Now here is my text this morning. One verse, one sentence, 39 words. And yet, what a sweet, sweet
message. What comfort, what assurance,
what a foundation. Here it is. Revelation 14, verse
13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying
unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die
in the Lord. from henceforth. Yea, saith the
Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works
do follow them." How did these words come to us? Blessed are the dead who die
in the Lord. Where did we hear them? Who gave
them to us? Well, these words didn't come
from a man. These words did not come from
a pulpit. These words did not come from
a classroom. They came from heaven. It says,
I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord. in verse 1 of that chapter. Look
at chapter 14, verse 1. And I looked, and lo, a lamb
stood on the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four
thousand. That's a definite number for
an indefinite number. Having his father's name written
in their forehead. And I heard a voice from heaven. This is the voice of the Lamb. As the voice of many waters,
as the voice of great thunder, and I heard the voice of harpers
harping with their harps. Look back at chapter 1. How did
I identify this particular voice here, the Lamb? Because in Revelation
chapter 1 verse 13 tells me who is speaking. Revelation 1
verse 13, In the midst of the seven candlesticks, one likened
to the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, girt
about the paps with a golden girdle. And his head and his
hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were
as a flame of fire, and his feet I can define brass as if they
burned in a furnace, and his voice, his voice, as the sound
of many waters. I heard a voice from heaven.
Was it just one voice? No. It says here in this verse
13, chapter 14, I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write,
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.
Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors. The
Father says, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. The
Holy Spirit says, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.
And He, the Lamb, in the midst of the throne, with the voice
of many waters, said, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.
You see, the scripture over and over again emphasizes the fact
that let every word be established by the mouth of two or three
witnesses. The Father says, blessed are the dead which die in the
Lord. And the Spirit says, blessed
are the dead who die in the Lord. And I looked to the throne and
the Lamb said, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. And then he says in this verse
13, I heard a voice from heaven, the voice of the Spirit, the
voice of the Father, the voice of the beloved Son, right Right. What is written is more
durable and lasting than that which is spoken. Right. That which is written is not
subject to change. Unalterable. God spoke it. Turn to Job chapter 19 and listen
to the testimony of Job. I'm going to preach from this
tonight. In Job chapter 19, Job says this, in Job 19 verse 20,
verse 23, Job says, O that my words were
now written! O that they were printed in a
book! O that they might be graven with
an iron pen! and with lead in the rock forever. Put it on my tombstone, Job said. For I know that my Redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And
though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall
I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold. Not another. I'll see him for
myself. though my reigns be concerned
within me." Write it. Don't just hear it. Don't just
pass it along. Write it. Write this in the book
of God forever, with the voice of God. Write it on your heart
and my heart. Write it. Write it on your heart.
Write it, Job says, in the rock forever. write it for all to
see. This is the word of God. This
is the promise of God. Blessed are the dead who die
in the Lord. This is golden truth. This is
sweeter than honey. This is more precious than gold. I read about an army chaplain who was walking through a hospital
ward room, World War II, and visiting different wounded
soldiers. And he came to one young man
who was reading a Bible. And the chaplain said to him,
I notice you're reading the Bible. Are you a religious man? What's
your persuasion? And the young man says, what
is my why? And he says, what's your persuasion?
Well, we chaplains like to find out who's Protestant, Catholic,
or Jew. What's your persuasion? Well,
the young man was reading right here in Romans chapter 8. I'm
persuaded that neither death nor life no angels, no principalities,
no powers, no things present, no things to come, no height,
no depth, no any other creature shall be able to separate me
from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ my Lord." Write
it. Write it. Write it on your heart. Write it on your conscience. so that he who hastens and flees
can read it. And I'll tell you this, if this
word is written on your heart, it'll calm your fears, whatever
they may be, if the word is written in your heart. God said that,
write it. The Holy Spirit said that, write
it. The Lamb on the throne said, write it. Bless it. Bless it. Highly faithful. Twice blessed
is everyone who dies in the Lord. It'll calm your fears. It'll
heal your broken heart. It may be broken many times,
and probably will be, but it'll be healed. I healed a broken
heart. His Word will heal you. Nothing
else will. His Word will heal the broken
heart. He'll give you peace. People
are always looking for peace. It's only found one place in
His Word. I'll give you peace. I'll give
you joy. I'll give you hope. My peace I give unto you, not
as the world give I you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid. blessed of the dead who die in
the Lord. This will comfort you in sorrow.
It's the only comfort that a believer has, the only hope that a believer
has. It's God's Word, the truth of
God's Word written by God. And it will remove the sting
of death and the grave of its victory.
Thanks be unto God who gives us the victory, whatever the
victory, whatever the need, whatever the struggle, whatever the fear. He gives us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ. That's where it is. So blessed are the days who die
in the Lord. Write it. Preach it. Sing it. Declare it, tell your
friends, and especially tell your little ones. Blessed are
the dead who die in the Lord. Well, it's not all who die who
are blessed. Let's see what that says again.
In Revelation chapter 14, verse 13. Multitudes die every day. Multitudes die, of whom it cannot
be said, blessed are they, that they are blessed
of God. You see, death itself is not
a blessing. Death is a curse. The death of this physical body
is the result of the curse of the law. When you eat that, you die. And
that's a curse. So it's not just a blessing to
die. And it's not just a blessing
to everybody who dies. It's blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord. Oh, that's what it says. I heard
a voice from heaven saying unto me, write this now. Blessed are
the dead who die in the Lord. That's what John said over here
in John chapter 5. He said, this is the record that
God has given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son of God hath life, but he that hath not the
Son of God hath not life. These are the things I've written
unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that
you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may keep on
believing on the name of the Son of God. So what does it mean
to die in the Lord? Well, let me give you just five
statements, and I'll ask you to turn to the Scripture. John
chapter 17 first. To die in the Lord is to die
in covenant mercies. God is a covenant God. In John
chapter 17, he made a covenant, an everlasting covenant with
the Son, in which he gave the Son of people and blessed them
in Christ. And they are in Christ by his
covenant mercies. Look at John 17 verse 2 John 17, as thou hast given him,
the Son, power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true God in Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent." That's a covenant God gave the Son of
people. And over here in verse 20, that
same chapter 17, verse 20, Christ is praying for those people.
And he said, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them which
shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one,
as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may also
be one in us. that the world may believe that
thou hast sent me, and the glory which thou hast given me, the
glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be
one, even as we are one, I in them, thou in them, thou in me,
I in them, thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, that
the world may know that you have sent me, and love them as you
love me. The blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord, in the Lord Jesus Christ, in his hands, in
his heart, through his blood, through his righteousness, through
a relationship with him. They die in the Lord. It's covenant
mercies, the blood of the everlasting covenant. It's the blessed mercies
of David. We die in the Lord. Alright,
the second thing is Ephesians chapter 1. To be in Christ is
to be in God's eternal covenant in Christ, and secondly, to be
in Christ by divine grace. In Ephesians chapter 1, blessed
are the dead who die in the Lord. All right, Ephesians 1 verse
3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who
has blessed us. with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ, according as he chose us in Christ
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein He made us accepted in the beloved. In Christ by covenant mercies,
in Christ by divine quickening, awakening, divine grace, and
then in Christ by precious blood. Look at verse 7 of Ephesians
1. In whom we have redemption through
his blood We have redemption through his blood, we have forgiveness
of sins through his blood, according to the riches of his grace. Look
over at chapter 2, verse 4, Ephesians 2, verse 4. But God, who is rich
in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace,
you see. and hath raised us up together,
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ, that in the
ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace
in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. By grace are you
saved through faith, not of yourself. It's the gift of God. Am I in
Christ? By covenant mercies, by divine
grace. by the shedding of his precious
blood, precious redeeming blood. And then I'm in him by faith. I look back at Ephesians 1 verse
13. In whom you trusted after you
heard this word. Write it now, well I've heard
it, I believe it, I embraced it. rest in it, after you heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom after
you believed, rested in Christ, you were sealed. Sealed with
the Holy Spirit of promise. Quickened, awakened, begotten,
born again, sealed with the Spirit of promise, which is the earnest,
the pledge, the token of our inheritance until the redemption
of the purchased possession under the praise of his glory. What
is it to die in Christ? In him by covenant grace, mercy. In him by redeeming grace. In him by precious blood. In
him by faith. Justified by faith. Man cannot
save without believing God. believe in God. He that believeth
on the sun hath light. He that believeth not shall not
see light, but the wrath of God abideth on him. But it's by faith
that continues. Listen to this. In Hebrews 11,
verse 13. Blessed are the dead who die
in the Lord. But these are God in faith, continuing
in faith, walking in faith, having received the promises, all of
the promises of God's grace in Christ Jesus. All of them have
been received by Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and David and
Isaiah and all these. They received the promises. They
didn't see the fulfillment of it because Christ, they died
before Christ came. These same people received the
promises, they saw them afar off, and watch, they were persuaded
of them. I am persuaded, that boy said.
What's your persuasion? I'm persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I've commissioned. That's my persuasion. And Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob were persuaded of God's promises. They embraced
the promises. It wasn't just a doctrine. It
wasn't just a tenet of faith or creed or catechism. It wasn't just walking an hour
and shaking a hand. It wasn't following some kind
of ritualism, formalism. Persuade him, embrace him, and
confess to the whole world, I'm different. I'm different. Confess to the whole world, I'm
a stranger. I don't walk like you walk, talk
like you talk, act like you act. I'm a new person, new creature
in Christ Jesus. If anybody is a new creature
in Christ Jesus, he's eternally redeemed. And
he's a pilgrim on this earth. From henceforth, from henceforth,
saith our God, all who die in the Lord are forever blessed. Blessed are the dead who die
in the Lord. It doesn't matter when they die.
Some die mighty young, some die mighty old. It just matters in whom they
die. It matters not where they die. Some die at home, some die
abroad. Some die in the company of their
friends. My friend, Brother Barnard, died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
in an emergency room with not a friend in sight. In fact, his wife called me and
said, Barnard Roth had a heart attack and they don't expect
him to live to a Jew. fly down there. My sister heard about
it. I called her and she came up
and picked up his clothes. She didn't even know he was there
and she came up and told her about him dying. Nobody was there. But that's alright. God was there. It doesn't matter when we die. Youth or old age, it doesn't
matter where we die, at home or abroad, it doesn't matter
how we die. Suddenly or by long illness,
it matters that we die in the Lord. Blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord. Look at my text again in Revelation
chapter 14. Revelation 14. Listen to this. And I heard a voice from heaven
saying unto me, Write all the importance, my friend, of that
statement. Write it. Blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they
may rest from their labors. Those who die in the Lord enter
not idleness, they enter his rest. And work is a joy, and
work is an activity that is pleasurable and a glorious accomplishment.
When God made Adam in his own image and put him in a perfect
place, he put him in a perfect place.
had much to do and much to enjoy. God gave him a sinless world
and a sinless place and activity to plant, to reap, a garden in
which to work and walk with God. Work is not a curse, it's a blessing. But what makes work toil and
labor is sin. That's our whole problem today.
You love to do what you love to do, and you love to do it,
and you like to do it to the Lord. But our whole life is labor,
tiredness, toil, because of sin. It's failure, it's storms, it's
bars, it's pain, it's sorrow, it's sickness, and it's death.
And that's what makes work an unhappy experience, is because
of sin. That's the reason Paul said,
oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body
of death, body of toil and sorrow and fires and thorns and pain
and death and sickness and all these things that go along with
it? Let me tell you something. It says, and they may rest from
their labors. They're going to rest. They're
going to rest. And it's a threefold rest. That's
right, it's a threefold rest. Now let me show you this. It's
a threefold rest. They enter into their rest. And believers who believe in
the Lord, they already enter. into his rest. Let me show you
that in Hebrews 4. There is a rest in which the
people of God enter. It says in Hebrews 4 verse 9,
They remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his
wrath, he cease from his own works as God did from his." Who's
that talking about? That's talking about Christ.
Christ Jesus, sin is tall, and unhappiness, and a curse. But when the Lord Jesus Christ
redeemed us by his blood, He purchased for us rest, rest of
soul, rest of heart, rest in peace. Come unto me all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, I'll give you rest. You come to me and I'll give
you rest. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
toil, sickness, death, and I'll give you rest right now, right
this minute, I'll give you rest. You enter into His rest. by believing
him just like he entered his father's rest by fulfilling all
that his father required of him. Christ Jesus purchased for us
a rest, peace, joy, through his labor. And we cease from our
works and enter into his rest. But then secondly, there is a
progression of rest. In Matthew 11, he said this,
now come unto me, all ye that labor in a heavy laden, you're
striving and struggling and just unhappy and messed up and you
cast it on Christ. Sink or swim, I go to Him. I
believe Him, trust Him, He's my Lord, my Savior. I'm ceasing
from all this striving and rest in Christ. That's rest. But then
our Lord said this in that same scripture. He said, you come
unto me and I'll give you rest. And you take my yoke upon you
and learn of me. You study and learn of me. And I'll give you rest. For my
yoke is easy and my burden is light. That's the rest that takes
a little while. There's an immediate rest when
we rest in Him and trust in Him and are redeemed by His grace.
But then as we study the Word, this is the key to this whole
thing, the Word of God. That's the blessing, the Word
of God. You can't learn anything without
the Word of God. And the more you learn of Him
and hear of Him and look to Him, the more rest you're going to
have, the more peace. Sometimes it takes us a while
to get that through our heads, but we've got rest in Christ, and I'll give you rest. You come
unto me, believe on me, and I'll give you rest, and you take my
yoke upon you and learn of me, and you'll find rest you never
knew before. But then, there's the third rest,
and Brother Friday morning went to his rest.
That's right. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter
15, and you and I are going to, by his grace, through the blood
of Christ, going to experience this same thing in a little while,
in a very little while. In 1 Corinthians 15 verse 51, I told you, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we'll
be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet will sound, and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible. We're going to be changed. This
corruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal put on immortality.
So when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, when this
mortal shall be done with mortality, Then shall he be brought to pass,
saying, Death is swallowed up in victory." I have a victory
in Christ's arrest. I have a piece of Christ that
I'm trying to learn daily. But I have a victory that's thanks
be unto God that I can't even explain to you because it's his
victory. Oh, death, where is thy sting?
Oh, grave, where is thy victory? statement from our text here,
Revelation 14. Let's look at it one more time. And I heard a voice from heaven
saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which dine the Lord
from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they
may rest from their labors, and their works do follow We're only talking about believers
now. You see, unbelievers don't have any works. Oh yeah, preacher, everybody
has works. No, no, no. Unbelievers don't have any works.
Christ said in Matthew 7, they said, we preached in your name
and did many wonderful works and cast out demons. And he said,
depart from me ye that work iniquity. We're selfish works, self-righteous
works, and human works doesn't count with God. That's right. Only believers have works. That's
right. He said, for by grace are you
saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it's the gift
of God, not of works, this anyone should boast for. We are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus on two good works. The only one who can make a man
good is Christ. The only one who can create good
works is Christ, and created in him. So that's the works we're
talking about. So here it says their works will
follow them. Now watch this carefully. Their
works don't precede them. Their works do not go before
us. Because the Lord Jesus Christ went before us and prepared the
way. He said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God,
believe also in me. In my father's house and many
mansions, if it was not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare
a place for you. I go. So we don't send our works
ahead of us and prepare the place. Even good works. Even his good
works. He prepares the place. So our
works don't precede us and our works don't accompany us. When a person dies, he doesn't
take his works to glory with him to plead his case. He doesn't
take his gifts and all the glory with him to see if he can get
a better reward maybe than somebody else. It says, and their works follow
them. Our works do not prepare the
place, our works do not accompany us, our works follow us and will
be found unto the praise and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ
who gave them to us. They'll be there, but they follow
us. When I stand before the throne,
like just saying, dressed in beauty not my own. When I see
thee as thou art, and love thee with an unsinning heart, then
shall I fully know, and not till then, how much I owe. Not till
then. Chosen not for good in me, quickened
up from whereth to flee, hidden in my Savior's side, by his Spirit
sanctified. Teach me, Lord, on earth to show
by your love how much I owe. Blessed, highly favored, twice
favored are the dead which die in the Lord.