Revelation Chapter 4, Midweek Service

The 4th chapter of the Book of Revelation begins the 3rd and

final section of the Book of Revelation.

The Book of Revelation actually gives us the division, the

sections of the book in one chapter one verse 19, John gave

us the division of the book. He was told by the Lord in the

vision he had on the island of Atmos.

He's in his late 90s. Write the things which you have

seen. What did he see?

John chapter 1 he gives us the description.

John 1 · chapter mention

He describes the description of Jesus Christ as he hears his

voice, he looks and there is Jesus and he remember we went

through and we discovered and he wrote down and we've examined

the description of Christ. So that's the things that you

have seen first section then and the things which are chapter 2

and chapter 3. The things which are are the

period of the church beginning with the day of Pentecost.

The church history carrying on it still hasn't finished in

time. We're in the that church period,

the things which are we had 7 letters to seven churches, 7

actual churches. Also, as you, any of you would

study church history, you'll see how they represent through the

period of history, our world history, the events that each

church represents as we went through from Ephesus to

Laodicea, which we studied last Sunday being the Church of the

last days. Then the third section which we

begin tonight, chapter 4, and the things which shall be here

after some of your Bibles will have after these things, after

what here, after what? After chapter 1, after chapter

2. So these are events yet to

occur, yet to occur. The things you have seen, the

appearance of Jesus, those things which are the period of

the church overlaid by 7 letters to seven churches and the things

which shall take place after this.

From chapter 4 of the Book of Revelation, we are given a

heavenly viewpoint. John has taken up.

We'll read shortly that he's taken up and he describes the

events not as is as if he's on the earth.

He describes the events as if he's in the bleachers in heaven

looking down and writing in. This is happening and that's

happening and that's happening. It's a very important point.

It gets a vantage point, if you like, of the events that will

come upon the earth, watching on as the earth is about to go

through seven years, it has never experienced ever before.

Jesus said that Matthew 24. So after chapter 3, another

important point to note is that the church is never again

referred to as being on earth. Of course, there will be

churches still going, the apostate church, the unified

church, especially where we'll have the false prophet and all

that sort of stuff. And remember, we're going to

read Paul talks about and in one and two Thessalonians, the the,

the combining of the faiths, the faiths, and we see so much of

that, how there's been a shift to a world faith doesn't matter,

you know, if you call him Allah, if you call him Buddha, even

though Buddhists don't believe in God, you call him Jehovah,

whatever, it's the same God. And the Bible says no, no, but

that's where the world is shifting.

And so the word church is never again referred to as being on

earth. And it is evident that the

judgement of a guilty world, Jesus coming back, and the

judgement in the seven years is suspended.

The judgement upon the earth. Peter tells us this is suspended

until the church has been removed from the scene to Peter

29 Jesus Peter has been talking about Noah.

Then he's talking about lot and how judgement couldn't come on

Sodom and Gomorrah until we got lot out the road and we had to

get right out and lot out. And then remember during that

period, Abraham said well, there'd be 50 righteous said

there'd be 40 then there'd be no judgement.

And so the righteous had to had to get out.

There weren't 10. There were not ten righteous

people in in Sodom and or Gomorrah tells you how bad they

were. And so Peter says the Lord knows

how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the

unjust until the day of judgement to be punished.

In addition, from Revelation 4 to the end of chapter 19, God is

not once addressed as Father. Interesting.

Isn't that what Jesus said? We're to call God now.

He's my father, your father. He's called from 4 to 19 and on.

He's called God, he's called Lord, he's called Almighty, all

names by which he was known in the Old Testament days.

But the name Father by which he has been known to the church is

entirely absent. Jesus said, when you pray, how

do you pray? Pray this way, our God, no, our

Lord, no. He says pray this way our Father

who art in heaven. This tells us clearly that the

church's presence here and its role.

What is the role of the church. Remember two things go into all

the world preach the gospel 2nd and to make disciples of those

that receive the gospel. Those two things it's on it's in

Matthew 28 Mark 16. That's the that's the task for

you and I now. And so when the church is taken

out, there's no presence of the church, the Holy Spirit moving

through the church and in Second Thessalonians, the restraining

force by you and you and I gathering tonight and us

praying. We we push against we're going

to talk about that. We push against the work of the

evil one that's trying to to have his way, but God's on the

throne. And so the church is raptured.

Our witnessing for Christ is done.

The things that occur after the church's removal are then in

progress and in the hands of God's people.

Israel. Remember 69 lots of seven year

periods. Daniel, the 70th year, the clock

begins ticking again. Israel comes into focus.

And which nation now is coming into the focus of every nation

in the world? Israel.

During the period Israel will come to the fore, there'll be

two witnesses. Who are they?

We don't know who they are. We can speculate, but the

Israelis, an Angel of heaven, will go around the world,

proclaim the gospel. Every tribe, every tongue will

hear the gospel 144,000 and they're not Jehovah Witnesses.

They're not the 7th day. Each one of those groups say,

yeah, we're the 144. We're interesting.

In my office, there's a little thing that compares religions,

Jehovah Witnesses, 144,000, According to them, who are cult

false prophets, that 144,000 was filled.

I think back in the 1960s. It was like, OK, I'm 144,000.

I wonder how they do that. I don't know, but it's done.

And then the people that live now on have to earn their

salvation. How Knocking on doors, selling

the awake, that's how they have to earn the salvation.

When the millennial period comes in for them, they will live upon

the earth. And if they live in obedience,

they'll be OK. And if they disobey, you know

what happens to them. In Job witness theology

annihilation. It states that just go on

amazing. But also there will be those who

are martyred, people will receive Christ.

The greatest revival also occurred during the Tribulation

period and people will come to Christ.

People we've witnessed to people have heard you say and pray to

them about. They'll realise when you're

gone, man Amen. But they'll have to die for

their faith. Revelation 6 verse 9.

Revelation 6:9

When he opened the 5th seal, I saw under the altar the souls of

those who had been slain for the word of God and for the

testimony means they didn't deny Christ, which they held.

You'll die for your faith. Revelation 12/11 And they

overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, overcame the works of

Satan by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony,

And they did not love their lives to the death.

Well, courageous to be a Christian in the tribulation.

First one, after these things, I looked and behold, a door

standing open in heaven. After this, after these things,

the Greek words metatata, after the things in chapter 2 and

three. Now in chapters 2 and three, as

I said, we studied the history of the church and we looked at

the division of the church given to us in chapter 1, verse 19.

And as we study the text tonight, we'll find out that the

church too. And here we have a mirror.

John is letting us into us being the church on describing it,

after these things, I looked and behold his door standing open in

heaven. And notice.

And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet where

we've heard that before speaking with me, saying, come up here

where we've heard that before, and I will show you the things

which must take place after this, after what?

After the rapture tonight we look the simulation and learn

about the church and John describing what's happened to

him as a type of what's happening to the church.

Paul tells us that the church is taken, it is snatched.

People say, well, the word rapture is not in the Bible.

Yes, it is. It's in the Latin Vulgate,

rapturo, caught up, seized, taken suddenly.

That's what it means. The apostle Paul calls it being

caught up to meet the Lord where it's not the second coming the

second coming Jesus feet stand on the earth.

Revelation 19 Where is the rapture?

What happens to those being rapture caught up to meet the

Lord in the air want Thessalonians 417 Behold a door

was opened. This one back in the letter to

the ladder sins. Remember on Sunday we look Jesus

was outside the church knocking at the door calling out to

whoever would hear him and let him into their lives because the

Church of Laodicea thought they had it all down.

They didn't have God didn't need him.

Here we see the promise of heaven made sure to all who had

opened their hearts to him and invited him to be Lord of their

lives. Heaven is real.

It's a real place and it is waiting for you and I to come

home. Jesus and John 14 says I go to

prepare a place, not a not a cloud, a place for you.

If you read 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 16 to 18 again, you'll

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18

see an amazing similarity to verse one here in in Revelation

4. For the Lord himself, we'll

descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an

Archangel, Archangel with the trumpet of God.

The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive.

So my Corinthians 15, we're changed in the twinkling of an

eye. We who are alive and remain

shall be caught up, thieves snatched, grabbed together with

them, those who have died already in the in the clouds

notice to meet the Lord. We're in the air and thus we

shall always be with the Lord. Now at the end of verse one,

Meditata, as mentioned again twice in one verse means

something important because it's repeated.

Jesus does not want us to miss this point.

This is what's going to happen, He said.

He said after these things beginning the net, the end.

Come up here and I'll show you the things which must take place

after this meta touta both. The first voice which I heard

was like a trumpet speaking with me saying come up here and I'll

show you things which must take place after this.

Now notice with me the voice that John hears that it has the

same impact as that of a trumpet signalling.

It's not that Jesus goes and we hear the trumpet.

It's the voice as a trumpet. Why?

Why is he referring to this? Because the trumpet and the

shofar we have remember we have it in there from Israel.

What what's what they for in the army?

It's for get up and reveley. It's for the Last Post and all

those things. It's for attack, charge,

retreat. It's a signal.

That's what this is, a trumpet speaking with me.

Come up here. I show the things with much take

place after this. It's the trumpet is signalling

this is what's going to happen. Where else have we heard these

words? The 16 For the Lord himself will

descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of

Archangel and the trumpet of God.

This is the voice of Jesus that John hears, and so too will we

at the time of the rapture hear that verse 2 Immediately I was

in the Spirit, and behold a throne set in heaven, and one

sat on the throne. John sees God seated on the

throne in heaven. This is the first image that

catches John's gaze, the first thing that fills his vision in

this amazing event. Do you tonight ever feel as if

your life, things around you are just, you know, running away?

Maybe you think things are out of control.

We look at politics and sometimes we in Australia and I

think, wow, man, it's out of control in Europe.

Is it out of control? Perhaps your relationship with

one of your loved ones, money, your children, or maybe your

life tonight appears to be in shreds.

It's, it's all over the place, your job, your marriage or

whatever. It's it's, it's, it's not good.

Henry David Thoreau said these words.

Most men in this world live out their lives in quiet

desperation. It's interesting to find out how

many people, when you get to the heart and nitty gritty of

things, something happens and they'll go, yeah, I haven't been

good. You know, we, it sits in this

world now. We, we have the, the highest

youth suicide in the world, Australia and, and we don't see

it because everyone puts on a facade.

You know, I remember a young man, I used to see him every

Wednesday. I would teach on the radio and

I'd go and visit him because he was at a surf shop right across

from the radio station. And then one night I go there

and I said, where's Simon Hung himself?

We don't know. No one, none of his friends, no

one knew. It's tragic, tragic.

Well, hear that statement, if that's you tonight, this fact

from God's word, from John's vision, God is on the throne.

He's on the throne. John sees God on the throne.

He is in control. We don't think at times he is,

don't we? Don't you and I, we go, well,

God, how can you? Why are you letting this?

And we we wonder, you remember in John chapter 4, Jesus sent

John 4 · chapter mention

his disciples on the head and he says I'm going to wait here by

this. Well, it's pretty hard.

I'll just wait here. You guys go out and sort

something out. Then a woman turned up later.

Remember she didn't come with all the other women.

She didn't come with all the other women because she lived a

pretty promiscuous life and she wouldn't hang around with all

the other women. Her life was one of failed

relationship after another. She's on her fifth relationship.

But God was on the throne and he ordained a meeting with her, a

personal engagement. She arrives at the well, There's

this man, he says, can you give me a drink?

How come you're asking me a woman?

You're a Jew. I'm a Samaritan.

You don't even talk to us. We know the rest of the story.

He revealed himself to her. I am He.

I'm the Messiah. He changed her chaos in to calm.

What did she do? Instead of living by herself,

hiding out, coming to get the water, She dropped the jug,

remember? Ran into the city, dancing,

singing, shouting. I I've met the Messiah.

The Messiah is there. He's told me all things.

You've got to come. She turned into an evangelist.

You've got to come. Jesus turned her immorality into

purity in your life. When fear comes, when the earth

around you shakes, remember God is on the throne.

It's set in heaven, and it's permanently laid out.

The Tabernacle. We have part of the what's in

the Tabernacle, the menorah. But the Tabernacle, remember,

we're told as Moses built that it was an image of what is going

to be in heaven. And so you and I and to know

this, it's set in heaven, the Tabernacle is in heaven, God is

on the throne, it's permanently laid out.

Nothing can shake the foundation build upon the rock and the rock

is Jesus Christ verse 3 And he who sat on there was like a

Jasper. So he's he's describing the the

glow of the vision. And so you see the word.

He's not speaking like a Californian 16 year old girl

from the valley going like he was like like, but he's he's

describing what I see. And he who sat there was like a

Jasper and a Saudi stone in appearance.

There was a rainbow around the throne in appearance, like an

emerald around the throne with 24 Thrones.

And on the Thrones, I saw 24 elders sitting clothed in white

robes. They had crowns of gold on their

heads. This provides a wonderful

insight as we see the beauty of the throne of God.

The Jasper stone was a clear stone, you know, like a diamond,

like dazzling a diamond, and it speaks of the light as it dances

through a diamond reflects. John says God is light.

He would write about that in the first, second or third.

John, he's aware of everything Jesus says I'm the light of the

world. He sees everything.

Christ brings life to everything through light.

It means he knows about your particular situation.

He brings the light of God upon it.

OK, if he's the light, if he's so aware, what's he doing in my

situation because I'm going through a bit of a dark time now

you see it provides verse 3. It provides a wonderful insight

into that question. Says he was Asadi, a stone like

a Ruby, which is deep red Asadi a stone When the Ruby red blood

of our Lord, pure and innocent, drooped down from his hands as

he hung on that cross at Calvary just over 2000 years ago, his

feet and his heart bleeding heavily.

There was nothing more he could say or do to tell you or prove

to you that he counts. You precious, you can never say

God doesn't care about me without looking at the cross.

And the cross is your answer. He has not left you alone.

In the book of Exodus chapter 28, we read about the high

Exodus 28 · chapter mention

priest and the robe and the garments that he would wear.

The priest wore a breastplate upon which were 12 precious

stones laid out, one representing each of the 12

tribes of Israel. The first of the 12 sons of

Jacob was Who? Remember Reuben.

Reuben's name means behold or see a son.

That's what it means in the Hebrew.

His stone, by the way, was Sardius.

Sardius Stone, the last of the 12 sons.

Who? Who's that?

Remember Benjamin, whose name meant son of my right hand.

Guess what? Benjamin Stone was Jasper.

So the one on the throne that John sees, he sees these stones,

and in the Hebrew behind the names that the stones represent

is this. Behold, the son of my right

hand. His name is Jesus.

Amazing. Now round about the throne there

was a rainbow. It's been stolen, hasn't it?

Isn't that like the devil? The rainbow came out in the book

of Genesis after the flood. God's promise.

I'll put my bow in the sky. I'll never destroy the earth

again by a flood. And So what does Satan do?

I'll grab it and use it for that.

Isn't it fascinating how a movement could grab something

like that and change it and twist it?

It's exactly what Isaiah said would happen in the last days.

Things that are good would be called evil, and things that are

evil will be called good. Round about the throne was a

rainbow, not an electric fence. I want to keep that sign or

force, for your can't come near it.

The rainbow was a sign of God's grace, the sign of God's

everlasting promise. That is why the writer in the

letter to the Hebrews wrote this.

For we do not have a high priest Speaking of Jesus who cannot

sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as

we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to

the throne of grace. You see, you can come boldly to

the throne of grace because it's grace.

You can't come boldly to a throne that says stand back,

Holy See, you keep away. You can come boldly to a throne

of grace that we may obtain mercy.

That's why we can come. We've got to come and get mercy

that which we don't deserve. Find grace when in time of need.

Maybe you're listening tonight. Continue to beat yourself over

and over that you let God down, but you just don't measure up.

A lot of people do that. Well, I can't go to church.

I can't take communion. I failed, you know, it's too

much of A struggle. I'm too much of A hypocrite.

No, stop. Stop saying that you're falling

to the lies of the enemy and and it's weakness.

And we are not to fall for the lies of the enemy.

We are to accept the truth of God.

Listen, because no one measures up.

Everyone else that's in church is having a battle, a struggle.

No one measures up. We've all failed.

We've all been dismal in the way even us here tonight, each one

of us. No one measures up.

We've all sin come short of the glory of God.

There is none righteous. No, not one, the Bible says.

But that's why Jesus came. That's why he died on Calvary.

For you to come now boldly, because it's a throne of grace

into his presence, Prince, we're covered by his righteousness.

God doesn't see us in our sin. Jesus took it away.

God sees us in Christ, in his Son, not in sin.

He sees us in in his Son, not in sin, but in His Son.

Don't shy away from God. Heed his call.

Run to Him and you'll find mercy, grace, and promises that

He will never let you down. Why do we again always emphasise

grace so much here at Calvary Chapel, Secret Harbour?

One, because we teach through the Bible, and the Bible just

speaks of God's grace over and over and over and over.

Because grace is the only thing too, that has brought us thus

far, and it will be the only thing that would Take Me Home to

be with the Lord, not by anything that I do, but by grace

and grace alone. Why?

Because grace allows correctly our Lord to get all the glory.

When I stand before God or God, it's not nothing to do with me,

it's Him. It'll be the only thing that

will Take Me Home to be with my Lord, His grace.

That's why John Newton wrote His grace is what?

Amazing, amazing. Around the throne were 24

Thrones. On the Thrones I saw 24 elders

sitting clothed in white robes and they had crowns of gold on

their heads. And from their throne proceeded

lightnings, thunderings and voices.

Sounds like Mount Sinai, doesn't it?

7 lamps of fire were burning before the throne.

Which are the seven spirits of God?

Who are the 24 elders sitting around the throne?

In the Old Testament, the priesthood was divided into 24

groups. One Chronicles 24 tells us that.

And because the church is called the Kingdom of priests,

Revelation 16, Many Bible scholars believe that the 24

elders speak of representatives of the church with their white

clothing and crowns on their heads.

But an equally valid interpretation is that they are

the 12 patriarchs, 12 tribes, and the 12 apostles, because on

each of the 12 gates in the New Jerusalem, as we read ahead, is

written the name of one of the patriarchs, and on each of the

foundations is the name of the apostles.

Revelation 2112. Also she had a great and high

wall with 12 gates and 12 angels at the gates.

Names written on them, which are the names of the 12 tribes of

the Children of Israel. Revelation 21133 Gates on the E,

3 gates on the N, 3 gates on the South, or three gates on the

West. Verse 14.

Now the wall of the city had 12 foundations. 12 is the number of

government in the Bible, and on them were the names of the 12

apostles of the Lamb. But the real issue here is, I

believe not what they are, but what they do.

They sit in the presence of God continually.

Who did that in the New Testament?

Who was always at the feet of Jesus?

Mary. In the next chapter, they are

the ones, the elders who seek out John, who is weeping and

pointing him to Jesus. We'll see that on Sunday in

verse 10. They worship God in the most

amazing and awesome manner. Do you want or would you like to

be an elder? Would you like to be a minister,

a servant here on the earth for the Lord?

We'll copy the three things that learn from the elders here.

One, sit at the feet of Jesus. That's your daily job, to come

before the Lord, to spend time at the feet of the King of

kings, the Lord of Lords. And not you.

Just go there with a listener. Yeah, that's all I need.

And off to seek the wounded. Be the one who loves your

neighbour. Be the one who sees a crippled,

the one who's struggling. And pray for them.

See the ones who are weeping. And lastly, thirdly, point them

to Jesus, be an Andrew and say come to Christ.

Hey, you need Jesus, come and worship him continually with all

your heart. That's where you need to be.

You're struggling. Oh, I don't feel like going to

church. That's exactly where you need to

be. That's exactly where you need to

be. It's like I'm sick and I'm I

need I broke my arm. You need to go to hospital.

Oh, I'm not going to hospitals because I'm sick.

I've got a broken arm. That's just what make sense.

That's what we do. Let your life be 1 Of continued

worship and service. It was 5 And from the throne

preceded lightnings and thunderings and voices. 7 Lamps

of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven

spirits of God. When you hear Thunder and see

lightning approaching, you know a storm is brewing.

It's about to hit. This letter penned by John,

dictated by Jesus, went out to those who were under enormous

persecution at this time, but also to you and I tonight in

Australia to tell us a storm is coming to our earth, to our

planet, one like never, ever before.

God is about to pour out his judgement upon this world.

Before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal.

And in the midst of the throne, around about the throne with

four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.

The word beast here is literally living creatures.

We find these living creatures also mentioned in Ezekiel, where

we're told that cherubim, the first living creature, was like

a lion, the second like a calf. The third creature faced like a

man. The 4th creature was like a

flying eagle. What's this description?

What's this about? Well, in Matthew's Gospel it

described Jesus as the king, The Lion, King of beasts.

In Mark's gospel, it depicts Jesus as the servant.

What's the servant? The ox.

In a loose gospel we see Jesus in all his humanity and in

John's gospel. Why did John write John's

gospel? So that you and I would see that

Jesus is the Son of God, the eagle, which soars higher than

any other creature. But also the eagle is the only

animal able to look directly into the sun, even as only the

Son of God beholds the glory of the Father.

But there's more. In the Book of Numbers, chapters

one to two, God declares that his people were to camp in a

specific order as they travelled through the wilderness.

The Levites were told to camp close to the Tabernacle on each

of the four directions. Why?

Because those serving the Lord always end up camping closest to

where God's glory is. God allows that privilege to His

serving Saints. In Numbers chapter 2, Moses goes

Numbers 2 · chapter mention

into greater detail of the tribes of Israel, telling us

that on each of the four sides they were of the Tabernacle were

to be gathered 3 tribes. Judah is a cut and Zebulon

numbered 186,400 were to camp to the east, known as the Camp of

Judah, their symbol the lion, Ephraim Manasseh Benjamin,

numbering 108,100 were to camp on the West side.

Their camp was known as the Camp of Ephraim.

Their symbol, the ox, Reuben, Simeon and Gad 151,400 were to

camp on the South side and we're known as the camp of Reuben.

Their symbol, a man, Dan Naftali and Asher, numbering 157,600

were to camp to the north side. We're known as the camp of Dan,

their symbol and eagle. So with the largest number of

people camped on the east, the smallest number on the West, an

almost similar number of people on the north and the South of

the Tabernacle, what did the camp look like from the Goodyear

blimp as you flew the drone over over the desert?

You know, we get all these drone shots.

What? What did you see when the

prophet Bailon was asked by King Balak to curse the children of

Israel? He went to the mountain and he

overlooked the children of Israel and he saw them camped.

And as he looked down from the mountaintop, he saw what a

massive cross. When you and I are deserving of

cursing, of a time of rebellion, because what?

That's what we're doing when we're murmuring, when we're

complaining, not doing what we should and doing instead what we

shouldn't, God looks at us. He sees us, the light of his

cross, and he stead, he desires to bless us.

We get mercy instead of judgement.

The fall living creatures each having 6 wings were full of eyes

around and within and they do not rest day or night saying

Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.

Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever we're in whenever

the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to Him who

sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever.

The 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and

worship him who lives forever and ever and cast their crowns

before the throne, saying, You are worthy, O Lord, to receive

glory and honour and power, for you have created all things.

And note this for your pleasure. They are and were created while

they cast their crowns. I knew they don't.

I don't deserve anything. We don't deserve anything.

We sing that song. Let's cast their crowns before

the Lord. A recent poll taken asked the

number of people what they thought was their main purpose

in life. The responses were interesting.

Well you think some would say make a contribution to society

or to have a meaningful life, but most people said well the

main personal purpose of life is enjoyment, personal fulfilment.

50% of those who have polled identified themselves as born

again Christians said the same thing.

Fellow called Philip Bailey said this about life.

He said we live in deeds, not in years, in thoughts not breaths,

in feelings, not in figures on a dial.

We should count time by heart throbs.

He most lives who thinks most feels the noblest acts the best,

and he whose heart beats quickest lives the longest.

Life's butter means unto an end that end God.

Tonight if is your life seemingly just a Monday through

to another Monday with two days jammed there on the weekend just

to break up the monotony to go out and buy stuff?

Are you looking for contentment, trying every new thing that the

magazines say? Get this, this will help you,

this will change it. Do you find yourself irritable

to those around you, you just can't put a finger on it?

And the worst thing is, you don't want to be like that.

You've been created for one purpose.

Did you know that? The Bible says that to know God,

verse 11, the first man, Adam, you got it intimately.

He walked in the Garden of Eden with God in the cool of every

evening, but he broke away from that purpose and removed his

ability to walk with God. From that moment on, the Apostle

Paul was a man who knew he was going and he knew the answer to

his very existence. God made you to worship him.

When you surrender your ways, when you realise that, when you

come to that conclusion, and I have, when you realise your

ways, your goals, your plans, your will, your life is all for

God. You'll be able to say, like

Paul, not that I speak in respect of want, for I have

learned in whatever state I am there with, to be content.

Where do I find this contentment?

You find it in the presence of God.

How do I get into the presence of God?

The presence of God is at the feet of Jesus.

It's the very reason you exist, for you were created, Revelation

tells us, for his purpose.