Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nivert. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nivert. I've entitled the message for
this morning, The Two Great Blessings of Heaven. James said, what is
your life? It's even a vapor that appeareth
for a little while and passeth away. David said, thou hast made
my life as a handbreadth, the breadth of his hand, and mine
age is as nothing before thee. In the grand scheme of things,
our life is very brief, and then eternity. Eternity knows no time. They're not minutes and hours. days and years, it is eternal. And you and I will spend eternity
either in heaven or in hell. Now, there are some people who
would say, well, I just don't believe there's a place called
hell. Well, the Lord Jesus Christ said
there was. And he's the one who knows. And he warned us more
of hell than anyone else in the scriptures. Now, do I understand
hell? Of course I don't. I don't even
like to think about it. And the only way I understand
it is this way. I know that the Lord bore the
full equivalent of it when he died on the cross and made a
way for God to be just and justify his people. But there is an eternal
place of torment called hell, and there is a place of indescribable
bliss in the presence of Christ called heaven. Now, I was thinking
about death this week, and it was a sweet thought. I'm thankful
for the life I have, but I look forward to death. I look forward
to death for this reason, and I thought of these two reasons.
I look forward to dying. As a matter of fact, the day
of my death would be the greatest day of my life. It'll usher me
into the presence of the Lord. But the two things that I find
so attractive about death is number one, I'll be with Christ. I will be in his presence. I
will see his face. I'll be with him. And the second
thing that I found attractive about death is I won't be a sinner
anymore. I won't even remember what it's
like to be a sinner. I'll be sinless, perfectly conformed
to the image of Christ. And as I was thinking about that,
the Lord brought this scripture to my mind. Let me read it to
you in Psalm 17, verse 15. These are the words of David,
the man after God's own heart. And he said in Psalm 17, verse
15, as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness."
There's being with him, seeing him. And then he says, I shall
be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness, theirs being sinless."
Those two things that I was thinking of, the two greatest blessings
of heaven, David describes them in this verse of scripture. David,
the man after God's own heart, he says, as for me, I will behold
thy face in righteousness. I'll be satisfied when I awake
in thy likeness." Now, he begins this verse with this statement,
as for me. As for me, as opposed to, in
contrast to, as distinct from them. Who are them? Who is he referring to? Well,
in the 13th verse, he says, Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast
him down, deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword. Now, the them he's speaking of
is the wicked. And remember this, very important. There are two kinds of people
walking the planet today, the righteous and the wicked. There are only two kinds of people,
the righteous and the wicked. And they're described by the
Lord in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. I think this
is interesting. The wicked man in this parable is the one who
believes himself to be righteous. And the righteous man is the
man who believes himself to be wicked. I'd like you to read
this parable with me. In Luke chapter 18, verse 9,
and he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves
that they were righteous. and despised others, two men
went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, the other
a Republican. The Pharisee, the religious man,
stood and prayed thus with himself. He wasn't praying to God, he
thought he was, but he wasn't. He prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank thee that I'm not as other men are. extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican, I fast twice in
the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. Now he gave God
the credit, but what was he giving him the credit for? How good
he believed himself to be. Now this is the prayer of the
wicked man. He believed himself to be righteous. Now let's look at the prayer
of the righteous man. Verse 13, and the publican, standing afar
off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, thee,
sinner." I tell you, this is the Lord speaking. This man went
down to his house justified, righteous, without guilt, without
sin, rather than the other For everyone that exalts himself
shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Now David was praying for deliverance
from whom he called the wicked, and notice how he says, which
is thy sword. The wicked man is in God's hand
doing God's will. He's God's instrument accomplishing
God's purpose. You see, there's nothing that
is outside of the sovereignty of God. He said, I create the
light. I form darkness. I make peace.
I create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things. And here's the thing about the
Lord. He brings good out of evil. The cross is the great proof
of that. The cross is the most evil thing that ever took place,
and it's the most glorious thing that ever took place. But these
evil men that David is praying for deliverance from, he says,
they're your sword, and he says much the same in verse 14, for
men which are thy hand, O Lord. These men are simply accomplishing
your purposes. The Lord hath made all things
for himself, yea, even the wicked. for the day of evil. Now David
acknowledges that these men are utterly and completely in the
hand of the Lord, performing his will, doing his purpose.
I'm glad God's God. He controls everybody and everything. But look what else he says. He
says, for men which are thy hand, O Lord, for men of the world. These are the ones he's saying,
as for me, as opposed to them, men of the world. Now, what is he speaking of when
he says men of the world? Well, it's the same world that
John said, love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world, for all that's of the world, the lust of the flesh. the pleasure of fallen flesh,
the lust of the eyes, being more concerned about what other people
see than what God sees, the craving for popularity, and the pride
of life, self-righteousness, supposed power, all that's of
the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life is not of the Father, it's of the world. Don't love
that world. If any man loved the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. The same world of which
James, or which the Lord, James said, whosoever is the friend
of the world is the enemy of God. The Lord said, I am not
of the world. And he's not of the world. And
he said in John chapter 17, verse nine, I pray for them. I pray
not for the world. but for them which you have given
me, for they are thine. He says regarding these same
people, they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Now there are men of the world,
and there are men who are not of the world. And what is the
mark of being of the world? He says they have their portion
in this life. Their great desire, that which
they crave, that which they want, is found in this life. I think
one of the clearest examples of this is the rich man and Lazarus.
The rich man fared sumptuously in this life. He had a good life.
He was living the dream. He was clothed in linen and purple,
and he was a very wealthy man, and he died, and his portion
was in this life, and he went to hell. He didn't care about
the life to come. And then Lazarus, who had this
miserable life, in this life, but his portion wasn't in this
life. His portion was in the life which is to come. You know, the Lord, in Matthew
chapter six, talked about those who give alms, pray, and fast
to be seen of men. Their portion is in this life,
to be seen of men, to have men impressed with what they do,
and their religiosity, and their morality, and so on. And he said,
they have their reward. And what a miserable reward it
is. What if some sinful man is impressed with my religiosity?
Is that my reward? I've got a very poor reward. Now, if your portion is in this
life, I think of what the Lord said, what should a prophet if
he gain the whole world and lose his soul. What shall a man give
in exchange for his soul? Now, these people who have their
portion in this life quite often have very prosperous lives. Look
what he says. For men which are thy hand, O Lord, for men of
the world which have their portion in this life, whose belly thou
fillest with thy hid treasure, they're full of children, they
leave the rest of their substance to their babes. They quite often
are prosperous and wealthy and leave a big inheritance to their
kids. But as for me, David said, as for me, in contrast to them,
as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. This world is not my home. I'm
looking for that other world. And as for me, I will. behold
thy face in righteousness." Now the only way I can say, I will,
this is not the I will of presumption. This is the I will of, I will
because he willed it. He says, I will and you shall.
And because he said to me, you shall, I will. As for me, I will
behold thy face in righteousness. Unlike the wicked who will cry
out in that day, who will say to the mountains and the rocks,
Fall on us. and hide us from the face of
him that sitteth upon the throne and the wrath of the Lamb." Oh,
they don't want to see his face. David said, I'll behold that
same face in righteousness. The same face of which Paul described
for God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness
has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The same face
that had set his face like a flint to go to Jerusalem to die for
his people. The same face that was marred
more than the sons of men, blood dripping down from the crown
of thorns. His beard had been pulled out. He was beaten and
bruised. That same face, David says, as
for me, I'll behold his face in righteousness. Now, let me
remind you, there's only one righteousness. His. A believer has his righteousness
as their own personal righteousness. Isaiah 64, 6 says, our righteousnesses,
every human being, this is me, this is you, our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. That's what they are before God.
Men have a high opinion of their own righteousness, but God knows. And God testifies our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. There is only one righteousness,
the righteousness of God, the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Now I'll stand before God on
judgment day, beholding his face in perfect righteousness. I won't
have to look down in shame. I'll be beholding his face in
perfect righteousness. I'm going to do what no seraphim
can do. You know, we read of the seraphim flying around his
throne. They all have six wings. With
two, they cover their face. They can't look upon him. He's
holy. They're created beings. With
two, they cover their feet. They're ashamed of themselves.
Somebody says, well, what did they do? It's not what they've
done, but what they could do apart from God keeping them from
it. Every creature knows that it will mutate into something
bad if God doesn't preserve it. And with two, they fly, always
ready to do his commands. But remember, they cover their
face, not the believer. You see, we have the very righteousness
of God. We don't have a righteousness
that's like God's. We don't have a righteousness
that's like Christ's. It's His very righteousness. Therefore, on judgment day, we'll
be able to behold His face in perfect, sinless, holy righteousness. It's what the Bible calls justification.
In 1 John 4, verse 17, let me read these words. John says,
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in
the day of judgment. Now, can you imagine having boldness
on judgment day? Well, John says that's the heritage
of every believer. We may have boldness on the day
of judgment, and here's why. Because as he is. Well, how is he? He's utterly
righteous, utterly holy. Oh, how pleased the Father is
with Him. How beautiful He is to the Father. How perfect He is to the Father. The Father says, this is my beloved
Son. Oh, as He is, so are we, every
believer. in this world right now. And
that's how we can have this boldness with regard to Judgment Day. Now, does anyone say with Nicodemus,
how can these things be? Well, I'm glad you asked. It's
called the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let me begin
with this verse of Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30,
we read, of him. Are you in Christ Jesus? Of God, are you in Christ Jesus? And that means in Him eternally. Ephesians 1, 4 says, According
as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world. There's never been a time when
you were not in Him. Of Him are you in Christ Jesus. Now before I read the rest of
that verse, I want to quote another scripture. 2 Corinthians chapter
5 verse 21 says, The He is the same one referred
to as of Him. Are you in Christ Jesus? This
is talking about God the Father. For He, God the Father, made
Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be sin. Who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God. in Him. Now that's how every believer
is the righteousness of God. God the Father took my sin and
He made it the sin of His Son. Now that's mysterious. That's
impossible to understand. It can only be believed. For
He hath made Him sin. He hath made him to be sin. My sin became his sin, that one
who knew no sin. He never sinned in his person.
Yet God the Father made him to be sin for us, all of his people,
who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God. in Him. Now that's the righteousness
that I behold His face, the righteousness of God. I behold His face in
righteousness. Now back to I Corinthians 1.30.
Let me read the rest of the verse. Of Him are you in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us. wisdom and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption. And now every believer possesses
the very righteousness of God as their own personal righteousness. Listen to this scripture from
Revelation chapter 19 verse 8, to her, the church, the bride,
every believer, to her was granted that she should be arrayed, clothed,
in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness
of the saints." Now, somebody says, that's the righteous deeds
of the saints. Now, hold on. Would you call
any deed that you've ever committed clean and white? Why, anything
I've done has been marred by my own personal sin. Even if
I had a motive for His glory, I still had a motive for my own
glory. You see, as long as my flesh is involved, as long as
your flesh is involved, it's no good. Get away from this. Our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags. But this is talking about the
righteousness of Jesus Christ, his perfect law keeping, being
the very righteousness of the saints. This is the blood bought
right of every child of God. You see, he was manifested to
take away our sins. And that's exactly what he did
on Calvary's tree. When he said it is finished, they were all
taken away. And in him is no sin. I love the hymn, Jesus,
thy blood and righteousness. My beauties are, my glorious
dress. Amidst flaming worlds in these
arrayed, with joy shall I lift up my head. Bold shall I stand
in that great day, for who ought to my charge shall lay, fully
absolved through these I am from sin's tremendous curse and shame. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid rock
I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. As for me, I will
behold thy face in righteousness." And then John says, I'll be satisfied.
when I awake in thy likeness." Now, we'll read a scripture from
1 John 3, verse 2. John says, Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be. I can't understand what it's like to be sinless. I can't understand
what it's like to be perfectly holy, because in my experience,
I'm not. I know one day I will be, but
I can't even fantasize of what that might be." John couldn't
either. He said, "'It doth not yet appear
what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we
shall be like him. Four, we shall see him as he
is. Now this is what David is speaking
of when he says being satisfied when he awakes in his likeness. Here's what's going to take place.
We will see him as he is. Not as he was, a baby in a manger
or the carpenter living in obscurity keeping the law of God perfectly
not as the man nailed to a cross with the crown of thorns not
as he was but as he is as the brightness of God's glory and
the express image of his person the glorified son of God the
Lamb having been slain from the foundation of the world, still
with His scars eternally in His hands and in His feet, and the
place in His side where the thorn was thrust through. He has His
scars eternally, so we'll always know in heaven that the only
reason we're there is because of Him. And what results in this
sight? Well, look what John says, we
shall be like Him. It's this sight of seeing him
as he is. You can't see him as he is and
not be perfectly conformed to his image. The end of predestination
will be realized. For whom he did foreknow, them
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. When I stand
before thy throne dressed in beauty not my own, When I see
thee as thou art, love thee with unsinning heart, then, Lord,
shall I fully know, not till then, how much I owe. And David says, I'll be satisfied.
Now, I'm satisfied right now, before then, in the sense that
I'm completely satisfied to be saved by Christ. I'm not looking
for anything else. I'm not looking for some kind
of experience. I am completely satisfied to simply be found
in Him. You can't improve on the salvation
that every believer has. We're satisfied. I've heard people
say, well, there must be more. You haven't seen them yet. If
you would say there must be more, it's because you haven't seen
what's being said in the first place. Christ is all, and I'm satisfied for
him to be all in my salvation. I'm just satisfied with the gospel,
but I'm not satisfied with myself. I'm satisfied with him, but I'm
not satisfied with myself. I know exactly what Paul meant
when he said, oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
me from this body of death? As long as I sin, I am not satisfied,
but the day is coming when I will behold his face in righteousness,
and I will be satisfied when I awake in his glorious likeness. I'll be satisfied when I'm perfectly
conformed to the image of his son, when I'm no longer a sinner,
that I'm one of the many brethren that he is brought to glory. Now, how can I know if I'm one
of these people? Do you believe on Christ as your
only righteousness before God? Do you look to him only as everything
in your salvation? Well, if you do, you're one of
these people of whom David said, I'll behold thy face in righteousness,
I'll be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness. We have this
message on DVD and CD. If you call the church, write
or email, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Nibbert praying
God will be pleased to make himself known to you. To receive a copy
of the sermon you have just heard, send a request to todd.nibbert
at gmail.com. Or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.