It's like being home. First time I was here, Brother
Henry Breedlove was pastoring. And I think of coming down to Sylacauga,
fond memories. I ask you to take your Bibles and
turn with me again to Ephesians chapter 1. Oh, I'll tell you the book of
Ephesians, especially Ephesians chapter one. Oh, what the Lord
been pleased to teach us. The scripture sets forth in verse
three, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We praise him. who has blessed us, that is,
who has bestowed goodness with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places and things, heavenly things in Christ. Verse 4 declares that He has
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be
holy and without blame, not before each other but before Him. I think to myself one of these
days I'm going to understand that. One of these days I'm going
to realize by the grace of God the spiritual blessings. The scripture sets forth according
to these scriptures That the Father selected a people and selected them in His Son and He purposed to show mercy
to them. Nothing that He ever saw in them.
People say, well, He looked down through time and saw that they
were going to choose Him. That's just nothing but works. That's nothing but God looking
to see what we would do and then making a decision based on what
we would do. Scripture says He did look down.
And He saw that there were none good. Not one. None of them sought after Him. You know when a believer will
say, I know that in me, I know at
least in part, what I know, I know in part. And I know this, Paul
said, oh wretched man that I am, that's what I know. I realize that the first cause
of all blessings is according to the grace of God Almighty
that He chose to show mercy. and elected a people. I understand,
Larry, this world hates election. The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration
of God's Spirit, said, if the Lord had not left us a seed,
a remnant, we'd all been just like Sodom and Gomorrah. We have
nothing to glory in save the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Verse 5 says that He predestinated,
He determined the end before. He predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself and that according
to the good pleasure of His will. Salvation is not an accident. It's not that men just happen
to be in the right time and men just happen to be saying the
right things in the right mood with the right amount of songs
being played at the end of the service. But it is according
to the sovereign will of Almighty God. God purposed. I love sovereign grace. But God
Almighty would show mercy to this worm because he chose to
do so and then verse 6 declares it was to the praise the glory
of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved
in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness
of sins according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath
abounded he hath dealt bountifully toward us in all wisdom and action prudence
way he did it he did it according to his good pleasure did it Terry
perfectly perfectly What spiritual blessings we have in the Lord
Jesus Christ that Almighty God would mercifully show us kindness,
compassion. It's a miracle of God's grace.
There's some of you here that's been here. I know first time
I was here, you was here. That's a miracle of God's grace. I'm just glad to see you. I'm
just glad I'm still here. I've known some since I was here
the first time that's still not here anymore and they're still
in this world, Larry, and they're not here. It's by the grace of
God we're still here. I know this. The Lord said to Moses according
to Paul, In Romans 9, 15, I will have mercy on whom I'll have
mercy. I'll have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. So
I know this, men may claim to have a free will, but the scripture
says, not according to our will, according to his mercy. It's not of him that willeth,
not of him that runneth, God shows mercy Almighty God purposed
eternally To show mercy on whomsoever he would And God doesn't change. Oh brother Scott told me one
time after I got to Fairmont I Tell I tell people this I said
Oh Scott tell me he said now I got something for you. I And
man, I'm telling you, my ears would taste like a dog, you know. He said, you lay down the immutability
of God, that God does not change. And he said, you build everything
you preach on that, and you'll never go wrong. God doesn't change. Does God look upon his people
now justified in his son? I said, yeah, I guess he does. Those called by grace, looked
upon in the precious Lord Jesus Christ, the law looks at them
and says, I see no blame here. No charge. No charge. I said,
well, let me ask you this. According to God Almighty, who
never changes, how long has he looked that way? And remember
this, whatever you're about to say, if it has anything to do
with God changing, it's going to be the wrong answer. He said,
I don't change. Well, I know this. He who has shown mercy to this
sinner has always purposed to show mercy to this sinner. God Almighty has mercy and compassion
on whomsoever he will. I'm gonna look at a verse of
scripture in Ephesians 1, and it's verse 10. It says, well,
let me read verse 9. Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he
hath purposed in himself. And here is the mystery that
God has been pleased to show his people, that in the dispensation
of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on
earth, even in him. Now that scripture right there
sets forth that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to reunite. He's going to bring back together
into one. He's going to make one. He's
going to make it together. He's going to restore it. Now,
to understand what is actually being said, we've got to go back
to the beginning in time. You know, I mean, in the beginning,
God, in the beginning, I mean, when you're speaking of the eternal
God, Larry, there's no beginning. I mean, in eternity, you know,
I try to talk about, you know, things and speak in eternal terms. I don't even know how to say
it. I mean, how do you say something eternal? Where do you start?
See, we start, Louie, we start and we stop, but in the beginning,
in the beginning of time. Genesis chapter one sets forth
that in the beginning, God did something. He created the heaven
and the earth. You go back and read that first
chapter of Genesis 2 and you find out that what God created,
He created the dirt, He created the sea, He created the heavenlies,
He created and everything in it. And everything that God created,
everything He made, here's what Genesis 131 reveals, and it was
very good. It was very good. It was totally
good. It's just something I just think
about every once in a while. Almighty God one of these days
is going to burn this world up. It's been corrupted by sin. And
He's going to make a new heaven and a new earth. Now let me ask
you this. Is it going to be any different
than what was first created that was very good? That's just a thought, just think
on it. John 1, 3 sets forth concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ, all things, all varieties is what that means,
were made, were caused by him and without him was not anything,
that is not one thing was made that was made. Not anything made
by Him outside of His creation. It's not one thing. Everything
that He made, He made just like it is right now. It hadn't evolved. He made it. Colossians 1 16 listen to this
for all things No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for by him We're all
things created that are in heaven. That is wherein that when we
look at the stars The stars the heavens the Milky Way All things
created in heaven and the abode of the angels when we talk about
heaven that you know and All things in heaven, all things
in the earth, visible and invisible. I can see, I can see you. I see you. I'm looking at you
and I know that there's a, here's a person. I can see some pews
and I see some bricks. I can see all things visible, but I can't see your soul. There's some things I can't see.
Can't see spirits. I can't see that all things visible
and invisible Everything visible and invisible Created by him And for him for his glory Everything
that he made he made Was made by him and it was made for his
glory. I He's going to be honored. Now here we behold, in these
scriptures concerning creation, we behold the potter who hath
power over the clay, who of the same lump has the right, has
the power and has the right to make one vessel unto honor I love the definition. You look
up that, look, you know, one vessel under honor. Worth the
cost. Worth the cost. You take somebody
you love, you take your spouse, you take whoever it is. Whatever
harm would be coming to them, you knew about it. You know what
you would spend for their safety, for their deliverance. And you know what? It'd be worth
the cost. How much would you give for somebody
you love? I'll give it all. To make one
vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. But something happened. Not beyond
the knowledge of Almighty God who is omniscient. Something
happened in this creation. that was created very good. Sin, according to God Almighty
who knew all things, sin entered in. What? Beyond His power? He works all things according to His will, according
to His power. Heaven and earth. He works all
things according to his will. Sin entered in to this creation
and the scripture says death by sin. God Almighty who created
man and woman created a garden in which mankind
Adam and Eve, his wife, would dwell. He set boundaries upon
that garden And he established the rule. He established the
law. That law was not written in stone,
as it was at Sinai at this time, but nonetheless, God's Word's
law. His Word gonna stand. And everything
that was created by Almighty God created very good. Sin entered in. And the Lord God told Adam in
Genesis 2, 16, 17, He commanded the man saying, of every tree
of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil thou mayest not eat of it. And almighty God, who knows,
who's always known, who has always seen, was not taken by surprise
in Adam's fall. And according to his omniscience,
he said to Adam, in the day that thou eatest, thou shalt surely
die. And Adam ate, and he died spiritually. And man was ruined in the fall. And everything that Almighty
God had created very good, was now corrupted by sin, everything,
everything. By the sin of one man, by one
man's sin, by one sin, one sin. Everything in creation was corrupted. Now man who was created very
good, was without shame, now was shameful. Genesis 2.25 says,
and they were both naked, the man and his wife. They were not
ashamed. But now Adam and Eve, because
of one man's sin, was aware of his nakedness and his guilt,
and he tried to cover that nakedness before God. And the scripture
says in Genesis 3, 7, and the eyes of both of them were opened. And now for the first time, they
knew something. They knew that they were naked. And they sewed
fig leaves together, made themselves aprons. Man was now guilty. His guilt
now produced something had evidenced something that it never had before.
Because of one sin, this earth was corrupted, man was corrupted,
man was made and had no shame. Now he's shame, he's shame. Now
there's enmity between God and man. I want you to read cold
Jehovah's place right there. Turn over to Genesis 3. I just want you to read this
and just listen, listen, not only to what Adam, not only to
the words, but listen to this attitude. Now this is enmity. Genesis 3, 11 and 12. Genesis 3, 11 and 12. And he
said, who told thee that thou was naked? In verse 10, that's
what, I heard thy voice in the garden. I was afraid because
I was naked and I hid myself. And he, that is the Lord said,
who told thee that thou was naked? Now you think about this. There was two people in the garden
and before they were naked, but there was no shame. They were
not, there was no shame. And now, they realized something. We're naked. And the Lord says,
hath thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest
not eat? And the man said, the woman that
thou gavest me to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I
did eat. Before, everything was very good. There was no shame. And there
was no blame. And when the Lord asked Adam,
who told you that you were naked? Who told you that? He said, the woman that you gave
me. It's your fault. It's your fault. If you wouldn't have given me
the woman, She gave me the fruit. It wasn't
my fault. Isaiah 59-2 says, But your iniquities
have separated between you and your God, and your sins have
hid His face from you that He will not hear. This earth was
created, and it was created very good, by one man's sin. There was enmity now. There was
shame, guilt, enmity between God and men but even in wrath against sin Almighty
God has ever remembered mercy for his people in Christ even before God Almighty expelled
Adam and he will expel him Glorious promise was revealed The Lord's promise to provide
deliverance for his people in a substitute Now you talk about
mercy God Almighty created this world created it good perfect
perfect One man's sin, one rebellion against God. One sin against
God. And this whole earth is created, is corrupted. Thorns,
thistles, now. Man that was in perfect harmony
with God, now he's at enmity with God. Now realizes he's naked. Tries to hide his nakedness before
God with a fig leaf. But here's the mercy of God.
Genesis 321 unto Adam, also to his wife, did the Lord God make
coats of skins and clothed them. I want you just to stop for just
a minute and realize in type, but in a beautiful type and picture
of our Lord Jesus Christ, Him, the Lord Himself, being put on. Put you on Christ. Now who can
do that? Who can put Christ upon? Who
can put Christ upon but God Himself? Looking to no provision to the
flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves
before God. Their nakedness was not covered
before God. But Almighty God covered them
in a beautiful type of the precious Savior. And that blood that the Lord
Jesus Christ has ever seen on the elect's behalf, that blood
slain from the foundation of the world. The scripture sets forth that
it was the Father that first trusted in Christ. And after
we heard that, we'll just turn back to Ephesians. Verse 12, that we should be to
the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. That's the
father that first trusted him. We was chosen in him from before
the foundation of the world. And who trusted in him to deliver
that which had been entrusted to him? Who trusted in Christ
first? The father. And then we trusted,
that's what verse 13 says, in whom ye also trusted. After that,
ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Is
it necessary to hear the gospel to believe? It's the power of
God and salvation. Must a person hear the gospel
of God's free sovereign grace to believe? Yes. Yes. Yes. That's why we preach what
we preach. This is the power of God unto
salvation. Sin separated us. I'm getting to verse 10, Ephesians
1. Sin separated between God and
men, and it separated between men and men. Back in Genesis
chapter four, I'll just turn there. I don't want you to...
Cain talked with Abel, his brother. It came to pass when they were
in the field that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and
slew him. You know why he killed him? I'll just get right to the
heart of it, sin. Sin. Sin now has separated God
and men and men and men. The Lord drove Cain, the scripture
says, from his face to be a vagabond and a fugitive in the earth.
Separation. Separation. Then scripture reveals that men
united themselves together And they were gonna try to build
a tower. We're gonna build a way back to God. We're gonna reconcile
ourselves back to God. That's what we're gonna do. Adam
tried to cover his nakedness before God with fig leaves. And
now here's a group of people and they're gonna try to build
a tower. Turn to look at Genesis 11, verse six. Genesis 11, verse
six to nine. The scripture. Sets forth, men
going to get together and the Lord said, Genesis 11, 6, the
Lord said, Behold, the people is one. They have all one language,
and this they began to do, and now nothing will be restrained
from them which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down,
and there confound their language, that they may not understand
one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad
from thence upon the face of all the earth, and they left
off to build a city, and therefore is the name of it called Babel.
Because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth,
and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the
face of all the earth. Now, I want you to realize something. All these languages that we have
in this world today, you know why we have all these languages?
Sin. Sin. The reason we speak English I had a buddy come to my house
one time. He's from England. And he had
that very British, you know, and I told him, I said, it's
amazing to me. I said, you speak English and I speak English.
And he said, no, you don't speak English. He said, I speak English. He said, you speak American.
And he said, even Southern American, you know, but he understood. But do you know why they speak
Spanish? Down in Mexico and Spain and
this and that. Sin. Separation. Separation. Language is separate. Man is at enmity with God. He's
at enmity with man. This whole world is in separation. War. We're not at peace. We're trying to establish world
peace. There's not going to be any peace. Sin has separated. But God, who is rich in mercy,
has revealed, set forth in this precious book, that he has a
people, an elect, and he's going to save these elect that have
been scattered Revelation chapter 5 verse 9
says forth that these people have been redeemed Out of every
kindred and tongue and people and nation In Ephesians chapter
1 in verse 10 sets forth that the Lord Jesus Christ Is going
to restore them all in one man was separated because of sin
and by grace the Lord Jesus Christ is going to bring his elect all
back together in him and here's the wonderful thought the assurance
of their salvation was never left in their hands almighty
God's purpose has been established in the surety in Christ himself
who has ever stood according to God's everlasting covenant
of grace David said it's all my hope it's all my salvation
he made with me and I'm so thankful that he's
revealed to me It's not according to me. That's a mystery that has been
revealed. That's a mystery that this world
doesn't know anything about because man by nature thinks that reconciliation
to God is dependent upon man. But here's the revelation of
the mystery of God. That God shows mercy not according
to my will, my way, or my ability. but according to his. What a revelation of truth that
God is going to show mercy and he's going to show mercy in his
son who has ever stood to answer and to bear the responsibility. This was beautifully, I love
it. Turn to Genesis 43. Genesis 43. Jacob had a boy, a young boy, Benjamin. You know, Joseph now is over
in Egypt. And Joseph, by the grace and
power of God, has been raised to second in command in Egypt. Joseph, by the grace of God,
has been placed second in command only to Pharaoh. One reason,
one reason that God might show mercy to Israel, to Jacob, to his people. One reason, one reason for Joseph
to be put with all of that authority, all of the distribution of the
corn placed in his hands. And Joseph knows who his brothers
are. They've been over there, and
they've come over there. Daddy sent them over there to get some corn.
And Joseph knows who they are. They don't know who he is. But
he knows who they are. Oh, and you know, I won't go
into the depth of the story, but he'll ask me, you got a daddy?
Yeah, we got a daddy. He's back. You got any more boys? You got any brothers? Yeah, we've
got. Is this all your brothers? Well,
there's just one. Just one. It's the youngest.
And he said, well, you're going to have to bring him here to
me. Oh, we can't do that. It would just break our daddy's
heart if we brought this. He said, I tell you what, you
don't bring that young boy. He said, there won't be anything
for you. They go back and they tell their
daddy, we're going to have to bring Benjamin. Oh, he said,
I just know. He said, I done lost one. He said, Joseph, I lost my boy. I gave him a coat of many colors.
He said, I lost him, an animal killed him. He said, I just can't
do this. He said, well, Dad, he said,
if we don't bring him, don't even show up. And the scripture says that here
was Judah. Genesis 43, eight. And nine, Judas said unto Israel,
that is unto Jacob, that is Israel now prince of God. That's when
the Lord, remember he wrestled with the Lord. There's a lot
of things to preach here, isn't it? Remember years ago, Jacob
was wrestling with the man, the Lord himself. The Lord told Jacob,
he said, let me go. He said, I can't. I can't. Not unless you bless
me, I can't. He said, what's your name? He
said, my name's Jacob. Trickster, supplanter, huckster. He said, not anymore. He said,
your name's Israel. You're a prince with God. Touched
the hollow of his thigh and he hobbled the rest of his life
remembering. Judah, his boy, said unto Israel,
his father, send the lad with me. we will arise and go that
we may live and not die both we and thou and also our little
ones I will be surety for him of my hand shalt thou require
him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee then
let me bear the blame forever what do you talk about a glorious
picture of our Savior, the surety. I'll answer. For all that the
Father hath given me, if I don't deliver that which
you've given to me without spot, without blemish, and no wrinkle,
if I don't bring an answer for every demand and you lay the responsibility on
me and I'll bear the guilt of it forever here's where we behold a great
mystery back in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 8 to 10 says wherein
he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence having
made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his
good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself that in the dispensation
this word dispensation here does not mean periods of time. That word, I know we talk about
periods of time, but that word right there has to do with stewardship. Stewardship. The arrangement of the household. It talks about the one who is
in charge. The one entrusted with the responsibility
of handling the matter. that in the dispensation or the
stewardship of the fullness of times, he might gather together
in unity, in one, all things in Christ, both which are in
heaven, which are on earth, even in him. The Lord of glory has purposed
to gather back into oneness all that he's everlastingly loved
and chosen in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he's gonna do it
totally in him. Just hold your places, turn over
to Colossians 1. Colossians chapter 1, just three
or four, five, six pages toward the back. Colossians 1, verse
19 to 22. Colossians 1, 19 to 22. The scripture says, for he pleased
the Father, that in Him, that in the Lord Jesus Christ, should
all fullness dwell. And having made peace through
the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto
Himself, unto the Father. By Him, by Christ, I say, whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven, and you They were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind. I think about this, not in God's
mind, but enemies in your mind. By wicked works, yet now hath
he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present
you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. Scripture sets forth according
to God's everlasting covenant Galatians 4 4 & 5 it says when
the fullness of time was come God sent forth his son made of
a woman made under the law To redeem them that were under the
law that we might receive the adoption of sons The Lord Jesus Christ humbled himself, his father's
will, and made himself of no reputation. God Almighty was made flesh. God, totally God, and totally
man. The God-man, the Messiah, The Redeemer. The Christ. When we say Christ, this is what
we mean. God-man. The Christ. And He came into
this world to fulfill and accomplish the purpose of His Father. That is to reconcile in unity. all things in Christ that had
been scattered in Adam's fall to restore back in oneness all
things in him not all men without exception not all men that's
ever been born in this world that he might reconcile in one
all things in Christ chosen in him Delivered unto him purposed
in him and he came into this world And he went to the cross And I know exactly who he died
for Because he said in John 10 15. I lay down my life for the
sheep And only the sheep Oh, there were some Pharisees
just a few verses later, and they said, how long do you cause
us to doubt? If you be the Christ, tell us
plainly. He said, I told you. And he said, you believe me not. He said, because you're not my
sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and they
follow me. I know them, and I know you're
not my sheep. He laid down His life for the
sheep. And not one drop of that blood
was shed in vain. He accomplished the purpose. He came into this world to finish
the work that had been given Him. What is that? Reconciliation,
appeasement, satisfaction, justice. The Lord was going to have to
be satisfied. The Lord was going to have to be honored. And He
came and died being made sin. I'm not even going to begin to try
to make you believe that I understand the fullness of this scripture. But I can tell you this. When
he went to the cross, it wasn't just merely kind of a sort of
a legal thing. When he was made sin, I know
this, and I think I even remember saying this here. I talked to
Scott about this, Larry. I said, Scott, I said, 2 Corinthians
5.21. know that the scripture says
that he that is the father hath made him and the word to be is
in italics he hath made him sin who knew no sin he was not a sinner a sinner
has to do with disobedience and he was not a sinner. He knew
no sin. This is a great mystery. But
he made him sin. And I told Scott, I said, Scott,
I'm saying this and I'm holding my breath when I'm saying it. I said, based on that scripture,
Our precious Savior, holy, harmless, undefiled Savior hanging upon
that cross was the one that was made sin
and God forsook Him. God who would not look upon sin
forsook Him. And God Almighty poured out His
wrath upon him and he died under the judgment of God. And I said,
Scott, I don't know how to say that. I want to be respectful. And he put his finger in my face
and said this, Marvin, don't you ever try to play down the
glory of Almighty God in the redemption of His people. Don't
you ever. try to play it down I know this for him to reconcile
me back to God he gonna have to be made what I am and I am sin and he bore my guilt
being made what I am he was a divine substitute I told the folks there one time
if my mama murdered somebody and was going to go to the electric
chair and I told the warden there said listen I love my mama I'll
die, I'll just die. If somebody's going to have to
die I guess I'll die. I'll die for her. I mean somebody's
going to have to die. If they put me in that electric
chair my mama showed up for the electrocution and they went ahead
and flipped the switch and I died. They'd say boy he sure loved
his mama but you know the only problem she did it he wasn't
guilty but if I could actually become my mama actually become
my mama and on that in that electric chair right there that is my
mother Marian Starnaker in a true substitute I actually was made
her and she me and now she is being made me innocent she didn't
do it He hath made him sin for us who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him, paid our debt. And the scripture
sets forth that Almighty God has eternally purposed to gather
together in one. That's what Ephesians 1 says.
He made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His
good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, that in the stewardship
of the completion of times, when times shall be no more, He might
gather together in unity, in oneness, no more separation,
gather together in unity all things in Christ, which are in
heaven, which are on earth, even in Him. Our Lord is gathering his people
out right now. Some he already has, some he
is right now, and if time is still going on tomorrow, he'll
still be gathering them out. And this is how he's gathering
them out, through the preaching of the gospel. This is how he's
doing it. These that are scattered God's
sending this this message right here turn over to James 1 1 I'll
show you something now. I'm wrapping it up James 1 1
God's calling out his His sheep. Where are they? They're everywhere
And he knows where they are and listen to this James 1 1 James,
a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes, which are scattered abroad, greeting. Greeting. Look at 1 Peter, 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1, verses one and two. Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, Bithynia elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ grace unto you and
peace be multiplied. Almighty God has revealed this
great mystery According to the dispensation
the stewardship in the dispensation of the fullness of times Time
should be no more Here's what's going to happen two more verses
first Thessalonians 4 16 17 first Thessalonians 4 16 17 Here's
what's going to happen Time shall be no more, 1 Thessalonians
4, 16, 17. For the Lord himself, not gonna send somebody else,
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead
in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air so shall we ever be with the Lord in this last
verse Matthew 25 you know the scriptures says in Ephesians
chapter 1 as there's a again I'm gonna just have to admit
my ignorance here The scripture says, I'll read
this 10th, you turn over to Matthew 25, 31, that in the dispensation
of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on
earth, even in him. I just read where the dead in
Christ, those whose departed souls are with the Lord. I know
this, absent from the body, present with the Lord. And I know this,
that there's going to be His departed saints who sleep in
Christ. The Lord bring them with Him.
But also in the heavens are those elect angels, those that never
fail, those ministering spirits, those that look into this marvel
of redemption, Like those two that was with the Lord himself
when he met, when the Lord met with Abraham, those two angels
that went in to Sodom, grabbed a whole lot by the hand, his
wife, his kids, and took them out, ministering spirits. I don't
understand all that I know. But I know this, all of these
things, heaven and earth, All that almighty God has eternally
purposed to be in one in him Look at Matthew. Let me turn
over there to Matthew 25 verse 31 When the son of man Matthew
25 31 son of man shall come in his glory And all the holy angels
with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and And
before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate
them one from another as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats.
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, the goats on
his left, then shall the king say unto them on his right hand,
come you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. All these holy angels are going
to come with him. How are all of these things going
to be placed back in one? I don't know. But I do know this. All that he's ever purposed to
have in oneness in him is going to be restored. And he's going
to make a new heaven and a new earth, heaven and earth gonna
pass away as we know it. And the Lord of glory is gonna
assemble all of his people, all that he's ever looked upon in
mercy and grace, and they're gonna be together
with him in one. I'll just read, I said two more,
one more, one more. I'll read it to you, Revelation
5. John said and I beheld revelation
514 I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about
the throne and the beast Just just according to this these
these these beasts these four beasts I believe it to be the
cherubim and that's another message, but Round about the throne many angels
and the beast and the elders, these four and twenty elders
set forth being the entire redeemed church. But this who is going
to be around the throne, the voice of many angels, the beast
and the elders. And the number of them was 10,000
times 10,000 and thousands and thousands saying with a loud
voice worthy as a lamb that was slain to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing and every
creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, such are in the sea, and all that are in them. Heard I
saying, blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto
him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and
ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. The four and 20 elders
fell down and worshiped him that liveth forever." About one man's
sin, death. reigned in this earth scattered
God justly scattered but in mercy and kindness and compassion according
to the pleasure of his will and no other but in the stewardship
and the dispensation of the fullness of times he's going to gather
together in unity, in one, in union all things in Christ. Somebody said, well, what is
that all going to be? Eye hath not seen, ear hath not
heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man that which God
has prepared for those that love Him. What's it going to be like? I don't know. But I do know this,
when we see Him We'll know Him as we're known. And here's the
amazing thing, we'll be like Him. Lord, bless these words
to our heart for Christ's sake. Amen, amen.