Preparation for the Coming of the Lord 3 – Assembling Together

[00:00:00] We're going to read in three places. [00:00:03] First, in the book of Revelation, in a passage that dank has already read a few verses, revelation 19 from verse one says, after the great judgment of Babylon, after these things, I heard, as it were, a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, hallelujah. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. For true and righteous are his judgments. For he hath judged the great harlot, her that corrupted the earth with her fornication. And he hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And a second time they say, hallelujah. And her smoke goeth up forever and ever. And the four and 20 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God that sitteth on the throne, saying, amen. Hallelujah. And a voice came forth from the throne, saying, give praise to our God, all ye his servants, ye that fear him, the small and the great. [00:01:20] And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying, hallelujah. For the Lord our God the Almighty reigneth, let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him. For the marriage of the lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure. For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. And he saith unto me, blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the lamb. [00:02:08] And he saith unto me, these are true words of God. [00:02:16] And then in the 10th chapter of the Book of Revelation, the 10th chapter of the Book of Revelation, verse one. [00:02:31] And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud. And the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was of the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. And he had in his hand a little book open, and he set his right foot upon the sea and his left upon the earth. And he cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth. And when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his right hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth forever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things that are therein, that there shall be delayed no longer. But in the days of the voice of the 7th angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets, and the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard it again speaking with me and saying, go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angels, saying unto him that he should give me the little book. And he saith unto me, take it and eat it up, and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey. And when I had eaten it, my belly was made bitter. And they say unto me, thou must prophesy again over many peoples and nations and tongues and kings. [00:04:39] And then another very well known passage in the Old Testament in the prophecy of Zechariah, chapter four, verse one. And the angel that talked with me came again and waked me as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And he said unto me, what seest thou? And I said, I have seen. And behold a candlestick, all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it and its seven lamps thereon. There are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are upon the top there thereof, and two olive trees bite one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. And I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, what are these, my lord? Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, knowest thou not what these are? And I said, no, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me. This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts, who art thou, o great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain. And he shall bring forth the top stone with shoutings of grace, grace unto it. Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, the hands of have laid the foundation of this house, his hands shall also finish it. And thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things, for these seven shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. [00:06:38] Now, we've been taking this series on preparation in the light of the coming of the Lord or for the coming of the Lord, what really the word of God says about being prepared and ready for the end times and Christ's second coming. And I would just like to say one little word about that. We are not just talking about the final phase that literally lasts years, or whatever it is, decade before the Lord returns, but we are speaking of the whole run up of the end time. [00:07:22] Just make that clear. There are some things that I have said to you now. This really is specifically for the last stage. And on one of our studies we will actually deal with a number of things to do with the last stage, where there are specific things told us as to what we should do, what we should pray and so on. From all of these, however, we can draw out lessons and indeed expose principles that govern the whole of the end time. [00:07:56] And I think most of us would feel that we have entered the end times of the age. [00:08:05] And therefore, what we are trying to do in these studies is not to give the sequence of events, not to talk about what comes first, or whether we're all going to be taken before the tribulation, during it, or at the end of it, or all these problems that are controversial. But we are taking those practical words of our Lord and of the spirit of God, through the apostles and others, as to what we should be and what we should do in the last stage of this age, the last general phase, if I can put it that way, of the age. Now, last week we talked about holding material possessions lightly, and we talked a lot about that and a lot of avenues, and illustrated it in a number of ways. And we also spoke about the question of marriage at the end, especially the last stage, and what those of you who are getting married, those of you who have just married, and those of you who have young families ought to do. I think that was a very vital point made. And also taking care of the household of God. That's where we ended last week, you will remember, and I am very struck with the fact that in that story that our Lord told about the faithful and wise steward who was set over the house of God, the household, the master's household, to feed his fellow servants with their portion of food at the right time. In other words, he was to watch over their meals, see that they got enough to give them energy to do their work and to not only survive, but to live properly whilst the master was away. What a word that is really to all of us. And isn't there just something, one other thing that I tried to say last week. I'd just like to underline it again. What a need there is for any one of us who are in what we call full time work, or who have a ministry of the word, even if we're not so called full time servants of the Lord. [00:10:35] What a need there is for us to plow deep now and allow God to do a work in us now so that we can provide food for the people of God. There will come a day when there will be a famine of the word of God, when, due to the pressures, governmental pressures, political pressures, religious pressures, it will be very hard to find the word of God. Then those who are faithful to the Lord will be great demand, because they will have light from the Lord. Oh, we need therefore to be clear right now and start to allow the God to do a work in us. Now. I want to go on. This evening we ended speaking about exhorting one another, all part of this, taking care of the household of God, exhorting one, how interesting that in one Thessalonians, chapter five, it comes at the end of that great matter to do with the coming again of the Lord, where he says, well, build ye one another up and exhort one another, as also you do, right at the beginning of that passage in chapter four, verse 18, and right at the end of it, chapter five, verse eleven. It begins and ends with this matter. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Exhort one another. Now, I want to go on this evening to another point, which comes more or less out of our last point last Thursday, and that is, do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. [00:12:21] Hebrews, chapter ten and verses 24 and 2425-2425. I will read it in the old american standard version. Not forsaking. I'm sorry. And let us consider one another. [00:12:42] To provoke unto love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another. And so much the more as ye see the day drawing nigh, it's interesting to see that we have the exact same word exhort here that we have in that passage in Thessalonians, which we talked about. It is the same word. We get the word in John, chapter 14 for the name of the Holy Spirit, one of the glorious titles of the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the paraclete, the one who comes alongside the one who encourages us the one who, as it were, is always our advocate. Now, says the apostle, we are to exhort one another, and so much the more as you see the day drawing near. We are to be alongside one another. We are to be the advocates of one another. We are to be the comforters of one another. Those who encourage, who support, who in one sense correct, steady balance one another. What a ministry. [00:14:06] It is interesting that it is used in here, of course, in Hebrews. In connection with our gathering together. [00:14:14] Let us provoke one another unto love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another. And so much the more as you see the day drawing nigh. Now do note carefully that word which I think needs to be underlined. So much the more as ye see the day drawing nigh. Why do you think the Holy Spirit has put that in the word? [00:14:54] I would have thought that it ought always to be at any time in the whole age necessary for us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Why should the Holy Spirit deliberately put in this word so much the more as ye see the day drawing nigh? [00:15:17] It seems to me that the end time will be characterized by unusual pressure in the atmosphere. A huge increase in satanic activity that will be felt by every human being, but perhaps not consciously, but by the believer, will be detected immediately. [00:15:48] This, I think, will result in much abnormal weariness for no apparent reason. You will find that the saints are getting weary, tired, abnormally so, just somehow rather unable to face things. Now, we have some indication of this in Daniel and chapter seven and verse 25. Daniel, chapter seven, verse 25. And he shall speak words against the most high, and shall wear out the saints of the most high. And he shall think to change the times and the law, and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. Now, it just seems to me that right at the very end there will be such a pressure put upon believers that they will be worn out. [00:16:59] It is a deliberate satanic objective to wear out the saints. And it will be done by all kinds of things. For instance, one way it will be done will just be by the continuous, consistent evil teaching in schools and children coming home with their heads filled with something that parents know very well is wrong. [00:17:27] That's the kind of thing that wears people out, because all the time they're having to counter it, counter it, counter it. They're getting concerned, upset, worried about it. That's only one small side. When all the media are used in this connection in other ways. This has happened, of course, already in Russia, eastern Europe, in China, in North Korea, in Southeast Asia. These kind of things are part and parcel now of those who know the Lord's way of life. [00:18:02] Now it seems to me that we have to recognize something this people used to. When I was first saved years ago, I remember people coming home from the Congo, coming home from some other spot of the earth, and telling us about being in the front line and how tired they got. Although they didn't necessarily have so much to do, they found themselves worn out. And they said, you know, we've come to the conclusion that it is just the enemy. It is the sense of the powers of darkness all around. The battle we have in prayer, the fact that the whole atmosphere is evil, that it's ruled by powers, spiritual beings, world rulers of darkness, of course, that's come right home. Now we no longer think of something right out in the bush or jungle. Now it's right in the midst of London, it's right in the midst of other cities. The thing has moved right home to the so called mother countries, to the homelands. And now we, for the first time, as believers, are beginning to find what it is to be in the front line, beginning to find strange things happening to believers, where somehow, suddenly they're knocked out. Suddenly someone's sort of wounded in some way, inexplicable things happening. And I travel. I've traveled now for some years, but in the last few years, I've never heard of such extraordinary things happening. My last visit to Scandinavia, I was amazed at what I heard happening. People that seem to be pillagious, knocked out just like that. [00:19:36] We're in the front line now. [00:19:40] Doesn't it make you wake up when you hear something? As Alec said to us in the prayer and Bible week, that a christian solicitor in York nearly lost his faith through disillusionment because in three months he had to deal with over 40 divorce cases amongst believers. [00:20:02] 40 divorce cases amongst believers in three months. [00:20:09] Now, that kind of thing must have an effect if there's something happening again. Talking about the last stage, we read in the book of revelation and in chapter, I think it's 16 revelation, chapter 16, and verse 13 and 14. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs, for they are spirits of demons, working signs which go forth unto the kings of the whole world to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the almighty. Now, these unclean spirits that go out are not just unclean in the sense of pornographic. They're obviously unclean in other ways because they are seeking to gather everyone together and promote world war. [00:21:08] This war, of course that's here, is the armageddon war that is spoken of, and you get it in the next two verses mentioned. But you see what I mean? We're up against something now, if we believers have always been, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against world rulers of this darkness, against hosts of wicked spirits in the heavenly places. We know all that, but it's in the head so often now, suddenly we realize, as we move progressively into the last phase of the age, that we really are up against not flesh and blood on any level, but demonic being. [00:21:49] And therefore we are going to feel something in the atmosphere. We're going to feel the current flowing against us, we're going to feel a pressure in the atmosphere, and the result will be, without any shadow of a doubt, abnormal weariness. [00:22:07] It is because of this that we will need to watch carefully this matter, lest the weariness become our downfall. [00:22:20] We will need more than ever, the fellowship and strengthening of the people of God. Now, there are times when a person gets really tired, physically tired, mentally tired, and rather than flog yourself along to the meeting, sit there yawning with red eyes and sort of all droopy, it might be better, since you won't get much anyway, that you just take yourself to bed and remember that. So he gives his beloved sleep. [00:22:51] There are times when it's best just to give in and be sensible in this matter and just go to. But there are other times when before long, you will spot something that every single time you grow weary, there is a strange coordination of evil. [00:23:13] In other words, so often you feel weary, someone else feels someone else, and before you know where you are, a whole lot are out of action. [00:23:21] That is not normal. [00:23:24] That is the result of enemy activity. [00:23:29] Have you ever noticed, for instance, I've often asked people what night of the week do you feel most weary upon? And generally speaking, I always get back Tuesday. [00:23:41] Now, I am quite sure that if we had the prayer meeting on Monday, it would be Monday that everyone was most weary. And if we switched it to Wednesday, it would be Wednesday. [00:23:51] It is strange. We don't always wake up to it. We have a strange kind of weariness come over us now, that kind of weariness we have to detect, because we're going to need, we're going to know a lot of this in the days that lie. This is where we need one another. This is where we need to be able, sometimes in our smaller gatherings, home gatherings, to be able to open up. Why not? Why can't someone say, I'm suffering from a terrible weariness? Why can't we all minister to one another in this kind of thing? Strengthen one another, pray for one, that a person may be lifted up. If it is the result of spiritual activity, then it can be spiritually touched. [00:24:34] We know that physical things can be touched. The Lord can heal, can recover. [00:24:40] But when it is an imposition of the enemy from the beginning, we know very well that it is a work of Satan. And therefore it is something which can be removed, locks, stock and barrel, by simple standing together in the name of the Lord. But it requires honesty. You know, some people, they wouldn't like to admit that they were weary. They want to be one of those people bubbling with vitality, you know? Never admit to any weariness. [00:25:08] You might shut the bedroom door and drop dead almost when no one can see you. But when outside it's your all life. But this, we're not talking about something that is, it says in the word, the young men shall faint, youths shall fall, doesn't it? And young men shall faint who utterly weary. Well, whatever it is, we know that they're going to collapse. And it's not old ones. That's the interesting thing. It doesn't say the seventies, the senior citizens, they will collapse and the ones even older still will faint. [00:25:51] But it says of youths and young men, youths, meaning those in their mid teens. [00:26:01] Now, if it's going to be like that, what is the answer? [00:26:06] Well, says someone, the answer is, let's be much more free. No, not at all. The answer is, those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as equals. [00:26:23] So I believe that this is what the Lord is trying to say to us all about our own walk with God. We cannot hide just in something corporate. Every one of us has to have a walk with God. And we've got to know what it is to have that inner, personal source of divine strength, exchanging our weariness for his resurrection power and life. Now, I think this is a matter also of fellowship, because the temptation will be to forsake our gathering together. When we begin to get weary, somehow or other, we start to see everything in shades of grey. [00:27:04] And we see things from a negative point of view. We see one another negative, but we see our circumstances from a negative point. Of view. And I think that there will be a very great temptation then just simply to opt out. [00:27:18] Opt out of responsibility, opt out of gathering ourselves together. Now, church life is much more than meeting. It is a fallacy to believe we are only the church. When we meet together, we are the church. Whether were met together or not met together. You can never unchurch yourself. Youre either in the church or out of the church. Youre either in Christ or out of Christ. Youre either born of God or not born of God. Now, if you are born of God, you are in Christ. And if you are in Christ, you are in the body of Christ, you are in the church. You can never dechurch yourself. We are always the church of the Lord, whether we're at school, whether we're at college, whether at work, whether at factory, whether we're at the kitchen sink. Whatever it is, we are the church, and church life covers everything. [00:28:17] Our families are part of church life, our personal life is part of church life. All this departmentalising between secular life and church life, or sacred life, or whatever they like to call it, is so much nonsense. [00:28:34] The whole thing is one life. We belong to one another. We're not only one. When we're together, we're not only related to one another. When we're in a meeting, we're always related to one another, or should be. This is what is so silly. When people decide, divide and run off in another direction, they can't stick it anymore. They think, well, if I sort of meet just over there or just over there, I'll get away from silly. The Lord says, what did it is doing. [00:29:03] It still does all the damage in the heavenlies because were still not rightly related to one another. You see, we are one, whether we like it or not. Because Christ is one. He cant just run away. May make it easier for you because you dont see their faces and you see a whole new set of faces which you may feel to be better from the start, but I mean, the fact still remains that from God's point of view, it hasn't solved a thing, because we are all related to one another. That's why it says in the about the Lord's prayer, if you have anything, if you have an unforgiving spirit, you must. Your father will not hear you, he will not forgive you. [00:29:50] That's why the Lord underlined that thing. [00:29:55] Now, my point is this. [00:30:00] Our meetings are not just church life, they are an expression of church life. [00:30:09] But church life does not consist of meetings. [00:30:14] Nevertheless, in our gathering together, we give expression to our oneness, to the fact that we are the fullness of him who fills everything in everyone. [00:30:29] Such gathering together is vital for the building up of the body of Christ. [00:30:38] Really vital. You cannot build up the body of Christ without somehow or other gathering together. [00:30:46] Now, mark carefully what the Lord says here, because it is very wonderful in this. Hebrews, chapter ten, verse 24. Let us consider one another. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works. [00:31:08] Now, this is a very wonderful little study. Because although the word has been translated, consider. It has an intensive. It's an in the intensive form and really is one. It means consider if you like. The only way we could put it is consider closely. Perceive clearly. Understand fully. It is, in fact, translated in another part of the New Testament. As perceived in other places. Understand another place, as discover. You could even say, ponder deeply. Now think about that. Ponder deeply one another. [00:31:47] Perceive clearly one another. [00:31:51] Understand fully one another. Consider closely one another. [00:32:00] Wouldn't it transform our meetings, our whole life together, if there was such an attitude? Oh, so often the only people that consider one another carefully are critics. [00:32:14] Oh, the magnifying glass comes up, and they look at everything. They spot everything, hear so and so. [00:32:22] Wind. [00:32:24] Wind. I wouldn't pray like that. I wouldn't be seen dead praying like that. Or wind or so and said the way so and so dresses could do with dropping her skirt two inches or so and so or so and so or so and so or so and so. So and so is terribly difficult to live with, you know, so and so told so and so who told so and so that he's an absolute tiger when it comes that we really perceive clearly one another. We consider one another very closely when it comes to criticism. But this is not what the word says. It doesn't say, consider one another for judgment. Consider one another that you may, as it were, strip away the facade of one another. No, it says, consider closely one another to provoke and to love and good works. [00:33:21] Now, this word provoke is also another marvelous word. It is the greek word from which we get our word paroxysm. [00:33:30] You know what a paroxysm is? No. Don't you? Well, a paroxysm of rage is when a person gets so worked up that they're just almost uncontrollable. A paroxysm of rage, we say. [00:33:51] Got it? Well, now, of course, if you want to put it in slightly more british sort of unemotional language, we would say. And even this is a bit too emotional for the british. But we would say, consider closely one another to stimulate unto love and good works. [00:34:11] Now, wouldn't it be wonderful if our assembling ourselves together. [00:34:17] Was characterized by stimulating one another to love and good works? Instead of when so and so starts, we all go, oh, stimulate unto love. [00:34:36] A paroxysm of love. Consider closely one another to a paroxysm of love. [00:34:45] A stimulation of love and good works. [00:34:50] There's no doubt about it. We all have a tremendous influence on one another, don't we? [00:35:00] You know, suddenly someone you feel's got something against you. Comes, flings their arms around you and says something nice. And you feel different straight away. [00:35:10] You feel as if a load has rolled off. [00:35:13] It's strange, isn't it? We can stimulate one another to love. You see, the problem is that love is a very strange thing. [00:35:23] It can wilt unless it's cared for. [00:35:31] You know, there needs a little bit of watering and a little bit of care. And a little bit of sort of attention. And then you have to stimulate love. See, love is really emotional, isn't it? It's no good saying it isn't emotional. There's something about love that is emotional. [00:35:47] And there's a sense in which it has to be stimulated. [00:35:51] And isn't it interesting that good works can be stimulated too? We can stimulate one another to good works. Not beating one another over the head all the time. But somehow or another, we can sort of influence one another in such a way. By considering closely one another. [00:36:06] We can actually provoke to good works. [00:36:12] It'd be absolutely wonderful if this started. If our gatherings together, our assembling of ourselves together. Had this effect on everybody. Well, just think of the people that would be visited. While Arthur Smith couldn't get up from under the mound of fruit. [00:36:30] People would be smothered with flowers when they have a sniffle almost. You know what I mean? I mean, good works everywhere, it would be. People wouldn't park in the road, upsetting all the neighbors, causing all the problems. They would say, no, no, no. We want to stimulate love and good works don't want to cause any burden to anybody. Do you understand what I mean? We're stimulating one another. Now, I would say that our gathering is far from being dull. Would take on a new lease of life. If we had this kind of provoking one another to love and to good works. [00:37:06] And exhorting one another. You see that? [00:37:10] Let's forget for a moment. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the custom of some is. [00:37:16] But exhorting one another. [00:37:20] So we're not only to consider closely one another, to stimulate, to love and good works. [00:37:26] And this surely means that we take every individual as an individual personality. We don't lump everybody into the same frame. We know those who have their ups and downs and those who are absolutely level. We understand them, we consider them closely. We don't beat somebody all the time saying, wouldn't it be lovely if you could weep a tear or two in a hymn, love to see you do that. When a person is a phlegmatic, they can't do it. We've considered them closely. We think, praise the Lord so and so's just like a rock. [00:37:59] If he wept a tear, I'd die. [00:38:02] It would really be the end. I would feel he was about to have a nervous breakdown or something. [00:38:08] The fact is, I've considered him or her closely, and I understand. I'm not expecting something from them that I would expect from somebody else. [00:38:20] A lot of our troubles in fellowship would disappear if we were able to really consider closely one another, perceive clearly one another, understand fully one another with this object of stimulating for love and good works, and exhorting one another, encouraging one another, correcting one another, steadying one another, comforting one another. My word, what a wonderful thing it would be if this was what happened in our assembling of ourselves together. What an end that would be. [00:39:03] Every member of Christ must have his or her own life with the Lord. We cannot and must not hide in the whole becoming mere spectators, someone carried along by the momentum of the rest. [00:39:23] Every one of us must have our own life with the Lord. But having said that, then we must not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. And especially as we see that day drawing near, you know, in the tabernacle. I've said this before, but for those younger ones of you who've never heard it before, let me say it again. In the tent of meeting, the sides were made up of boards of acacia wood. [00:40:02] Each board stood on its own 2ft or sockets of silver. [00:40:12] And then, when they had their own foundation and stood squarely on their own 2ft, then a bar went right through the hole and rammed them all together. You understand? Joined them all together. [00:40:33] Our problem often is that we dont have our own 2ft. [00:40:39] We want to have the horizontal bar going right through and forget about the foundation. No good. No good. [00:40:47] Nor is it any good just having your own 2ft and not having the bar going through. Youve got to have both. Weve got to have our own 2ft and to have the horizontal bar of fellowship. That bonds us together in the Lord. [00:41:05] In the last phase of the end time. [00:41:08] As indeed in some parts of the world today, for example, Russia or China. [00:41:13] We will not be able to meet at all. [00:41:19] Let us therefore make the most of our gathering together. Whilst there is yet time. [00:41:40] Now I want to go on to another point. That really also comes out of this last. And it is let us have grace. Whereby we may offer service well pleasing to God. Now we are staying in Hebrews this evening. Over into Hebrews. Chapter twelve. From verse 26 to 29. Whose voice that is the voice of God. Then shook the earth. But now he hath promised, saying, yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven. And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken. As are things that have been made. That those things which are not shaken may remain. [00:42:24] Wherefore receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us have grace. Whereby we may offer service well pleasing to God. With reverence and awe. For our God is a consuming fire in all the shaking at the end of the age. In which all that can be shaken. [00:42:50] In every realm of human life. Will be shaken. [00:42:55] We are to offer service well pleasing to God. Now, isn't that wonderful? Far from some defeatist attitude and outlook. That. Oh, dear. The night comes when no man can work. Oh, dear, dear, dear, dear. The time is coming when the love of the many will wax cold. When our Lord said, shall he find faith on thee earth when he comes. Instead of having this kind of defeatist attitude. Instead we find that right in the midst of the shaking. When everything that can be shaken to pieces. Will be shaken to pieces. Not only on the earth, but in the heavens also. Right in the midst of it all. We are to have grace. To offer service well pleasing to God. [00:43:40] With reverence and awe. No defeatism here. No collapse before the inevitable takeover of evil. [00:43:51] The emphasis is on the simple fact. Listen. That the redeemed are the only ones in the whole world. [00:44:04] Who are receiving an unshakable kingdom. Now, isn't that marvelous? [00:44:11] We are the only people. What a privilege. What a privilege. I think of all these people who are big bosses of nations. Occupying places like the White House or the Kremlin or ten Downing street or somewhere else, I don't know. And really, the whole thing is going to pieces. It's all time. It's all just time and sense. It's all transient. [00:44:35] But the people of God are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Listen, if you qualify for a civil service. Examination, you know, and get through. All you've done is got a position and a pension and security for life down here. What, 30 years, 40 years? I don't know. That's all. [00:44:58] Don't crow about it as you have learned. Very nice. I'm glad for you. You've got some security. I mean here's someone else got a qualified come to the top of their career doing very well. But I mean, quite honestly, it's only for 30 or 40 years. What is that qualification? Eternity. It doesn't mean nothing. [00:45:15] Now, I'm not saying despise qualifications. We learn great lessons. The lessons we learn through studying and being disciplined and where the Holy Spirit really pulls us up, as it were. Those lessons are eternal. [00:45:29] But the qualifications dont mean a thing in the kingdom of God. [00:45:33] Gods qualifications are very different. But the things God is teaching you at the kitchen sink, the things God is teaching you at the factory bench, the things that God is teaching you at college or at school, those things are eternal. [00:45:47] Thats not to do with time and sense. That is to do with the eternal kingdom of our God and his Christmas. We are the only people in the whole wide world that are receiving an unshakable kingdom. It's marvelous. Why, it's much better to get a spiritual diploma, a spiritual qualification. The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. He never goes back on them. [00:46:13] Much better. It's unshakable. [00:46:17] And the whole point of the writers of the Hebrews is this. He says everything's being shaken to pieces. Isn't it wonderful? [00:46:24] He's not the least bit. I used to get so upset with all those angels bending over the balustrades of heaven and shouting hallelujah. As I saw the whole of Babylon going up in smoke, I used to think, how dreadful. So unchristian. [00:46:40] I mean, where we're taught to forgive our enemies, not saying hallelujah. [00:46:46] But you know, really, there's got to be an end to this whole evil system someday. And I'm sure the angels are just waiting for it, itching for that day when finally it will happen. Oh, the end of the whole thing. Of all the emptiness, all the ableness, all the sin, all the corruption, all the perversion, all the evil. That's something to shout hallelujah over. And it's the same with the rise of the Hebrews. He's almost quite joyful about the whole thing being shaken. Don't worry. Don't worry at all. We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us have grace whereby we may offer service well pleasing to God with reverence and awe. Right in the midst of all the shaking to pieces, we have something which is unshakable. [00:47:28] So it's wonderful. Therefore, no matter whether the night comes when no man can work, and it will, Antichrist emerges with an iron fist to rule the nations of the world. And he will. [00:47:43] Or there is a falling away amongst the people of God, and it will come. [00:47:50] The love of the many will wax cold. It will happen. [00:47:54] Faith being taken over by a cynical heart. [00:48:01] There can be overcomers. [00:48:04] We mustn't be defeatist in this. As if every single one has got to be subject to Antichrist, subject to the powers of darkness, subject to what's happening down here. No, no, no. The Bible speaks of overcomers, a large, large number of those who overcome by the grace of God. Note then, Hebrews, chapter twelve and verse 28, service. Let us offer service well pleasing to God. This is one of the words that is translated, service, which is always of service to God and has the idea of worship in it. It is that wonderful word in Romans twelve one. [00:48:50] I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is, and this is the old version, your reasonable service, but which is best translated, your spiritually intelligent worship. [00:49:08] It speaks of service which has about it a willingness. [00:49:14] It is actually from the word of a hired servant, which means that the person has voluntarily entered into this service, willingness, but it also not just service in the sense of it's worship. Have you got it? [00:49:33] Then I want you to notice this other word here. Let us have grace. Now you will notice in the revised standard version, in the new american standard Bible and all the other modern versions, that you have the word let us show gratitude, or let us have gratitude. Let us show thankfulness. [00:49:56] Let us be thankful and serve the Lord. And so on and so on. [00:50:02] And here I found a very wonderful little note by that godly old divine Bengal, and this is his note on this word. To have grace passively is to be under the power of grace. [00:50:22] See, I see the new american standard Bible is a little hesitant about just saying, showing gratitude through which we can offer service to God. So it puts in the margin, have gratitude. We don't normally speak of having gratitude like that. [00:50:40] The point is, they're not over happy just about that word, gratitude. It doesn't quite go. The word, of course, is the word translated everywhere in the New Testament, grace. [00:50:52] But let us have grace. Of course, it's let us show gratitude. But it's much more. You see, when a person is under the power of the grace of God, that person is a worshiper. [00:51:08] When a person is under the power of divine grace, that person is a person who's thankful. [00:51:17] It's only when we start to try to our own works of the flesh or any other kind of good work to get an acceptance with God that we're no longer thankful. We think that God is in debt to us. We're serving him. I've given up a lot for the Lord. Time, energy, money, all kinds of things. Been a tough way, you know, I'm not sure it's worth it. [00:51:43] I often think when it might be a good idea to give it up. [00:51:52] That is because we are not under the power of grace. [00:51:55] When were under the power of grace. [00:51:59] There is a thankful spirit in all the shaking and change at the end of the age, the tangible onslaught of darkness. If we are to serve God acceptably, we will need to be under the power of grace. [00:52:19] Through no other means can service well pleasing to God be offered. [00:52:28] It would be well for us to consider this deeply. [00:52:32] I think, for instance, of revelation, chapter twelve, verse eleven. Such a well known verse. And they overcame him, that is, Satan, by the blood of the lamb, by the word of their testimony. And because they love not their lives, even unto the death, grace, offering service well pleasing to God under the power of grace. Or again I think of revelation 1516. [00:53:01] Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. [00:53:15] Oh, many a believer has not kept the garment of grace. [00:53:22] Then they are suddenly aware that they are naked. And they are open to every accusation of the enemy, every condemnation, everything sticks with them. There is not a thing that is said, and even things that are not said that do not stick in them, they have lost the garment of grace. [00:53:42] He that watcheth and keepeth his garment. [00:53:52] Oh, to be under the power of grace. [00:53:58] I think of Zechariah, chapter four, verse seven, where it says, and the top stone shall be brought forth with shouts of grace, grace unto it. How was the work done? [00:54:10] Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit. How did the Holy Spirit come upon them to do the work through the grace of God? Not because they were zealous, not because they were full of good works, not because somehow they made themselves acceptable to God, but because of the grace of God. [00:54:27] And the only word that was rubbable. And the other builders could cry out, when the top stone goes into its place will be grace. Grace unto it. [00:54:39] It's also interesting to note that a heart under the power of grace. Will be a thankful, grateful heart, a worshipping heart. And will you also notice another two words in connection with this. Which I think we need to take very real care over. And that is with Reverend and God. With reverence and awe. [00:55:05] Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace whereby we may offer service to. Well pleasing to God. [00:55:18] In reverence and awe. Now, this is interesting because in Hebrews, in the same book, in Hebrews, chapter five and verse seven. We have exactly the same word about our Lord Jesus. It says, who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications. With strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear. Now, the word godly fear is exactly the same word as reverence. [00:55:50] With godly fear. [00:55:53] The fear of the Lord is a very old fashioned phrase today. [00:56:01] It's not merely old fashioned as a phrase. It is old fashioned as an experience. [00:56:11] There is very little true fear of the Lord. This doesn't mean, of course, a cringing fear. Did you ever see the Lord Jesus in his whole life as we see it in the gospels? Cringing with fear over his father. Tormented by acting. Accusation filled with condemnation. Wondering whether his father would accept him. Never, never, never. [00:56:32] Yet he was filled with godly fear. [00:56:41] Oh, how we need to take note of these things. All these things have so much for us in the last days. When the enemy will trip us. For anything that he can do. [00:56:56] It should be a source of tremendous and never failing comfort to us. To remember that this kingdom which we are receiving is unshakable. [00:57:07] The purpose of God is going to be fulfilled. Come wind, come weather. I think of so many scriptures in this connection. I think, of course, of their well known scriptures. Matthew 1618, Jesus said, upon this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. He didn't say, I will seek to build my church upon this rock. But we may not get right through to the end of the age. He didn't say, upon this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not prevail against it until the last stage of the age. He said, upon this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I find that tremendously encouraging. And then I think of revelation 19 and those verses we read together this evening. Oh, what wonderful words. Hallelujah for the Lord God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him. There's grace again. For the marriage of the lamb is come. And this is the most wonderful thing of all. And the bride hath made herself ready. It doesn't say, and God hath prepared the bride, it says, and the bride hath made herself ready. What a wonderful word of grace for us all. It means, dear friend, that whilst on the one side we may see scriptures about there being a falling away in the church, there may be the love of the many growing cold faith not being found on the earth when the Lord comes. The other side of the coin is this. The bride hath made us ready. In the midst of it all the work has been completed. Right in the midst of satanic activity, right at the end of the age, right in the shadow of the Antichrist, the bride will be not only completed, but she will make herself ready. In spite of all this satanic activity, in spite of abnormal pressure and weariness, God by the Holy Spirit will so work amongst his own those who are ready to go the whole way with the Lord, that the bride will make herself ready. I say, that is absolutely wonderful. [00:59:33] Righteous acts of the saints, that's the linen the bride is going to wear. Right in the midst of everything that is so evil and the current going right against all that's of God, she will be dressed in the good works of the saints, good works that come not out of flesh but out of grace. [00:59:56] Well, there are so many other things I think of again in the same book. Revelation, chapter ten, verse seven. Doesnt it thrill you in the days of the voice of the 7th angel when hes about to sound, then is finished. The mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants, the prophets. What a wonderful word. What is this mystery of God? Does anyone know what the mystery of God is? The mystery of God is explained in Ephesians, chapter three. And it is this. Paul says, I want you to understand my perception of this mystery which in all the other generations it wasn't understood, but which has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets. What is it that the gentiles have become fellow heirs, fellow members and fellow partakers? [01:00:45] The mystery. What is the mystery? The mystery is this Christ in you the hope of glory. What is the mystery that we have been joined to Christ and made growing into a holy temple in the Lord? That is the mystery of God. And right in the midst of all these dreadful visions of beasts and dragons and false prophets and babylonian systems and all the rest of it. 666. And I don't know what that could put fear into anybody's heart. Right in the middle of it all, it says, the 7th angel, when he's about to sound the mystery of God is finished according to the good news which he declared through his servants, the prophets. Exactly. According to the book. [01:01:33] Where are all these christian defeatists who tell me that somehow or other the church is going to limp through without mast, without sail, shut to pieces, all on stretchers, carried in sort of thing and laid before the Lord, just about to hear, well done. [01:01:55] Where is this idea that's so prevalent amongst the people of God that somehow or other everything's going to go to pieces at the end? No, no, no. It may go to pieces in the majority, but it will not go to pieces in the overcomer. There will be a remnant according to grace that will go right through and fulfill the purpose of God. Glory to God. The mystery of God will be finished. How? Oh, well, the Lord had a primary idea and he now has let go of the primary idea and taken on a secondary idea because he found his people were, well, they weren't over willing and the Holy Spirit was rather limited in power and, well, Antichrist, Christ was terribly strong. [01:02:42] So God has a secondary purpose which he has brought now into play an operation, the mystery of God's being completed. But it's not according to his original plan. It doesn't say that. It is according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants, the prophets. Exactly according to this book. And what does this book say? This book says we will grow into a holy temple in the Lord, build it together for a habitation of God in the spirit. That's what this book says. What does the book say? In Ephesians four? It says this. I'll just read it to you because I'll misquote it otherwise. It says, for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ, till we all attain unto the unity of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Now that's what he's declared by his servants, the prophets. [01:03:41] The mystery of God is going to be completed. Well, don't get all down about these things. I do wish we didn't have to dwell upon the second coming. And the Lord frightens me to death. Armageddon and Gog and Magog and wars and atomic sort of thing, nuclear things. Fancy putting fear into people, telling them even to be ready to store food and take nuclear preparations in the event of war, my dear friends, we got to be sensible and sometimes very practical. But let me tell you something else. Come war, come nuclear war, come all the Gogamug wars, that there could be an Armageddon rolled into one, it's not going to do a single thing to frustrate. The purpose of God is going to be fulfilled. It's going to be fulfilled exactly as God said it would be. And the wonderful thing is this, if you want to listen to me, if you want to, you can be in it now. I'll tell you something that you'll never forget, not till your dying day. If you forget it now, it'll come back to you at that time. And it's simply this. [01:04:49] You can waste your whole life in putting secondary things first. [01:04:55] And when the whole world is shaken to pieces, you will have nothing but your salvation. [01:05:04] Nothing but your salvation. [01:05:07] You will be ashamed of the coming of the Lord. [01:05:11] But I'll tell you, for those of us who are prepared to give God his priorities, to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, it will not worry us over much that everything will be shaken to pieces, because we know where our real treasure is. [01:05:31] We know, all of us, that this world's got to be shaken to pieces. We know where it's heading. And yet, somehow or other, we're also bound up with it. We're also part of it, that somehow we have 1ft in it and 1ft somewhere else. [01:05:45] Oh, dear child of God, isn't it wonderful just to recognize and to understand that this purpose of God is going to be fulfilled? The top stone is going to be brought forth with shouts of grace, grace unto it. Now, it is in this context and in the midst of an ever increasing battle to frustrate the fulfillment of God's purpose, that we are to offer service well pleasing to God, and we are to offer this service right through to the end of the age, to the rapture of the saints. Oh, wonderful. Some people don't believe in a rapture. They think we're going to go back to the tribulation and then somehow or other, the Lord's going to come at the end of it. Well, that's all right. That's how some. I think there is a rapture myself. [01:06:40] But what I think is wonderful is this. You and I can be offering service well pleasing to God right till the moment the trumpet sounds when we see the Lord. Oh, what a day, what a day. There will be Paul there and John there and James there, and the whole lot will be there. They'll all be there. Martin Luther will be there, Charles and John Wesley will be there, George Whitfield will be there. They'll be actually together for once. [01:07:06] Charles had John Nelson Darby, oh, and George Muller probably going up together. It'll be just so wonderful, all of them together. [01:07:17] They won't go before us and we won't go before them. We shall all meet together in the end. Now that to me is wonderful, because if they have offered service well pleasing to God at the beginning of the they're going to share the same glory as we who have offered service well pleasing to God at the end of the age. They had problems at the beginning, we've got problems at the end, but the grace of God is sufficient. [01:07:42] Isn't it thrilling to note our Lord's words concerning the calling out of a people for himself? [01:07:48] I find it absolutely marvellous. [01:07:51] The Lord said, this gospel will be preached as a testimony in all the nations. Then shall the end come, and he also all power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into my name, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. [01:08:27] End of the age. Did you get that? The old version says end of the world, doesn't it? Or to the end of the world, isn't it? [01:08:37] End of the age. So that's going to include this last phase. He's with us, he's with us. Oh, then let's get on with the job. So simple as that. Lets get on with the job of making disciples. [01:08:49] Now, some of you may feel a little down. Well, I dont feel ive led anyone to the Lord, but listen, I want to ask you something. There are some things you may have done which have brought you in to the same work and youve been a part of it. When you go out fishing, you may not have led a person for the Lord, but you may somehow or other have been instrumental in bringing someone in who found the Lord. [01:09:11] The Lord doesnt forget that. [01:09:13] Never forget the old story that those who stood by the baggage and those who went out to recover and win the battle, they shared the spoil equally. [01:09:26] It's wonderful to be. Not all of us can go to the ends of the earth, but all of us can be involved, all of us can be involved in this matter of making disciples of all nations. Well, I just find it very wonderful that the Bible says in Matthew 20 414, this gospel shall be preached in all the nations for a testimony. Then shall the end come. And what is our Lord really saying? He's saying this, that this is going to happen right up to the end. And out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation there are going to come those who will be the redeemed of the Lord. Now there are a number of scriptures, but I will only read one. You could read revelation five, verses nine and ten. But I thought I'd just read revelation seven and verse nine and ten. After these things I saw and behold a great multitude, which no man could number out of every nation, and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the lamb, arrayed in white robes and palms in their hands. And they cry with a great voice, saying, salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne and unto the lamb. [01:10:41] Well, dear child of God, isn't this marvellous? We're to offer service well pleasing to God. And the wonderful thing is this, that whenever there is a time of great upheaval, great change and great break up, many people find the Lord. That's why I think it's Joel says, multitudes in the valley of decision, far from being frightened at the prospect of what the end time holds, we should be doing exploits if we live at the close of the age. It's our bounden duty to see that the purpose of God is completed. We are not to be spectators, but participants. Now it isn't it wonderful that in Daniel and chapter eleven, where it speaks of some of the most horrifying part aspects of Antichrist's reign, it says this in Daniel 1130, just let me get it right. 32. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries. But the people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits, and they that are wise among the people shall instruct many. Yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by spoil many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help. But many shall join themselves unto them with flatteries. And some of them that are wise shall fall to refine them and to purify them, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for the time appointed. Now isn't it wonderful that it says, and those that know their God shall be strong and do exploits. Why must we think that our love is to grow cold just because the rest's love is going to grow cold just because the Lord said when he comes, he will not find faith? Why should we feel that it must be so of ourselves? Those that know their God shall be strong and do exploits. In Hebrew, the word exploit doesn't come in. It is just the common word for doing. [01:12:58] But of course, in English we have to say, you can't just say, shall be strong and do. [01:13:03] I suppose you could say you'll be strong and work, or quite the same. But the thought is this, that the people who know their God shall be strong and shall fulfil, fulfill the purpose of the Lord. [01:13:17] Fulfil it? [01:13:21] Don't you think it's rather wonderful that when it speaks about the Antichrist in Daniel seven, it says, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. [01:13:30] They possessed it. They didn't get carried in battered on stretchers, defeated. But by the grace of God, the victory belongs to him. No, no, no. [01:13:45] They go in to possess the kingdom right at the time when many of them are martyred. Well, now, I think that's enough for this evening. But it does make you realize that if we are to offer service well pleasing to God, having this grace, being under the power of grace, how wonderful then it is, I think, to realize that we from the secret place are to rule and reign right to the coming of the Lord. [01:14:25] It will be very interesting one day to speak with watchman Ian to find out what happened in that solitary cell and whether from that he did not reign and rule. [01:14:39] My word, he must have learnt lessons about the body of Christ in that cell. [01:14:46] He must have learnt lessons about eternal government and reigning with Christ and ascendancy with Christ in that cell. [01:14:58] Dear child of God, for such service at the end time, there is not only a provision of grace, but a provision of power. [01:15:11] The Lord himself has promised to be with us right through to the end. [01:15:17] We can therefore be gloriously encouraged. [01:15:20] He will neither fail nor forsake. For our part, let us make sure that we are availing ourselves of all the provision of grace and power he has apportioned to us. [01:15:41] Shall we pray? [01:15:52] Dear Lord, we do bow in thy presence, and we do thank thee that thou art able, Lord, to write thy word upon our hearts. And we ask thee, Lord, to do so. We pray, Lord, that thou wilt get thy word engraved, as it were, in our hearts, in our spirits, so that even if now, Lord, it may not mean too much to us, when the time comes, it will come back to us by thy spirit and be of inestimable help and comfort and strength. So, Lord, now we commit ourselves to thee with much praise and thanksgiving in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.