In Peter's both his epistles,
especially this first one, he uses one word over and over
again. And it's the word precious. Precious. You may have noticed in the verses
that we read, he used it several times. But not only there, in
chapter 1 of his first epistle, verse 7, that the trial of your
faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though
it be tried with fire, might be found under praise and honor
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Oh, when Christ
appears to appear with him in glory, believing that he is indeed
all that he said he was, he taught that there will be a multitude
that won't possess genuine faith, although they thought they did.
Depart from me will be the words that they hear. Oh, thank God
for the precious gift of faith. You didn't earn it. You didn't
earn it. If you believe on the Son of
God, it's because God granted you the gift of faith. Again,
the word is used, precious, in verse 19 of this same chapter,
1 Peter chapter 1. Speaking of the price of our
redemption, that which redeemed us to God, that which purged
our sins away, but with the precious blood of Christ. Oh, the value
of that. How precious is that. What can
wash away my sins? Nothing. Nothing but the blood
of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that
makes me white as snow. The precious blood of Christ
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. In 2 Peter
chapter 1, he speaks of precious promises, whereby are given unto
us exceeding great, 2 Peter 1 and 4, exceeding great and precious
promises, that by these ye might be made partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust. And then here in chapter 2 of
1 Peter, he uses the word again, and he uses it three times. And in every instance, not only
here in chapter two, but those other places that we read, it
speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything. Everything's about
him. I know we live in a generation
where folks say, well, it's all about me and my interest. my rights, my will, my merit. Oh, no. It's all about Him, the
Lord Jesus Christ, because He is in the class all by Himself. The Bride of Solomon song said
there's none like Him. There's none like Him. He's the
fairest, not just fair among others, but He's the fairest
of all others. He's the fairest among 10,000.
He's the lily of the valley. There's none like Him. We can
truly say concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, He's rare. He's precious. He's the only
mediator between God and man. How rare is that? He's the only
Savior. He's the mighty God. He's the
only intercessor. He's the only one that obtained
eternal redemption for His people. He's the only one that could.
And glory to His name, He got the job done. He got the job
done. He purged our sins all by himself. The redemption that we enjoy,
the redemption by his precious blood, was a single-handed redemption. He did it all, and he trod the
winepress alone. I looked up this word. I had
a pretty good idea what the definition of precious would be, but I looked
it up in Webster's Dictionary, and it included this in its definition. Precious. Of great price. costly, like a precious stone,
of great value or worth, very, very valuable, highly valued,
and much esteemed. I like the definition that a
little girl gave to this word, gave to this word precious. She
was asked by her teacher, what does precious mean? How would
you define precious? And the little girl sat a minute
and then she thought, she said, well, father told us this morning
that mother was precious because what would we do without her? Now you take that definition
of that little girl, and it's a good one, I like that, and
apply it to the Lord Jesus Christ. What would we be? Where would
we be? What would we do without him? What would we be without Him? If I don't have Christ, I'm without
God. It's impossible to know God,
and I know we live in a religious day that's Like the political
environment, it's been affected with correctness as well. And it's politically correct
to say that everybody's going to heaven. It doesn't make any
difference if you want to bow down out there and worship that
stump. If that's what you want to do, and you feel like that's
the right thing to do, we're not going to tell you you're
wrong. We're all going to heaven. There's many avenues to heaven,
but they all end up at the same place and the same God. Well,
that might sound pretty, and that might be politically correct
and religiously correct, but according to God's Word, it's
a lie. Jesus Christ said that's not true. That's not so. There's
not many ways to God. There's only one way to God.
And Christ says, I'm the way. I'm the way. I'm not one of two
ways. I'm not one of several ways.
I'm the only way to God. No man's ever come to God the
Father in the way of salvation, in the way of mercy, in the way
of grace. Nobody's ever approached God
in that way except through Jesus Christ. He said, I'm the door.
I'm the door. I'm the door. All that come unto
the Father, they must come through me. They must come through this
door, and they shall be saved. Oh, if I don't have Christ, I'm
without God, and I'm without hope. Christ alone gives a sinner
a good hope before God. Nothing else can. Nothing else. 1 Timothy 1, the very first verse
in Paul's epistle to his beloved Timothy, he said, and an apostle
of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God, our Savior, and Lord
Jesus Christ, which is our hope." The two words, which is, are
in italics, meaning they weren't in the original. So what Paul
actually wrote was this, Jesus Christ our hope. Not even which
is in between Christ and me. Nothing between my soul and my
Savior. Jesus Christ, our hope. Is that all? Is that all? Oh my soul, anybody that would
ask that question gives evidence that they don't know the Lord.
Oh, is that all? Christ is all. God has made Him
to be unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. If I have Christ, I have all
that a holy God can give, now and forever. If I have Christ,
if I'm in Him, then I'm complete. I can't be anything but complete. Jesus Christ, our hope. Nothing
more, nothing less, and nothing else. Again, I bring your attention
to chapter 2 here of 1 Peter. Christ is called precious three
times. First, we read in verse 4, he's
precious to God. That's the place to start. As
old Scott Richardson used to say, before God can do anything
for a sinner, he must do something for himself. Before God can justify
a sinner, it must be done on absolutely just and holy grounds. There must be a foundation for
God to justify a sinner. God just simply doesn't say,
well, I love you and I forgive you. Oh, no, no, no, no. Justice
stands guard and says, the soul that sinned, it must die. And
justice says, I will not let that sinner go until I'm satisfied. Oh, salvation rests upon the
satisfaction. That's what the old writers,
preachers, used to refer to the death of Christ. They meant the
atonement. They often called it the satisfaction
of Christ. He satisfied God. He paid the penalty. And God,
looking upon the death of his son, says to Justice, deliver
his soul from going down to the pit. Justice, put up your sword. Put up your sword. I'm satisfied. Deliver his soul from going down
to the pit, because I've found a ransom, and it's him. Scott
used to say, before God does anything for you, he must do
something for himself. Look at verse 4. To whom? Coming. To whom? Coming. Oh, and that speaks,
of course, of Christ. As unto a living stone, disallowed
indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. If we have
peace with God, if we're accepted by God, and are brought to God
in salvation now and glory hereafter, we must look in the same place
that God himself looks. Isaiah chapter 42, God tells
us to whom he looks. Behold my servant. Oh, I want
to look where God looks. Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles." Now, I know
it's strange for us to say that there are some things that God
cannot do. Well, God cannot justify a sinner
without Christ. None have ever been justified
by looking to anything or anyone but the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans
chapter 3, this is exactly what we read there. Romans 3 verse
26, to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he
that is God might be just and the justifier of him that which
believeth in Jesus. Mercy always comes to us on the
wings of satisfied justice. Verse 24 of Romans 4, But for
us also, whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised
up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for or because
of our offenses, and was raised again because of our justification. Therefore, in the light of that,
falling down upon this sure and certain foundation, therefore,
being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Oh, do you
like that? Peace with God? Oh, what a precious,
precious thing that is. To lie down in your bed at night
and to know, I have peace with God. Jesus Christ made peace. Jesus Christ by peace and Jesus
Christ the Prince of Peace gives me peace like he said to that
woman that he spoke of in Luke chapter 7 go in peace don't you
mind Simon that self-righteous Pharisee don't you mind what
he thinks or what he says I'm saying to you go in peace go
in peace enter into peace is what he was saying your sins
are forgiven thee therefore being justified by faith We have peace
with God. Not much else matters. Not much
else matters. We have peace with God. How?
How can any sinner have peace with God? Through our Lord Jesus
Christ. Again, having Christ, we have
all that God has or does for a sinner. There's no salvation
outside of Him. Notice again verse 4, a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men. Disallowed indeed of men. We'll
not have this man rule over us, the religious leader said. What
shall I do with Jesus, which is the Christ? Crucify, crucify. Oh, but that wasn't the end of
the story, was it? While they were shouting, crucify
him, they were doing the very thing that God purposed and determined
beforehand should be done. They did it willingly. They did
it of their own will. They were guilty of the death
of Christ, and yet at the same time, through the wisdom and
the power and the operation of God, they were doing what God
Almighty purposed should be done when he delivered up his son
to death. Disallowed indeed of men. but chosen of God. Well, does that matter? Chosen
of God? Does that make a difference?
Well, if He's God Almighty, it makes a difference. If he's that
imposter that can't have his way, then it doesn't really matter.
When we read about the intervention of God, if he's that God, we
hear about the day that wants to but can't, that tries to but
fails, that waits for the will or the merit or rather operation
of the sinner to do something for him, whose hands are tied,
whose hands are tied until man lets him do what he purposes
to do, then I say when you read, but God, it doesn't mean nothing. It means nothing at all. Oh,
but if he is who he said he is, the God over all and blessed
forever, the mighty God, if he's that God that has his way in
the armies of heaven, and not only there, among the inhabitants
of the earth, who has his way in the whirlwind, and the clouds
are but the dust of his feet, who is God over all, if he's
that God, and he is, when I read, but chosen of God, then I can
say it matters. It makes a difference. It makes
all the difference. Acts chapter 2 verse 23, Peter
preaching on the day of Pentecost. He says that that multitude,
him being delivered, that is Christ, being delivered by the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. You mean God wasn't taken
by surprise? He wasn't caught off guard? He
wasn't blindsided? No, he never is. You and I are,
but he never is. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain. And you're accountable for that.
Whom God had raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because
it was not possible that he should be holding of it. who by the
mouth of thy servant David has said," Peter, now in Acts chapter
4, before the Sanhedrin, David said concerning Christ, why did
the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The king
of the earth stood up, the kings of the earth stood up, and the
rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against
his Christ. Well, I wonder how that's going
to turn out. They square off against the Son of God? How blind,
how foolish, verse 27. For the truth against the holy
child Jesus whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together.
For the do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined beforehand
to be done. Psalm 118. I'm sure this is what
Peter refers to in our text. Psalm 118 referring to David,
but behold a greater than David is here. The stone which the
builders, that is the leaders, the religious leaders, the stone
which the builders refused has become the headstone of the corner.
This is the Lord's doing and it's marvelous in our eyes. The
builders refused. The builders say there's no place
for him. We have Moses. We have Abraham. We don't need you. Who do you
think you are? Who do you think you are? We
don't need you. We have our religion. We have
our tradition. The leaders rejected him. The
leaders set him aside. The leaders disallowed him. I
remember being in a service years ago, and Brother Henry was preaching,
Brother Henry Mahan. And he said, if there's one place
where the gospel isn't welcome. If there's one place where the
glorious gospel of the blessed God isn't wanted, it's in the
average church. Wow. And I thought, what? That was years ago. I've learned
since then, Henry was exactly right. You go into every church
this morning, and they're on every corner. Churches everywhere. Churches everywhere. And stand
up and say, I'm going to preach the gospel of God's sovereign
grace. I've experienced this. Before
you're done, don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way
out. We won't have this. We can't hear that. What do you
mean it's not of him that willeth? How dare you say it's not of
our will? How dare you say God chooses
a people to salvation? How dare you say that Jesus doesn't
love everyone and didn't die for everyone and God's trying
to save everyone? How dare you say that? The leaders,
the leaders reject the gospel of God's sovereign grace. Oh,
disallowed of men. Oh, but nevertheless, chosen
of God and precious. They disallowed him, but God
raised him up. God raised Christ up, up from
the grave he arose, up above all principality, up above all
power, and up above every name that is named, not only in heaven,
but in earth as well. Look at verse 6, the second time
the word precious is used here. Verse 6, it says, For also it
is contained in the scripture, behold, I, God, lay in Zion a
cheap cornerstone, a let precious, precious in himself. You remember
what he said to the disciples? Matthew chapter 16. He saith
unto them, but whom say ye that I am? Now he'd already asked
them, who do people say that I, the Son of God, am? Some say
you're Elijah. John the Baptist is from the
dead. Some great prophet. But whom say you that I am? Verse 16 of Matthew 16, Simon
Peter answered and said. Now Peter often, he did so shortly
after this, would stick his foot in his mouth. But he was dead
on and on this occasion. Peter answered and said, Thou
art the Christ. Thou art the Christ. the Son
of the Living God. And Jesus answered and said unto
him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood
have not revealed this unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto you, that upon
this rock, thou art Peter rather, and upon this rock I will build
my church, and the gates of hell shall not, shall not. How's that sound, child of God?
How's that sound, weary pilgrim? How does that sound to you, tribe
believer? The gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. Christ is the foundation of his
church, and upon Christ the solid rock we stand, and all of the
ground is sinking sand. One hymn writer put it this way,
on Christ's salvation rest secure. The rock of ages must endure,
nor can that faith be overthrown. which rest upon the living stone.
No other hope shall intervene. To him we look, on him we lean. Other foundations we disown,
and build on Christ the living stone. In him it is ordained
to raise a temple to Jehovah's praise, composed of all his saints
who own no savior but the living stone. But most adore his precious
name, His glory and His grace proclaimed. For us the lost condemned
undone. He gave himself the living stone. The third time Peter uses the
word precious is in verse 7. And he says, unto you therefore
which believe, he is precious. Precious. He's precious to every
believer. Again, the little girl said,
where would we be without mother? Child of God, where would we
be without Christ? He is the God-man. Jesus Christ
himself is God Almighty, the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father,
the brightness of the Father's glory, and the expressed image
of his person. And he is also man, the perfect
man, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. He is precious
in himself. He is the rose of Sharon, the
lily of the valley, the fairest among ten thousand. He is altogether
lovely. There's not a blemish in him.
There's not a defect in him. From the first breath he drew
when he entered this world in that stable in Bethlehem that
night, until he expired upon the cross, crying, Father, into
thy hands I commend thy spirit. Every breath he took, every thought
he had, every word he spoke, Every action he did was all perfect. Perfect. Oh. And God puts us
in the steps of that perfect life and death of the Son of
God. Precious. He is the altogether
lovely one. Who can compare to his glorious
person? Look at verse 4. Look at verse
4. Again, here in 1 Peter 2, to
whom coming, in those three words you have the way to salvation. When all the smoke is cleared,
when God puts down all the religious hodgepodge, all the nonsense,
when everything that's said and done, when men's ideas and concepts
prove to be nothing, this will yet stand. The way to God, the
way to salvation is to whom coming? The Lord Jesus Christ, no other
way. I am the way, Christ said. Chapter
4 of Acts, verse 11. This is the stone which was set
at Nod of you builders, which has become the headstone of the
corner. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name given under heaven
among men whereby we must be saved." Notice what it says here. To whom? To whom? It doesn't say to what, does
it? It doesn't say to what coming,
but to whom. You say, well, Larry, everybody
knows that. No, they don't. No, they don't. Here several years ago, after
service one morning, there was a young lady, stayed behind and
wanted to talk to me, wanted to ask me something. And she
said, Pastor, what method do you teach here about salvation? What method do you use? I said,
salvation is not in a method, or in a creed, or in a preacher,
or in a priest. It's not in a particular church.
but in a particular person. Salvation is knowing the Son
of God. Salvation is embracing the Lord
Jesus Christ. Salvation is coming to Him in
faith and believing on the Son of God. Jesus Christ Himself
is the Savior of sinners. No one else is. You remember
when our Lord went through Samaria on purpose? In John chapter 4, we read he
must go through Samaria. He must go through Samaria. Because
there's a sheep that the father gave him before the world began
is in Samaria. He's going to put himself right
in her way. He's going to confront her, that
sheep, that poor, lost, lonely, discarded woman. That woman who
had been tossed from man to man to man to man. Oh, what an existence. What a miserable life. And Christ
said, now is the time of love. I must go through Samaria. You
remember what he said to that woman? Now, she knew some doctrine. She knew something about her
religious tradition. My, so isn't religious tradition
a powerful thing? Our Lord said to the religious
leaders of his day, he told the Pharisees, you make void the
word of God to keep your traditions. Wow, what an indictment. And people still do today. I'll
give you an example. The altar call. Man, that's a
sacred cow. In most churches, if you don't
give an altar call, they'll say, how are people going to get saved?
You've got to give them a chance to get saved. I've had people
tell me numerous times, how can anybody get saved if you don't
give an altar call? And you say, wait a minute. Show
me that in God's Word. Show me one time where Christ,
any of his apostles, anybody who preached the gospel of God's
grace, did anything remotely similar to an altar call. Salvation
is not coming to the front with your feet. Salvation is coming
to Christ with your heart. Oh, and this is exactly what
Christ told this woman. He said in verse 10 of John 4,
Jesus answered her, If thou knewest the gift of God. And who? Who? And I tell you what, there's
a lot of what that I don't understand. There's a lot of what that I
cannot enter into. Oh, but salvation is not in what? It's in who? It's in who? Lady, if you knew who it is at
this very moment that's speaking to you, you would ask him a drink
and he would give you living water. Lady, just ask. Just ask. He's willing and able
to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. And
after he revealed himself to her, after she drank of that
well of living water, after God revealed himself to that woman
in Christ, she went away and she wasn't talking about what
anymore, she was talking about who. Before it was what? Oh, my father's worshiping this
mountain and blah, blah, blah. Oh, then she met the Son of God
and she said, let me tell you about who? Let me tell you about
a man that told me everything that I ever did. And Christ himself
in his high priestly prayer said, this is life eternal, that they
might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou
hast sent. I wonder how much doctrine Saul
of Tarsus knew. I wonder how much of the traditions
of the fathers could he talk about. I declare I imagine he
could keep you up all night long talking about religion, the types,
the furniture in the tabernacle, the sacrifices. He himself said
this, for you've heard of my conversation, the way I lived
in times past in the Jews' religion. how that beyond measure I persecuted
the Church of God and wasted it, and I profited in the Jews'
religion above many of mine equals in mine own nation, being exceedingly
zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased
God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by
His grace to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among
the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. Now it's no longer what with
Paul, but whom. Jesus Christ, Paul said, is all. God, by his mighty grace, changed
Paul's tune. Now it was, I'm determined to
know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Now he was singing something
vastly different. Not religion, but Christ. What
things were gained to me, those I count a loss for Christ. Yea,
doubtless I count all things but loss. For the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things, and do count them but done, that I may
win Christ and be found in him. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may
know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship
of His sufferings being made conformable unto His death. In the Beloved, how safe my retreat. In the Beloved, accounted complete,
who can condemn me? In Him I am free, Savior and
Keeper forever is He. In the Beloved, God's marvelous
grace calls me to dwell in this wonderful place. Now here's Pete's. God sees my Savior and then he
sees me in the beloved, accepted and free. Brothers and sisters
in Christ, it wasn't doctrine that suffered in the stead of
his people. Christ was made like unto his
brethren. Jesus Christ himself loved me
and gave himself for me, second to second. To whom? Coming. The way to salvation is not a
physical thing. You remember when Billy Graham
would have those citywide crusades and at the end of his message
he would say, now if you want to come to Christ, if you're
all the way up there in the top, you start walking now and in
a couple minutes you'll be here. I mean, he walked all the way
to Calvary for you. Can't you just walk a few steps for him?
And associated coming to Christ with doing something physical.
You don't come to Christ with your feet. In John chapter 6,
our Lord said to a multitude of people that had followed him
physically, with their feet, he said, you haven't come to
me. John 6, Bruce preached on that when he was here, one of
his messages. You haven't really come to me. I knew a man. They used to work with Billy
Graham and those campaigns. When he was lost and just in
religion, before God opened his eyes and he said, Larry, my job
was there was hundreds of us sitting out in the crowd. And
when he would give the invitation, we would get up and start to
try to get the rest of them done. I said, man, that's deceitful.
He said, that's how we were taught. That's what we've done. That's
not coming to Christ. It's coming spiritually with
the heart. No man can come unto me except the Father which hath
sent me draw him. It is the Spirit that quickeneth.
The flesh profits nothing, nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are Spirit and they are life. And that's exactly what
happens when a sinner truly, spiritually, savingly comes to
Christ. It's because God's quickened
him, made him alive by the power of God. Ephesians 2, you had
he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, who walked
according to the course of this world, who were at one time like
everybody else, lost in darkness. Well, what happened? Why aren't
we still there? Why are we still in darkness?
Why aren't we still following this religious world? What happened? But God, who was rich in mercy,
for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us, hath given us life together
with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us set
together in heavenly places in Christ, that in the ages to come,
He might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. Sinners come to Christ because
Christ comes to them and makes them willing in the day of his
power. One time even his enemies said,
never a man spake like this man. They didn't know the half of
it, did they? I wonder what they would have thought if they'd
have heard this, him speak these gracious words. But I say unto
you, that ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the
Father giveth me, oh, that encourages me. All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. I came down from heaven, not
to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this
is the Father's will which is sent me, that of all which he
hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again
at the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that every one, every one which seeth the Son and believeth
on him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the
last day. My sheep hear my voice, and they
follow me. They do both. Following Christ
in faith and obedience are the evidence that they've heard his
voice. No one who lives in constant
rebellion to the Son of God is a believer. Don't care what they
know, they could know five points or a hundred points. If they
live in open rebellion, constant rebellion to the Son of God,
they're not believers. Christ says, they follow me,
no exceptions. When Peter heard the voice of
the Son of God, he followed him. When Matthew heard, he followed.
When James and John heard, they followed. When Saul of Tarsus
heard, he followed. And so does every chosen redeemed
sinner when in time they hear the voice of the Son of God,
they follow." You remember, after the death of Saul, King David
was determined to adopt Mephibosheth. He was in relation to Saul. And
to bring him into his own house and to allow him to sit at his
table. And he told his servant these words, King David sent
and fetched him. Go fetch him. Go down there and say, now pretty
please take the first step. No. King David sent and fetched
Mephibosheth. David sent his servant with the
command to come. And Mephibosheth, you remember,
was a cripple. He couldn't walk. So David sent
a carriage. Put him in the carriage and bring
him to my house. The command and the carriage
go together, my people shall be willing in the day of my power."
Oh, I like that, don't you? Fetching grace. Fetching grace. Go fetching. Hell boundless love
that first began the scheme to rescue fallen man. Hell matchless
free eternal grace that gave my soul a hiding place. Against
the God that ruled the sky, I fought with hands uplifted high, despised
his rich abounding grace, too proud to seek a hiding place. But thus, the eternal counsel
ran, O mighty love, arrest that man. Where would I be without
the precious Lord Jesus Christ? Last of all, child of God, notice
To whom coming? That's in the present tense.
Coming. We not only begin in faith, but
just shall live by faith. Faith is not an isolated act
in someone's life. Faith is the continual believing
and the constant coming to Christ. As Peter said, Lord, to whom
shall we go? If we can leave, we'll leave.
Oh, but if we're in the hands of Jesus Christ, he'll never let us go. Where
else can we go? And listen to the words of your
great high priest. This is the will, the last will
and testament, if you will, of the Lord Jesus Christ that night
when he prayed, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast
given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory
which thou hast given me For Thou lovest me before the foundation
of the world." Hearing those words from our great God and
Savior, Father, I want them with me. I ask you, who's going to
prevent them? Who's going to hold them back?
Who's going to prevent those for whom Jesus Christ shed His
blood and He wills to be with Him, that they may behold the
King and His beauty? Who's going to stop it? Who's
going to stop it? Colossians chapter 3. When Christ
who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory. Let me wrap this up. Pilgrim's Progress. I've told
you before. One of my favorite books. When
Mr. Stanfast had thus set things
in order, the time being come for him to haste away, he also
went down to the river. Now there was a great calm at
that time in the river, wherefore Mr. Stanfast, when he was about
halfway in, stood a while and talked to his companions that
had waited upon him hither. And he said, this river has been
a terror to many. Yea, the thoughts of it also
have often frightened me. But now I stand easy. Now I stand easy. My foot is
fixed upon that which the feet of the priests that bear the
ark of the covenant stood while Israel went over Jordan. The
waters indeed are to the pilot bitter and to the stomach cold,
yet the thoughts of where I'm going and of the conduct that
waits for me on the other side that lie is a glowing cold at
my heart. I see myself now at the end of
my journey. My days are ended. I'm going
now to see that head that was crowned with thorns and that
face that was spit upon for me. Now while he was thus in discourse,
his countenance changed. His strong man bowed under him,
and after he said, take me, for I am come unto thee, he ceased
to be seen of them." Coming, always coming. Sometimes on the
mount, where the sun shines so bright, God leads his dear children
along. And sometimes in the valley,
in the darkness of night, God leads his dear children along.
Though sorrows befall us and evils oppose, God leads his dear
children along. Through grace we can conquer,
defeat all our foes. God leads his dear children along. Away from the mire and away from
the clay, God leads his dear children along. A way up in glory,
eternity's day, God leads his dear children along. Some through
the waters and some through the flood, some through the fire,
but all through the blood. Some through great sorrow, but
God gives us all in the night season and all the day long. Child of God, it's to Jesus Christ
himself that we are coming. Amen. Lord bless you.