Eternal Union: The Church's Journey to Christ
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The destiny of the church has no such temporal limit as her destiny is eternity with that in mind I'd like to go to chapter 19 of the book of Revelation you know it's the custom here in these conferences that the staff always makes me give the last message and inevitably no matter what the subject is I always end up in the last couple of chapters of the Bible in the book of Revelation. [00:01:56]
I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude as the sound of many waters as the sound of mighty thunderings saying Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent reigns let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready and to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen clean and bright for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. [00:02:55]
The church was faced with an earthly power that set itself up as God and thought that it reigned supreme over all things including the church and the revelation comes to John with this deafening sound the scream Alleluia the celebration Alleluia because of the certainty that even if Nero is there or Domitian is there that's the Lord God omnipotent who reigns. [00:11:00]
The reason for the joy the reason for the glory john tells us in his book is because the marriage of the land has come at last the groom has come for his bride and we just had a wonderful experience just a few minutes ago thinking back over the years about our own marriages in this world and we had a little bit of competition there 10 years 20 years 30 years 40 years 45 years. [00:12:44]
The call here to the people of God in anticipation of the marriage Feast of the land is one of joy rejoice we are told and be exceedingly glad there's only one other time in scripture where that combination of words is used and that's in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus said if you are subject to persecute persecution and people revile you and speak all manner against evil against you falsely for my sake then rejoice and be exceedingly glad about that. [00:17:37]
The bride is adorned in fine linen clean linen bright linen and here's something somewhat jarring straining the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints wife you know all the way through the Bible we're told that it's not our works that will get us to the marriage feast of the Lamb that we are justified by faith alone and the only way we can ever hope to stand in the presence of a holy God is if we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. [00:19:38]
The parable of Israel where the Messiah came to his own and they received him not therefore go into the highways as many as you find out there invite them to the wedding so the servants went out for the highways they gathered together all whom they found both bad and good and the wedding hall was filled with guests get through those people were the wild all of three that's us folks. [00:26:04]
You've been invited as a Christian to the marriage feast of the Lamb but you can't get in unless you're properly dressed and the dress you need for that feast is the righteousness of Christ that clothes your nakedness and the filthy rags of your own life throughout the New Testament this metaphor of the marriage happens again and again. [00:28:48]
The marriage feast will be a two-edged sword it will be a time of unprecedented joy for the people of God an unprecedented misery for those who are locked out for those who had the invitation but were caught up with things they've regarded as more important in biblical days marriage celebrations weddings lasted for several days sometimes a week or longer depending on the stature of the people who were involved. [00:31:34]
Finally every time we celebrate the Lord's Supper in the church we are involved in an exercise of time that has three aspects or dimensions to it on the one hand when we gather at the Lord's table we look backwards in time we remember Jesus said this often as we eat of this bread and drink of this cup you remember me you show forth the Lord's death until he comes. [00:42:17]
Every time we drink the cup and eat the bread dear friends we have a taste of Evon we have a foretaste of that feast that we will have with the groom the spirit and the bride say come even so come Lord Jesus that's right Oh father there's no more sacred invitation we could possibly receive than to be invited to that banquet and to that feast give us the clothes that we need let us come there to give glory and honor to the King of Kings the Lord of lords who reigns forever and ever and ever and ever and ever Alleluia. [00:43:13]
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I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude as the sound of many waters as the sound of mighty thunderings saying Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent reigns let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready and to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen clean and bright for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. [00:02:55]
The church was faced with an earthly power that set itself up as God and thought that it reigned supreme over all things including the church and the revelation comes to John with this deafening sound the scream Alleluia the celebration Alleluia because of the certainty that even if Nero is there or Domitian is there that's the Lord God omnipotent who reigns. [00:11:00]
The reason for the joy the reason for the glory john tells us in his book is because the marriage of the land has come at last the groom has come for his bride and we just had a wonderful experience just a few minutes ago thinking back over the years about our own marriages in this world and we had a little bit of competition there 10 years 20 years 30 years 40 years 45 years. [00:12:44]
The call here to the people of God in anticipation of the marriage Feast of the land is one of joy rejoice we are told and be exceedingly glad there's only one other time in scripture where that combination of words is used and that's in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus said if you are subject to persecute persecution and people revile you and speak all manner against evil against you falsely for my sake then rejoice and be exceedingly glad about that. [00:17:37]
The bride is adorned in fine linen clean linen bright linen and here's something somewhat jarring straining the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints wife you know all the way through the Bible we're told that it's not our works that will get us to the marriage feast of the Lamb that we are justified by faith alone and the only way we can ever hope to stand in the presence of a holy God is if we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. [00:19:38]
The parable of Israel where the Messiah came to his own and they received him not therefore go into the highways as many as you find out there invite them to the wedding so the servants went out for the highways they gathered together all whom they found both bad and good and the wedding hall was filled with guests get through those people were the wild all of three that's us folks. [00:26:04]
You've been invited as a Christian to the marriage feast of the Lamb but you can't get in unless you're properly dressed and the dress you need for that feast is the righteousness of Christ that clothes your nakedness and the filthy rags of your own life throughout the New Testament this metaphor of the marriage happens again and again. [00:28:48]
The marriage feast will be a two-edged sword it will be a time of unprecedented joy for the people of God an unprecedented misery for those who are locked out for those who had the invitation but were caught up with things they've regarded as more important in biblical days marriage celebrations weddings lasted for several days sometimes a week or longer depending on the stature of the people who were involved. [00:31:34]
Finally every time we celebrate the Lord's Supper in the church we are involved in an exercise of time that has three aspects or dimensions to it on the one hand when we gather at the Lord's table we look backwards in time we remember Jesus said this often as we eat of this bread and drink of this cup you remember me you show forth the Lord's death until he comes. [00:42:17]
Every time we drink the cup and eat the bread dear friends we have a taste of Evon we have a foretaste of that feast that we will have with the groom the spirit and the bride say come even so come Lord Jesus that's right Oh father there's no more sacred invitation we could possibly receive than to be invited to that banquet and to that feast give us the clothes that we need let us come there to give glory and honor to the King of Kings the Lord of lords who reigns forever and ever and ever and ever and ever Alleluia. [00:43:13]
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