[0:00] I feel like saying yet there is room but it's getting harder to do that. It's absolutely thrilling to be here.
[0:12] Wish I this every Lord's Day. Sometimes there's seven people, sometimes nine people, sometimes 19 people. These are good days.
[0:25] There are sure maybe a lot more than that but this is great. It's great. You're a lot to thank the Lord for and a lot to do for the Lord.
[0:37] Let's begin our worship now by singing to his praise. A Gaelic Psalm, Psalm 100. Psalm 100.
[0:48] Togegach cheer at Yolach glu do yeh Jehovah v'mor. He give us dianna share of us aich and lahir sin de kiaaf.
[0:59] The whole psalm to God's praise. Amen. Togegach cheer at Yolach glu do yeh Jehovah v'mor. Togegach cheer at Yolach glu do yeh Jehovah.
[1:13] Togegach cheer at Yolach glu do yeh Jehovah. Togegach cheer at Yolach glu do yeh Jehovah. Togegach cheer at Yolach glu do yeh Jehovah.
[1:24] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, oh.
[1:36] Oh, oh. Oh, oh. Oh, yeah.
[1:50] Oh, yeah.
[2:02] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.ยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยยย
[3:41] CONGRATIST CONGRATIST CONGRATIST Let us come before the Lord and pray. Let's pray.
[4:30] How true it is, Lord, you made us and not ourselves. Sometimes we live so arrogantly and you must see us so arrogant, as if we gave life to ourselves and could maintain our own lives.
[4:46] If only we found the right technology, be living in the right place. But Lord, you are the one who made us and not we ourselves.
[4:57] We come before you then as our creator and as our maker. And just as you made us, we know that you will one day bring us to see you face to face.
[5:10] And it won't be an option to run away. It won't be an option to stay away and hide forever. No, Lord, you call us and we will have to come.
[5:23] And for those of us, Lord, who are in Christ, as Paul has been saying over the last couple of days, even for us, Lord, there is a sense of fear.
[5:36] Because we are coming into the presence of a most holy, holy God. Yes, you brought us to yourself in this world.
[5:47] And you have come to indwell us by your spirit. And you indeed in many ways have taken away fears. And yet how true it is at the very thought of being in your presence, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
[6:06] And even though we will see Jesus, even then, Lord, we know that there will be that sense of fear. But a sense of saying we wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
[6:21] We would rather be in the presence of the Lord. And we thank you, Lord, for teaching your people that. And for those who may be still running away from you.
[6:35] Oh, Lord, we pray that you would bring them, while they're on mercy's ground, to call upon the Lord while they can. Lord, we pray that your ears would be as you promised they would be, open to the cries of everyone who calls upon you.
[6:54] Didn't you say, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved? Oh, thank you, Lord, for putting that in your own word, so that we don't have to question it.
[7:07] Didn't you say, oh Lord Jesus, that whoever comes to you, you will not cast out? Thank you, Lord, for recording that for us as well.
[7:18] And we pray that you would draw people to run after you. And we ask, Lord, that you would minister the word to them, even this evening.
[7:28] We ask, Lord, that you would open our minds by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, and that he would lead us into the things of God, into the things of the Father, which have been revealed for us so clearly in the things of Jesus Christ.
[7:48] He is the only mediator between God and man. And how brilliant it is that he ever lives to make intercession.
[8:00] Oh, thank you, Lord, that our mission for the Lord will never be a failure, because you yourself lives. And you say, because I live, you also will live.
[8:13] Lord, we would pray that you would bless this congregation, and the congregations represented here. Those down here in Harris and Scalpy and Leverborough, those up in Lewis.
[8:29] Lord, we pray, merciful God, do a wonderful work of grace. And we pray that you would raise up people who will be ministers of the gospel in another generation.
[8:43] Lord, you told us, you asked us, pray to me. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into the harvest field.
[8:55] Lord of the harvest, you told us the harvest is plentiful. Who else can provide labourers? You can.
[9:06] And we ask you, Lord, raise up a whole generation of preachers, teachers, evangelists, pastors, those who will work in Sunday school, those who will witness in the community.
[9:22] But, oh, Lord, we pray specially that you would raise up those who will go out as proclaimers and teachers of your word, and through them that you would build up the gifts of the congregation.
[9:37] Lord, bless David and all the work that he does here, along with his fellow elders and deacons. Lord, continue to anoint him. Give him to rest upon you.
[9:49] And may he know more and more every single day a sense of his own weakness and reliance upon you. And, Lord, make your strength perfect in his weakness.
[10:03] We ask all of these things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Let's sing further now from Psalm 145.
[10:16] In the same psalms, verse in Psalm 145. All eyes are raised expectantly to you, and in due season you supply their food.
[10:27] You open wide your hand to all that live and satisfy their needs with what is good. So let's pray to the King. Psalm 145.
[10:38] All eyes are raised expectantly to you, and in due season you supply their food.
[11:00] You open wide your hand to all that live, and satisfy their needs with what is good.
[11:16] The Lord is just and good in all his ways. He shows us love to all that he has made.
[11:32] The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call in truth to him for aid.
[11:49] The Lord is near to all the Lord. He hears a cry and saves him from distress.
[12:04] The Lord is near to all the Lord. But slain to all the Lord.
[12:21] My lips will speak forever in his praise. Let every creature magnify the Lord.
[12:36] Let every creature magnify the Lord. And praise his holy name, and praise his holy name, and praise his holy name, Let's read the word of God now from Matthew's Gospel, chapter 24, reading from verse 32 into chapter 25, verse 13.
[13:08] Matthew 24, reading at verse 32.
[13:24] From the fig tree learn its lesson. As soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also when you see all these things, you know that he is near at the very gates.
[13:42] Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
[13:55] But concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
[14:10] For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark. And they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away.
[14:26] So will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field, one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one left.
[14:40] Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake, and he would not have let his house be broken into.
[14:58] Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household to give them their food at the proper time?
[15:16] Blessed is that servant, whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
[15:28] But if that wicked servant says to himself, my master is delayed, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites.
[15:52] In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
[16:03] Five of them were foolish and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them. The wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
[16:15] As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, Here is the bridegroom, come out to meet him.
[16:29] Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.
[16:49] And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came. And those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterwards, the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
[17:08] But he answered, Truly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
[17:23] May the Lord bless to us that reading of his own holy, inspired word. We'll sing now from Psalm 92. Sing Psalms.
[17:34] And we'll sing Psalm 92, verse 8 to verse 15. But Lord, you are forevermore exalted very high.
[17:46] All evildoers will be crushed. Your foes will surely die. 8 to 15 to God's praise. Amen. But Lord, you are forevermore exalted very high.
[18:15] All evildoers will be crushed. Pure foes will surely die.
[18:31] You made me strong as any ox, with oil anointed thee.
[18:45] I see my enemies defeat, and I upheld them flee.
[19:01] Like palms and cedars flourishing, a righteous all will be.
[19:15] And planted in the house of God, will grow abundantly.
[19:29] So when old days they still bear fruit, they will stay fresh and strong.
[19:45] They will proclaim, the Lord is just. My rock who does no wrong.
[20:04] Let's bow our heads in a moment of prayer, please. Our heavenly Father, gracious Lord, powerful Spirit, one God, grant, Lord, that you would give us an understanding heart.
[20:19] Bring your own word home to us in all its beauty, in all its glory, for the Lord's people. And bring it home to us, Lord, with a sense of anxiety for those who need to be troubled, to seek the Lord while he may be found, to call upon him while he is near.
[20:38] Lord, this is not the work of man. This is your work. And we give you glory, asking you just now, to work, work, Lord.
[20:50] We ask it in Jesus. Amen. Amen. Amen. So over the last couple of days, the theme that I've been looking at has been the forgotten king.
[21:11] And I've been asking all the folks who are gathering, first of all, to look out and to see how bad things really are in the world, rather than amusing ourselves to death with all sorts of trivial things.
[21:26] And then to look up and remind ourselves that God really is king. He's the creator king. He is the sustainer king.
[21:37] He is the promise-making, promise-keeping king. And there is no king like him, truly. And then last evening, we looked at the truth that the king came in the past.
[21:52] Two thousand years ago, something really wonderful happened, quite irreversible. The kingdom of God came. God asserted himself as king.
[22:05] He sent the king, whom we know as Jesus. And this king did some wonderful, wonderful things by the power of the Holy Spirit.
[22:16] He did so many miracles, more than any other person ever alive. And he is also somebody that gave teaching that was so brilliant that it had to be written down in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the testimony of the king.
[22:37] But then he went on from there to die on the cross, not as a victim, but as a king. Nobody made him die. He gave himself.
[22:50] He parted his spirit from his body. And he committed himself as a king. He bowed his head and made his own death happen.
[23:02] The only human being who ever chose to die. And then he chose to rise from the dead. Yes, the father raised him, but he was willing to rise.
[23:17] And willing to rise not just as an ordinary person, not even as the son of God, but to rise as king. So when he came out of that grave, when he stepped out of that grave, when he met the women, when he met the angels, when he met the church, when he spoke with them for six weeks, he was speaking to them as the crucified one, now risen and king.
[23:48] But he didn't stop there. He then ascended up to nowhere less than the right hand of God most high. And God wanted him there.
[24:02] He said, sit at my right hand. So there's the king beside the king. How many thrones are there? There's only one throne, as we shall see later.
[24:15] And that throne is inhabited by God and the son of God, who is Mary's son, the son of David, who is king.
[24:28] And what did he do when he was there as king? He poured out the Holy Spirit upon the church to equip her for the most important work that human beings have ever been equipped for.
[24:43] And that is to go and take the gospel to the nations. Most, most wonderful. And tonight, we're asking the last question.
[24:54] This time, we're looking not back to what happened irreversibly 2,000 years ago that Satan wants you to forget, but to look forward two things.
[25:10] First of all, he is coming as king and then he will come as king. He is coming as king.
[25:21] Sometimes when I preach, and I'm sure it's the same with most ministers, we will say a lot about a little. So we'll take a passage, a little passage, and we will say a lot about that little passage.
[25:39] Other times, like tonight, I'll say a little about a lot. I'm not looking at one particular passage. I want you to think about all the wonderful things that the king is doing and will yet do.
[26:00] The first thing I want you to think about, and you know it's the most obvious one. Remember when Jesus said in Matthew 28, here's the one who's at the right hand of God, and God says to, Jesus says to us, go, make disciples of all nations.
[26:22] Why? Because I have all authority in heaven and on earth. What a beautiful thing to actually say. He gifts us the Holy Spirit under this wonderful authority, and then he says, go.
[26:41] And he doesn't say, will you please go? He commands us to go. We don't have an option. In my prayer tonight, I was praying that the Lord will raise up ministers of the gospel as we used to call them in the past.
[26:57] All the gifts in the congregations are so important, and this congregation is noted for its usefulness in the Lord's work. But we need many, many people to go out with the gospel as ministers of the gospel.
[27:14] It's great to hear that is happening. We need more. Search your heart. Search your heart. And ask the Lord to search your heart.
[27:27] What is he calling you to do? What is the king commanding you to do? That is not an option, but something you're absolutely burdened to do, and you cannot stay and refrain from doing.
[27:47] Go, make disciples of all nations. Do you remember in John chapter 10? John chapter 10, the words that I read to my father on his deathbed.
[28:01] he wanted me to read him. And I read it to him in English. It's English he wanted, not Gaelic, strangely. And part of that passage was, other sheep I have which are not of this fold.
[28:18] Them also I must bring. This is the king speaking. He knows that there are already a people gathered on earth.
[28:29] but he's going to gather more. How's he going to do it? He's going to ascend to heaven. Is he running away from the job? Not at all.
[28:41] He's at the right hand of God. He's on the throne of the universe and he says I will bring those other sheep. You may be one of those other sheep tonight and you'd love to be part of the people of God.
[28:57] Isn't it great that the Lord Jesus is enthroned on high and he says other sheep I have. He doesn't name them but it's enough to encourage you to come.
[29:11] Other sheep I have. Them also I must bring. Why must? Because he died. He died for every single person who comes and there will be nobody in hell for whom Christ died.
[29:32] Everyone the Father gave to him will come to him. Well he says I must bring them. But how will he do it? He pours the spirit out on the church and he says to them go.
[29:46] These are the words of the king himself. It starts so small like a mustard seed. It's like putting leaven into the dough.
[29:58] But then it spreads and something beautiful happens. A church grows. A people of God.
[30:10] A multitude no man can number. When that great day comes, when the mission of the church is over, Jesus won't say I'm sorry.
[30:22] There has been some mistake because some for whom I died are not here. No. No regrets on the part of the king at all.
[30:35] Well that's all I want to say about that part of the coming of the king. The present activity of the king now through our activity as his missionaries.
[30:49] I want to think now about the future. this final coming of the kingdom. Just want to say a little about a lot of things.
[31:05] The first thing is this, and you know it, Jesus is going to return. The king is going to come back.
[31:17] And isn't it great the way in which he will come back. We read about some of these things. It might look at times as if he's delayed in coming.
[31:31] And you might never hear his name mentioned on the news. Never mentioned by name. Nobody fearing his coming.
[31:42] They do budgets, they make plans, but the coming of Christ never features in any government on earth's plans and policies.
[31:53] Even though Jesus says specifically, he's going to come, it may look at times as if it's delayed. Remember what we read there, blessed is the servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
[32:08] He will set him over all his possessions. But if the servant says to himself, my master is delayed in coming and begins to meet the male and female servants, to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him, at an hour he does not know.
[32:30] He may seem delayed, and you might be one of those Christians and you are quite convinced he won't come tonight and he won't come tomorrow and he won't come next week and 2026 is not a year that will bring the second coming of the Lord.
[32:53] You might even think that if you're a schoolboy or a schoolgirl that you might be able to rise up into the years of adulthood and achieve all your ambitions before Christ returns, don't think like that.
[33:10] Don't think like that. You really only have the day. Work while it is day. The night comes when no one can work.
[33:21] Don't keep on saying it won't be today. My master is delaying coming. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do you remember what he said.
[33:35] And it is so poignant really. He's the one who said that when he comes it won't be in secret.
[33:50] Some people would be saying, look, he's there in the wilderness. Don't go out. If they say, look, he's in the inner room. He's in there. No, don't believe it.
[34:03] When Jesus comes, it'll be like lightning shining from the east to the west. So will the coming of the Son of Man be.
[34:14] See, when he comes, every one of you, every one of us will know it. This is the arrival of the King. If I'm right, if I remember our present King spent some time on one of the bernaras a long time ago with Princess Diana and nobody knew he was there until afterwards.
[34:38] That's not the way it'll be with the coming of the Lord. It's like lightning shining from east to west. Everybody will know that he has actually arrived because he is the King.
[34:52] And if the King's here everyone should know about this great matter. So you must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
[35:09] So look is what Jesus is saying. Look I'm here. The second thing Jesus will do when he comes he will say rise the resurrection of believers from the dead.
[35:28] This is what Jesus said in John's Gospel I say to you an hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God those who hear will live.
[35:41] That's what happened to me. That's what happened to David. We were spiritually dead right now and we heard the voice of the Son of God as those who were dead and we were made alive.
[35:55] But then he goes on to say do not marvel at this he says for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out.
[36:07] Now that's something different. There may be some of you spiritually dead here and may God bless! may the King bless you so you hear his word and you live.
[36:21] But here we're told about people who are in the graves who are in the tombs they're already dead but nobody has escaped when he comes all who are in the tombs will hear his voice remember what I said he won't come silently well it's good to get two sermons on the go I suppose but you see the point though I mean here you have Jesus coming not quietly not silently the King has arrived and he is the one himself who speaks and his speech is to bring the dead to life I lived opposite our house was there and across the wall was the graveyard in Bathgate most beautifully kept graveyard and
[37:23] I looked out over there and I knew a number of Christians who were buried there those who had served the Lord buried there so young mothers being buried there and their children a whole house set on fire and they all perished in a night and you could see their graves you saw older people's graves there too and here we're told that every tomb every grave will be opened there is nobody who has died who will not be brought to life how solemn that is as Paul says it in 1st Thessalonians for the Lord himself he'll descend from heaven not silently with a cry of command with the voice of an archangel with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in
[38:24] Christ will rise first see if you're a Christian that day you won't have to wait you will rise from the dead and he will raise you first but you will not be the only ones to rise from the dead when you rise from the dead you will meet your magnified glorified soul as a believer how wonderful heaven will be twice the heaven but see if you die and you're not a believer and you have gone to hell then your body will be raised to meet that soul and body and soul as we heard from Paul will experience the wrath of God forever so when he comes he will come and he will say rise the resurrection of believers only the king can make that happen the third thing is this be glorified be glorified remember what
[39:42] Jesus said that a time will come when the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of well I'm not seeing many people shining here I'm not seeing many Christians shining some ways they are shining in a dark world we are lights in a world but I don't think that this is what the text is talking about this is something at the climax and I think it is referring to our glorification in Christ Jesus remember what John said we are God's children now beloved and what we will be he
[40:58] I pray to him I want to love him and love him more but I've never seen him I want to be more like him but a day will come just think of it you're actually going to see him you're going to see him and he won't be somebody aged wrinkled he won't be somebody that had a bad past of suffering when you see him as if he's just at the last stages of no no you're going to see him and he is going to be so pure physically spiritually emotionally mentally you see him as he really is what's going to happen you will become like him but surely that can't happen in an instant surely you may need to have some time for such a transformation ah but listen
[42:12] God could have created the universe in a nanosecond and he can glorify into the likeness of Christ just like that shorter than that in fact as soon as you see when he appears we will be like him because we shall see him as he is I think that will be the first day when I will be able to love him as he deserves to be loved which Christian is here tonight and doesn't feel like a hypocrite because you feel you don't serve him and love him and know him enough well what a change that will be and you know what there are some things that God won't do for you unless
[43:13] Jesus asks for these things to be done remember John 17 Jesus said to the father father I want them to be with me where I am I want them to see my glory they're going to be like me I want them to know that you love them as you love me and I'll go and live in them so that they know what it is to be loved and to love in return Jesus had to pray to the father he says will you do that so here's the king speaking to the king God father I want that they might be with me will the father answer it absolutely absolutely and how beautiful a day that will be when
[44:24] Jesus is not only there we're not only alive from the dead body and soul again but we are actually transformed into the likeness of Christ what could be better than that I'll tell you what that it won't just be you this is when Jesus says be one be one see on that day nobody will mention or the free church continuing or the reform or the vineyard church or Elam they won't mention any of these things at all why because everyone for whom the Lord died and who be brought back to life who are made into his likeness ah see these people they will be one you won't see any strangers then a bit like
[45:32] Psalm 122 remember the guy who said you know this I was invited to go up to the house of God go up to set to me and then he says I'm in Jerusalem he was absolutely thrilled and then he looks around and he says this is a place where the tribes of God there's somebody from Zebulun somebody from Naphtali somebody from and he just feels the people of God well can you imagine what it would be like when all the people of God are together one flock and nobody's missing and every single one of them!
[46:11] is Christ like glorified beautiful oh doesn't it just make you long for this to happen this kind of oneness they will come from the east and they'll come from the west and they'll be at the table who with Abraham great look forward to seeing him Isaac yes Isaac very imperfect believer Jacob that deceiver who was sanctified by the Lord yes he'll be there too and all these other people from the east and from the west just think of it all one and this is one of the beautiful things as I understand it about the conference you've had over the weekend that's great but I'm so impressed with this congregation in particular why do you know when I was sitting there this morning what impressed me was seeing old people coming in younger people coming in young people coming in and very young people coming in and I didn't see anybody coming in with an unhappy face something beautiful may the
[47:44] Lord bless that work but can you imagine the future be one with the people of God of all ages all is real will be saved the next thing he'll say look I'm here rise from the dead be glorified into my likeness be one with the people of God receive your inheritance!
[48:17] receive your inheritance! Do you remember Peter after the story of the rich young ruler who went away he said see we have left everything and followed you what then will we have Jesus said truly I say to you in the new world when the son of man will sit on his glorious throne you who have followed me you will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for my name's sake they will receive a hundred fold brilliant some people when they maybe feel called to serve in the gospel and you ask them will you come up north and preach oh no I can't be more than an hour away from the central belt and
[49:18] I say to myself really I mean here's Peter saying we've left everything to follow you and to serve you and here's people saying I can't do that I can't give up that can't give up this really is this your inheritance!
[49:39] Jesus is saying an inheritance will come in the future and it will come boy it will come who is Jesus?
[49:50] Hebrews chapter 1 he is the heir of all things the Christians who are they they are joined heirs with Christ so if he inherits!
[50:09] what? all things what will you inherit? all things you will be like Adam going out into the world newly created by God and it's all yours how beautiful it'll be on that day when every one of us goes out and we will feel this is home this is ours compared to what we lost this is a hundred fold a thousand fold we've not lost anything Jesus says inherit come ye blessed of my father inherit it's you see the word inherit is important it's not just receive it's yours do you have anything here that's really yours remember what
[51:12] Job said naked I came from my mother's womb naked I will return there Job do you have nothing I have nothing and even when God blessed him at the end of Job he would have to leave all that behind as well but see the Christian the Christian will have everything what a king and how much he's going to give what then will the king do I think he'll say to the church I want you to say amen I want you to say amen amen to what I want you to say hallelujah why do you want us to say hallelujah king
[52:14] Jesus revelation 19 here listen to this after this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven crying out hallelujah salvation and glory and power belong to our God for his judgments are true and just he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality he has avlenged on her the blood of his servants here's God saying I have dealt with every enemy my enemy and the enemy of my servants my people I have judged them all and what does he say once more they cried out hallelujah and the smoke of the judgment we're told goes up forever and ever
[53:17] I have massive difficulties with that today because I fear sometimes my own loved ones could be among those who will prove to be the enemies of God and his people that frightens me frightens me and I say to myself will a day come when I will say praise the Lord because he brings judgment on them and the smoke of the judgment rises forever and ever at the moment I would find it hard to do like Paul was saying about the time of the death of Usa there was nobody crying out praise the Lord but on that day you'll be given grace to say amen to that you'll even want it so that the
[54:30] Lord will be praised that's solemn that's solemn are you still somebody that's not a believer at the moment I don't want to rejoice over your lostness and your judgment I really don't but I know a day will come when people will rejoice if you said no to Christ no to salvation you want to live your own judgment comes and no weeping mother or grieving father will do anything as Christians but say hallelujah hallelujah!
[55:27] When I used to grow up in the cross free church and there the young folks sat in the gallery of the church and you'd be there on the communion and you'd watch the division in the church between those who were at the white tables as it was then and those who weren't the division and then it dawned on you I'm not there I'm not there and that was a scary scary thought at that time what else will the king do I think he will say eat eat of the tree of life eat of the tree of life I read earlier on Matthew 19 Jesus says truly in the new world when the son of man will sit on his glorious throne you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of
[56:33] Israel and everyone who has left houses of brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for my sake yes they will receive it a hundred fold and will inherit eternal life now you might say to me but I'm a Christian now and I have eternal life now Jesus said I have passed from death to life that is absolutely true you have a relationship with God the living God through Jesus Christ who me has sent that is life as best as it can be at this stage but believe me there are dimensions to that life that are yet to come when you will inherit life and it will be so beautifully huge as it is the son of
[57:34] God's what a privilege it will be at that time Garden of Eden what happened what did God do in the Garden of Eden he did the most wonderful things which we can't look at tonight but you know one of the most wonderful things he did is when he put them outside of the Garden of Eden so I understand it before Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden both of them were believers but they were sent outside of the Garden of Eden for their good why because God doesn't want them just to have life of any kind he wants for them a very special kind of life he doesn't want them to reach out and take the symbol of the tree of life men no he says out and he puts the angel with a flaming sword they'll never get back in but see when the
[58:40] Lord Jesus comes back what is it that you will see listen to this revelation 22 the last the last chapter in the Bible the angel showed me the river of the water of life bright as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb only one throne through the middle of the street of the city where the people live and on either side of the river we're told there is a tree of life and this tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruit yielding its fruit each month there will always be life to be enjoyed in every season in every month there will be this beautiful taste and experience of life even the leaves not the tree but even the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations it's as if this tree of life which surrounds where they live on each side of the street this tree of life is beautiful and you know what there's no flaming sword no cherub beam keeping people away no showed me the river of the water of life he says come on come on in come on in you ever watch the secret garden with your children a hundred times like
[60:24] I used to have to watch for those of you who know it this means something when the little girl puts her finger in through the hedge says come on in well that's what the angel is doing come on in the tree of life it's for you enjoy it we live best is yet to come eat of the tree of life and then I think Jesus will say as king see I have made everything new I've made everything new that's why Jesus spoke about strange the ways it's translated in the
[61:26] ESV in the new world literally in the regeneration of all things that's when you will receive the inheritance and inherit eternal life and who's going to bring about the regeneration of everything the king and when he does that you know what well remember Jesus as we said last evening Jesus would go into a town or a village people who were lame couldn't walk blind they couldn't see deaf they couldn't hear dead they could do nothing by the time Jesus goes out they can see hear walk live but they would all go on to die that of Jesus saying that's a hint of what it'll be like when I return and when he returns what will be told then there's going to be healing for the nations no death no sorrow no funerals no illness no cancer no sleepless night at the thought of what tomorrow or next month will bring it's going to be the most beautiful experience of restoration and it's not just that you're good in yourself and it's not just that everybody you're seeing will be in perfect mental emotional spiritual physical health but you'll be restored to God himself and like in the garden of Eden when God would walk and they could hear his footsteps and they didn't run away that's what it'll be like for us we don't run away
[63:32] Adam and Eve ran but we we'll be restored to God he's made everything new that's going to be such a privilege the dwelling of God this is what the writer in Revelation 21 says I heard a voice from the throne saying behold the dwelling place of God is with man he will dwell with them they will be his people God himself will be with them as their God see what he's saying there at the moment you you go into certain cities and you've got the industry here and the people live there some very important cities this is the palace where royalty lives and this is where the rest of the ordinary plebs live but when we enter into the presence of God now in a new heavens there's no demarcation
[64:45] God doesn't say you keep the best space for me he actually says I am going to dwell with you I'm going to be so close to you you will hear me you will see me you will enjoy me can you imagine a universe in which God is present and present to Eden with a river and the river always brings you to life itself and then what else what will Jesus as the king then say rest this is the Sabbath I have created this whole universe for you now the old universe is gone
[65:53] I have raised your bodies and you're like me now I've given you possession I have given you life I have done it all you didn't do it for yourself I did it and I'm resting and I want you to rest in my rest I want you to rest in my Sabbath this is the Sabbath that remains for the people of God and what's the Sabbath meant to be time to reflect on what God did for you boy that's hard sometimes can you imagine though to have a whole eternity you might think that's a nightmare it's not a nightmare not at all we've hardly begun to taste what it's like to have a
[67:12] Sabbath which is God's Sabbath he'll be with us he won't always be saying look look up into the sky see that constellation yes he could do that but I think he'd be more like saying look at this look at me look at my son look at my people look at who you are and you just say this is so brilliant you're enjoying the Sabbath rest because you realize did I do anything to make this happen could I raise myself from the dead could I bring the king back from heaven could I make myself like Jesus could I gather all the people of God together no could I have gained the inheritance by myself no could I defeat all my enemies no could
[68:12] I have gained my own entrance to the tree of life no could I have made everything new! no who did it?
[68:25] The king the king who came 2000 years ago is the king who will do all of that and when he rests we will enjoy his rest and then we will rejoice we will rejoice remember that poignant night and it must have been quite sad the night of the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples which becomes the first Lord's supper what did Jesus say I tell you he says I will not drink again of the fruit of this vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom food fellowship enjoying the meal together giving thanks to
[69:30] God for the Passover lamb in the past Jesus says I won't do that again with you on earth not this earth no I'm going to drink it in the father's kingdom once the father has asserted his rule through me a time will come when we will celebrate we will have food fellowship we will enjoy and we will celebrate you know what this is called in the book of the revelation lovely to speak today to folks who hope to get married this summer beautiful but the marriage supper of the lamb who will be invited who will be there every one of the lord's people and nobody will say well do you know what
[70:36] I'm there by the skin of my teeth they barely let me into the wedding feast no no see on that day and I'm speaking here to people like myself believers who know that we have failed countless times and you think you're the only one who will actually be perhaps there at the marriage supper and you'll be the one in the corner just mated and no more and barely loved by the king no absolutely Jesus is the one who says I will drink it new with you in my father's kingdom you will never feel so welcome as you do on that day I said
[71:37] I was going to say a little and a lot you see what I mean there's one more look rise be glorified be one receive say amen eat to the tree of life see all things are made new enjoy the rest of the Sabbath rejoice with me and worship worship the king worship the king there are two passages I feel duty bound to read to you because they're so beautiful Philippians 2 you know the passage remember have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus though he was in the form of God he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but he emptied himself he took the form of a servant this is the king being born in the likeness of men being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross and his king a servant king in the midst of all that therefore
[72:58] God has highly exalted him God has bespo it on him the name that is above every name why so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth who will be worshipped on that day every knee will bow before the Lord Jesus Jesus then every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Jesus is not supreme we bow before him to the glory of God the Father and this is the way Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 15 Jesus must reign till he has put all his enemies under his feet the last enemy to be destroyed is death for God has put all things in subjection under the feet of
[74:12] Jesus but when it says all things are put in subjection it's plain that he is accepted God who put all things in subjection under Jesus when all things are subjected to God then the son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him and that's prefaced by this one verse then comes the end when Jesus delivers the kingdom to God the Father see Jesus is not the supreme he is the king but he's ruling under the king God Jesus is God's son in human form he's the son of David the son of Mary and he will rule and once he has completed all of this he has this beautiful act of worship to complete he will deliver the kingdom to God the Father and he says all of this was for you all of this was for you and Jesus himself will present every one of you as his people to God the Father and he himself will lead you in worship for the whole of eternity he will be the worship leader
[75:57] I have no idea just as Paul said this morning what life will be like in the new heavens and earth no idea sometimes I have heard people give a bit of detail as to what it will be like and I still remember the old man who said you'll be telling us next you have colored only my brain ferries in the new heaven and earth the reality is we have no idea and you know what I don't want to know if I can experience all of this I can trust him for the next stage and I know I will not be disappointed may the Lord bless his word let's pray our heavenly father oh we do ask that you would bring home to us the truth we see a little on a lot of texts but you are at the very heart of every one of these oh Lord
[77:03] Jesus Christ you are the one who will bring all of these things to be oh glory be to your name we know that you are doing it all for your father by the power of your Holy Spirit you are doing all of this in an act of worship and we want Lord to thank you that you would save us to glorify him even making us like you is to glorify him he will only ever have one son but he will have many adopted sons and wherever he looks he will see his son Lord thank you oh king and oh God for giving us such a king thank you please please don't let us forget you we ask it for your glory in Christ amen now
[78:18] David has chosen mission praise 449 love divine all love's excelling joy of heaven to earth come down fix in us all thy faithful mercy's crown let's praise god love's love's excelling joy of heaven to earth come down the divine all love's excelling joy of heaven to earth come down fix in us thy humble dwelling all thy faithful mercy's crown Jesus thou art all compassion pure abundant love the heart fix in us with thy salvation enter every trembling heart breathe oh breathe thy loving spirit into every troubled rest let us all in thee inherit let us find thy promise rest take thou with the love of singing up the hand!
[80:20] Oh Oh Oh
[81:50] Oh Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all Amen