Would you turn back with me to
Revelation chapter 7? The elder, in verse 13, asked
John two questions. Not that he needed John to inform
him. The elder knew. He wanted John
to know. And in verse 14, You have the
two answers to the questions. The questions are who are they,
this multitude before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, palms in their hands, victorious and singing salvation to our
God. Who are they and where did they
come from? The answers In verse 14, who are they? Where did they
come from? The elder answers the second
question first. These are they which came out
of great tribulation. And then he answers the first
question. Who are they? They that have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. I recall reading a statement,
I don't recall exactly where or who made it, but they said,
I love the infinity of Scripture. How many times have you turned
to God's Word, a very familiar passage, and you look at it and
you see something that you never saw before? I never saw that. God's Word is like none other,
infinite, like God himself. In this verse of scripture, verse
14, there is so much, so much that we could consider, think
about, and find comfort in, but I want to stay mostly on the
elders Answer to the second question. Where did these come from? Whence came they? Just pitch tent here for a few
moments. The title of my message, like
the article in today's bulletin, is They Which Came Out. They Which Came Out. The elder reminds John of this
very practical point. Those that now stand before the
throne were once just like you, John. Now that's a very practical
point for you and I to remember. We need that reminder, don't
we? These that you now see before
the throne of God were once tried and tempted, they endured, they
weren't exempt from, all but praise the name of our faithful
God, they came out nonetheless of great tribulation. In chapter
1 here in Revelation, the very first verse, or rather verse
9, verse 9 first. Listen to what John says, I John
who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and
in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ was in the owl that
is called Patmos. Why were you there John? For
the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ he was put out
there hopefully that nobody would hear what was coming out of his
mouth concerning the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was put out on that desert,
that island, and thought that he would be silenced. Well, he
wasn't. He was in exile. Bible history
says that John was the only apostle that wasn't martyred, that wasn't
murdered, that he lived to a What ripe old age, but that doesn't
say that he didn't suffer greatly during that life. He did. Our Lord, remember what he said
to his disciples that night before he went to the garden? In John's
Gospel, chapter 16, our Lord speaking, speaking to the apostles,
and he says, these things, verse 1, have I spoken unto you that
ye should not be offended, should not stumble, not be tempted just
to throw in the towel. They shall put you out of the
synagogues, yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will
think that he doeth God's service. I used to not think I would see
anything like that in my lifetime, John, looking at the news daily
anymore, I'm beginning to wonder that it might not be so in my
lifetime, in my lifetime. But he says, don't be stumbled
by that. And then in the same chapter,
John 16, verse 33, these things have I spoken unto you, that
in me ye might have peace in the world, Now this is a promise
as well. In the world you shall have tribulation,
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. We must, Paul said, through much
tribulation, inherit the kingdom of God. John was enduring it
at the very time he wrote this. I remember Another John along
this line, not the Apostle, but John Bunyan. He was put in jail in Bedford,
England, for the same reason as the Apostle, for the testimony
of Jesus Christ. For years he was put in there,
for the preaching of the gospel. He was brought out from time
to time and asked to recant. Recant what you believe and we'll
let you go home to your family and that little blind daughter.
And Bunyan said, can't do it. Can't do it. Can't deny my Lord
and Master and back the jelly went. But you know the outcome
of Bunyan's imprisonment? While he was there, he wrote
a book that has sold more copies than any other book except the
Word of God, Pilgrim's Progress. And just like John the Apostle,
though he was in exile, God gave him What we now have in verse
1 of this book, he says, the revelation of Jesus Christ. Oh, yes. In Exodus chapter 1,
we read that a new Pharaoh arose that didn't know Joseph. And
he set taskmasters over the children of Israel, and they beat them
severely. But we read there in chapter
1 verse 12, but the more they afflicted them, lo and behold,
the more they multiplied and grew. So it is. So it is. Great, a hymn writer
wrote, great is the mystery, truly great, that hell's designs
shall hail defeat. But here eternal wisdom shines,
for Satan works what God designs. Bruce Crabtree said the devil
must be a frustrated being. God uses him to accomplish his
very purpose. Someone once said that no child
of God has ever came out of a trial worse than he was when he went
in. That's true, isn't it? One old
Puritan wrote, when I find myself in the cellar of affliction,
I remember that my heavenly father keeps his best wine there, and
I search until I find it, and then I drink of that wine on
the leaves well refined. Oh, for grace, not meant merely
to memorize the verse, or to recite the verse, all but for
grace to truly believe that God worketh all things together for
our good to those who love God, to those who are thee called,
not everybody, but thee called according to his purpose, all
for grace to trust him more. This multitude were not always
before the throne, were they? I think this is what the elder
wanted John to be reminded of. It wasn't always so for them. After they enter glory, they
will be there forever. After arriving, they'll never
be cast out. But first, before that, they
must come through great tribulation. And then again, When they are
going through the tribulation, it shall end. It shall end. There shall be an end. True child
of God, every child of God, true weeping may endure through the
night. Oh yes. Is there any believer
here that hasn't laid in his bed at night and wept tears? wept, but thank God it also says joy
cometh in the morning. They go through tribulation but
that tribulation shall end unlike the eternal weight of glory.
It shall never end. It shall last forever. As I wrote in the article in
today's bulletin with the same title, I can't tell you The number
of times I found sweet consolation to my weary heart in these blessed
words. They're being blessed to me right
now. These are they which came out
of great tribulation. Thinking of our dear sister Robin,
I told her the other day on the phone, I can't imagine what you're
going through. If I told you I knew what you're
going through, it wouldn't be so. I've not experienced that
exactly as you're doing. Our dear brother, Lowell. But
I know this. They shall come out, Mike. They shall come out. Because
God leads his dear children along. Through the fire, through the
flood, he leads his dear children along. They all came out. You know why? First, it might
be a benefit to remember what the reason cannot be. I know
why they What the reason is for them coming out can't be this.
It can't be this. This can't be true of any child
of God. The reason, Louis, is not in
themselves. Don't look there. Don't look
there. The elder did not direct John
to look there. Concerning that multitude before
the throne, John, where did they come from? Who are they? They
came out, but not by themselves. These, these did not arrive in
glory by their own strength or worthiness. I think I'll repeat that. Not
one of this multitude before the throne, these millions of
redeemed sinners, there's not one there that has arrived in
glory through his own strength or by his own merit. Ask any one of them what I've
heard preachers say, what you need to do. Boy, this is good
news. Oh, this will comfort an aching
heart. Just reach down and pull yourself
up by your own bootstrap. What a miserable comforter they
are. Oh, no. The devil is the one
who tempts us to believe that. The devil says, I can do all
things, whispers to us, I can do all things by myself. And not through Christ that strengthens
me. That's what he did to Peter before
Peter failed, didn't he? Before Peter denied his Lord,
he whispered to him in his ear and said, you'll never forsake
Christ, Peter. You're not like the rest of them.
You're stronger than they are. You love the master more. You'll
never deny him. And just a few hours after that,
Peter is standing, cursing that he ever knew the Lord Jesus Christ. Pride cometh before a fall. But here's the way it is. We
can no more keep ourselves We can no more keep ourselves saved
than we could save ourselves. Salvation's of the Lord. When
God saved you yesterday, salvation was of the Lord. If you're saved
today, it's because salvation is of the Lord. And when you
enter into glory, it will be because salvation in its entirety,
everything about it is of the Lord, as John taught this morning.
Except ye repent, ye shall in no wise inherit the kingdom of
God. But God must grant repentance. It's His gift. No one will ever
repent otherwise. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Absolutely. But faith like repentance
is the gift of God. Faith is not trotting up here
and shaking my hand. Faith is not repeating the so-called
sinner's prayer. Faith is not putting your name
on a decision card. Faith is embracing the Son of
God and you can't do it and you never will do it unless the Son
of God enables you to do so. Look to Him. Look to Him. Look to the Lamb of God. Salvation
is in Him. Salvation is not in what you
do, but what He does for you and in you. Yes, if we can save
ourselves, we can keep ourselves saved. If we can do the one,
we can do the other. If that is true, then What the
Catholic Church says concerning the superstitious story of St. Dennis must be so. This man was
beheaded. You've all heard the story. And
lo and behold, Mike, a great miracle occurred. When St. Dennis
was beheaded, he picked up his head and walked a thousand miles. Man, a believer, heard the story
and says, well, I do declare. I have no problem believing that. If you can convince me, he took
the first step. If he took the first step, he
took all the other steps. But it's not so. Oh, no. As the apostle Paul wrote, although
I was a persecutor, injurious, a blasphemer, But, blessed, blessed,
but. But by the grace of God, I am
what I am. Turning, if you will, to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 4. Paul's last
words here. Well, Paul, you could look back
and see all the churches you helped establish. All those missionary
journeys, all your sufferings, all your sacrifice, is that your
hope? Does that give you comfort as
you're now about to face the executioner? And in just a little
while you'll be absent from the body. You're going to be ushered
into the presence of God Almighty. What's your hope, Paul? Look
what he says at verse 18 of 2 Timothy 4. and the Lord shall deliver me.
It's the Lord's doing. From every evil work and will
preserve me, he'll keep me. He that call me will keep me
and preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom to whom be glory forever
and ever. Amen. And Peter agrees wholeheartedly
with Paul. Listen to what he says in 1 Peter
chapter 5. But the God of all grace, Peter
you denied the Lord, but the God of all grace, you cursed
and called down the wrath of God upon your head. Oh, but the
God of all grace who has called us into his eternal glory by
Jesus Christ after that you have suffered a while You'll come
out. They all came out. After you
have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen,
settle you. To him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen. In Romans chapter 15, verse
4, Paul tells us that all the things written beforehand were
written for our consolation. that we, through patience and
comfort of the scriptures, might have hope. Where would our hope
be if God's people, those people of old that Paul spoke of, were
some sort of super race of believers? I think sometimes, I have a suspicion
that we're inclined to think that about Noah and Moses and
David, all the prophets, that they were up on the upper level. That somehow they were different
than you and I are. That they were a race of some
sort of super spiritual believer. But it's not so. It's not so. They were men of like passions
just like you and me. They all tell us that. They all
admit it. Let me read you a passage from
Psalm 73. This is David himself, the sweet singer in Israel, the
shepherd, that young lad who shepherded his father's sheep,
that God made him the shepherd over his nation Israel. Listen
to what he says. So foolish was I, and ignorant,
I was as a beast before thee." That sounds familiar, Joe. That
sounds like somebody else I know. That sounds just like Larry Criss.
Sounds like David's just like I am, or was. But blessed God,
he went on to write, nevertheless, nevertheless, I'm continually
with thee that was holding me by my right hand. Thou shalt
guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. May God grant me childlike faith. When I was a child at home, I
never recalled one time lying in bed at night and worrying,
not being able to go to sleep worrying what I'll eat the next
day or would I have clothes to put on. I never thought that. I never entertained the thought
that I must provide these things for myself. I just laid down
and slept because I knew that was my daddy's job. That was
my father's job. That's why we say concerning
children, look at them. Look at them. They just don't
have a care in the world, do they? Look at them sleeping. They sleep like a baby. Have
you ever seen a little child bite this fingernail and saying,
oh, I'm just so worried and concerned, I might not have food on the
table tonight, I just can't sleep and pacing the floor? No, no,
no. They trust their parents. And what did our Lord say? Children,
don't take any thought of what you shall eat or drink or wherewithal
you shall be clothed. Your heavenly Father knoweth. That alone is full of comfort,
isn't it? Your Heavenly Father knoweth."
The psalmist said, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. Why? Because God sustaineth me. I'll lay down and sleep because
He that keepeth Israel never slumbers and never sleeps. I
don't have to stay up and watch. My Heavenly Father is watching
over me all the time. I don't need to. I'll just Trust
Him. Oh, blessed thought! Our Father
knows. And now, reasons. Reasons why
they must come out. These in our text. They came
out of great tribulation. Why they must come out. Must. They must come to glory. No matter the tribulation. How
long? How severe? They must be brought
to glory. This again is what John said
in verse 1 of this book. He said, John, the revelation of Jesus Christ
which was given unto him, that show unto his servants things
which must shortly come to pass. Must come to pass. In chapter
4, John's caught up to heaven and he's told, come up hither
and I will show these things which must be hereafter. They must be. Why must they be? Because God has purposed it. God's purposed it, John. It must
be. God has purposed all he chose
in Christ. and all Christ redeemed, and
all God the Holy Spirit regenerates and preserves and keeps, God's
purpose that they also all be brought to glory. And that's
the purpose of Him whose will cannot be resisted, who shall
do all of His pleasure. Now, if your concept of God is
anything less than that, You're trusting an imposter. Oh, our
God sets up on the throne doing whatsoever he's pleased to do. And none can stay his hand. None
can stop him or say unto him, what doest thou? Therefore, they must come out. They all came out because God
brings them out. As Bobby sang to us a little
bit ago, and I'm so thankful that it's so, God leads his dear
children along, doesn't he? Hasn't he? Hasn't he? Is there
any other explanation why you're here? Huh? Is there any other
reason you haven't just thrown up your hands during tribulation
and say, well, I quit? I can't take it? No, no, no.
No, the reason is His grace has proven again and again to be
sufficient and He leads His dear children along. As the other
hymn says, all the way my Savior leads me. The psalmist again
says, every one of them in Zion, appeareth before God. They all came out. The Lord will
give grace and glory. They all came out. Father, I
will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where
I am that they may behold my glory. They all came out by the
power, the wisdom, the grace of our sovereign God. comfortable belief in God's sovereignty
is very practical, isn't it? Oh, it comforts our heart. Ask
Job. Job said, they go from strength
to strength. The righteous shall hold on their
way. I know, he said, that my Redeemer
liveth. I know that so. And Job wasn't
speaking from his easy chair. But he spoke those words as he
sat in dust and ashes and heartache and tears and great tribulation
and Job now is among that multitude that came out and behold the
king in his glory. Mr. Spurgeon said this concerning
the verse in Psalm 37 Mark the perfect man and behold
the upright, for the end of that man is peace." Spurgeon said,
with believers, I think I've quoted this to you before, but
it's worth repeating. With believers it may rain in
the morning, and thunder at midday, and pour torrents in the afternoon,
but it must clear up before the sun goes down." How about that? Oh yeah, it must clear up before
the sun goes down. Every promise of God is a reason
why they must come out. Every one of that great multitude
is an argument, a proof that they must come out. and every
attribute of God's shouts, they must come out. His wisdom, His
justice, His love, His power, His very character cries the
same. His purpose, His providence,
they all join together in declaring, they must come out. Look again here in chapter 7
of Revelation at verse 10. They must come out and they know
why. Verse 10, they cry with a loud
voice saying, salvation to our God which setteth upon the throne
and unto the land. Yes, God leads his dear children
along. Who are these, John? Where did
they come from? They all came out of great tribulation. They came out even though Many
of them doubted when going through the tribulation that they ever
would come out. But their doubts didn't change
God's purpose, did it? Their little faith didn't change
the outcome, did it? Didn't affect it at all. I imagine that most of us have
undergone in our lifetime surgery have had to be put to sleep in
order to be operated on. And while we're under, we had
no idea what that doctor was doing, did we? They told us, well, we're going
to do this and that. But while it was going on, we
didn't have a clue. We're out of it. Our not being aware what they
were doing didn't affect what they were doing, did it? Or not
being aware of what they were doing didn't affect the outcome,
the success of the surgery, did it? Our great physician healeth all of our diseases. The great shepherd of the sheep
shall never lose one of its own. He's able to save to the uttermost
all that come unto God by Him. He has saved me. He is saving
me. And He will yet save me. Let's wrap this up. Look at verse
15. Verse 15 again here in Revelation 7. Oh, what a sweet, sweet word. Therefore, because they've washed
their robes in the blood of the Lamb. You know, Every other one's blood stains
clothes, doesn't it? Just blood stain, hard to get
out. Oh, but the blood of the lamb, it washes us clean. Gets out all the filthy stains. Therefore, they before the throne
of God and serve him day and night in his temple. And he that
sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. My, my, my. Don't know how to illustrate
that. Think about it. You'll dwell
among them. I'm going to live forever with
Jesus Christ. Going to walk arm in arm with
the King of kings and Lord of lords. He shall dwell among them. Verse 16, They shall hunger no
more, neither thirst any more. Neither shall the sun light on
them any more, nor any heat. For the land which is in the
midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto
living fountains of waters. And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes. We shall enjoy eternal communion,
fellowship, with our Lord and Savior, without a tear to interfere
with our blessed view of Him. Without a tear to dim our eyes,
oh, the glory of being with our Redeemer forever. There'll be,
as we said in the reading, no divided praise. That's a happy
note, isn't it? Imagine that. John, imagine that. It hurts. It hurts. Especially
when it's our loved ones. To hear them divide the praise
between themselves and God. To hear them declare, oh yes,
I took the first step. I give God a chance. I was willing. You won't hear that kind of talking
glory. You'll never hear that kind of talking glory. Oh, imagine
that. Everyone's singing. Everyone's
singing, worthy is the Lamb in one united voice and with one
united heart, not wanting it any other way. wouldn't have
it done any other way. To God be the glory. The lamb
which dwells amidst the throne shall over them still preside.
Feed them with nourishment divine and all their footsteps guide.
Among pastures green he'll feed his flock where living streams
appear and God the Lord from every eye shall wipe off every
tear. They all came out. God bless you.