but rather that this book is,
as chapter 1 and verse 1 says, the revelation of Jesus Christ. That word revelation means the
unveiling, the unfolding of Jesus Christ. It's about His victory
and the victory of His people in Him. The main purpose of the
writing given by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle John is to
comfort the Church, the true Church, in every generation through
her struggles against the forces of evil. It assures all God's
people in this hour and in every hour that regardless of what
the circumstances are, he sees our tears, he hears our prayers,
our death is precious in his sight, our final victory is assured,
the blood of martyrs will be avenged, and that Christ lives
and reigns forever and ever. It assures us that Christ is
coming again to take his people to himself, and we'll live with
him forever. As John the writer is exiled
on Patmos, not because he had shot somebody or robbed a bank,
but he tells us that he's there for the preaching and for the
testimony of Jesus Christ. And he identified himself in
chapter 1 in verse 9 as our brother and companion in tribulation
and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. And here on
this island that's called Patmos, I believe John's mind and heart is attempting to pierce through
the present darkness hoping that Christ our Lord would
split the sky at any moment and return. And he concludes the
book with this prayer on his lips, chapter 22 in verse 20,
even so come Lord Jesus. And many sitting under the sound
of my voice this morning may live to see the time that we'll
all be praying even so come, Lord Jesus. Now I want to read
a little bit here in chapter 7, beginning in verse 9, Revelation
chapter 7, verse 9. After this, I beheld, and lo,
a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations,
and kindreds, and people and tongues stood before the throne
and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in
their hands, and cried with a loud voice saying, salvation to our
God, which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. And all the
angels stood round about the throne and about the elders and
the four beasts and fell before the throne on their faces and
worshiped God saying, amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen. One of the elders answered
saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes
and whence came they? And I said unto him, sir, thou
knowest. And he said to me, these are
they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Therefore,
are 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. They shall hunger no more, neither
thirst any more. Neither shall the sun light on
them nor any heat. For the lamb, 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 their
tears." Our subject this morning is Thanksgiving
in worship. Thanksgiving in worship. John
here sees in a vision a worship scene. which includes all the
redeemed in all of history. How many are there? Verse 9,
a great multitude which no man can number. It doesn't say which
God cannot number, but it says which no man can number. Where are they from? kindreds and people and tongues. Where are they? They stood before
the throne and before the lamb upon the throne. How are they dressed? They're
clothed with white robes. What are they holding? Palms
in their hands to wave and shout praises to the Lamb. This is the worship scene. And cried with a loud voice,
saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne
and under the Lamb. Now in verse 11, the angels join
in. And all the angels stood round
about the throne, the elders and the four beasts, and fell
before the throne on their faces and worshipped God. How did they
worship? They worshipped, verse 12, they
worshipped Him saying, Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our God
forever and ever. Amen. I loved the line in that
proclamation. They read, acknowledging God
as the beneficent author of all the good that has been, that
is, or shall be. That's who He is. That's who
He is. All right, in this verse 12 is
a sevenfold ascription, a praise unto and worship of our God. Seven things, blessing, glory,
wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might. These things
be unto our God forever and ever. Amen. We don't have time to talk
about all seven of these, but you noticed I'm sure that the
middle one of the seven is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. And this is not
a reference to the fourth Thursday in November. It's not that, but
it is a reference to the condition of a heart which truly worships
God. There is a great deal in our
day that's done in the name of worship. But here is a certainty. It is impossible to truly worship
God without a heart of thankfulness to God. And even that is the
gift of God. We cannot offer anything acceptable
to God that originated with us. So even a thankful heart comes
from God. And then responds to God, it
don't come natural. If you're truly thankful this
morning, that's of him. You can't muster up thankfulness. It's an humbling work of God
that overtakes us and overwhelms us. Thanksgiving. I've tried to do a few little
things through the years to help somebody that I knew in need.
And all too often, their attitude is not gratitude. They'll act like you owed it
to them. You ever had that happen? I'm sure you have. Well, I don't
fall out with people over that anymore. I used to. But what you do, you do it as
under the Lord. You don't be defeated by people's
attitude. They can't help it. I'm simply
saying that even thankfulness is the gift of God. It is. One of the things Paul charged
godless society with in 2 Timothy 3 is that they were unthankful. They were unthankful. Certainly
that describes the day and time we're living, the society we're
in. But God's people are a thankful people. We're thankful for material
blessings. I doubt that anyone here this
morning went to bed hungry last night. Or if you did, you probably
didn't have to. We thank God for that. We're
thankful for physical health. Many of us are to the point in
life we're not as strong and healthy as we once were, but
it makes us more thankful. We're thankful. We're still kicking.
And we confess openly that we have it far better than we deserve.
We're thankful to God for these blessings. But the emphasis here
in this worship scene and the chief thanksgiving in the hearts
of God's people is that we thank God for spiritual blessings.
These spiritual blessings of God to his people are said to
be wrapped up in one person. Ephesians 1, 3, God hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. There are no true spiritual blessings
from God except in Christ. We cannot emphasize that too
much. Our land is quickly being invaded
by religions that are willing to acknowledge a God of some
kind and claim it's the same God we worship. They're willing
to acknowledge a God of some kind under some name or the other.
But they don't really acknowledge our God, nor do they know God,
nor can they know God, nor can they know God, except in the person of His Son,
Jesus Christ. So briefly, let me give us a
few things for which the Lord's true children are very grateful. And we'll be brief this morning.
Number one, we're thankful that God the Father purposed the redemption
of certain sinners from eternity past. I say certain sinners because
if he had purposed the redemption of all sinners, All sinners would
be redeemed. Let me give you what's printed
on a little card. I meant to bring one up here.
I put a stack of them back on the table in the back so you
can pick one up and take with you. It gives three thoughts.
It gives three thoughts. Number one, that Christ died
for all the sins of all men. That would be universalism. and none could possibly perish.
And yet you and I know that many have perished and many are perishing
as we speak. So that's wrong. Number two said
that Christ died for some of the sins of all men. That being true, that would leave
all men with some sins yet to account for. And none could be
accepted with God. We'd all have to perish. Number three said that Christ
died for all the sins of some men. And that's the truth. That's
the truth. Not one sinner for whom Christ
died can possibly perish because he purposed that sinner's redemption
in Christ, and he purposed it before he created the world. How long has God loved his people? Forever. Forever. Before we got here, before we
had a sin problem, our God purposed redemption and provided the remedy. for his people. Boy, I thank
God for that. That's something for me to thank
God for this Thanksgiving and not just this season, but every
day that dawns. I thank God that before the world
was, he purposed and provided in his son redemption for his
people. You say, well now I thought John
3.16 said that God so loved the world. Yes, but where did you
read that that world meant all Adam's race, all humanity? You didn't read that. You'll
read several places that there's a world that God rejected. You'll read that there's a world
that Christ refused to pray for. John 17, 9, I pray for them which
thou hast given me out of the world. I pray not for the world.
See? So you've got to understand what
that word world means in its various occurrences in the New
Testament. God so loved the world that whosoever
believe it. Not whosoever decides to believe.
That's what some of the versions will say. some of these newfangled
ones. But the old Bible says, for God
so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever
believeth. You know what that ETH means?
It means them that do. That whosoever believeth, them
that do should not perish, but have everlasting life. So John
3 16 is not a proposition to unbelievers,
it is a promise to believers that we shall not perish but
have everlasting life. All right, number two, we're
thankful this morning that God the Son covenanted with the Father
and the Holy Ghost in eternity past to purchase our redemption
by his coming into the world in a body of flesh, like unto
our sinful flesh, yet he knew no sin, and would die a death
he did not deserve, and he'd do it for his people
who did deserve it. He'd pay a debt he did not owe,
but he'd pay it for his people who did owe it. And the debt being paid, those
for whom Christ died are as accepted with the Father as He is. I'm as accepted with God this
morning as His Son is. You say, that's hard for me to
believe. That's our trouble. Everything's hard to believe.
That's true. Pretty easy to believe a lie. Ephesians 1, 6, we're accepted
in the beloved, in Christ. So the Father purposed our redemption. The Son purchased our redemption. And number three, we're thankful
this morning that God the Holy Spirit, God the Holy Ghost has
pursued us in time and in life to be brought to the knowledge
of and the enjoyment of redemption. Not enough is said in this hour
about the Holy Spirit's pursuit of God's elect. We're in a religious generation
that's got people convincing each other and saving each other. And the term they use is winning
souls. But people don't understand this
contest is between heaven and hell. It's big business. It's not something we're in on. Just suppose A few days ago,
weeks ago now, a man stood by the water up yonder in New York,
stretched out his arms, and he said, I'm going to stand here,
and I'm going to protect this city. I'm not going to let this
storm, they called it Sandy, it's making quite a ruckus out
in the water. But I'm not going to let it harm
anyone. I'm going to let it do any damage to anything or anyone
in this city. You'd call that man a fool. He
can't compete with a storm. And religious folk can't compete
with hell for the souls of men. If God don't rescue you, you'll
perish. But God's Spirit is a match for
hell. God the Holy Ghost can and does. He comes when no one else did. He convinces when no one else
can. He came to me. when no one else
did. Oh, there was religious folks
coming to me telling me I ought to straighten up, but I couldn't
straighten up. Telling me that I ought to turn
over a new leaf, but I didn't have a new leaf to turn over. He convinced me that I needed
him when no one else could. He convicted me as no one else
could. He changed me as no one else
could. He won my soul. You say, but
don't the Bible say, he that winneth souls is wise? Yes, the
Holy Ghost is very wise. He's the only soul winner there
is. And he wins all that the Father
gave to the Son. He wins all that Christ came
and died for. And the rest perish in their
sins. So we're thankful this morning.
This is Thanksgiving. I thank God for the work of the
triune God in redemption. The Father purposed it. The Son
purchased it. The Spirit pursued us. Another thing, we're thankful
this morning for the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God. It is He this morning working
in your heart that gives you one ounce of zeal and desire
that you have to do right and pursue God. And you thought it
was you. And a lot of people will tell
you it's you, and you're doing a good job, and you're better
than the average bear. But let me just repeat that.
We need to thank God for this. It is the Holy Spirit working
in you that gives you every ounce of zeal and desire that you have
to do right and to pursue God. Matter of fact, without Him,
you'd be worse than anybody you know. He's very patient with us. It wouldn't be a hard thing for
him to put us all flat of our back for months and years. It wouldn't be hard for him to
put us on our deathbed that quickly. Terminally ill, waiting to die,
nothing the doctors can do. Our God knows how to get your
full attention and do a whole lot of things in your rebellious
heart in just a short time. He can do that. But instead, and this is all
for God's glory, ultimately and eternally for God's glory, He
is pleased to work patiently with us, lets us rebel, lets us fight, lets us boast, lets us contend
with Him sometimes for many years. And this is the case with most
of us. But in the end, in the end, the strong one, the Holy
Spirit of God, will bring every one of his to confess, God was
right all along, and I was wrong all along. But in this generation that we
live in, who wants rid of God, Want no mention of God in this
nation? I can report this morning they'll
never be rid of Him. They'll never be rid of Him.
For eternity, they'll never be rid of Him. But those of us who
fear Him this morning, we fear in a measure what? that we could miss being with
him forever. And we thank God for that fear. Every conviction you have is
the gift of God. We say thank you Lord for it.
The Holy Spirit is so faithful to his people. Known only to
God are the great mysteries as to his ways and workings in getting
his children home. Many of God's elect die drunk. Many of God's elect die in prison. Now, that's not what the works
religionists say. They say if you've messed up so much, then
there's no hope of heaven. See, this has nothing to do with
you messing up. If that filthy heart of yours was opened up
this morning, you've messed up 10 million times more than you
dreamed. You're, you're rottener than
hell itself. If you could but see. So, so don't, don't go,
don't go to put no little one, two, three list of rules. That
if people crosses a certain line, they're out. No, this is not
your game. This is God's business. And so
I'll just repeat that. Many of God's elect die drunk.
Many of God's elect die in prison. And we're not talking religious
acceptance. We're talking about God. God who is faithful. Faithful in the person of the
Holy Spirit to follow His own through this world. To follow
Him to the bottom. To follow Him to the gutter. And in the end, he will usher
every one of them into the presence of our God. Many of God's elect die in the
insane asylum. Sure, they're out of their mind
for now, but thank God now is not all there is. Look at page 220 in this old
red book. Let me read you this last line,
page 220. Down at the bottom of the page
it says, the last stanza of this song
was penciled on the wall of a narrow room of an asylum by a man said
to have been demented. the profound lines were discovered
after his death. Let me read it to you. Could
we with ink the ocean fill? And were the skies of parchment
made? Were every stalk on earth a quill,
and every man a scribe by trade? To write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain
the whole, though stretched from sky to sky. Does that sound like
a crazy man to you? I don't think so. I don't think so. Throughout
this world, God is working in places and in ways we'd never
dream. Oh, I've heard people say, ah,
so and so is just too far gone. How far is that? Huh? Nobody's gone further than our
God can go. Oh, His mysterious ways and workings
in places and in people. we'd never dream. This just come in my mind, an
old man I knew years ago. And I don't guess he has any
relatives here. I'd tell his son, I talked about him today. But
this old man was named Nathan Paris. And he run a shell station
right out here on Oak Grove Road, right close to where you get
on the connector. It's not there now. And I always thought he
was a grouchy old man. But I got to know him. And I
got to talking to him. And he got to giving me free
coffee on Sunday morning when I'd go by. And I found out the
man lived in constant pain. His back, those who remember
him know he humped over like this all the time. Constantly
in pain. But we talked about the Lord.
And I come to love the old man. And his son asked me to help
in his funeral, and we did some years ago. But that's just how
wrong one person can be about another person. I thought he
was mean, grouchy. Of course, he had to be sometimes
to keep that bunch out there at East Flat Rock from stealing
him blind. But he was a good old man. We
just don't know. We just don't know. But I'm telling
you this, one day God will have it all done. And it'll all be
done so perfectly and so gloriously till his people will praise him
forever. It behooves us this morning,
that word behooves means it's necessary, it's needful for every
one of us that we strive in our hearts personally to cooperate with the Holy Spirit
in the directing of our lives. I've heard that the most difficult
part of a lifeguard's job in rescuing a drowning person is that person fighting to rescue
themselves. If they'd just be still in this
gold lamp and let the lifeguard do his job, it'd be a whole lot
easier for him. But guess what? A drowning man
won't be still. He will fight in desperation. And that's what we do. That's
what we do. When the psalmist said in Psalm
46, Be still and know that I am God. What he was really saying was
be still and watch God. Quit fighting and watch God. Shut up and watch God. Many would say this morning,
well, I just don't know what I'm going to do about what I've
got to face tomorrow. I could say that. My neighbors are not an option.
My friends are not an option. My family is not an option. My
bank account is not an option. I know I'm helpless to handle
it, but I'm so thankful that I have a God who knows all, sees
all, can do anything, and He will do what He's pleased to
do. The biggest need is that my heart
would be satisfied with what he does rather than what I want. But with all that I'm so glad
and I believe, I really believe, I'm truly thankful this morning
that he's in control of things and I'm not. I'm truly thankful that I'm not
trusting in Washington and I'm not trusting in Raleigh
And I'm not trusting in my doctor. I went to see him this week.
What's your problem? I said, that's what I come to
you for. What did you do that you ought
not done? I told him. Well, don't be doing that. OK. I'm not trusting in my doctor. I'm not trusting in a lawyer.
I'm thankful that it's in my heart to want to trust God, whether
I do always or not, I want to. And I'm thankful for that. Young
folks this morning, you teenagers, you children, all of you that
are here today, you'll face many disappointments
in life. People will hurt you. People
will do you wrong. People will break your heart.
But God will never fail you. Mackenzie, God will never fail
you. Emily, God will never fail you. Landon, God will never fail you. All you others, God will never
Fail you. I want to close by reading a
few verses from Psalm 78. If you'd like, you could turn
with me to the 78th Psalm. Psalm 78. This is especially with our children
in mind, Psalm 78. Verse 1, give ear, O my people,
to my law. Incline your ears to the words
of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable.
I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and
known and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from
their children, showing to the generation to come the praises
of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that
he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed
a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should
make them known to their children, that the generation to come might
know them, even the children which should be born who should
arise and declare them to their children. So he's talking about
generation after generation, making known the goodness and
the greatness of God to our children. And why? Verse 7 tells us why. That they might set their hope
in God and not forget the works of God.
but keep His commandments. That's why we're here this morning.
That's why we're here every Sunday morning. That's why we love telling
these children and want to be faithful in telling them who
our God is, how great He is, how gracious He is, how good
He is. Why? That they might set their
hope in God. You set your hope in men, you'll
be disappointed. You set your hope in the world,
you'll be disappointed. It's good to plan ahead. It's
good to know what you're going to do in life. It's good to have
a career. It's good to work hard at it.
But you better not have any hope out there that they might set
their hope in God. Bless his holy name. Happy Thanksgiving. Stand with me.