Open—Bob Thonney
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#212.
I'm from my phone.
I spilled out fears.
We see God.
My favorite?
So I don't really.
Close.
As for all.
Exceptions by God.
00:05:20
Who will praise me?
I cross the slows.
I can wear it down around here.
Thinking, brethren, of what we had in our morning reading.
In Revelation 5.
And.
The glory.
Of heaven.
Notice a verse to begin with in first Peter chapter 5.
And verse.
10.
But the God of all grace.
Who?
Hath called us.
Unto his.
Eternal glory by Christ Jesus. After that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen.
Certainly just that expression.
Who has called us?
Unto his eternal glory.
It's amazing that writer think about it and I suppose it's beyond our capacity.
In the flesh to grasp it very much, but.
It's wonderful to look at some scriptures that talk about.
The glory.
We know that there's going to be glory in this world.
In the coming day, when the Lord Jesus reigns.
The knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
It's incredible to think about. No one shall say to his neighbor, no the Lord, for they shall all know me.
From the least to the greatest.
It's hard to imagine that millennial day when the curse of sin will be lifted from this creation.
Think of all those things that were placed on the human race at the time of the fall in.
Genesis chapter 3 being renewed, being removed.
And I have heard it said quite a few times that.
Mankind will probably live more than 1000 years if they go into the Millennium.
Saved, really saved. Why there's and they lived through the Millennium. They'll be over 1000 years old.
The end Women will give birth to children without labor pains.
And there won't be the curse and the blight of sin on the creation that there is now.
And the glory of the Lord is going to be evident here in this creation.
But I like to think of the Lord Jesus, not only.
As the center of glory in this creation. But notice in Ephesians chapter one.
And we'll read verse 10.
Here's God's eternal purpose.
That in the dispensation of the fullness of time, he might gather together in one.
All things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him.
There we have that there's two distinct spheres in which the Lord Jesus will be supreme heaven.
00:10:04
And Earth. And we've been talking about the glory that's going to be evident here in this world.
But oh, brethren.
Try to think of the glory of that heavenly sphere.
We've had a little bit of it this morning in Revelation Chapter 5.
Where John tells about what he saw.
And I like to just stop and try to think about it because.
I believe that in general, the glory of the heavenly sphere is far beyond.
Our ability to take in notice what Paul says.
In Two Corinthians chapter 10.
I'm sorry, in chapter 12.
About the experience he had when he was caught up to the 3rd heaven.
He calls it here as well. Paradise.
3rd Heaven is generally considered to be the dwelling place of God.
Eternal glory that we've been called to.
Does that grasp us at all? Eternal glory?
The glory of men in this world lasts for a while.
And then it's all over.
But eternal glory.
We're called to that. You take that call in seriousness, you young people. Is there something else that attracts your heart?
But notice what Paul says when he was caught up to the 3rd heaven.
Which I take, is that eternal glory.
Verse one, it says it is not expedient for me doubtless to glory.
I will come to the visions and revelations of the Lord.
I knew a man in Christ above 14 years ago.
Supposedly speaking about himself.
But he doesn't talk about it as it was himself.
Because when we get a glimpse of that glory, brethren.
What we are is not really the focus at all.
It's who he is.
It says whether in the body I cannot tell, or whether out of the body I cannot tell, God knoweth.
He didn't even know it was in my body or not. I don't know. And that's the way it is. When you see something that's spectacular, you're not thinking about yourself. So he didn't even remember if he was in the body or out of the body.
Very interesting.
Of that, he was caught up into paradise and heard.
Unspeakable words which is not lawful for a man to speak or not possible, it says in the margin.
Of such an one I will like glory, yet of myself I will not glory, but in my infirmities.
So here's the possible giving his testimony as to being caught up into that.
Eternal glory.
He says the visions.
And revelations. A vision is something you see.
And he heard unspeakable words. Not interesting. He saw, he heard. He doesn't say anything about what he saw. He does say something about what he heard.
Unspeakable words.
I've just tried to think about it, brethren. I know we're limited in our thinking as human beings.
Our thoughts are so centered on earth and earthly things.
But the Apostle Paul, what he saw, what he heard.
Rousseau exceedingly amazing that if he would have said something, there had been.
No ability on our part to comprehend what was said.
00:15:01
We've been called to heavenly glory, brethren, eternal glory.
And it just is incredible to see how in general.
The church.
And I'm speaking about the whole.
Church of God as basically lust.
The thought of eternal heavenly glory.
Now they are striving for something down here. Where?
I can be excelling or get something that's worthy.
Of name.
But there is eternal glory, heavenly glory. So the apostle Paul, when he speaks about it, says.
That actually he doesn't say anything about what he saw.
We go to Philippians chapter.
I'm sorry.
Colossians, chapter 3.
We have exhortation.
About our thoughts.
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.
Where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Set your affection margin is your mind.
On things above, not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead in your mind, your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
So there we are told to set our minds on things above.
What things above?
I just.
By this extremely challenging.
We know about things down here.
And most of our days are spent in thinking about.
Things in this world.
But things above.
The Apostle Paul evidently got a glimpse of it.
You know there were others who got a glimpse. Let's look at.
Acts Chapter 7.
In reference to Abraham.
Verse 2 This is Stephen speaking, he says.
Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken the God.
Of glory appeared unto our father Abraham.
When he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt.
In.
It doesn't say I don't believe anywhere.
About this appearance of the Lord to Abraham.
It just says the God of glory appeared, but it does seem.
That there was something connected with heaven.
Let's go over to Hebrews Chapter 11.
And see what is written about Abraham there.
Verse 8. We'll read from there forward a little bit by faith Abraham when he was called.
To go out into a place that he should afterwards receive for an inheritance.
Obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles.
With Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.
Notice this, where he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder?
And Maker is God.
Where did he get the idea of a city?
I don't know, brethren, but putting it together with Acts Chapter 7 perhaps.
00:20:02
It was when the God of glory appeared unto him that he saw something of a city.
So Abraham, even though he was a wealthy man, he had 318 servants.
Never lived in anything more than a tent.
Because he was a pilgrimage stranger. A little bit further down, notice what it says of him too.
Bruce Well, let's read from verse 9.
Excuse me a little further down.
Verse 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
But now they desire a better country that is in heavenly.
Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them.
A city There is a city mentioned again by faith. Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.
He that had offered up his promises.
Offered up His only begotten Son.
I meant 3 verse 13. Excuse me. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them.
Afar off, and were persuaded of them and embraced them.
And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims.
On the earth? Why were they strangers and pilgrims on the earth?
Why did he live his whole life in tents? Because he saw a city, a heavenly city. We have a description of that heavenly city in Revelation chapter 21. We're not going to go there now because.
I'm sure there's others that have something to give brethren, but my desire is that.
We we stirred in our souls.
And especially I'm thinking of our dear young people. We're living in a world that is very volatile.
Things are changing fast. Are you? Do you have your objectives on something in this world?
Or are you with your objectives in another?
Area completely in that heavenly sphere where we have been called.
To eternal glory, Lord help us, dear young people, and we who are older too.
To have our minds set on things above.
The Lord help us in this. I want to leave room for others to.