My emotions are stirred to be
with you, brethren. And what a blessing it's been
over the years. As Mike was saying, the way the
Lord has brought us. And I've been meeting with you,
brethren, for I don't know how many years. Maybe over 40. I don't know. During that time, the Lord began
to deal with me. And what a blessing it's been
to fellowship with your brethren. And the Lord's used all of you
that I've known over the years. He's shown me things of the Lord
Jesus and you guys and I'm so thankful for that. What a blessed Savior we serve. What a merciful Lord. Thomas, I appreciate what you
shared with us earlier. It was a blessing to me. That is a great and glorious
contemplation, the glory of God in Christ, which cannot be fathomed.
He said, what if I were to ascend up where I was before? Would
that offend you? The glory of the blessed God.
Brethren, it is offensive to us that cannot see, but to those
whose heart and mind and whose eyes and ears have been opened
by the Lord is glorious. He is the beautiful Savior. And
he's beyond explanation, as was shared with us. But I did have
some thoughts, even upon that topic somewhat over in the book
of John, the Gospel of John, chapter 12. Verse 37. Well, let's back up before that.
The context is these Gentiles had come to hear of Christ. They said we would see Jesus.
And, um, Down in verse 23, he's actually
speaking to them and to those around him, but he's speaking
to these Gentiles that came to see Christ. And maybe from a
long distance they came, but they had heard of him. evidently
believed on him. In verse 23 of chapter 12 of
John, it says, And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has come
that the Son of Man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I
say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and
die, it abides alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth
much fruit. He that loveth his life shall
lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep
it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him
follow me. And where I am, there shall also
my servant be. If any man serve me, him will
my father honor." Jew and Gentile, any man. Uh, showing here, he's
speaking to these Gentiles. Now is my soul troubled and what
shall I say? Father saved me from this hour,
but for this cause came I under this hour. Father glorify thy
name. Uh, drop down now to verse 37,
because this is specifically what I really wanted to make
a comment or two about. But though he had done so many
miracles before them, yet they believed not on him. That the saying of Isaiah, the
prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed
our report? And to whom hath the arm of the
Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe
because that Isaiah said again, He hath blinded their eyes and
hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes
nor understand with their heart and be converted and I should
heal them. These things said Isaiah when
he saw his glory and spake of him. There's a lot of gods, as Bro. Timothy pointed out, being spoken
about. The true and the living God is
a God that can't be moved from here and there. He does as he
wills in the army of heaven and amongst
the inhabitants of the earth. That's what one guy that was
humbled into the dust said when he came back to his senses. And the Lord opened his eyes
and he saw. The glory of God. And he expressed. Thankfulness. And glory. To the Almighty that does as
he wills. But we're being taught or it's
being taught. many times in our day that, you
know, the God of the Bible, he's trying to do all sorts of stuff,
and he needs some cooperation to get it done. He just, he's
not, he just, he needs, I mean, he's done, he's come halfway,
and now he needs the other half to be fulfilled, which is man,
infinite man, puny man. Man who is dead and trespasses
and sins, who cannot extricate himself from this dilemma. He's
dead. It'd be like the Lord Jesus coming
up to the tomb of Lazarus and saying, Lazarus, exercise your
free will and come out of there and I'll just stand back and
watch. He's speaking to a dead man. But when the Lord speaks,
When the Lord has determined to do something, there's none
can stay his hand. There's none. And this is the
glory of our God. This is the glory that Isaiah
saw when the Lord gave him a vision of the heavenly glory. And he
said, I saw the Lord and he was high. He was high and lifted
up. And he dwells in the light, which
no man can approach. And he didn't say that, but that's
what he was contemplating. He was saying he's set apart.
There's none like him in heaven and earth, and he does according
to his will. Is that what he said? That is
what he said. Look right here. Look at verse
39 again. Therefore they could not believe,
because Isaiah said, he hath blinded their eyes. and harden their heart that they
should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart
and be converted and I should heal them. And he's expressing
the glory of the Lord to have mercy on one and to harden another. This is the glory of our God,
brother. Isaiah said, I have seen him. This passage of Isaiah is none
other than the sight of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's who he's
speaking of. This he spake, look, look at
verse 41. These things said Isaiah when
he saw his glory. See this book, brethren, this
book and the very last book in this book declares the glory
of Jesus Christ. This book's all about the Lord
Jesus Christ. You remember when he was walking
with the disciples on the road to, what was it? Emmaus. How
he opened the scriptures to them. Although he was unbeknownst to
them at the time. And he began to speak to them
about all the things concerning him. in the Psalms and in the
prophets, brethren. This is him. This is the one. Brethren, I don't know if it
was this morning or last night, we sang, holy, holy, holy, Lord
God Almighty. The angels cry, holy, holy, holy. You know, the angels were created
by the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what Paul said. Paul said,
in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye
are complete in him. He spoke of him creating the
angels for his pleasure and to minister to the saints of God,
those whom he had chosen. These things said Isaiah when
he saw his glory and he spoke of him. Brethren, let me ask
you something. Have you seen the glory of God
in the face of Christ? As Brother Timothy said, there's
no other place. There's no other revelation.
This is the sum of all that God says to us is found in Christ. In Him are hidden all the treasures
of wisdom and godliness, right? Is that what that scripture says?
In Him. And you and I may not know God
outside of Jesus Christ. We cannot know Him. He's unknowable. Turn over if you would. The Lord
has made Him known. Brethren, He's condescended because
He's loved us. He's made Him known. Turn over
if you would to Exodus. Chapter 33, Isaiah saw Christ's glory and he spoke
of Him. And he said, he'll have mercy.
In some semblance of words, he said, he'll have mercy on whom
he will. And I stood in awe and I said, woe is me. This is a
God who does his will in the armies of heaven. Well, look
here what Moses says. What does Moses say when he saw
his glory? Have you seen the glory of God?
Moses saw it. Let's see what he says. In chapter
33, In verse 18, Moses says to the Lord, I beseech
thee, show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all
my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be
gracious. and will show mercy on whom I
will show mercy. And he said, thou canst not see
my face, for there shall no man see me and live. Look at this. This is beautiful.
Look at this. And the Lord said, behold, there
is a place by me. And thou shalt stand upon a rock,
O brethren, and it shall come to pass while my glory passes
by that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock and will cover thee
with my hand while I pass by. and I will take away my hand
and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen. But the glory of this passage,
brethren, is that he said, you can't see me and live, but there
is a place by me. There's a place. There's a place,
brethren, there's a place for us. There's a place that we may
see the glory of God, and it is in the cleft of the rock.
It is in Christ. Isaiah said, I saw his glory. And it wasn't like the gods of
the earth. He doesn't need to be taken and
moved over here and set up and comb his hair and put some things
out there for him to eat. Then move him as we move around
and move him over here. The gods of the earth, they need
the wills of men. Brethren, this is a God who's
set apart from all gods. That's what David said. Our God's
in the heavens, he's done whatsoever, he's pleased. Whatever he pleases,
that's what he's done. Does that upset you? This is
what Isaiah saw and he wrote about him. He saw the glory of Christ. And this is what that passage
was referring to there in John. Who has believed our report,
Lord? To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Who have you revealed
him to? These people are blind. And he
says, what did it go on to say there? He hath blinded their eyes and
hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes
nor understand with their heart and be converted and I should
heal them. Brethren, the Lord's glory, his
chief glory to us is he'll have mercy on whom he will. See, it's
of His will that He begot us. We love Him because He first
loved us. Oh, brother, that's the glory
of God. Are you happy with the glory of God, or are you upset
with the glory of God? He asked them. He said, does
this upset you? Is your eye evil because I'm
good, that I do with my own as it pleases me? This is the glory
of God. the glory of God in Christ. There
is a place by him, and it is in Christ. And this is the revelation
of God to us. There's no other name under heaven,
given among men, whereby we must be saved in Jesus Christ. He is that cleft in the rock.
There is a place by God. There's a place of salvation,
a place of redemption, a place of peace, a place of joy, a place
of expectation and hope. And it is Christ. Have you seen
the glory of Christ in the face, or the glory of God in the face
of Christ? Moses saw it. It says, after the Lord revealed,
he came by and he said, Moses made haste and dropped to the
ground and worshiped. Not seeing a lot of folks drop
to the ground and worship and cry and humble themselves before
the Lord God these days. Not that I'm the sum total of
that, but whoever's seeing the glory of God is gonna be humbled
in the dust. It's gonna be humble in the dust,
brethren. This is the glory of Almighty God that does as He
pleases. I'll have mercy on whom I will.
And on whom I will, I harden. May the Lord bless you.