusalem, about New
Jerusalem. Here in Psalm 147, verse 12,
the scripture says, Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, praise thy
God, O Zion. Now that's what the church has
been doing. The church has been praising
God. God's people that have been saved out of darkness, saved
out of religion, saved out of works, saved out of everything. They have a privilege of praising
the Lord, and it's called, Jerusalem, praise thy God. Now turn with
me, if you would, to Isaiah 52. Isaiah 52 and verse 9. These
Old Testament pictures of New Jerusalem, the church, the bride
of the living God. Here in Isaiah chapter 52 and
verse 9. Isaiah chapter 52 in verse 9,
one more picture that we find with regard to this Jerusalem. Isaiah 52 verse 9, break forth
into joy, sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem, for the
Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. Guess
what? I want to be in that verse. The
Lord hath redeemed Jerusalem. I want to be in the redeemed.
I want to be in the free. I don't want the encumbrance
of the law. He hath redeemed Jerusalem. What a wonderful picture that
God has left to us through this prophet in the Old Testament
times of looking at what it is to be in Jerusalem spiritual. Spiritual Jerusalem. Now, just
a little bit further, the 65th chapter of the book of Isaiah,
and verse 19. Isaiah 65, verse 19. We read,
and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people, and the
voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice
of crying. Now that's a good verse about
Jerusalem. Why would there be no more voice
of weeping and no more voice of crying? The war's over. God gave us the victory in Christ
the Lord. So there's no more anger. There's
no more weeping. This is God's statement about
New Jerusalem. Now, the Apostle Paul was used
many years later, to share with this. And he calls it an allegory. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of Galatians chapter 4. Galatians chapter 4. The promise
to God's people, those that overcome, as he appears to the saints at
Philadelphia, was that they would be The city of my God, and the
name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh
down out of heaven from my God. New Jerusalem. Now in Galatians
chapter 4, the Apostle Paul was used to write these words with
regard to an allegory. And he looked back over at Abraham,
and Abraham's two sons, and Abraham's, that other wife. I've read a lot about whether
they were wives or not. Whatever they were, he had a
son by her. And this was the way to deal
with a promise. And they just let human intervention
take place. And we think, my, oh my, if Abraham
had just said, I think I'll wait on the Lord, and Sarah said,
I think I'll wait on the Lord, and it hadn't happened. There
hadn't been this Ishmael and all the troubles that he brought
into their life. But Lotus, notice with me here.
In Galatians chapter four, we find that the Apostle Paul, led
by the Holy Spirit, looked at this whole incident and said,
this is an allegory and it's allegorical about those who want
to be under the law and those who are free in Christ. Galatians chapter 4 verse 21, Tell me, ye that desire to be
under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written that
Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a
free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh, but he that was the free woman was
by promise. And we go over there, we find
out it was just a natural relationship between a man and a woman, and
that boy is born. And every one of them thought
they were helping God out, help his promise. Well, God didn't
need any help. And then he shares with us that
Sarah was 90 years old and she bore a son. This is the son of
promise. This is beyond flesh intervention. So it goes on here, verse 24,
which things are an allegory for these are the two covenants,
the one from Mount Sinai. with gender to bondage which
is agar for this agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia now notice this
and answer us to Jerusalem which now is as and is in bondage with
her children go down there listen to what the high priest is telling
people this is bondage And Jesus said about that Jerusalem, O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that stonest the prophets and killest
them that come unto you, how oft would I have gathered you
as a hen doth gather her chicks, and you would not. Now that's not a sad commentary
on the ability of God, that's a sad commentary on the ability
of man. Most spiritual city in all the
world. And they would not. Now this
is what it, it's Jerusalem, which now is go to Jerusalem today.
I I'd rather go to, to mud bucket, Tennessee. I would, I have, people have
asked me, don't you want to go to Jerusalem? No way. I'd rather
go to Rome, Oregon, French Glen. You're going to have more peace
there than you ever will in this Jerusalem, which now is which
gender of strife. Let's read on here. This is Jerusalem,
which now is in this bondage with her children, but Jerusalem,
which is above is free. which is the mother of us all.
For it is written, rejoice, thou barren that bearest not. Break
forth and cry, thou that travailest not. For the desolate hath many
more children than she which hath a husband. Now we, brethren,
as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then, he that
was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit,
even so it is now. You talk about regeneration without
works, and people are going to say, I don't believe it. It gendereth bondage. And what
did he say at the beginning of that whole thing? Tell me, verse
21, ye that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the
law? It's bondage. It's bondage. It's bondage. It's
from here. It's not from above. It's from
down below. It's not from above. It's not
from Jerusalem, which is above. Now turn with me, if you would,
to the book of Hebrews, chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12, again,
the Apostle Paul, as he wrote to the saints that we read here
in the book of Hebrews, as the Holy Spirit led him in chapter
12, he brings up this subject again, and he just shares with
us time and time again. As we get to the book of Revelation,
several times it's brought out there about New Jerusalem and
the importance, the value of it. It's not a bondage, it's
a freedom. It's a regeneration which is
above, a Jerusalem which is above, not down here. Now, Hebrews chapter
12 and verse 18, the scriptures share this. For ye are not come
unto the mount that might be touched and burned with fire. nor unto blackness, and darkness,
and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words,
which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken
to them any more." Can you imagine being at the Mount Sinai and
saying, please don't speak anymore. We don't want to hear it. It's
too hard. And those who are on Mount Zion
say, oh, bring more. Bring more words of grace. Bring more words of our Savior. We have never, we will not ever
tell God don't speak to us. We want to hear the words of
grace. Tell me the old, old story. Now he goes on to tell us here,
you're not come to that mount. Sound of a trumpet. Verse 24,
they could not endure that which was commanded. And if so much
as a beast touched the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust
through with a dart. And so terrible was the sight
that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quite get under the
law. That's where you are. You can't touch it without being
killed. I exceedingly fear and quake. Moses said that. And they
had to cover his face with a veil. Now it says, but ye are come
unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general
assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven,
and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men
made perfect. There's where God's people have
come. Hold your head up. You're not bowed down and, oh,
please, Lord, don't ever speak to me on these words again. We're
saying, oh, come on. Speak to me. My goodness, I was
in my study tonight and I said, Lord, I'm the most ignorant man
there is when it comes to your words. Speak to me. And in the
Old Testament, they're saying, oh, don't speak to me. Stop. Hold back. I can't bear it. And the church of the living
God says, oh, Lord, keep it coming. Keep it coming. Open your word
to me. Keep it coming. Oh, the message of grace. Keep
it coming. I want to hear more. I want to hear more. I want to
hear more. And that's what it is to come to spiritual Jerusalem,
New Jerusalem. And then, if you would, turn
with me over to the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 21. Revelation
chapter 21 and I just have to start with verse
21. It's going to be a fast read, I'll tell you. My time is about
up. And I saw a new heaven and a
new earth. Now we read that over in Peter,
it says, wherein dwelleth righteousness. For the first heaven and the
first earth was passed away and there was no more seeing. What
happened? The last elect was saved and it was over. So here's
what we read. I, John, saw holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven. prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband. And I heard a great voice out
of heaven say, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. That is just
something. Get a hold of that. Just get
a hold of that. The tabernacle of God is with
men. Christ is among men. And He will
dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself
shall be with them and be their God. This is the completion,
fulfillment of the everlasting covenant. This is what Jeremiah
said. This is what Paul said in the
book of Hebrews, twice in the book of Hebrews. This is the
everlasting covenant in its fulfillment. God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes and there should be no more dead, neither sorrow
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain for the former
things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne
said, behold, I will make all things new. And he said unto
me, Write, for these things are true and faithful. 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. He that
overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God,
and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and the unbelieving,
and the abominable, and the murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the
lake of fire, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is
the second death. And there shall come unto me
one of the seven angels, which had the seven vials full of the
seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, come hither.
I will show thee the bride, the lamb's wife." When we get there,
we want to look at that. We get a view. This is the Church
of the Living God. This is Mount Zion. This is New
Jerusalem. And He carried me away in the
Spirit into a great and high mountain and showed me that great
city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having
the glory. Look at this. This is the New
Jerusalem. Having the glory of God. And her light was like unto the
stone most precious, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal, and
had walls great and high, and had 12 gates, and at the gates
12 angels, and names written thereon which are the names of
the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. On the east three
gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three
gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city
had 12 foundations, and then the names of the 12 apostles
of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had
a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof,
and the wall thereof. And the city lieth four square, and the
length is as large as the breadth. And he measured the city with
reed 12,000 furlongs. The length, and the breadth,
and the height are equal." That just speaks about everything
is perfect. the height, the breadth, and
the depth all equal. And he measured the wall thereof
a hundred and forty and four cubits according to the measure
of a man that is on the angel. And the building of the wall
of it was jasper, and the city was pure gold, like unto clear
glass. And the foundations of the wall
of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.
The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third
of chalcondy, and the fourth of emerald, the fifth of sardinx,
the sixth sardis, the seventh crystallite. the 8th burial,
the 9th of Topaz, the 10th of Chrysophorus, and the 11th of
Jaseneth, the 12th of Amoris. The 12 gates were 12 pearls. Every several gate was one pearl,
and the street of the city was pure gold, that is, transparent
glass. And I saw no temple therein.
For the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
And the city had no need of sun, neither of moon, to shine on
it, for the glory of God did lighten it. And the Lamb is the
light thereof. And the nations of them which
are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth
shall bring their glory and honor it. And the gates of it shall
not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations. And
there shall be no wise enter into it, anything that defiles,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they which
are written in the Lamb's book of life." Now, every one of those
descriptions is spiritual. When we look at this literal,
we're going to have an abomination. An albatross. We're going to
have a problem. But if we look at this as God
said, it's New Jerusalem, it's spiritual Jerusalem. And then
he tells us, I will write on him the name of my God and the
name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh
down out of heaven from my God. And the Lord is the light of
it, and He's the temple of it, and on and on it goes. And everything
redounds to the glory of God, and every pillar is going to
say, by the grace of God, by the grace of God, by the grace
of God, by the grace of God. And then He says, I'll give them
a new name. Well, here in Revelation, and
I have one minute, turn with me back to Revelation 19, 16,
and with this we'll close. We have another name mentioned
here, and it's as good as the Lord our righteousness. Here
in chapter 19, verse 16, and he hath on his vesture and on
his thigh a name written, now them big letters too, King of
Kings and Lord of Lords. Now if He wants to give us that
name, no one's going to complain. If He wants to give us Lord our
righteousness, no one's going to complain. And if He wants
to give us both, no one will complain. So He'll make us a
pillar for all those that overcome. And they're just going to say,
by His grace, by His grace, by His grace, and a city that's
based upon the grace of God and the light of the Lord Jesus.
And he's the temple. And then he says, I'll give you
a name, a new name. I'll take away old Adam. I'll
take away every remembrance of him. You won't even be able to
spell his name. I'll take away all tears. and
all sorrow, and with that will go our memory on how to spell
A-D-A-M. There will be no more consciousness
of sin, and with it will go the spelling of that name. But we'll
learn to spell righteousness. We'll learn to spell Lord. We'll
learn to spell sovereign grace. I have more fun with that in
this town. When I started an account, they say, how do you
spell that? Nobody knows how to spell sovereign,
but we'll know. It would just be second nature.
Sovereign.