I invite you to turn back with
me to 2 Timothy chapter 1. When you've found your place
there, just put a marker there, put your finger there, something
to hold your place, and I'll come back to this in just a minute. I like to watch documentaries. Most of what's on television
anymore is not worth, it's not fit to watch. It's just not fit
to watch. It don't really do anything for
me, and I find myself just wandering off somewhere when I try to watch
it. But I do like to watch these
documentaries about men, and especially about this, these
men who go out and hunt these treasures. Ancient treasures
buried beneath the sea for centuries. These old vessels began their
journey loaded to the hilt, some of them, with great riches and
then suddenly struck down by pirates or storms or some disaster
at sea. and buried there beneath the
waves till somebody learns of it and learns where it is and
then goes to get it. And these treasure hunters, they
all begin their quest the same way. They read the ship's manifest. They're still recorded, still
held in places like Boston Harbor and some of these old harbors
that these ships sailed from centuries ago. Ancient sailing vessels had what
was called the ship's manifest. It was a legal document recorded
at the port which was the home port of that particular vessel, and it's recorded as it takes
on its cargo, and all of these things are described in it, and
then it's given and held by the ship's captain. Two complete documents, both
identical, one held at the port, one in the captain's possession. The manifest began with its name. Whatever it was, the HMS Bounty,
that's one of the most popular of all the ancient ships. It began with the ship's name
and then its home port. And then underneath that, it
gave the designated title of the vessel. It was a cargo ship
or a whaling vessel or a military ship. All of these things designated
on the manifest. Next came the ship's intention. This particular ship was going
to leave Boston Harbor and it's sailing for the West Indies.
That's the intention. And then came the crew. Everyone
concerned with the ship. Everyone concerned with the cargo
within the ship. Everyone concerned with the maintenance
of the vessel. From the captain to the lowly
seaman, their jobs were clearly defined and their names recorded
in the manifest. And then came the provisions.
Everything needed to maintain the passengers and crews was
carefully inspected and logged in the manifest. Here's what
you're going to eat. And it was listed. We got so many days worth of
proportion loaded within the bowels of the ship. And then
came the cargo. Everything put aboard by the
owner was clearly labeled and recorded. Even the very personal
and private things, and these things that were secret, they
were stored, I'm told, in lock boxes. And the more locks that
was on the box, according to these different documentaries
that I've watched, one of them had on, he called it a three-lock
box. And on this three-lock box, that
meant there was something very valuable within. And then everything being duly
recorded and stored in the ship's hold, it was now ready to begin
its journey. And so upon a set day, the ship
was loosed from its moorings, it weighed anchor, and it put
to sea. Now my desire this morning is
that you and I might read the manifest of God. And seek the treasure of all
treasures, the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. God's manifest is his word. Everything God has to say to
sinners is in this book. Everything, God's intention,
God's vessel, God's provisions, God's crew, everything that God
has purposed to say to sinners is between the covers of this
book. Nothing's been left out, carefully
documented, carefully sealed and preserved. in Holy Scripture. Paul speaks of the revelation
of the mystery over in Romans chapter 16. He said, which was kept secret
since the world began. Verse 26, but now is made manifest. and by the scriptures of the
prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God made known
to all nations for obedience to faith. The eternal God has
chosen a vessel and put within it all the blessings of God. He done this from all eternity. There's no way to even conceive
when that was declared by God. Usually he just says before the
foundation of the world. Our almighty and sovereign God
has chosen to save a people for the glory of his great name and
he's ordained a vessel to accomplish that redemption, to accomplish
that purpose, And He's emptied heaven of all of its greatest
treasure and committed it all to one vessel, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul writes, Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Not a token
of His kindness, not a show of His good intentions, but all
spiritual blessings. in heavenly places. And these
blessings, he goes on to say, are according, as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him being loved. Everything committed
to this vessel is purpose for his elect. No blessing overlooked,
no name left off the record. In Revelation 20, God allows
us to get a glimpse of that final judgment. And he tells us in
verse 15 that whosoever was not found written in the book, the
book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. This vessel carries
the very will and purpose of God to chosen sinners. sinners
blessed of God in Christ, predestinated to the adoption of children by
Jesus Christ Himself. And every provision has been
given, every need supplied. In Him, the Scripture said, welleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Everything that God has
for fallen mankind, everything that God has for chosen sinners,
He put in this vessel. In this vessel. Oh, what a glorious vessel this
is. And what a precious cargo it
carries. Now listen to the words of the
manifest. He said, this is the record.
This is the record. There was a record set before
this ship ever sailed. There was a record. Three that
bear record in heaven, Father, the Word, the Holy Ghost. These
three are one. These three are one. 1 John 5, 11, and this is the
record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life
is in His Son. Where's it at? It's in the vessel.
In the vessel. He that hath the Son hath life.
He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Why? because that's
where God put it. That's where he put it. Everything
God has for chosen sinners, he put in his Son. It pleased the
Father that in him should all fullness dwell. All of it. All of it. Now you may wonder how a message
like this is born. My brother recently died, whose
last words to me, he said, don't worry about me. I've lived a good life. I've
treated the people that I've known fairly. I gave what I could
to relieve the suffering of those around me. And I'm confident
that the life I've lived will be sufficient to gain me access
into everlasting rest. And I told him, not me, all my
hope is in Christ. All of it. If he didn't live for me, I have
no life. If he didn't die for me, then
I still bear my sins in this body. If he was not raised for
me and seated me with him in heavenly places, then I have
no hope of glory. All my dependence, all my hope
rests on him. It rests on him. And he never
said a word. After his death, I read on Facebook
such things as this. His spirit will always be with
his children. He has his wings now and is an
angel. And as an angel, he's watching
over his family. Where in the world do people
get these things? Where do they come up with these
things? Do you really want to know the truth? Do you really want to know the
purpose and will of God in salvation? Read the manifest. That's why it was written. The manifest is God's record
of all that's been sent down from heaven. Now every good and
perfect gift cometh down from above, comes down from the Father
of lights, with whom is no bearableness, neither shadow or tongue. All
these things are coming down from him. They're coming down
in a vessel. And this vessel is the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now I hope what I've said so
far has given you a picture in your mind because I want this
text to have a proper impact on you. He said in 2 Timothy
1.9, God hath saved us. This is what he told his spiritual
son, this young man who was born again, having heard the gospel
from Paul, and Paul considered himself his spiritual father,
and he writes to his dearly beloved son Timothy, and he tells him,
he said, God hath saved us. And then He called us with a
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His
own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began. Now watch this. But now is made
manifest. The ship leaves its port, fully
documented, everything that's on that ship, where it's going,
the crew, what's going to maintain all these things incorporated
in the management, and it puts out to sea. It weighs anchor,
leaves the port, and now it crosses that great sea. How do those people to whom it's
sent, how are they going to know? How are they going to know what's
on the ship? How are they going to know who
sent it? And who it's sent to when they see the ship. Is that
right? If I don't see the ship, I can't
have the blessings, all the blessings on the ship. Everything that God has for this
people, he put on that ship. And he sent it to them. It's
coming to them. But how are they going to know
it? They'll know it when it appears. Huh? It's now made manifest,
now listen to this, by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality
to life through the gospel. Now let me just give you a few
things to think about. The first thing is his appearing.
Everything committed to the ship, everything carried on the ship,
It's kind of immaterial if the ship doesn't show up. Isn't it? It don't matter what left Boston
Harbor, if it don't arrive in the West Indies where I'm at,
it's kind of immaterial. And that's what he tells us over
here in 1 John, he that hath the son hath life. That's where
God put it. And you can't have life unless
you have him. He that hath the Son hath life,
not he that heard that the ship was coming. The ship must appear
before you, and before you can partake of its contents. There was an old man dwelling
in Jerusalem. He read the Manifest. He understood
what it said. He knew there was a ship coming.
He knew that God had set apart a vessel and put all spiritual
blessings in this vessel, and he was looking for the vessel. And the Holy Ghost told him,
He said, Oh, send me in. He said, You're not going to
die until you've seen the Lord's Christ. You're going to see the
vessel. Oh my soul, how that man looked. And one day, he saw this Jewish
maiden and her husband come in with this little baby, eight
days old, brought it in to be circumcised, to do after it according
to the law. And old Simeon ran over and took
that child up in its arms. And he said, now, let thy servant
depart, for I have seen thy salvation. I've seen the ship. I've seen
it. John the Baptist said, behold
the lamb. There's the vessel. There it
is. John chapter one, verse 14, it
said, and the word, that is the manifest, was made flesh and
dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. Jesus Christ is that sacred body
or vessel pictured in the Ark of Noah, as that vessel of preservation
and the life of God's elect. All that God has recorded in
His manifest has appeared in this earth in the person of the
Son, Jesus Christ. He is the manifestation of the
manifest. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shalt save his people from their sins. The blessing
begins when the ship appears, and it shall appear to every
one to whom it sent. They're all going to see him,
every one of them. They're going to see him. Paul said, we thank God for you,
brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit
and belief in the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel. Now listen, to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The blessings cannot be found
till the ship appears. And then secondly, Paul tells
us in 2 Timothy 1.11, whereunto I'm appointed a preacher and
an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. Preachers are appointed of God
to point men to Christ. We're told in Titus 1.2, that
eternal life in which we hope is one promised by God who cannot
lie, before the world began, declared in the original manifest. Now watch this. But hath in due
times manifested his word through preaching. Through preaching. We preach not ourselves, but
Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Christ's sake.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has
shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure
in earthen vessels. That vessel is of God. That's
the God man. In him, all the fullness of God. But us, we're just little ships. We're just earthen vessels. And
we're earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be
of him and not of us. So the ship has to appear in
its contents declared by the manifest. So what does this manifest
say? And what has this vessel carried
to his people? The Savior. Isn't that what he
says first? We preach a savior that saves. If you ever see the ship that
God sent, first thing you're gonna see is the savior. Suppose your ship out on an island
somewhere. Maybe your ship wrecked, you're
stranded there, you and a handful of people. And someone purposes to save
you. They know where you're at. They
got the word. And they sent out this ship with
all the provisions, everything required to preserve you, to
save you, and to bring you back into safety and rest. Would you
be looking for the ship? You bet you would. You'd be looking
for it. He's everything. He's that one
to whom we've been quickened together and raised up together
and seated together in heavenly places. That one who entered
into heaven itself and obtained eternal redemption for us. He's
our Savior. And we're justified freely by
His grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. It's
all in Him. And when God's vessel appears,
it appears as it was sent, and it appears to do what it was
sent to do. We see the Savior. He said, I came not to do my
own will, but the will of him that sent me, and this is the
Father's will which has sent me, that of all which he has
given me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the
last day. He's sent to save. What else? What it says in verse 10 of our
text, he abolished death. That word abolished means he
put an end to it. Took it away. He destroyed it,
he extinguished it. He removed it all together. He
abolished death. Now my friend, if you're a believer
and you're in Christ, and the scripture says, knowing that
Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath
no more dominion over you. Huh? Why? Because he took it
out of the way. It's gone. It's gone. And then he says, likewise reckon
yourselves also to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God
through Jesus Christ our Lord. He said, I give unto them eternal
life and they'll never perish. But we spend half our time worried
about we're gonna perish. You're not gonna perish in Christ. That man who believes scripture
said he's passed from death unto life. because Christ has abolished
death. And then listen to this. He brought
life and immortality to light through the gospel. How can a
man know God? How can a man have life? How
can a man have understanding when the whole rest of the world
is in ignorance? How can that happen? Because
he brought it to light. He brought life and immortality
to light. How'd he do it? Through the gospel.
Isn't that what that says? through the gospel. How important is it for your
children to be here every week? How important is it for your
friends and relatives to be here every week? This life and immortality is
brought to life by the gospel. They can't have it until they
hear it. Can't have it until they know
what it is. There's the ship. There it is. Oh, what's the big deal? Oh,
what's in the ship? That's the big deal. Oh, what's
in the ship? Life, immortality, the Savior,
righteousness, rest, eternal rest, access. We're accepted
in the blood. All of that in the ship. Eternal life is to know Christ
and believe on Christ and rest in Christ. He that hath the Son,
as God hath set him forth, he that hath the Son hath life. Now Paul said, if you then be
risen with Christ, seek those things which are above where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on
things above, not on things beneath. For you're dead and your life
is hid with Christ in God. And when Christ who is our life
shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. Beloved, don't go out of this
world. Hoping in some unfounded fantasy or emotional dream. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. You'll wake up in
hell. I'm telling you the truth. Life is in him. It's in him. You can't earn it. You can't
buy it. It's there. It's there. There. Trust in him. rest in him. Can you do it? All his people can. Because to
them, the treasure on this ship has been sent. They have the
ship and all of its contents. You think about that. All the
glory of the Godhead. You have it all in Him. May the Lord give you the ability
to believe that, both you and I, to believe that and rest in
that. Go out into judgment believing
that.