The Gathered Church (8) - Gathered in Glory

We're going to begin our worship now singing in Psalm number 30.

Psalm number 30, that's in the Scottish Psalter, the tune of St. Minver,

and verses 1 to 5.

Lord, I will thee extol, for thou hast lifted me on high,

and over me thou to rejoice, made'st not mine enemy.

O thou who art the Lord my God, I in distress to thee with loud cries,

lifted up my voice, and thou hast healed me.

So on to the end of verse 5, Lord, I will thee extol.

If you're able to stand, please stand for the singing.

Over me thou to rejoice, made'st not mine enemy.

O thou who art the Lord my God, I am in distress to thee.

With light I've lifted up my voice, and thou hast healed me.

O Lord, my soul, thou hast brought down, and rescued from the grave,

that I to pray, should not go down, how life thou didst be saved.

For ye that have his holy wants, sing grace unto the Lord,

and give unto him thanks, where ye his holiness reward.

Are but a woman, that is strong, like in his labor light.

We think before a night in dew, but more of joy arise.

Let's call upon the Lord now in prayer.

Let's join together in prayer.

We give thanks to thee, O Lord, our God,

as we come to sing these words we have sung in your praise,

that you are the God who rescues sinners from their plight,

the God who lifts us out of the pit of our own making,

and sets us upon the rock that is Jesus Christ.

We give thanks, O Lord, tonight,

that we face once again the wonderful teaching of your word,

that reminds us of all that it took and cost to provide us with such a rescue and redemption.

We pray, Lord, tonight that we may come before you,

celebrating the fact that you are this God who saves,

who comes to be with your people,

and who will bring them at last to dwell with you forever.

O Lord, our God, we give thanks.

You are the God also of comfort and compassion,

one who makes himself known to us,

having come to know you as our God.

Lord, we give thanks that you remain to be the comforter and companion and friend of your people.

Lord, how much we need to know and to be assured of that comfort

and that friendship throughout the course of life.

For we know from our experience,

as well as the teaching of your word,

that we meet with many tribulations,

many things that cause us distress and pain,

many things that sometimes,

Lord, bring us to question our very relationship with you

and your view of us.

But we give thanks for the way in which your word redirects us.

We give thanks for the ministry of your Holy Spirit.

Lord, not only do you bring us to know you through the work of that Spirit,

but your Spirit dwells within your people,

and your Spirit will ever be in your people's souls,

all the way through time and into eternity.

And we give thanks tonight for that ministry of your Spirit,

a Spirit that keeps himself so much in the background

in order to elevate and bring Christ out for us.

And Lord, we pray tonight that your Holy Spirit will apply your word to us,

that your Holy Spirit will open our minds

and grant to us once again to triumph in the Lord Jesus Christ through faith.

And we pray, Lord, that you would grant to us,

even this night, anew,

the sense of your presence here with us,

the knowledge that you are here,

and that you are here as you have stated in your word,

that where your people are gathered together in your name,

so you are there in the midst.

And we give thanks for the many ways in which,

as we have seen, O Lord,

your word teaches us of the importance of gathering your people together

and of them seeing themselves as the gathered people of God.

We give thanks that all the way down through the Old Testament years,

your people knew themselves as the assembly of God's people,

an assembly of people with whom you had entered into covenant,

an assembly that gathered regularly to worship you,

to give to you the praise, the sacrifices,

all that you had required of them.

And we give thanks, O Lord,

that we have entered into the way in which we relate to you,

entered into that same experience,

but even in a higher way.

For you have come to reveal yourself to us, Lord,

not merely through symbols and signs and sacrifices,

but through the person of your Son.

For in times past you spoke to the prophets and the fathers

through various visions,

and revelations of yourself.

But in these latter times,

you have spoken to us and continue to speak through your Son,

one who has been made heir over all things.

Bless, we pray, your word to us then, Lord, tonight.

We represent a great variety of needs

and of experience in your presence.

And even tonight, Lord,

we know that we vary so much,

one from each other,

in the things that we are going through in life.

But we give thanks that all our needs are met in the Lord Jesus Christ,

and we'll be so abundantly and triumphantly throughout eternity.

When you're gathered,

when you're gathered, people will forever be in your presence.

And when nothing will intervene with their perfect knowledge of you

and their celebration of your salvation

and also of the rejoicing in the salvation

that you have procured for them.

And bless us each one, we pray,

and bless us together this evening.

Bless us in all that we seek to do

in your name from day to day and week to week.

Lord, we give thanks for all the activities of the congregation.

We know that being busy and having all these activities

are not in themselves a sign of life,

but yet, Lord, we are encouraged that there is surely life

when we have a relish for these things

and when we seek to pray over them

and find that they are of benefit to us as a people.

And, Lord, we pray that all of these activities,

along with our services of worship,

will continue to be blessed and owned by you.

And so, encourage, we pray,

those who lead up all of these activities and meetings.

We pray that you bless them

from the meetings of the youngest right through to the over 55s.

We encourage, Lord, as we seek your encouragement

to continue to look to you

for your blessing through these things and upon these things.

We ask especially, again, that you'd bless our children,

our young people.

And we ask that you would further establish them

in the knowledge of your name and in your salvation.

Lord, we pray this for them.

We know that it is above everything else that we could ask for them

and anything else that they could value and know,

that they would know the Lord Jesus for themselves,

that they would know the treasure of his salvation,

that they would come, Lord, to rejoice in him

as their Redeemer and as their Lord.

And we pray, Lord, for all the work that goes on

to bring that great message of the gospel to them.

And we ask that you would continue to bless them.

Bless the world in which we live,

our own nation and all the other nations of the earth.

Lord, it is so evident to us

that it is a world in turmoil,

a world that shows all the evidence of its fallenness

and sinfulness and a typathy to God,

a world that departs so much from your ways,

not only into other religions

and other ways of life that cannot ever bring us

salvation and satisfaction,

but a world that is so largely and sadly

set on violence and war,

and a world that is, Lord, so much given

to uphold the things that we should despise

and despise the things that we should uphold.

Forgive us, we pray,

for the way in which we are continually

in a departure from you

as a nation, as a people.

But, Lord, we ask that you would bless your church,

that you would bless all who witness to you

through this generation.

We pray that you would encourage them,

for they meet with much, Lord, of opposition

and discouragement,

and we do pray that you would continue

to own and acknowledge

the testimony of your people.

We pray that wherever that is set forth,

whether it be in church meetings

or places of work or other gatherings,

Lord, we pray even in terms of private conversation,

we pray that your blessing

will always accompany what we seek to do

in expressing our faith in Christ

and our hope and confidence in him.

Bless tonight those who mourn the passing of loved ones.

We pray for them again

and continue to bear them in your presence,

O Lord.

Bless to those who are ill,

those who are seriously ill,

those laid aside in hospital,

in the hospice, in care homes or at home.

O Lord, bless, we pray,

each and all of these circumstances

to those involved and to their families.

And continue to guide us, Lord,

in that way of your truth.

And in all of this,

we do confess our sins,

seeking your cleansing and acceptance of us.

For Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

We're going to sing again to God's praise.

We're singing this time from Psalm 36.

This time in Sing Psalm,

Psalm 36, verses 5 to 10.

Psalms 36:5–10

The tune is Torwood.

Your steadfast love is great, O Lord.

It reaches heaven high.

Your faithfulness is wonderful,

extending to the sky.

Your righteousness is very great,

like mountains high and steep.

Your justice is like ocean depths,

both man and beast.

You keep, Dunesvah, verse 10,

to those who know you as their God,

your steadfast love impart.

Maintain your righteousness

to those of pure and upright heart.

So these verses,

your steadfast love is great, O Lord.

Amen.

Your faithfulness is wonderful,

extending to the sky.

You righteousness is very great,

by mountains high and steep.

Your justice is like ocean depths,

O plan and beast you be.

How precious is your steadfast love,

What of it, dense it brings,

O higher love,

more on yourqueous kinda suprest,

of pure imagines.

O fashion nights

In your house and drink

From streams of pure delight

For with you is the source of life

In your light we see light

To those who know you are, dear God

Your steadfast love impart

Maintain your righteousness

To those of pure and upright

Let's turn now to read God's Word.

Our reading this evening is from the book of the Revelation of John,

the last book of the Bible, and chapter 7.

And we're going to read from the beginning through to the end of the chapter.

So Revelation chapter 7 from the beginning.

Revelation 7 · chapter mention

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,

holding back the four winds of the earth,

that no wind might blow on the earth or sea or against any tree.

Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun

with the seal of the living God.

And he called with a loud voice to the four angels

who had been given power to harm earth and sea,

saying, Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees

until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

And I heard the number of the sealed,

one hundred and forty-four thousand,

sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.

Twelve thousand from the tribe of Judah were sealed,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph,

and twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

After this I looked, and behold,

a great multitude that no one could number,

from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,

standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands,

and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.

And all the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures,

and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom,

and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?

I said to him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple,

and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more.

The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat,

for the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Amen. And again, may God follow with his blessing our reading of his own precious word.

Let's sing once again this time in Psalm 107.

Psalm 107 in the Scottish Psalter,

Verse 1-9

And the tune this time is Newington

Praise God, for he is good,

for still his mercies lasting be.

Let God's redeemed say so,

whom he from the enemies handed free,

and gathered them out of the lands from north, south, east, and west.

They strayed in deserts pathless way,

no city found to rest.

For thirst and hunger in them faints their soul,

when straight them pressed they cry unto the Lord,

and he them frees from their distress.

Them also in a way to walk,

that right is he did guide,

that they might to a city go,

wherein they might abide.

And so on down as far as verse 9,

Praise God, for he is good.

Praise God, for he is good,

for still his mercies lasting be.

Let God's redeemed say so,

whom he from the enemies handed free,

and gather them out of the lands,

from north, south, east, and west.

They strayed in deserts pathless way,

no city found to rest.

For thirst and hunger in them faints,

their soul rents,

their soul rents,

their soul rents,

their soul rents,

they cry unto the Lord,

and he,

and peace of their distress.

them also in a way to walk,

that right is he did guide,

that they might to a city go,

wherein they might abide.

O that men to the Lord would give,

praise for his goodness then,

and for his works of wonder done,

and to the sons of men.

For he the soul and longing is,

that fully satisfy,

with goodness in a hungry soul,

that filled abundantly.

Let's turn together now to Revelation chapter 7,

Revelation 7 · chapter mention

and especially the second half of that chapter,

from verse 9,

particularly verses 13,

through to the end of the chapter.

This is really the apex,

or the terminus,

of the gathered church.

We've been looking at some aspects of the gathered church,

and some of the features the Bible tells us

are important in terms of our thinking of the church

as the gathered people of God,

not just gathered in terms of gathered for worship,

as we are tonight,

but other aspects of the way in which God's people are gathered

or united together,

as he himself gathers them together

into the body of being his people.

But this is really the church gathered in glory.

This will be our final study,

this time on this short series of the gathered church.

The church gathered in glory.

On earth,

we have the church in an admixed form.

The church gathered on earth

is always comprised of people who are saved

and people who are not saved.

And the church in the widest sense of it,

and that has been the case all the way through,

from the Old Testament days

right through to our own age as well.

But in this gathered church in glory,

there are no one saved.

They are all redeemed people of God,

enjoying the salvation that God has procured for them

through the Lord Jesus Christ.

And you'll notice it says that

when the elder actually addressed,

one of the elders addressed him who they were,

and I said to him,

Sir, you know,

in other words,

John himself at this position

was unwilling or unable to say

who exactly they were,

but he knew that this elder who spoke with him

from heaven,

this one in this wonderful scene

that he sees here before him,

he said,

these are the ones

coming out of the great tribulation,

and they have washed their robes

and made them white

in the blood of the Lamb.

Now, there's a lot of speculation

over the great tribulation

down through the years.

Some people have said

and continue to say

that that is a specific time

in the history of the world

or in the history of the church,

that it refers to

a specific time of tribulation

as part of the end times.

But it's better, I think,

to take this reference,

the great tribulation,

to be a reference

to the sum total

of the tribulations

of God's people

down through the ages

of the church.

And that as this is bringing us

to the final state of the church

and the final state

which here in chapter 7

anticipates what you later have

in the final two chapters

of Revelation.

Revelation is difficult

in some ways

to work out

just where the pauses are,

and it seems that we can take it

as we are tonight,

taking it that it reaches

this point,

and then it resumes

some of the teaching

before reaching again

on account of the final state

of things in chapters 21 and 22.

Well, be that as it may,

we're taking that this

as a description

of the church in glory,

and that John is given

to see some wonderful aspects

of God's people together

in glory.

These are they

who have come

out of the great tribulation.

Down through the whole

of history,

the tribulation

that has affected the church

in different degrees

and different ways

from year to year,

from century to century,

as far as this scene

is concerned,

that's in the past.

And they are coming out

of that great tribulation

as they enter

into the final state

of heaven.

We could take it that

this, in fact,

is a pre-resurrection state

as well,

but whatever we take it,

whether it's pre-resurrection

or following the resurrection

and the final glory,

the principles of it

really, in a sense,

are the same

because he's describing

the conditions,

describing the state

in which they're found,

and describing some

of the features

of that gathered church

here in glory,

as we're calling it.

Well, there are two things

that arise from

this part of the chapter.

First of all,

we can look from verses 14,

from verse 13, really,

but 14 especially,

to the end of the chapter,

verses 14 to 15 especially,

at the qualification

for life in heaven.

The qualification

for life in heaven.

And then from verse 16 to 17,

to the end of the chapter,

the quality of life in heaven.

Because you'll see that

the word therefore

connects very closely

to what's in the previous verse

regarding the washing

of their robes

and making them white

in the blood of the Lamb.

That's an aspect of

the way that God brings them

to be qualified

to be in heaven,

to enter into the state

of glory,

of salvation in heaven.

And then the word for

in verse 17

is itself intimately connected

with what he calls,

what he says there

in verse 16,

which talks about their peace

and talks about the way

in which none of the things

of this tribulation,

of this life,

that the experience

will evermore enter

into their experience.

Why?

For the Lamb

who is in the midst

of the throne

will be their shepherd

and so on.

So the qualification then

for life in heaven.

What are the qualifications?

What is this qualification

made up of?

What is it comprised of?

Well, two things.

There is on the one hand

purity

and on the other hand

there is victory.

You can see here

that they are

people who have

washed their robes

and made them white

in the blood of the Lamb.

Now, of course,

that presupposes

their need of cleansing

or their need

of being cleansed.

It presupposes

that they were

in need of washing.

It presupposes

that they had

something about them

that did not fit them

for life in heaven,

that did not fit them

for being in the presence

of God as they are here.

And that, of course,

is our sinfulness

and the defilement

of our sinfulness.

One of the features

of our sinfulness,

as the Bible often describes,

it is that we are polluted

as sinners

in the presence of God.

Sin has left us defiled

and the defilement of sin

needs to be washed away

and that's why Jesus died.

So that, among other things,

we would be washed

from our sins.

By the death he died

or through the death he died.

And that's the picture

that you have,

that's the point

that you have here

with regard to purity.

It presupposes

that they themselves

are polluted,

defiled,

guilty,

and so on.

And it reminds us

that we are actually

saved from all of that.

We are saved

from what we are

in our natural state,

in our sinful state.

Salvation is salvation

from before.

It's salvation to.

It's salvation

from our lostness,

from our sinfulness,

from our defilement,

from our guilt,

as well as being salvation

into the opposite

of all of these.

Salvation into justification

and forgiveness

and peace with God

and everything else

the Bible mentions.

And these two sides of it

are always important

to hold together.

You can only appreciate,

or begin to appreciate,

the wonder of this salvation

and the wonder of this peace,

the wonder of this cleansing,

the wonder of this washing

from our sins

when we really come to grips

with what sin is.

And when we accept

the Bible's definition of sin

and descriptions of sin,

and when we take on board

and take to heart

that we are in need

of being washed.

It's not talking about

people who have actually

made some great achievement.

It's not talking about

people of great natural ability.

It's not talking about

people who had made

great progress morally

in their lives

and were able to keep things

pretty secure

and pretty wholesome

in their lives.

Decent people.

It's not talking about

everyone who is a sinner

and needs to be washed,

and that's you and I.

These are the ones

coming out of the

great tribulation.

They have washed

their robes

and made them white

in the blood of the Lamb.

You remember how Paul,

in writing to the Corinthians,

described things

for the Corinthians.

And of course,

the Corinthian church

was a church

that had so much

going on there

that really

was offensive to God.

and that was a departure

from all the things

that God himself

had set out

by way of purity of life

and holiness of life.

Well, in chapter 6,

and this is what Paul said,

in chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians,

this is,

and from verse 9,

Do you not know

that the unrighteous

will not inherit

the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived,

neither the sexually immoral,

nor idolaters,

nor adulterers,

nor men who practice

homosexuality,

nor thieves,

nor greedy,

nor drunkards,

nor revilers,

nor swindlers,

will inherit

the kingdom of God.

Not very popular

when you try and fit

that into the world

in which we're living

as a description of the world

as it undoubtedly is.

But you see what he's saying?

And such were some of you.

Not some of you

are still like that,

but he's saying

such were some of you,

but you were washed,

you were sanctified,

you were justified

in the name

of the Lord Jesus Christ

and by the Spirit

of our God.

You see,

Paul is not sparing them

the description

of what they were.

He describes

the kind of lifestyles

that they once lived in

and set about

in their lives.

You were that,

he says,

but you're not that anymore.

In other words,

here is the gospel

giving hope

to people who still have

these kinds of lifestyles.

And the only hope for us,

whatever our lifestyle may be,

and however decent

and upright we may be

in the world,

we're still fallen,

sinful,

defiled sinners.

This is our hope,

that there is

washing for us,

that there is

in Jesus Christ for us,

salvation from our sins.

And that's why you find here

the description in Revelation,

they have washed their robes

and made them white

in the blood of the Lamb.

Sounds strange, doesn't it?

Blood is usually something

you regard as

causing defilement

or besmirching of clothes.

But of course by

in the blood of the Lamb,

what he means here is

of course the death of Jesus.

And it's through the death of Jesus

that they have come to wash their robes

and made them white

in the provision

that's in the death of Jesus.

That's how their clothes

were made white.

And you do notice

it's they have washed their robes.

And that doesn't mean that

we have the capacity

to save ourselves,

that we have the capacity

to wash ourselves

from our sins.

It is God

who gives us

the wherewithal,

the ability

to do that.

We are washed

because he

brings us this salvation,

because his Holy Spirit

effects that salvation

in us personally,

in our experience.

But the Bible always

addresses

not only our need

but our responsibility.

And we cannot just say,

well,

it's up to God

really to wash us

and if he doesn't wash us

then we're going to remain

unwashed forever.

Some people take

that legalistic view

that if we're going to be saved,

we're going to be saved anyway,

so what can I do about it?

Well,

you can come to God

seeking his forgiveness,

expressing and

confessing your sins,

your defilement,

and seeking that he would wash you

and that therefore

you would be washed

and wash your robes,

wash your persons

in the blood of the Lamb

in the death of Jesus.

They are God's imperatives.

They don't address

our ability

when it talks

of our salvation.

These imperatives

that you have in the Bible,

what are they?

Well, there's these

repent,

believe,

be washed.

All of these imperatives

address our responsibility

to look to God

to do what our power

itself cannot achieve.

But you see,

here's the wonderful thing.

The provision

is already made.

In the Lord Jesus Christ,

death for us.

We don't have to set about

washing ourselves

by our own ability.

The means is already there.

The fountain is there.

The blood of Christ

is available to us.

And through faith,

we come,

in that sense,

to wash ourselves

in the death of Christ.

Christ.

But you see,

also,

it's not just washed

and made them white

in the blood of the Lamb.

They have palm branches

in their hands.

You read of that

earlier in the chapter.

They were there

and from every nation,

people,

and languages,

clothed in white robes

with palm branches

in their hands.

And when you read that,

you are reminded

of a very important

feast or festival

in the Old Testament.

You'll find it described

the likes of Leviticus chapter 3

Leviticus 3 · chapter mention

from verse 39 onwards.

A series there

in that chapter

of the feasts

or the festivals

of Israel.

And this was

the Feast of Booths,

Feast of Tabernacles,

if you use the old translation.

The people were celebrating

for all of these days.

They built booths

out of palm branches

for themselves

as God had ordered them

and instructed them

and they celebrated.

It was a time of great joy,

that week of joy.

It's so interesting

that that feast

follows immediately

from the previous one,

the Feast of Atonement.

Where you find

that atonement

that God himself

had required

of the people

and specified

for the people.

And in chapter 23

of Leviticus

you find

that Feast of Atonement

mentioned,

the shedding of blood,

the sacrifice

to deal with sin.

And then it's

immediately followed

by the festival

or the Feast of Booths.

The feast that celebrates

not just the

taking in of the harvest

at that time of year,

the harvest

safely gathered in,

but especially

looking forward

to the harvest

of righteousness,

the harvest that comes

to the shedding

of the blood of sacrifice,

pointing forward

to the death of Christ.

And here you find

this wonderful description

of the church

and glory,

the church

enjoying that

state of glory.

Here you find

they are before God

and serve him

day and night

in his temple.

temple.

And the word temple

there really means

more specifically

the holy of holies.

And you know

from the Old Testament

onwards

that the holy of holies

was not accessible

to the people

themselves.

And in fact

the only person

that could go into

the holy of holies

once a year

on the day of atonement

was the high priest

to make an atonement

for the people

as God had instructed him.

But now you see

the holy of holies

is open.

They are in the presence

of God.

They have access

in Christ

to God's

immediate presence.

And they stand

in his presence

and they serve him

day and night

in his temple.

They are before

the throne

in God's presence.

And the wonderful thing

is that

had the high priest

himself gone into

the holy of holies

other than

as God instructed

he would have died.

Had anybody else

gone into the holy of holies

but the high priest

with the blood

of atonement

they would have died

instantly.

But here

they are sheltered

with his presence.

He who sits

on the throne

because the atonement

that is in Christ's blood

is their refuge.

And that refuge

is actually

being exercised

if you like

in heaven

because that's

what God

has created

for them.

They are before

the throne.

They are in the presence

of God.

They have this

as their refuge.

They have their

ultimate security.

And their palm branches

the scene with

palm branches

in their hands

is not just a sign

of celebration

going back

to the feast

of booths.

It's also

a sign

of victory.

Palm branches

in their hands

were a sign

of being victorious.

Of having

this wonderful

wonderful victory

through what God

had provided

for them

in sacrifice.

And there is the church

gathered together.

Palm branches

in their hands

as the vision goes.

The church

victorious.

The church

triumphing

over death.

The church

gathered together.

Remember it's

gathered together.

This is not just

a host of individuals

who have very little

to do with each other.

This is all

of God's people

individually

yes but collectively

and united

together in Christ

rejoicing

in the salvation

that he has

procured for them.

Celebrating the fact

that they are

victorious

in him.

That's their

qualification.

They have washed

their robes

and made them white.

They have been

cleansed

from their sin.

And they are

victorious

in Christ.

They have overcome

death in him.

He has done it

for them.

And when they

have embraced him

by faith

they share

in that great

victory

that he has

achieved.

Friends

this is not

wishful thinking.

This is not

something

that's just

drawn for us

as if it was

just a cartoon

type of scene.

this is not

something that

you need to

question whether

or not it's

really a scene

of something

that is true

and lasting.

It is.

It is fact.

It is reality.

It's not wishful

thinking.

Whatever the world

might say about it.

Whatever unbelievers

might say about it.

However much

they might refuse

to accept it

altogether

as reality.

however much

they might insist

that when you

die you die

and there's

nothing beyond

it.

You know from

the Bible

that that's

not the case.

And you know

from the Bible

that it's the

case that there

is a hell

as well as

a heaven

but here

as in keeping

with the whole

run of salvation

the overwhelming

emphasis

while by no

means neglecting

to emphasize

the reality

and the awfulness

of hell

it is

especially

concerned

God

and his truth

to emphasize

the wonder

of heaven

the wonder

of salvation

the triumph

of redemption

over sin

and over death

and over Satan

and that's

for the gathered

church in heaven

to enjoy

forevermore

and remember

this as well

this book

was written

mystique

as though much

of it is

it was written

to comfort

to guide

to console

those who

were facing

severe adversities

in this life

for living

as people

of God

living as

Christians

living as

people who

worshipped

Christ

that's why

you find

in it

references

to the

beast

the dragon

all of these

representations

of evil

and of huge

evil

and of powerful

evil

but they

don't have

the last

word

the last

word is

with the

lamb

and with

his followers

and they

overcame

the beast

and they

overcame

these powers

by the

blood of

the lamb

are you

despondent

tonight

over the

condition

of the

world

to a

degree

I'm

sure

I am

when you

look out

over the

world

and see

its turmoil

when you

see its

pains

when you

see the

awfulness

of war

when you

see the

devastation

of lives

lost

and children

and young

people

and adults

actually taken

away so

soon out

of life

through the

ravages of

war

are you

despondent

yes you're

sad

of course

you're sad

we're all

sad

war is a

terrible

thing

war itself

is an

awful

thing

oh that

there were

a world

without

wars

the bible

tells us

there never

will be

till the

end of

time

don't

be

despondent

as if

it's a

world

totally

out of

control

maybe out

of control

as far as

human beings

are concerned

but there

is one

that's

holding

the reins

of the

world

and the

book of

history

is in

his hand

as you

see from

chapter 5

the scroll

was placed

in the

hand of

the lamb

who sits

on the

throne

and he

began to

open

the scroll

what does

that mean

it means

the unfolding

of history

it means

that he's

in charge

of everything

that happens

it means

that in

his plan

our present

tiny slice

of history

with all

its awful

things

is not

outwith

his purpose

his plan

his great

control

and so

this book

is for

our comfort

it's a

book to

assure us

that Jesus

is the

king

and as

the king

he holds

the whole

world

in his

hand

the

qualification

for life

in heaven

purity

and victory

in Christ

secondly

and briefly

the quality

of life

in heaven

well when you

go forward

and see

how this

passage is

very like

the final

chapters

of the

bible

verses

chapter 21

verse 4

where he

says

he will

wipe away

every tear

from their

eyes

death

shall be

no more

neither

shall there

be mourning

nor crying

nor pain

anymore

for the

former

things

have

passed

away

chapter 22

verse 3

same idea

no longer

will it be

anything

accursed

but the

throne

of God

and of

the

lamb

will be

in it

and his

servants

will serve

him

they will

see his

face

his name

will be

in their

foreheads

and night

will be

no more

they need

no light

of lamp

or sun

for the

Lord God

will be

their light

and they

will reign

forever

and ever

isn't it

wonderful how

often the

bible describes

heaven by

telling us

things that

are not

there

because we

cannot take

in in this

life

if God

was to try

and describe

for us

what is

there more

than he

describes it

in the bible

because we're

on this

side of

death

this side

of time

this side

of perfection

how could we

possibly take

all that

in even

though we

know it's

real

no God

tells us

very often

this is what

heaven is like

there is no

pain

there is no

death

there is no

suffering

there is no

sorrow

there's none of

those things

that mark

tribulation

these are all

gone

they're all

behind

heaven is the

absence of

these

heaven is the

opposite of

these

heaven is the

fullness of

everything that's

different to

these

it's beyond

sufferings

beyond

pains

beyond

sorrows

beyond

partings

beyond

bereavements

all of

these things

are no

more

they shall

hunger no

more

neither thirst

any more

the sun

shall not

strike them

nor any

scorching

heat

you see he's

saying here

there's also

an abundance

of life

they serve

God day

and night

in his

temple

we could

go into

that a bit

more but

just look at

it in

passing

there's work

and there's

worship

together

what does

that remind

you of

it reminds

you of

God in

the beginning

creating

mankind

and giving

Adam to

till the

garden to

work the

garden of

Eden

until he

fell and

was driven

out of

it

it was

always God's

intention

that man

should work

and that he

should worship

at the same

time

and of

course all

of that

has been

marred by

sin

spoiled by

sin

the relationship

between work

and worship

is so defiled

and so

defective

but not in

heaven

you see it's

come back to

what it should

be

what it was

always meant

to be

that his

servants

shall serve

him

they serve

him day

and night

in his

temple

there is

an activity

for them

to engage

in

and along

with the

activity

there is

worship

the activity

of worship

itself

and they

never tire

and there is

never an

interruption

nothing breaks

in to spoil

the sequence

of their

activity in

heaven and

their worship

of God

and they are

lovingly

shepherded

that's one of

the features

of the quality

of heaven

as well

you can see

what it says

here

the lamb

who is in

the midst

of the

throne

will be

their shepherd

and he will

guide them

to springs

of living

water

isn't that a

wonderful thing

that the

lamb who died

on the cross

is the same

lamb

the same

person

who is now

pastoring

his people

in heaven

it's a picture

here of that

wonderful

combination

of the

king of

heaven

also being

a pastor

and a

pastor in a

way that

none of us

can possibly

match

he is the

pastor

par excellence

you know

that pastoring

all of you

who know

him as

your savior

know

of his

hand

pastoring

your life

in this

world

through his

word

through his

spirit

bringing you

comfort

leading you

on

giving you

guidance

strengthening

you

confirming

you

but in

heaven

it's

constant

perfect

pastoring

in a

way that

we don't

know of

in this

life

and of

course

there is

as we

saw

the

lamb

in the

midst

of the

throne

significant

that it's

a lamb

that's

mentioned

there is

atonement

in the

sense of

its

ongoing

power

and

protective

care

of

God's

people

the

atonement

that is

now

finished

that Christ

has rendered

by his

death

on the

cross

but it's

still there

a feature

in himself

because he's

there

that atonement

that he

completed

that sacrifice

of himself

is a

feature in

heaven

because there's

a perfect

understanding

on the part

of the

gathered

church

that this

is the

basis

of their

salvation

and they

sing the

praises

of the

lamb

and the

redemption

they have

by his

blood

and he

leads them

to springs

of living

water

see what you

have here

in chapter

21 as we

mentioned

in verse

6

especially

where you

find

I am

the

alpha

and the

omega

the

beginning

and the

end

to the

thirsty

I will

give

from the

spring

of the

water

of life

without

payment

or freely

one of

the

great features

mentioned

about

heaven

is that

all

our

needs

are

met

perfectly

and

constantly

without

fail

of course

God meets

all our

needs

anyway

in this

life

but we

haven't

got that

perfect

state

of mind

or of

body

and soul

where we

are able

to enjoy

and exercise

the capacity

God has

given us

so as to

enjoy that

salvation

to the

full

but we

will in

heaven

in the

pastoring

guidance

and leading

of the

shepherd

he will

lead them

and guide

them to

springs

of living

water

ever

fresh

never

old

never

ceasing

never

needing

replaced

never

needing

replenished

never

needing

additives

constant

flowing

freshment

refreshment

from the

streams of

life that

are in

Jesus

that are

flowing

constantly

to God's

people in

heaven

the gathered

church

is constantly

being refreshed

and will

forevermore

be refreshed

from the

water of

life that's

in Christ

himself and