Turn, if you will, back to Revelation
chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1. We read
it together a moment ago. We're going to confine ourselves
to mostly just verse 1. I think there's more than enough
there to take up the next 30 minutes or so. John Calvin, the
great reformer, theologian, He wrote a commentary. I have his
commentary. I can't recall exactly now because they're packed away,
but 20-some volumes, I believe. But he wrote a commentary on
every book of the Bible except one. This one, Revelation. Someone asked him, why? Why did
you do that? And he said, honestly, he answered,
because I don't understand the book of Revelation. We've all
heard the expression, if you don't know something, you just
as well admit it than try to answer and prove that you don't
know it. But notice at the very first
entrance to this book, the Revelation, we find this written. We read
these words in verse 1. The revelation of Jesus Christ. The revelation of Jesus Christ. And that's not at all surprising.
When we remember that Jesus Christ said this, I thought of this
as I worked on this message, that these words apply. John
chapter 10, the great shepherd speaks, verse 9, verily, verily,
truthfully, truthfully, you can count on this. I say unto you,
I am the door of the sheep. Now on this occasion he was speaking
to the Pharisees who claimed to be the door, and nobody could
go to heaven except they allowed them to believe what they taught.
Christ said, well that's not so, they're lying to you, they're
thieves and robbers. All that ever came before me
are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't hear them. Christ
said, I am the door, singular. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved. and shall go in and out and find
pasture." So just as Jesus Christ is the only door, the only entrance
into grace below, he is also the only door, the only entrance
into heaven above. Nobody goes to heaven except
through Jesus Christ. Now I know you've experienced
this and I have too. I've had family say to me, now
Larry, don't you think that's a little narrow-minded? I would
like to think of God just loving everybody and everybody's going
to heaven. They might worship in different
ways, but we're all going to end up in the same place. Wouldn't
that be better? No. No, that's not better. That's
a false hope. That's a lie. And more than that,
it dishonors the Lord God. Jesus Christ is the only door. Miss Christ and you miss heaven.
Miss Christ and you miss grace. There's just no two ways about
it. The only entrance into glory. And so again, it is not at all
a surprise that at the very entrance of the book of Revelation, we
find him standing there. The door. The door. And notice
here, it's not the revelations of Jesus Christ. I've heard that
many times. Revelations. No, that's not.
It's revelation, singular. The revelation of Jesus Christ.
It stands singular because he's singular. Jesus Christ is in
a class all by himself. Isn't that what the Bride of
Solomon song said? If you see him, oh, tell him. Tell him I want him. Tell him
I'm sorry that when he knocked I ignored him because I was in
bed and didn't want to get up, didn't want to be disturbed.
I'm looking for him that my soul loveth. Well, if we see him,
How would we know? What's so special about him?
And she said, oh, let me tell you. He's altogether lovely. He's not like anybody else. He's
altogether lovely. There's not a spot in him. He's
altogether lovely. He's in a class all by himself. Therefore, we read the revelation
of Jesus Christ. As it is in creation, in providence,
in redemption, It is the purpose of God that in all things, all
things, Christ should have the preeminence. The book of God
is a book about Jesus Christ. You mean the New Testament? I
mean the book, the Word of God, Old and New Testament. You take
Christ out. You know what you would have
left. You'd have the boundary. That's it. Take Christ out. He's in every type. Every picture,
every piece of furniture in the tabernacle, it was all a type,
a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. As you heard it said, the Bible
is a hymn book. Not this hymn book, an H-I-M
hymn book. It's all about hymn. The Word
of God is about God the Word. Is it not? This last book of
the Bible is Christ's revelation of himself to his servants. What
better thing would have encouraged John other than this? He's cast
out. I don't know how long he'd been
there. I don't know how long he was there. He was an old man. He's flesh. He's flesh. I'm sure
he had his battles with doubts and wonderings and so forth.
So what would encourage him? What would lift up John, this
old servant of God, more than this? A fresh revelation of Jesus
Christ. John, remember, I'm the almighty. I'm the first. I'm the last. I'm he that loved you and washed
you from my sins in my own blood. Nothing's changed, John, so pick
up your pen and write everything that I'm about to reveal to you.
The revelation of Jesus Christ was given to John to be recorded
It's not the book again of revelations. It does not contain many revelations. It contains one revelation seen
in many things. And they all point to the Lord
Jesus Christ, William Hendrickson. He wrote a commentary on this
book, Revelation. He called it More Than Conquerors. This is what he said. The theme
of this book is the victory of Christ and of his church. over
the dragon, Satan, and his helpers. The apocalypse, or revelation,
intends to show you, dear believer, that things are not the way they
seem. Oh, I need reminded of that.
Man, do I need it. Every day I need reminded of
that. I can preach this to you and
then go out the door ten minutes later and be acting and thinking
and talking like an unbeliever. Oh, no. No, thank God, as he
said, it's intended to show us, every child of God, that things
are not what they seem. God's purpose, I like this, I
highlighted this. God's purpose is not in jeopardy. Christ, his church, and his truth
will be triumphant at last. That's the message of this book. Because of the Lord Jesus Christ,
you remember The story, Don told it, and I think I've told it
too. I remember years ago, I preached with Don many years ago, and
afterwards we went out for a meal, Brother Henry and just 10 preachers
or so. And I had used the illustration,
and Don said, you're going to hear that illustration again.
There's not much original with us. And thank God that it's so. But
this story about that janitor was sitting in the gym of a high
school waiting for these businessmen to get through playing their
basketball game. Remember that story? And as he sat in the corner
just waiting for them to get done so he could sweep up and
clean up and lock up and go home, he was reading his Bible. He
was reading the revelation of Jesus Christ. And after he was
done, or rather after they finished their game, one businessman came
over in kind of a smart aleck way. He said, what you doing?
He said, I'm reading the Bible. Where are you reading? Revelation.
He said, you understand what you're reading? And he said,
yes, Jesus wins. Jesus wins. That's a good title
for the message, Bobby. I think that's what I wrote on
the card. The revelation, Jesus wins. The revelation of Jesus
Christ which God gave unto him, we're still in verse 1, to show
unto his servants the things which must shortly come to pass. Shortly. Shortly. These things
John saw and was to record are things which will come to pass
very soon. Many of them had. And what was
yet to be seen was just as certain to come to pass. All of it will. Up to this time, everything God
promised had come to pass. And Christ said, John, everything
that's coming hereafter shall come to pass. Write it down.
These words are true and faithful. Who will prevent it? If God says, this is how it will
be, this is my purpose, this is what I will do, who's going
to stop it? Who's going to stop it? I mean,
even as I ask that question, I realized there are multitudes
would stand up and say, well, but, but, but, maybe, no, no,
no, no, no. God said it. What's that old
expression? Religious slogan, the way they
get passed around. God said it, I believe it, and
that settles it. No, no, no. God said it, and that's what
settles it, whether I believe it or not. God's word is settled
forever. Listen to this, Isaiah 42, verse
8. I am the Lord. That's who John
saw. That was the revelation of Jesus
Christ. I am the Lord, that is my name. And my glory will I
not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. And if someone could prevent
God from doing his purpose, his will, that he would be giving
his glory to that one by whom he was overcome. He said, that's
not going to happen. That's not going to happen. Behold,
the former things are come to pass, just like he said. And
new things do I declare. Before they spring forth, I tell
you of them." Isaiah 46. Again, our God speaking. Isaiah
46 and 9. He says to you and I, remember
the former things of old. Don't forget. For I am God. And there's none else. I am God
and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying
my counsel shall stand. Man, that sounds pretty certain. God says my counsel shall stand
and I would do all my pleasure. There's just no question about
that. Someone said that our trials are heartaches. These storms
of life that we're all subject to, that's a promise we don't
like to claim, but the Lord Jesus said, in the world you shall
have tribulation. That's the promise, is it not?
You shall have tribulation. But as we read in scripture concerning
these things, it says, and it came to pass. Billy, these storms
aren't coming to stay. These heartaches, these trials
haven't come to stay. They've come to pass. They'll
pass by God's grace and his good time and providence. Since our
life, as we just read shortly, since our life is a vapor, since
it's like a blade of grass, here today and not here tomorrow,
then the time, as he said to John, must be short. I like what
Paul wrote in Romans chapter 13. I remember reading a sermon
by Mr. Spurgeon from this text, and
the title of it was Dressing for the Morning. Dressing for
the Morning. Romans 13 verse 11. And that knowing the time, that
now it is high time to awake out of sleep. Now he's talking
to believers. We can get drowsy. For now is
our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far
spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the
works of darkness, let us dress for the morning, and let us put
on the armor of light. An old believer was asked, if
you knew tonight would be your last night on earth, what would
you do? He said, I would go to bed early.
Go to bed early, go to be with the Lord. If when we are absent
from the body, this body, and all that it entails, if when
we are absent from this body we will be present with the Lord,
then yes, let's just go to bed early because when we wake up,
when we wake up, we'll be satisfied. We'll be
satisfied. Satisfied as we never can be
here. Satisfied because we shall awake
in his likeness. That's what the psalmist said.
I'll be satisfied because I'll have a bigger mansion than somebody
else. No, I'll be satisfied because
I'm gonna wake up in his likeness. In his likeness. Satisfied because
we shall be with him. Oh, isn't it silly to hear people
talk about their concept of heaven and rewards and harps of gold
More crowns, more jewels in my crown than Brother Joe. Oh, what
stupidity. Satisfied because we shall be
like him. Be with him. With that blessed
promise, with that blessed prospect, why wouldn't we be satisfied?
Why wouldn't we be satisfied? Remember what Brother Peter had
to say about this? Why don't you look at that with
me in 2 Peter, his 2nd epistle. 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter 3 and verse 1. He says this second letter, this
second epistle, Beloved, I now write unto you, in both which
I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. 1 Peter 3. Verse two, that ye be mindful
of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and
of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord our Savior. Knowing this first, that there
shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lust
and saying, oh I'm sure this rings a bell with you, and saying,
where is the promise of his coming? Haven't we all heard that? For
since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were
from the beginning of the creation. And Peter says, ah, remember
this, that they are willingly ignorant of this, that by the
word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing
out of the water and in the water, whereby the world that then was
being overflowed with water perished. But the heavens and the earth,
which are now by the same word, the same powerful, effectual
word of God, are kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the
day of judgment and the perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved,
don't be swayed by the scoffing of these mockers. Don't be swayed
by the insults of unbelievers. No, no, no. Peter says, Beloved,
be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord
as a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day. And then in
the next verse, Peter tells us exactly, tells us exactly why
the Lord Jesus Christ has not yet come. Not because it's a
fable, not because it's a myth, not because he's broken his promise
to return for his church. Oh no, that cannot be. Well then
why, so to speak, does he tarry? Although he doesn't tarry. Peter
tells us in verse 9 of 2 Peter 3, The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering
to usward. Usward. Longsuffering to usward,
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Next time somebody mocks you, ridicules your faith in the second
coming of the Son of God, your trust in that, You tell them,
here's the answer if they're interested, it's because of the
usward. The usward in the text is his
elect. It's not talking about the whole
world. No, he's talking about usward.
That's why he delays his coming, not willing that any should perish.
the us word, but that all, all of his sheep should come to repentance. And glory to his name, not one
of them will. Not one of them will ever perish.
They never have, and they never will. All that the father put
into the hands of his son, those are the usward. And when the
Lord Jesus Christ, the faithful shepherd of the sheep, who laid
down his life for his sheep, calls that last one to himself,
it may be the day, then time shall be no more. When the usward,
when the usward, that multitude that no man can number, that's
the usward. That's why he hasn't yet come. He's yet calling his sheep, just
as he said, all that the father giveth me shall come to me. Oh,
they come every hour, every day. Sovereign grace brings his sheep
to himself. They're drawn to him. All that
the father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh unto
me, I will in no wise cast out. I came down for him. from heaven
for this purpose. Not to do my own will, but the
will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will
that sent me. That I might save some, that
I might get most of them, maybe nine out of ten, I mean, no,
no, no. That of all which He hath given me, I should lose
nothing. Nothing. Man, that sounds so
vastly different than that peanut Jesus that people talk about
that tries and can't, that depends on us, for the success of his
purpose of salvation? Oh, no. He said, I shall lose
nothing. I'll raise it up again at the last day. I don't hear
any doubt about that in his words, do you? Not at all. No question about the absolute
certainty of the security of the sheep because of the greatness
of their shepherd. That's why they're secure. Not
of anything in them, but in Him. Not because of their ability,
but of His ability. Look where they're at. My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give
them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Anybody, neither
shall any man pluck them, snatch them out of my hand. Look where
they're at. The hand of omnipotence. That's
the hand of almighty God. That's the hand of all power.
Who's going to pluck them out? Maybe was it Tuesday that you
had that endoscopy? As we sat in the waiting room
Tuesday morning, waiting for them to take Robin back, she
handed me her wedding rings. because they said you can't wear
any jewelry. So she handed me her wedding ring. And I put them
in my pocket. She had the procedure. I took
her home, made her lay down to rest. Then I went out to run
some errands, Roger and I. I don't know, it was probably
a couple hours. I came back. I said, old Larry,
where's my ring? And I looked in my pocket. They weren't there. They weren't there. One was.
One was. But that diamond, that rock, it wasn't there. Oh, my soul. And I put it in
the jacket that had a zipper to the pocket. I zipped it up.
But I also put my wallet in there, too. And I told Robin, until
she asked me several hours later, where's my rings, I hadn't thought
about them. I hadn't thought about them. And I said, Roger,
come on. She was crying. Because those
are precious to us. And I started backtracking. Went
back to the hospital. Went back to the parking lot. Went to where we had breakfast,
the huddle house. Nothing. Looked under the pew
where we sat. No rain, no rain. Started back home, I said, that
ring's gone. I said, it's gone. That was the
door of my soul. Then I thought, wait a minute.
Went and got a prescription filled. I remember getting my wallet
out, paying for the prescription. And I told Roger, I said, I wouldn't
have stuck that back in that pocket and zipped it up. I usually
just put it in the console. So we pulled off the road, lifted
that console, Started looking and Roger said, there's her ring. God's marvelous providence. I'm
looking everywhere. And that ring could have dropped
out anywhere. But God made it drop right in
there. It was there all the time. But
I just didn't know it. And I called her. I said, Robin,
I found your ring. I found your ring. Jesus Christ. will never lose one of the jewels
in his crown. No, no, no. No, he will present
them all back to his heavenly father as diadems in his crown. His honor, his glory is at stake. And bless God, he'll not be disappointed. We've heard the joyful sound,
we've seen the Jesus saves, Jesus saves. Where would be the joy? If after Jesus saves, his sheep
might perish after all. We better not sing that no more.
If we might perish? There's no joy in that. What
joy if it might be that his sheep could be snatched out of his
hand? No joyful sound in that. The song of every believing sinner
is this. Oh, it's this. Nevertheless,
I'm not ashamed. I know whom I have believed and
I'm persuaded that he is able. I like that tune. to keep that
which I've committed unto him against that day, and that Jesus
Christ is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him. Peter went on there in chapter
three of his second epistle and said, Nevertheless, we according
to his promise look for the new heavens and a new earth wherein
dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that
ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in
peace without spot and blameless, And count, here it is, count,
a count that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. Salvation, to the us-word. A complete and everlasting salvation. A salvation that is worthy of
that great God and Shepherd who performs it. Oh, as great as
salvation is, the Savior that brings it is greater. Greater. It requires a great God and Savior. And that's worth singing about,
isn't it? That demands a song. And that's what they do in chapter
5 here. Revelation chapter 5 verse 9,
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy, you're worthy,
O Lamb of God, you're worthy to take the book and to open
the seals thereof, for thou hast slain and has redeemed us. has
redeemed us, got it done, has redeemed us to God by thine own
blood out of every kindred, tongue, and nation, and people, and nation. That deserves a song, does it
not? The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him,
we're back in verse one of chapter one, to show unto his servants
things which must. Oh, that will take the remainder
of our time. Things which must. shortly come
to pass. The things John was told he would
see and hear were not things that perhaps would come to pass,
or things which possibly, if man allows them to, come to pass. Oh no, thank God we read that
these things must come to pass. They must. Everything. Every
single thing John was shown are must-be things. They must be. Unless God And even as I say
this, it sounds so foolish. These are must-be things unless
God is no longer able to perform what he has promised that he
would do. Now, if that's happened, then
they are not must-be things. But again, again, listen to God. But now thus saith the Lord that
created the old Jacob. And he that formed thee, O Israel,
fear not, fear not, Larry, Chris, fear not, I have redeemed you. I've called you by your name,
you are mine. You belong to me. Oh, he purchased
me with his own precious blood, what a price. And when you pass
through the waters, I'll be with you. And through the rivers,
they won't overflow you. When you walk through the fire,
you won't be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee,
cause I've redeemed you. James Smith, he was the predecessor
of old Charles Spurgeon at the church at New Park Street. He
said, what an astounding blessing to have God for our Father in
a world like this and in times like these. I am the Lord, I
change not. the believer's passage over the
Jordan of death, when the Christian pilgrim. I'm 71. I look in the mirror, I don't
see a 71-year-old man. I know that's vanity. In a few
months, the Lord willing, I'll be 72. So I think more about
this than I used to. The time to cross Jordan. when
the Christian pilgrim comes to the brink of this last swelling
stream over which all God's people must pass unless he should come
for them. The Lord Jesus Christ, our great
high priest, he bears the everlasting covenant on his shoulders and
he goes before just as the priest crossed the Jordan into Canaan
and rolls back the surging waves that the ransom of the Lord might
pass over. One writer expressed it with
these lines. How happy is the dying saint
whose sins are all forgiven. With joy he passes Jordan's flood,
upheld by hopes of heaven. The savior whom he truly loved
now cheers him by his grace. A glory gilds his dying bed and
beams upon his face. Must be things. These are must
be things unless Jesus Christ has lost his blood, has lost
his power to cleanse us from all sin. If somehow he really didn't obtain
eternal redemption for us, if he was mistaken when he cried,
it is finished. Otherwise, these are must be
things. Don't tell me, I won't listen
to it. about a redemption that didn't redeem. I won't sit down
and hear a man, as Brother Scott said, tell lies on God. Don't
tell me my Savior redeemed people that went to hell. That's so
dishonoring. I won't hear it. I won't listen to it. Oh, I'd
rather hear that he obtained eternal redemption for us. I
don't want to hear about an atonement that really didn't atone. What
comfort is that? Verse 5 here of Revelation 1.
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the
first begotten of the dead, and the prince, oh, the prince of
the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us and washed
us from our sins in his own blood, he got it done. That's worth
singing about, isn't it? That's worth singing. There's
a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins,
and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. In verse 1 of Revelation 4, we
read this. John said, After this I looked,
and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice
which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me,
just like in chapter 1, which said, Come up hither, and I will
show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I
was in the spirit, and behold, look at this. A throne was set
in heaven and one, one sat on the throne. One revelation, one
door, one throne, one sat on the throne. And I believe that
with such a great God and Savior, there can be no question that
it must be well with him. And if it's well with him, the
captain of my salvation, then it must be well with me. Let me bring this to a close.
Look at one more verse here in Revelation 17. Revelation chapter
17, verse 14. Now I am like Mr. Calvin in many respects. There's
much I don't understand about this book. But this sounds pretty
much to me like Jesus wins. Revelation 17, verse 14. These
shall make war with the Lamb. Doesn't matter who they are,
political, religious, powers, it doesn't matter. These shall
make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them. Of
course He will. Why? For He is Lord of Lords
and King of Kings, and they that beat with Him are called and
chosen and faithful. Jesus wins, and so will all those
that are with Him. Say ye to the righteous that
it shall be well with Him, for they shall eat the fruit of their
doings when peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows
like sea billows roll, whatever my lot thou hast taught me to
say, it is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should
buffet, though trials should come, let this blessed assurance
control that Christ hath regarded my helpless estate and hath shed
his own blood for my soul. The Revelation. of Jesus Christ. He wins. He wins. God bless you. Thank you for your attention.