Address—Bob Thonney
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Recording of an address by our brother Bob Tony at Rideau Ferry on Monday, October 19th, 2009.
The night is far spent and the day is at hand. No sign to be looked for The stars in the sky.
The night is far spent and the day is at hand. No sign to be looked for The stars in the sky.
Rejoice. Then you say, instance your Lord's own command.
Rejoice for the coming.
Of Jesus draws night, what a day will that be when?
The Savior appears.
Algorithm to go.
Have shared in his cross a groaning corrupted.
More than will be theirs.
A rich compensation.
For suffering and loss.
What is lost in this world?
When compared to that day.
To the glory that then was.
From heaven bearing Hill, the Savior is coming is before my safe.
The Lord and we look for.
Our son and our shield.
Oh, pardon us, Lord, that our love to thy name.
Is so faint with so much.
Our affections to move.
Art of this might fill us with grief and with shame. So much to be loved and so little to love.
O Kindle, with it in us our holy desire, like that which was founded thy people of old.
Who tasted thy love, and whose hearts were on fire?
While they waited in pain.
Thy face to behold.
Let's pray our Father, we're so thankful for the hope.
That encourages us even in these last dark days of this world's history. We're thankful for Thy precious word that we hold in our hands. We're thankful for the encouragement it has for our hearts. And tonight we've come here to open my word. Father, Thou knowest the weakness of the vessel, but we're looking to Thee, Lord, not to the vessel.
And we ask that there would be blessing tonight. We ask that Thy Spirit may have its liberty in the heart of each one. Speaker and hearers alike, we pray not only for ourselves, but wherever Thy redeem people are reading Thy precious word, that there would be blessing. Father, we give thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Well, we are getting down to the end, brethren. I think we all feel it, that we're not going to be around too much longer and that great changes are ahead for this world in which we live.
We're going home. There's going to be an exodus from planet Earth one of these days, and then the most awful judgment this world has ever seen is going to fall on this world.
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Then, at the end of that time of judgment, the greatest.
Display of power and glory that there has ever been in earth's history will take place when Jesus comes with His people to establish His Kingdom here in this world. Oh brethren, that day should really have its place in our hearts.
We're looking ahead to great things. I often think of that day of glory when Jesus comes again.
You know, before the flood.
There was a man who knew about the coming of the Lord.
His name was Enoch.
And Enoch prophesied about the coming of the Lord.
How in the world did Enoch know about the coming of the Lord?
There is no Bible in existence at his time.
That Enoch walked with God, and I love to think about it.
That in those walks he had with God.
God must have said to him, one day, Enoch, I want to tell you about something that is tremendously glorious. My Son is going to come with his people to this world to execute judgment and to reign supreme. And so Enoch prophesied. And you have Enoch's prophecy in the last epistle of the New Testament.
Written probably what most think is by one of the Lords own brothers, Jude. I don't think Jude was an apostle, he was what Mr. Kelly and his book says is one of the Lords brothers. Anyhow, I'd like to go tonight to the Book of Revelation. Not sure how far we'll be able to get in this book, but to me the display of what is ahead is something that really.
Encourages us and challenges us. And when I see you young people here.
That's what I want to present to you.
The challenge to live for heaven and heaven's glory.
Is tremendous.
You know this world wants you to spend your time getting ready for a few years in this world.
To dedicate yourself to education or to whatever in life so that you can have a lot of things down here.
So you can be accommodated down here. It seems like so much is the struggle to have a home, to have a car, to have a good steady job, and that's all right in its place. I'm not speaking against that.
But that is not the end of life. We are made for heaven and eternal glory. We're not made for anything down here. You know, we try to accommodate ourselves down here. God is really not interested in accommodating this down here.
And that's why so many people have terrible trials and we can't understand what's God doing. Why does he allow these things? Because he is preparing us for the coming Kingdom, not for anything down here in this world. We are called to heaven and heavenly glory. And so in the Book of Revelation, it's interesting. Notice the true.
Title of the Book of Revelation is in verse one of chapter one, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
God is revealing the glory of His Son. It says in chapter 19 that the Spirit of Prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. God wants us to get to know Him better.
The apostle John, who was the human instrument that wrote this book, had known the Lord Jesus in light down here. In fact, he was the author of John's Gospel.
And he had known the Lord down here. He was close to the Lord. So close, in fact, that at the Last Supper he leaned on his bosom. He knew the Lord pretty well.
But in this chapter one he gets to know the Lord in a way he had never learned him down here. When Jesus came the first time, He came in meekness and loneliness.
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When they spit in his face, he didn't spit back when they hit him.
When they crowned him with thorns, never was there a reaction from him.
When they accused him falsely, you know nothing riles me like somebody accusing me of something I didn't do.
Did he ever answer?
Didn't answer one word in his own defense. Who was he anyhow? He was the eternal Son of God. He was the creator of the universe. And he never answered one word in his own defense. I stand there and marvel at it. That's the way he came the first time. So sometimes people think, well, God is a God of love. He'll never do anything.
That harms anybody. He won't judge people. He won't put him in the lake of fire. Is that right? That is downright wrong. It would not be a God of love to let evil reign and continue to ruin this world. God is going to come to the point when he will say that's enough and he will directly intervene in the affairs of men. The Lord Jesus is going to come and establish his Kingdom and reign supreme from sea to sea.
The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, and no one will say to his neighbor know the Lord, for they shall all know me. That's what's going to be like in the future day. Not like that now, but it is going to be like that when He comes again. His power, His authority, His glory is going to be something that is so evident to everybody because every.
Eye shall see him.
That it won't be necessary for anybody to say no, the Lord.
Have a wonderful day, so terribly different than the day we live in.
That is hard for us to even imagine how glorious it's going to be in that day.
Well, let's read this chapter to begin with the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants.
Things which must shortly come to pass. And he sentence signified it by his Angel unto his servant John.
He knows that word signified. It's the word that we get signed from and it's just as if he says this is going to be completely sure this is going to all happen. He signed it to his servant John. This is what's going to happen. Who bear record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth.
And they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand. Notice there's three things for those that secure the blessing of those who read it, who hear it, and who keep it.
What's it mean? What's the difference between reading and hearing?
It's often happened to me. I read a chapter in the morning, my usual.
Custom of life, but sometimes after I read the chapter.
Think what did that chapter say?
I didn't get it. I was reading but I was not hearing.
And how important when God speaks to us to put attention to it? You know, we tend to multitask. We're doing something and then another part of our brain is thinking of a different area. But we need to put multitasking to one side and give him our full attention. He has something to say to us.
And I think that's our problem. When God speaks, we sit in meeting, we're kind of dozing off and we really don't know exactly what the brethren are talking about. And so we just kind of go into dormant mode. That's not good. We need to put attention to what He says to us, brother. And I'm not saying that and pointing to any out there. I'm pointing to my own heart because I know that's the way I am.
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So let's put attention to it. Read how important the reading of the scriptures is.
Do you read the word of God for yourself? It's a blessing to do it.
Blessed are they that read he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy and heap. Where do you keep the word of God proper home? For the truth of God is in the heart. It goes in through the ears and the mind, and sometimes it gets stuck right up there in the mind. You don't have it if you just have it in the mind. I know people that can even explain Scripture well.
But if it's just in the mind, you don't have it. And sometimes people get put to the test. They have it up here in the mind, but it hasn't gone any further. It's through meditation that the truth of God takes its course through the conscience because it necessarily has to do with your life, not only when you're sitting here and meeting every aspect of life. Nothing is hidden from this one.
That's presented in this chapter that we have to do with nothing, absolutely nothing.
And then the heart is where the truth of God.
Is.
Its proper home and when it gets down into your heart it has power in your life.
You know we should live holy lives.
But I think if you don't understand that our position in Christ is a position of complete holiness, then you will have no power to walk in holiness of life practically sometimes give the illustration of a girl who's going to be married and she puts on this beautiful wedding dress, white wedding dress. How do you think she's going to walk when she goes out?
Amongst those cars that might be dirty out there, you think she's going to be very careful how she walks so she won't get up against him and get that dress dirty? Sure, she's going to walk carefully. Why does she walk careful? Because she has a dress that's completely white.
You and I have been brought into a position of favor, complete holiness before God, whether you realize it or not. That's what the Word of God says about you if you are a true believer.
And if you walk in the enjoyment of that, then you will walk carefully so that you will practically be holy in this life as well.
Now let's go on to verse 4, John.
To the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be to you, and grace be unto you, and peace from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Eternal 1.
Past, present and future, the ever existing God, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness.
And the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father.
To him the glory and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.
There's three things.
Spoken about this person and three things that he does.
Notice the first thing is the Lord Jesus is presented as.
The faithful witness, oh, what a comfort that is to my soul.
Sometimes, you know, we're not very faithful.
Are you going to give up? You're going to say I'm not going to meeting any more of those brothers are not that faithful.
Have you never seen one who is in the midst? He is the faithful witness. And if the brethren are all unfaithful, go on, young person, because there's the faithful witness present. Get your eyes on him. To me, it has been interesting to see so often when things seem so discouraging.
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How the Lord comes in in ways that I never imagined.
He is the faithful witness you can count.
On him he is completely faithful. How important to see that. And then the next one is the first begotten of the dead.
You know that term first begotten is not necessarily a term to describe the position you occupy in a family.
David in Psalm 89 is called the first begotten of the kings of the earth.
But David was who remembers what son was he of Jesse's family? You boys remember.
Youngest, He was the 8th son in Jessie's family, yet He's called the first begotten It really the term biblically is a term of preeminence. And so the Lord Jesus has the preeminence in resurrection. He is the beginning of a new creation in resurrection, and that's where new creation begins.
In resurrection with the Lord Jesus and He is the first begotten of the dead, there were others who were raised from the dead before him.
In the Old Testament and the New Testament. But as far as we know, they all died again.
The Lord Jesus, when he rose, rose in the power of a life that death can no longer touch. And you and I, who are believers in the Lord Jesus, have that life and that wonderful to think about. You have a life that death cannot touch.
Yes, death may touch this body because it's a part of the first creation, but it cannot touch the life that I have in Christ. The moment that death may touch this body, I'll be as live as ever in the presence of the Lord Jesus. So he is the first begotten from the dead. And then the third thing is the Prince of the kings of the earth. And so in this book you see how he comes to take that position.
In this world scene, he's going to be supreme down here in this world. And then there's three things that he does notice in verse five at the middle of the verse unto him that loved us.
This is a book of judgment.
Isn't this interesting that before he takes up the question of judgment, he talks about.
Loving.
Us he judges because he loves.
Think about that again, I say it would not be a God of love to let evil continue to ruin this world that we live in. He's going to step in. He's going to put an end to evil. He is going to bring out bring in a reign of peace that this world has never ever known. Wonderful to think about. And the second thing.
He has made us.
Is washed us from our sins and his own blood redemption.
Redemption is the basis of all blessing. And then the third thing.
And has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father.
To Him be glory and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.
Now verse 7.
Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also, which pierced him in all kindreds of the earth, shall wail because of him. Even so.
Amen.
This is the theme of this book.
He comes. The Lord Jesus is coming again.
When we look around this coming, Speaking of here, of course, I think we all understand is not the rapture.
It's the coming when he comes with his Saints at the end.
Of that tribulation period to establish in this earth.
The Day of the Lord The day of the Lord begins at the end of the tribulation period with judgment, with awful judgments, and will continue through that millennial day, 1000 years.
Of a reign of righteousness. It's not going to be a rain of grace today.
Grace reigns through righteousness because of the work of the Lord Jesus. God is righteous in extending grace to the repentance Sinner.
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But in that day, it's not going to be a day of grace. It's going to be a day where righteousness reigns. Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit.
And so somebody sins in that day, the next morning they will be cut off.
There will be no appeals.
No, no need for any appeals, because the Lord Jesus knows exactly what that person was thinking.
You know, we can get away with things today because it's a day of grace. People think they can sin a little bit and God will forgive me.
Even Christians talk a lot like that sometimes. How solemn to think of it.
You don't know what sin is if you do that.
And you need to repent if that's your thinking.
We sin, God knows it.
But we have no excuse for our sins. We need to confess it. If we do sin well, the Lord Jesus is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. I don't think there's going to be any wailing. And the Lord raptures His people home. But this time there's wailing. Why wailing?
People realize they're not going to be able to continue their partying and their drinking and their carousing any longer.
It's come to an end. They're going to have to meet up with Jesus. There is no way to avoid meeting Jesus. So they're whale Even so. Amen.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending set the Lord which is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty.
Verse nine I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the Isle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
This is a verse that it's important to stop and consider a little bit. There are three words in there that are connected to Jesus Christ #1 tribulation #2 Kingdom #3 patience.
That's the way the Kingdom is today. It is not in power and glory as it will be in a future day. If you profess allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ, you're going to have to suffer tribulation.
Nobody likes tribulation, but it will be.
It will be unavoidable, you know, in other parts of the world.
People are dying today. Christians are dying.
Because of the their allegiance to the Lord Jesus over here it's a little bit more difficult.
Because the way the enemy works is not the same as over there.
And it's not easy to really be faithful to the Lord Jesus.
But if you are, you're going to have, you're going to prove what tribulation means. Another word is patience. You may not have things set right. You know, when people do bad stuff to you, you think, how can I rectify this?
You may not be able to rectify it, but it will be rectified in the coming day. Right now you're going to have to be patient. Just take it. Don't try to set everything straight. He will set it straight. Vengeance is mine. The Lord says I will repay.
And John says note in verses 10 and 11, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet.
Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the 1St and the last. What thou seest, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia, and to Ephesus, and into Smyrna, and unto Pergamus, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me, and being turned, I saw 7 golden candlesticks.
I'm not sure that I understand exactly why John was looking the other way.
And the voice was behind him.
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Maybe somebody has a thought on that, but.
I'd like to apply it in this way. You know, so often we get distracted from our attention with the Lord Jesus and we start looking at brethren or other people.
Sometimes say, whether you look at brethren for good or for bad.
You're not looking at the Lord, and sometimes people look at brethren, they get all enraptured, This brother, and he's a tremendously nice brother, tremendously gifted.
That's for good. Or sometimes we look at a brother and they say, man, that brother, why doesn't he straighten up? Why doesn't he get things straight in his life? And we look at him for bad.
One way or another, we've got our eyes off the Lord and we need to turn around to look at the Lord Jesus. We're called to occupation with Christ. That's what transforms a person.
We all, it says in Two Corinthians 3, we all it's something for everybody, youngest and the oldest, we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed. That's what's transforming is to be occupied with him.
If you want to be changed, be occupied with him. You won't notice it.
But others will that there is a change in your life because you're occupied with him.
Well, he turns around and the first thing he sees is what?
7 golden candlesticks doesn't say saw the Lord first 7 golden candlesticks because the Candlestick is the light bear and each assembly is a light bear in the darkness of this world.
And we are put there to give light.
You know.
It was only after he saw those 7 golden candlesticks that he sees.
One in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, like unto the Son of Man.
That little expression in the midst is such an interesting expression to trace through scripture.
One of the first places in the Bible.
That it mentions in the midst is Genesis chapter 2.
And it's where the Lord speaks to Adam about.
The tree that is in the midst of the garden.
Which one of you young people remember what tree that was?
A tree of life.
That same tree of light.
The last mention in the midst of the Bible.
Is Revelation 22.
And it's speaking about that same tree of life was in the midst of the street of that heavenly city. And on either side of the river of life that comes out of the throne of God is the Lord Jesus. That tree of life is the Lord Jesus. Wonderful.
Transplanted from the earthly paradise to the heavenly paradise in heaven.
So interesting expression the.
Center of all God's purposes and counsels.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ how important to have Him before our hearts?
Souls to be occupied with him, to learn more and more about him.
Interesting, brethren. This book, like we were saying, is a book of judgment.
I think sometimes we shy away from it because it has so many figures that are kind of hard to understand.
But let's be encouraged to read it. We're getting down to the wire when these things will take place.
Interesting. And you see what's going on in the world today.
Western Europe forming as it is.
Just think of this.
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When the Lord Jesus came the first time, it was Herod.
The agent An agent of the Roman Empire who tried to kill him as a baby.
It was Pontius Pilate, another agent of the Roman Empire, who did give the sentence.
To crucify him.
When the Lord Jesus comes the next time, it's going to be the same Roman power that will be in the earth that will go against him first to try to destroy him again. It's Satan's agent.
What do we see in Western Europe? That Roman Empire rising up again?
Some people ask about the United States and prophecy and the reason why we don't really seem to see.
Too much in the scriptures that would speak about the United States.
The United States is a tremendous power, but it's definitely in the decline right now.
I wonder. This is just my thought, don't take it as anything more than that.
If the rapture taking place won't knock the US completely flat.
And Europe will be forced to come into grips to unite. They don't seem to be able to get their act together today. They're always squabbling amongst themselves about different issues.
But when the large when when the US falls, they will have to take that position.
Speaking to Don Rule some time ago, he says if you take.
What the countries of this world spend on defense, the US spends more than the next 12 nations after it. They spent tremendous amounts on defense, and since the NATO alliance, kind of.
Unites the United States to the European nations. I wonder if much of that defense.
Armament will go to Europe, Western Europe. Anyhow, they will be without question. According to Revelation 13, the beast, the head of that revived Roman Empire, will be without question #1 power in the earth in that day. That's the power that Satan is going to use to go after Jesus when heaven opens and Jesus comes writing a White Horse.
You know you and I are going to be there. If you're a believer in the Lord Jesus, you're going to be there. You're going to see it happen. What a glorious day. Don't think we can begin to comprehend the glory that you and I are going to be eyewitnesses of.
How that challenges me. We're going to work to improve things down here.
When that's ahead, no way.
May use a house.
Or a car. God gives it to us to use, but not for anything to accommodate ourselves down here. We're going for something far greater, far more glorious. And so here in this first chapter.
I think we have. We can say we have introduced the judge of the future day.
And that's what we have from verse 13 on. One like to the son of man to a son of man.
That's the title that the Lord Jesus takes in judgment. He doesn't judge as the Son of God. As the Son of God, he gives life today through his word, but as the Son of man, he will judge.
And it says he's clothed with the garment down to the foot as judges dress.
And gird about the paps with the golden girdle about the breasts. The breasts speak of his love, as we've mentioned. He loves us, no question about it.
But that love is restrained in its outflow and its manifestation by the fact that he has to judge.
Verse 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.
Reminding us in Daniel chapter seven of the Ancient of Days. If you look at that chapter, you'll find the Ancient of Days mentioned twice. The first time it mentions it refers to God from whom the Lord Jesus receives the authority to judge. But later in that chapter it mentions the Ancient of Days. Again, if you look at the context, it's talking about the Lord Jesus.
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His head and his hair is white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes as a flame of fire.
Ever had somebody look at you with eyes like a flame of fire?
Look straight through you. You can't hide one thing from his eyes.
He knows everything. He knows your thoughts. Oh yeah, You can hide from your parents or for your brethren or from other people too, things. You cannot hide one thing from this person. And he's walking in the midst of the assemblies now, because judgment begins at the House of God. God is going to judge this world, but before he judges this world, he's going to.
Deal with us, dear brother, and we cannot avoid it.
I have to say, brethren, for myself, he's dealt with me.
Heavy things as he allowed in my life. I know he loves me because he disciplines me. And that's what the character he is taking right now amongst these seven candlesticks. He's walking in the midst. I come here a little bit. What do I know of all the things you're going through? I don't, you know.
And it's with him we have to do.
His feet were likened to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace. The Tabernacle, the first piece of furniture as you go into the Tabernacle, was the brazen altar. It was the place of judgment. Brass speaks of divine righteousness in judgment.
And his voice is the sound of many waters.
Listen to him.
Ever stood.
At Niagara Falls.
To listen to the Thunder of those waters, His voice as the sound of many waters. He speaks with a still small voice.
But if you don't listen, he will speak louder and louder because he is the faithful witness.
He had in his right hand, seven stars.
Seven stars are the angels or the representatives of the seven churches.
Who is representative here? Who are the responsible ones here in this assembly of Rideau Ferry? Sometimes, you know, we like to look at the older brethren. They're the responsible ones. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus, you are responsible too. You cannot avoid your responsibility.
We are all responsible, sure those that are older are more responsible, but we're all responsible before him. And he says out of his mouth went and a sharp 2 edged sword. That's his word. And I love this last sentence of verse 16. His countenance was as the sun shineth in its strength, that beautiful.
Can you look up the sun during the day? When it's a clear day, you can't do it.
What would happen if you'd look at the sun for quite a while?
You would lose your sight.
And if you look at Jesus in all his glory, it will blind you as to the glory of anything down here. You won't be attracted to it any longer because you are occupied with some one that is far more glorious.
John says in verse 17, When I saw him, I fell at his feet, is dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, fear not, I am the 1St and the last like I said before.
John knew the Lord Jesus and meekness and loneliness, but now he sees him in a different character. Yes, that same one that hung on the cross. And that's the last place that the world saw him. Hanging dead, that mangled body hanging dead on a cross.
Next time they see him, he will be coming in power and glory to judge this world, he says to John. Fear not, he's the same person, but he's going to take up the question of judgment in this world. As we get down to the end, brother, and how we need to be alert, awake, watching and sober. We're living in tremendously serious days.
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Soberness is in contrast with drunkenness. What is drunkenness? It's under the influence. And you might not be drunk with alcohol, but there are people that are drunk with business, with sports, with any other thing.
That affects you, so you don't walk properly as a Christian.
That's drunkenness. We need to be sober with our wits about us. Jesus is coming and how are you going to encounter Him? He's coming from one moment to the next. We're going to see Him face to face. But verse 19 is kind of a outline of the whole Book of Revelation. Things which thou hast seen is chapter one. The things which are our chapters two and three, the time frame in which we live and the things which shall be hereafter, is chapter 4.
On through the Book of Revelation. It's a little outline of the book. Chapters two and three are the individual observations that the Lord Jesus has of each one of the churches. What would he say?
Dear brethren, here as he walks in the midst.
Each one.
I don't know whether it's not mine to say, but it's interesting. In these seven churches we have a prophetical history of the Christian testimony from the time of the apostles right down to the Lord's coming again. And when I say his coming again, I mean right down to the end of the tribulation.
Interesting. Is the church going to be in the tribulation?
Remember, Chuck Hendricks was asked that and he said yes and no.
And then he explained, he said there would be those that are professing Christians but are not real.
They yes, will be in the Great Tribulation and that's why it says in chapter 3 in the address to Sardis.
It says, behold, I come as a thief.
Or verse three. I'll read it here to get it better. I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon me.
When does he come as a thief? It's not the rapture. Whenever he comes as a thief, it's not the rapture. It's talking about his coming at the end of the tribulation.
Will be there, those there, that from Sardis still there on the earth? Evidently, because that's the way he puts it, those that are not real in their souls. Are we real with God?
That's for each one of us to examine our hearts before the Lord.
It's not a time to be fooling around with the things of God. It's a time to be dead serious. So we're getting down to the time when Jesus is coming. Again, just like to mention a couple other comments here in the seven churches.
Seems so solemn to me. And the first one, Ephesus.
Everything seemed to be in outward order.
Come to that meeting, that assembly looks like it is all in order.
But there was one.
Unseen to the outward eye defect. That was very serious. In fact, it was so serious that the Lord said if you don't repent, I'm going to take away the Candlestick.
What was the defect they had left? Their first love doesn't say they lost it. You don't lose first love, you'll leave it.
O brethren, when we think of how much he paid for us.
Does his love burn in your heart? You know where it burns in.
My heart, brethren, is when I come to the breaking of bread meeting.
And with my dear brother. And I remember what happened that awful day in Jerusalem when they led the Son of God out of the city of Jerusalem, his head crowned with thorns, his back shredded by the Roman scourge, And they take him out to Calvary and they hang him up there.
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And it was not only the physical sufferings that get to me. Those were awful. And maybe in some way we've suffered and we can relate something to physical suffering, but there was other suffering. There was a suffering of his soul.
When he was abandoned, his own apostles one of them.
Betrayed him. Another denied ever having known him, one of the ones that said he would never deny him.
All the rest took off and fled. Do you think he felt that? He did? He said. Reproach has broken my heart. You know, sometimes physical suffering wounds you suffer.
Are not near so hard to take as the suffering of a broken heart. The Lord Jesus hung on that cross. Reproach had broken his heart. He looked for those to take pity and there was none. And for comforters, nobody, absolutely nobody. He died.
For us. But the worst of the sufferings, no question about it, was when darkness covered the earth.
And God, in all the holiness of his character, took those filthy sins.
Of mine, and laid them on the head of the holy Son of God.
That spotless sin bearer, and then he.
Let fall on the Lord Jesus the fury of His judgment on sin.
And for three solid hours.
There is no sound from that center cross.
He suffered in silence as he went down to the bottoms of the mountains.
And the billows and waves of God's judgment.
Rolled over him.
And then at the very end.
God forsook him completely alone.
The one that has been his strength and stay in all his life forsook him.
I don't think we can ever understand the off of this.
Of his judgment, brother. It makes my heart burn when I think about it. His love. There's nothing that could keep us going. It should be his love, and we're going to leave.
First love.
It's definitely our first love. We have other loves in life.
There's no love like his love. Nothing. Nothing can ever compare with it.
To leave it, the Lord said if you're going to leave it.
Take the Candlestick away. The Lord keep us, Lord, brethren.
And the enjoyment of that love that it would burn in our hearts.
I'd like to just mention one other here and.
Chapter 3 we have.
Philadelphia Philadelphia is one of two of the seven churches.
That the Lord doesn't say anything negative about.
They kept his word. They did not deny his name. Beautiful commendation.
But then it's followed by Laodicea.
And Laodicea seems to characterize more than any other church the Christian testimony in the day we live. I think that's one of the reasons we can say that it appears that the Lord's coming is so near.
And where is the Lord in this church?
You know where he is, He's outside. They don't have any room for him inside.
And what impresses me, brethren, and like again, I say, I hope you don't take it. I'm criticizing anybody here.
Life is pressured high pressure today and it's hard. It's not easy.
But do you have time?
With Jesus every day, do you?
Or is he outside the door?
You know, you get so busy.
That we don't have time to pick up the Bible and read it quietly with Him and listen to Him speaking to us. We don't have time to get down on our knees and pray.
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Is that true?
Jesus. Oh yes, Jesus, we say. Where is he? Oh, he's outside the door.
Do you want to be an overcomer? Go open that door. Let him come in.
Give him time in your life.
God knows we're busy, but you've got to make time. If you don't have time, you've got to make time.
It's interesting to hear different testimonies of those who make time. Remember hearing about a brother that had quite a large company and he was pretty busy man.
But he told his secretary when it came to 12 noon.
That to hold all the calls.
And tell everybody.
That he would not be available until 1:00 and he locked the door of his office and he used that hour to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus. You know, that's why we don't have power is because we don't take time to be with Him.
Martin Luther said.
And this impressed me when I read his biography years ago.
He said if I don't, I'm so busy says in my life that I cannot handle what the Lord has given me to do if I don't spend 3 hours of prayer in the morning.
We say I'm so busy I don't have time to pray. No wonder we don't have power in our lives. We've got to get things straight. I know it's hard. I get up in the morning sometimes and one thing after another after another come in. So I just bout don't have time. I find it difficult. I find it work to pray brother to get down and pray. My mind goes off in One Direction.
Something I gotta do today, don't want to forget.
Rein it in and get back.
To praying, it's not easy, but you're going to have to make it a priority in your life.
If you want to listen to him and justice, speak to him. Just want to say before we close.
Before the judgments begin in this book, in chapter 6, we have verse chapters 4:00 and 5:00.
They're very interesting to read together.
And in each of these chapters is mentioned a throne.
Fact in verse.
Two of Chapter 4 notice.
And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat upon the throne.
Not interesting, the order puts it. We would probably say there was somebody sitting on the throne.
But it says a throne 1St and then one sitting on the throne. Why does it put it that way? Because He is establishing here the rights that God has to judge this world. And God does have the right to judge this world. And the basis of His right in chapter 4 is creation. He is the Creator of all things. Notice verse 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast.
Created.
All things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. God is the Creator.
And therefore he has the right to judge. That's why people try the best they can to get rid of the.
Question of creation.
They could if they could establish that man evolved without any supernatural.
Intervention. Then he would not have the.
The need to give account to anybody.
But the truth of God is that God created all things, and therefore he has the right.
To judge, but in chapter 15, the question is not creation, it is redemption.
Verse nine of chapter 5 they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou was slain in hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And the parable in Matthew 19 of the treasure hid in the field. The man bought the whole field when the Lord Jesus died and shed his blood.
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He not only bought us who are the redeemed ones, he bought the whole world.
And therefore he has the right to judge on both accounts. There is no one that will get away from Jeep, away from Jesus. Every single person will have to come face to face with him.
Oh, what a wonderful day is ahead of us, brethren, how much we have.
To encourage us on in these last days, I want to say before I close.
That when I come N the brethren in South America always say, greet our North American brethren for us. So I'm taking the liberty to do that. And they also say pray for us.
And tell them we're praying for them, so let's pray. Father, we're thankful for thy precious word.
Oh, what glorious things are ahead for us. Lord, help us to live in the light of them. Help us not to be too forgetful. We pray. Give thanks for this happy occasion. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.