[0:00] First of all, in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 19, we read, Write these things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
[0:14] And this particular verse, it provides for us a simple outline for the entire book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And the reason why I want to meditate on this portion of God's Word tonight is I'm seeking to encourage us all to go to the book of Revelation and to begin to read it and feed upon the Word there because we're living in days, dangerous days.
[0:39] And I would imagine you're like me and you meet someone in the town, in the supermarket, maybe in fellowship, and the talk is, look what's happening in this world. Is Christ about to return?
[0:50] Is the rapture about to take place? What on earth is going on in heaven that things are so drastic in our world today? And so it's good for us to consider something of this book.
[1:05] But this verse itself, as I say, provides a simple outline. The things which you have seen refer to John's vision in chapter 1 where he has a vision of the glorious, the glorious Jesus Christ.
[1:19] The things which are, are a reference to the seven letters to the churches for which surely we can all identify with many situations there and what we find in our own churches today.
[1:35] Thirdly, the things which will take place after this. The things that will take place after this. These things that take place refer to Revelation chapter 4 and verse 1.
[1:52] After these things I looked and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me saying, come up here and I will show you the things which must take place after this.
[2:10] So what are the things that must take place? Well, after Jesus has taken us home, after Jesus has taken his church home to glory, to heaven, in what we call the rapture, and we'll look at that in a moment, then there shall be for the people of God the judgment seat of Christ, where we should all appear before him, not for sin, but for service.
[2:36] Not for sin because we have been forgiven, there is now no condemnation for them which are in Christ Jesus. Nevertheless, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
[2:47] After that then, the marriage supper of the Lamb will take place. Now all of that is happening in heaven where the church is. But while these things are happening in heaven, on earth, there's a different story.
[3:03] There shall be the manifestation and the reign of Antichrist. And during his reign, there shall be seven years of tribulation, of judgment, of misery, of suffering, of hardship, including God's wrathful judgment on unbelieving and rebellious sinners, which will take place in the last seven years of this age.
[3:32] After that, the second coming of Christ will take place. And this time, he'll come with us, with his saints, the church. And then the judgment, the final judgment, of all the nations will take place.
[3:47] The millennial kingdom of Christ will be established. Satan will be bound for a thousand years. And after that thousand years, Satan shall be loosed.
[3:57] And then there shall be the final judgment. And Satan will be cast into the lake of fire. And the new heavens and the new earth shall appear.
[4:11] That's in store for all of those who are in Christ. Not the judgment, but the judgment seat of Christ. And the marriage of the Lamb in glory.
[4:23] And then we'll come. We'll come with Christ. And the nations shall be judged. And sometimes you and I, sometimes you and I, and I know only too well, we speak about all that's happening, all the wrong things that are happening in our society and in our nations and in the world.
[4:42] And we find it very, very difficult. But my dear friends, as I said in my prayer, there is a throne. There's a throne set in heaven. And upon that throne, there is a God. And a God who will, will bring his own, his own judgments upon all the, all the things that have broken his laws and walked his law into, into the mud.
[5:07] In Revelation 1 and verse 3, we read, blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near.
[5:21] You know, this is the only book, this is the only book in the Bible with a blessing, with a promised blessing for those who listen to it and read it being explained and then respond in obedience.
[5:37] And so, let you and I tonight get some, let's get some of the blessing. The seven letters to the churches are full of church experience, both good and bad.
[5:51] Yet the word church, in the last verse of Revelation chapter 3 and 22, he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, is the last time, is the last time that we'll read that word, church, until Revelation chapter 22 and verse 16 which says, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you that these things in the churches, I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star.
[6:28] and that more than suggests that all that happens in the book of Revelation between chapter 4 and verse 1 and chapter 19 and verses 7 to 8, let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his wife, the church, has made herself ready and to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
[7:01] None of this between chapter 4 and chapter 19 affects the church. We're at home. We're at home in heaven with the Lord.
[7:11] If we are Christ's, that is, we are at home in heaven with the Lord. In fact, the complete omission of any mention throughout the tribulation and through the judgments that span from chapter 6 to chapter 19 is said to be evidence in scripture that the church, the people of God would not endure the seven year tribulation period.
[7:37] Why? For Christ has taken his church home to be with himself. Now this tribulation is also known as a time of God's wrath.
[7:50] Whereas the Bible teaches that God's church, you and I who are Christians, we have been saved from the wrath through Jesus Christ. As Paul writes, much more than having been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through him.
[8:08] If you're in Christ, whatever wrath and judgment is to come, whatever tribulation, Christ has been condemned in our place. Bearing shame and scoffing rude in my place.
[8:20] Condemned he stood. Seal my pardon with his blood. Hallelujah. What a Savior. There's no wrath to come upon the people of God, the church of God. The tribulation period is also called in Jeremiah chapter 30 and verse 7, the time of David, of Jacob's trouble.
[8:43] You see, God has not finished with his own people, the Jews. And through the tribulation period, they will suffer. They will suffer horrendously.
[8:54] But they will be brought to that place where they cry out for their Messiah. And when the Messiah comes, when Christ returns, they'll recognize him, they'll see the one whom they have pierced.
[9:06] And they shall be brought into the fold. And the Jews will suffer horrendously. Some people call it, some commentators call it Daniel's 70th week.
[9:21] But that's another study. Another proof that the church will not see the tribulation period is Christ's promise to the church at Philadelphia.
[9:32] In Revelation in verse 3, Revelation 3 in verse 10, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth.
[9:47] There's a tendency, of course, there's a tendency in the evangelical church to shy away from serious teaching on Bible prophecy.
[9:58] Either it's too divisive, it's too confusing, or no one can know who has the correct interpretation. And of course, the argument and list goes on.
[10:10] But think about it. If reformed and conservative preachers fail to teach on this subject, members and adherents are wide open to the overabundance of prophetic speculations promulgated on the internet, social media, and books.
[10:36] And many of us dabble with the God channel. And there's wonderful evangelical preaching on there, but there's a lot of rubbish also. God gave us the Bible to reveal, not to conceal and confuse.
[10:53] God gave us prophecy to stabilize our faith, not to satisfy our curiosity. And so Bible prophecy may not always be easy to discern, but it is not impossible to know.
[11:09] And we know nothing. We know nothing from God except by his revelation. Even this evening, anything you know about Christ, about his love, his forgiveness, that's been revealed to you.
[11:23] We get very complacent. We think everybody should know these things. But anything you know about Christ, you are richly and greatly blessed because the Holy Spirit has revealed these things to you and they change your life.
[11:38] They fashion you. They enable you to walk in the Spirit and not after the flesh. Now, though there are many different theories and beliefs concerning the end times, when Jesus shall return, I'm taking the view this evening that the rapture occurs before the tribulation.
[12:02] That's my understanding and my belief at this time. The rapture occurs before the tribulation, the seven years of judgment.
[12:15] And the word rapture is taken from an English and Latin word combined and it means to transport, to take away or to snatch.
[12:26] And if the church is to escape the tribulation period, the seven years of judgment upon the world, then we can only conclude that the Lord has taken his people home.
[12:40] The church age has closed and now heaven alone reigns and rules. We read in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and at verse 16, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.
[13:07] Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
[13:21] And though here it speaks of Christ descending from heaven, it doesn't mention anything about Christ coming to earth.
[13:31] But at that time, all believers shall be caught up to heaven to be with the Lord forever. We who are alive and remain shall be caught up.
[13:47] We'll escape, if we're alive at the rapture, we'll escape death. And we know only too well, surely, that death has taken its toll down through the centuries.
[13:58] We have all stood, sadly, at the graves of loved ones. But a better day, a better day for the people of God is coming, that day when we shall be caught away.
[14:10] You see, laying up treasures here should not have the priority. We ought to live every day with the thought of Christ's coming for us to take us home to glory.
[14:25] Listen also to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Behold, I tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised, incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
[14:48] For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. So here again we read that the dead, the dead in Christ, will be raised incorruptible and we shall all be changed.
[15:07] So Paul speaking to the Thessalonians speaks not only about Christians who are alive, but those who are in the grave. And the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we who are left, we shall be with them, we shall be gathered up together to be with the Lord for forever.
[15:27] That moment shall change us all, change us all who are in Christ, and we will be like Jesus. And we shall recover all that Adam and Eve lost and much more.
[15:40] We shall have perfect bodies, unhindered any longer by pain, we'll have perfect minds no longer affected by the fall, and we'll have no more sickness, no more sorrow, or death.
[15:55] And another verse which is used, or that many commentators believe, that refers to the rapture, is chapter four and verse one.
[16:07] As I've read, after these things, I looked, and behold a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, come up here, and I will show you things which was take place after this.
[16:27] Notice the reference, the reference to a trumpet in all three passages that I've read. in Thessalonians, with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
[16:42] In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible. And finally, John's own words, which I've read and read again, and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, come up here, and I will show you things which was take place after this.
[17:04] And so when the trumpet sounds, all those who are saved by grace will be leaving this earth. If we're not at home in heaven by then, if we've not passed away by then, all those who are saved, whether in the graves or on earth, will be leaving this earth.
[17:24] And before the trumpet sound fades, we shall all be changed. In the twinkling of an eye, in a moment, before he went to the cross, did Jesus not promise his disciples, in my father's house are many mansions?
[17:44] If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
[18:03] Now, I would suggest at this moment that we shouldn't be too dogmatic about when the rapture takes place. But we should be convinced, we should be convinced that there shall be a rapture of God's people into heaven to be with the Lord forever, and above all, that the Lord shall return.
[18:28] So I would ask at this moment, are you ready for that? If the Lord returned tonight, if the Lord came tonight and called the dead in Christ, and you and I to go with him home to glory, would you be ready?
[18:47] That's a challenge, it's a warning, would you be ready? Do you know Christ? Do you know him as your Lord and your saviour? Do you walk with him day by day? Do you know that struggle, the old man and the new man within?
[18:59] If you do, then you're walking with Christ. Have you been washed in the precious blood of the Lamb? Have your sins been forgiven? Have you confessed your sins to Christ?
[19:11] Have you been born again of the Spirit of God? Are you ready? Would you be ready if the rapture took place tonight? First lessons, chapter 4, tells us when the rapture comes, we'll be caught up together, caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
[19:35] Not some of us who are Christians, but all the saints. As said, those in the grave and those still alive, and we shall experience a radical, a radical change.
[19:51] Like the word rapture, the word caught rapture, the rapture, the saints of God, the glory of God.
[20:02] It refers to that sudden event when the saints of God will be snatched from this world with force and claimed for the glory of God.
[20:15] Listen, for you and I, the best is yet to be. There are many, many things that are happening in this world that we don't understand. There are many things that we are. But for the Christian, for the Christian, we have hope.
[20:29] We experience the peace of Christ. We have a destiny. There is an inheritance laid up for the people of God in glory. And God has not promised us a lack of trials and tribulations, but he's promised us.
[20:46] He's promised us a safe return to home. In the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, our mortal bodies will be changed into immortal bodies.
[20:57] Our bodies will be made like the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, a body that will no longer experience death, decay, or disease, a body that will be all-glorious.
[21:12] John writes in his first letter, chapter three and verse two, beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be like, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
[21:34] We shall see him as he is, and we shall be satisfied. You see, our Christian walk here, there are a lot of times then, perhaps we haven't got that satisfaction, there's much satisfaction in the life of a Christian, but there are those times when maybe difficulties or things are not going the way we wanted them to go or expect them to go, and we're a bit unsatisfied, but when we see him, or when we see him in all his glory, we will be satisfied.
[22:07] You know, tonight, Christ is satisfied with you. Do you know that? What does it say in Isaiah 53? He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied.
[22:23] He will see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied, and that speaks of the cross, where he hung and suffered and was bruised and broken for you and I, for our sins.
[22:34] But after it all, he would see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. If you're a Christian tonight, you're included in that travail of his soul.
[22:44] You are the consequences of his glorious death and resurrection. And so tonight, as bad as we feel, and we feel bad so often, we feel as though I'm the worst of sinners and I'm a Christian, but he's satisfied, he's satisfied with us.
[23:01] So these new bodies, they'll never wear out. They will not be bound by time or space. It'll be a body that can never die, a body that shines with a heavenly brilliance.
[23:17] And it reminds me, of course, of John Newton's wonderful hymn, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, and in particular, verse four. When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less years to sing God's praise than when we first begun.
[23:36] heaven. And so I ask you again, it's important, you gathered here, those who may be watching online, it's important, are you ready for that event?
[23:49] Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb? If Jesus called you home tonight, are you ready to go with him? Have you ever come to that place where you recognised, where you knew, where the Holy Spirit convicted you and you were assured that you were lost?
[24:08] And so you confessed your sins to God and you knew you were saved, you were a child of God and you understand in some measure the price, the price that was paid, his own precious blood.
[24:27] In Romans chapter 10 and verses 9 and 11, a familiar call for those to come to Christ, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
[24:44] For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says whoever believes on him will not be put to shame.
[25:00] Do you notice that? Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. It's not enough to talk about Jesus. It's not enough to feel an emotional pull in your heart.
[25:11] You need both. You need to confess him because he's in your heart. He lives on the throne room of your heart and you are to confess him as Lord and Saviour.
[25:23] Then you will indeed know that glorious salvation. That's all that's left, isn't there? In this world, that's all that's left. Salvation, salvation in Christ.
[25:37] Many in this world may be dying and their bellies are empty. Some die and their bellies are full. But it doesn't matter.
[25:48] It's where Christ lies in our hearts and in our minds. That's what's important. And so if you are saved, you have every reason to rejoice this evening.
[26:02] You are destined to rise from the dead, to be with the Lord forever. At the rapture, all the saved will go and all the lost will stay.
[26:18] All the saved will go and all the lost will stay. then the tribulation will begin. Oh yes, men and women will be saved even at that time.
[26:31] But you know, as you go through the book of Revelation and you read more and more of the horrors and the pouring out of these judgments and the trumpet calls and the vials and the seals that are opened and judgment comes, rather than men and women rushing to Christ, their hearts get so hardened.
[26:55] You'd think today with all that's happening, even a threat of nuclear war, you'd think our churches would be full, that people would be flocking to the church, flocking to hear the gospel, flocking to come to Christ.
[27:08] But no, you see, sometimes these things about a sovereign God and only one way to salvation, it hardens the hearts of men and women. God forbid that your heart is being hardened.
[27:22] if you're not saved, unless you come to faith in Jesus, you'll be left behind. You'll be left behind till judgment day.
[27:36] Listen to more of John's vision and what he saw in Revelation chapter 20. Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away.
[27:51] And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. And books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life.
[28:05] And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which are written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it.
[28:16] death and hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. And then death and hades were cast into the lake of fire.
[28:32] This is the second death. And then some of the most solemn words in scripture, and anyone found not written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.
[28:44] fire. You know, as you go through the book of Revelation, and you listen to the series of sermons, you get a little tired of hearing about judgment and punishment upon sinners.
[28:56] And yet, in it all, there is mercy and there is grace. There is a God on the throne who desires, desires men and women to come to faith in him.
[29:08] And so we need to hear these warnings. But do you see the difference? Do you see the difference, the vast difference? Whatever your thoughts on the last days, there is, there is a difference.
[29:22] Listen again. And the dead in Christ, the dead in Christ, Christians, will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
[29:39] And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Lord. Then after the tribulation and a thousand years, millennium, of Christ's reign on earth, we read, then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.
[29:55] This is the second death. and anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. As said in the most solemn words in scripture, anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
[30:16] There are people watching online, you people gathered here, you may be asking, minister, are you trying to frighten me into heaven? Well, I wish I could.
[30:28] I wish I could frighten you into heaven before it's too late. I wish I could make you fear God, because he who does not fear God has any reason to fear everything else.
[30:43] And every Christian here this evening surely can say, I fear God, but I'm not afraid of him. Every Christian should be able to say that, I fear God, what he can do, but I am not afraid of him.
[31:01] You see, the fear of man, and what he can do to us, will never bring us to the Lord. But the fear of God, and what he can do to us, and what he can do for us, is more important.
[31:18] Now, that's the difference. Jesus said, and do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear him, who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
[31:35] And so I would say to any here, perhaps you have been holding back, perhaps those watching have been holding back, don't wait, don't wait, it's too dangerous.
[31:46] You know, there's nothing in scripture that warns us about the rapture. There's plenty of scripture that warns us of Christ's second coming, the tribulation, and the judgment of the nations, but the rapture could come any moment in the twinkling of an eye.
[32:03] Did Jesus not say, therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect? And so you really do, you really need to be ready.
[32:19] When you come to faith in Christ, when you're born again, you're cleansed from sin, and with faith in Christ, then you will have taken hold of that which Christ has taken hold of you.
[32:33] When you come to faith in Christ, you take hold of what Christ has taken hold of you for. And you'll not need, you'll not need then to fear any judgment, any tribulation, nor death.
[32:52] If God is for us, who can be against us? What did John first see as he was called to heaven? Well, in verse 1 we read, I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven.
[33:08] This door is open, and John is summoned to enter into heaven. the next time, the next time that this door will be open, is not to let saved sinners in, but to let Jesus return, and to return with his church in majesty and splendor, to finally stamp out evil forever and ever, and to establish his kingdom.
[33:36] kingdom. And if the first door open, that John mentions is the rapture, when the church goes home to be with the Lord forever, the second door, the second door will be for the return of Christ when he comes as king of kings and lord of lords.
[33:58] As king of kings and lord of lords. Now you and I as Christians, we've had revealed to us in the Old Testament and much of the new, that we know he's king of kings and lord of lords right now, but his kingship is in our hearts, for therein lies the kingdom of God.
[34:17] But the time will come when he'll return, not in humiliation riding on a donkey, but in power, riding on a white horse, symbolising his absolute holiness, and then he will have complete victory over his enemies.
[34:35] He will show his sovereign rule, and he will judge the nations, and any unbelieving sinners who are left here on earth after the seven year tribulation.
[34:48] It'll be too late. You know the Bible says, every knee shall bear and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, where there's a day coming when that will happen, but it will be too late.
[35:01] The day of grace, the day of mercy will have come to an end. we read in Revelation 19 and verse 11, Now I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
[35:26] He judges and makes war. war. This is the gentle, meek and mild Jesus who many of us know. He judges and makes war.
[35:40] There are many things I'd like to do to some people in this world that are so wicked and so sinful and we read of these things in our newspapers and we hear about them, but he judges and makes war.
[35:58] At the rapture, Christ meets his own people in the air, lifting them up to heaven. Then seven years later, at his second coming, according to this verse, he comes with them.
[36:13] He comes with them to earth. You see, at the rapture, there's no wrath, there's no judgment, but after, it's all wrath and all judgment.
[36:26] Now remember, remember this, I think I'm beginning to about to close. Remember whose revelation this is. This is not John's revelation.
[36:37] This is not an angel's revelation. This is God's revelation. This is God's revelation in Christ, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants.
[36:51] He's the one who is warning us, pleading with us to come to faith in him. He's telling us to flee from the wrath which is to come.
[37:04] You see, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all would come.
[37:18] to repentance. He wants us, he desires that we should come to him, that we should respond to the gospel.
[37:29] Here in Lewis, we are greatly blessed. I know there are many, many congregations on the mainland that preach the gospel, but I know there's many, many, many congregations on the mainland that don't preach the gospel.
[37:41] So you and I are blessed. We're blessed with ministers who believe the scriptures. we're blessed that we can come to churches like this and the Bible is opened. We're blessed because so much has been revealed to us.
[37:53] There are so many who are not blessed. But this blessing puts on us a responsibility. A responsibility to live and for the Lord, to love the Lord, to gossip the gospel, to show others, and if we can't tell others about the Lord, show them the Lord, in your life, in your actions and your reactions.
[38:16] Even on the last page of the last chapter of this book in the Bible, the Lord is still inviting men and women to come to him.
[38:27] In chapter 22 and verse 17, and the spirit and the bride say, come, and let him who hears say, come, and let him who thirsts, come.
[38:42] Whoever, whoever desires, let him take the water of life. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life.
[38:53] And in this verse, the spirit of God takes one last opportunity to swing open, shall we say, the door of salvation. And he invites lost people to enter in.
[39:08] You see, God is interested. God is interested in your salvation. He cares. He cares about you and where you will spend eternity.
[39:20] That's the kind of God that we have. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life. And the phrase water of life, of course, refers to the gospel message that God loved lost sinners so much that he sent his son Jesus into this world to suffer and die and a cross in their place.
[39:44] And as you well know, because you have a good biblical preaching minister, it's called substitutionary atonement. He was innocent, but he died for the guilty.
[39:56] Paul writes, for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
[40:08] And I would repeat, bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place, in your place, condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood.
[40:20] Hallelujah. What a saviour. For those who are in Christ, there is now no condemnation. For those who are in Christ, Jesus, why not?
[40:31] Because Christ, Christ was condemned in our place. The wrath of God fell upon Christ instead of us. He took the full blow of the punishment of God against sin in our place.
[40:46] If that's not love, what is? And so, if that's your wish, your desire, your hope, then take, then take this life-giving water that Jesus freely offers.
[41:01] As he said to the woman at the well, the one who was convicted of her sin. He said to her, if you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.
[41:20] He would have given you living water. Now, I may preach this from the pulpit, but the message proceeds out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
[41:34] He comes from the throne of God, with all authority and dignity, of the glory of God, coming through the Lamb. He comes in mercy and a great cost, for he was crucified for us.
[41:50] And after he died, he was buried, three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead, and then he ascended back into heaven, where he lives today, there is a man in heaven.
[42:02] He lives there today to receive and save all those who will respond, who will receive the message of the gospel. A gospel for those who have done their best, but who have failed.
[42:15] For those who have done their best, but who have failed. You see, the gospel, it's not our search for God, it's God's search for you and I. And when men and women respond to his search, when they trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, then one day, you and I and others shall hear the words that John heard when he ascended into heaven, come up here, and I will show you things which will take place after this.
[42:49] Amen, and may the Lord bless to us then these thoughts this evening. Let's pray. Loving Heavenly Father, once again we thank you for your word. So much Lord, we perhaps can't understand, but we understand this, that you love us, you proved and showed that love in the sending of your son, he bore the wrath of God in our room and in our stead, and now in him we're forgiven, cleansed, and destined for heaven, but judgment shall yet come.
[43:19] And so we pray, oh Lord, that your Holy Spirit would touch hearts and minds tonight, you would reveal yourself to them, you would show Lord men and women their sin, that's why the Holy Spirit came to convict men and women of their sin, to show them their lostness.
[43:36] And yet when Lord you show people their lostness, they can flee to the cross and be found by Christ. So we thank you Lord for your word, encourage us all and help us each one to know that wonderful assurance and to be able to say, I know, I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
[44:03] Continue with us we pray, for Christ's sake do we ask it, Amen. Amen, I guess Amen. Let's conclude then by singing from Psalm 16, Psalm 16 in the Scottish Psalter and at verse 6 down to the verse marked 10.
[44:25] Psalm 16 and at verse 6 Unto me happily the lines in pleasant places fell, yea, the inheritance I got, in beauty doth excel.
[44:36] I bless the Lord because he doth by counsel me conduct, and in the seasons of the night my reins do me instructs. And then verse 10 because my soul engraved to dwell shall not be left by thee nor wilt thou give thine holy one corruption to see.
[44:57] Verses 6 to 10 of Psalm 16. Unto me happily the light in pleasant places fell, yea, the inheritance I got, in beauty doth excel.
[45:36] I bless I bless the Lord because he doth I counsel me conduct, and in the seasons of the night my Wieé Imot hi White haste my strengthrin'ung than use the time but I with Allah wert in him till the beatシه hydrocolloê Doth ever stand at my right hand, I shall not move with thee.
[46:50] Because of this my heart is glad, and joy shall be expressed.
[47:08] In my glory and my flesh, in confidence shall rest.
[47:26] Because my soul, in faith to dwell, shall not be left by thee.
[47:45] Nor wilt thou give thine holy walk, nor option to see.
[48:02] Amen. And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us all, now and for evermore. Amen.