We're going to begin our worship now singing in Psalm number 30.
Psalm number 30, that's in the Scottish Psalter, the tune of St. Minver,
and verses 1 to 5.
Lord, I will thee extol, for thou hast lifted me on high,
and over me thou to rejoice, made'st not mine enemy.
O thou who art the Lord my God, I in distress to thee with loud cries,
lifted up my voice, and thou hast healed me.
So on to the end of verse 5, Lord, I will thee extol.
If you're able to stand, please stand for the singing.
Over me thou to rejoice, made'st not mine enemy.
O thou who art the Lord my God, I am in distress to thee.
With light I've lifted up my voice, and thou hast healed me.
O Lord, my soul, thou hast brought down, and rescued from the grave,
that I to pray, should not go down, how life thou didst be saved.
For ye that have his holy wants, sing grace unto the Lord,
and give unto him thanks, where ye his holiness reward.
Are but a woman, that is strong, like in his labor light.
We think before a night in dew, but more of joy arise.
Let's call upon the Lord now in prayer.
Let's join together in prayer.
We give thanks to thee, O Lord, our God,
as we come to sing these words we have sung in your praise,
that you are the God who rescues sinners from their plight,
the God who lifts us out of the pit of our own making,
and sets us upon the rock that is Jesus Christ.
We give thanks, O Lord, tonight,
that we face once again the wonderful teaching of your word,
that reminds us of all that it took and cost to provide us with such a rescue and redemption.
We pray, Lord, tonight that we may come before you,
celebrating the fact that you are this God who saves,
who comes to be with your people,
and who will bring them at last to dwell with you forever.
O Lord, our God, we give thanks.
You are the God also of comfort and compassion,
one who makes himself known to us,
having come to know you as our God.
Lord, we give thanks that you remain to be the comforter and companion and friend of your people.
Lord, how much we need to know and to be assured of that comfort
and that friendship throughout the course of life.
For we know from our experience,
as well as the teaching of your word,
that we meet with many tribulations,
many things that cause us distress and pain,
many things that sometimes,
Lord, bring us to question our very relationship with you
and your view of us.
But we give thanks for the way in which your word redirects us.
We give thanks for the ministry of your Holy Spirit.
Lord, not only do you bring us to know you through the work of that Spirit,
but your Spirit dwells within your people,
and your Spirit will ever be in your people's souls,
all the way through time and into eternity.
And we give thanks tonight for that ministry of your Spirit,
a Spirit that keeps himself so much in the background
in order to elevate and bring Christ out for us.
And Lord, we pray tonight that your Holy Spirit will apply your word to us,
that your Holy Spirit will open our minds
and grant to us once again to triumph in the Lord Jesus Christ through faith.
And we pray, Lord, that you would grant to us,
even this night, anew,
the sense of your presence here with us,
the knowledge that you are here,
and that you are here as you have stated in your word,
that where your people are gathered together in your name,
so you are there in the midst.
And we give thanks for the many ways in which,
as we have seen, O Lord,
your word teaches us of the importance of gathering your people together
and of them seeing themselves as the gathered people of God.
We give thanks that all the way down through the Old Testament years,
your people knew themselves as the assembly of God's people,
an assembly of people with whom you had entered into covenant,
an assembly that gathered regularly to worship you,
to give to you the praise, the sacrifices,
all that you had required of them.
And we give thanks, O Lord,
that we have entered into the way in which we relate to you,
entered into that same experience,
but even in a higher way.
For you have come to reveal yourself to us, Lord,
not merely through symbols and signs and sacrifices,
but through the person of your Son.
For in times past you spoke to the prophets and the fathers
through various visions,
and revelations of yourself.
But in these latter times,
you have spoken to us and continue to speak through your Son,
one who has been made heir over all things.
Bless, we pray, your word to us then, Lord, tonight.
We represent a great variety of needs
and of experience in your presence.
And even tonight, Lord,
we know that we vary so much,
one from each other,
in the things that we are going through in life.
But we give thanks that all our needs are met in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and we'll be so abundantly and triumphantly throughout eternity.
When you're gathered,
when you're gathered, people will forever be in your presence.
And when nothing will intervene with their perfect knowledge of you
and their celebration of your salvation
and also of the rejoicing in the salvation
that you have procured for them.
And bless us each one, we pray,
and bless us together this evening.
Bless us in all that we seek to do
in your name from day to day and week to week.
Lord, we give thanks for all the activities of the congregation.
We know that being busy and having all these activities
are not in themselves a sign of life,
but yet, Lord, we are encouraged that there is surely life
when we have a relish for these things
and when we seek to pray over them
and find that they are of benefit to us as a people.
And, Lord, we pray that all of these activities,
along with our services of worship,
will continue to be blessed and owned by you.
And so, encourage, we pray,
those who lead up all of these activities and meetings.
We pray that you bless them
from the meetings of the youngest right through to the over 55s.
We encourage, Lord, as we seek your encouragement
to continue to look to you
for your blessing through these things and upon these things.
We ask especially, again, that you'd bless our children,
our young people.
And we ask that you would further establish them
in the knowledge of your name and in your salvation.
Lord, we pray this for them.
We know that it is above everything else that we could ask for them
and anything else that they could value and know,
that they would know the Lord Jesus for themselves,
that they would know the treasure of his salvation,
that they would come, Lord, to rejoice in him
as their Redeemer and as their Lord.
And we pray, Lord, for all the work that goes on
to bring that great message of the gospel to them.
And we ask that you would continue to bless them.
Bless the world in which we live,
our own nation and all the other nations of the earth.
Lord, it is so evident to us
that it is a world in turmoil,
a world that shows all the evidence of its fallenness
and sinfulness and a typathy to God,
a world that departs so much from your ways,
not only into other religions
and other ways of life that cannot ever bring us
salvation and satisfaction,
but a world that is so largely and sadly
set on violence and war,
and a world that is, Lord, so much given
to uphold the things that we should despise
and despise the things that we should uphold.
Forgive us, we pray,
for the way in which we are continually
in a departure from you
as a nation, as a people.
But, Lord, we ask that you would bless your church,
that you would bless all who witness to you
through this generation.
We pray that you would encourage them,
for they meet with much, Lord, of opposition
and discouragement,
and we do pray that you would continue
to own and acknowledge
the testimony of your people.
We pray that wherever that is set forth,
whether it be in church meetings
or places of work or other gatherings,
Lord, we pray even in terms of private conversation,
we pray that your blessing
will always accompany what we seek to do
in expressing our faith in Christ
and our hope and confidence in him.
Bless tonight those who mourn the passing of loved ones.
We pray for them again
and continue to bear them in your presence,
O Lord.
Bless to those who are ill,
those who are seriously ill,
those laid aside in hospital,
in the hospice, in care homes or at home.
O Lord, bless, we pray,
each and all of these circumstances
to those involved and to their families.
And continue to guide us, Lord,
in that way of your truth.
And in all of this,
we do confess our sins,
seeking your cleansing and acceptance of us.
For Jesus' sake.
Amen.
We're going to sing again to God's praise.
We're singing this time from Psalm 36.
This time in Sing Psalm,
Psalm 36, verses 5 to 10.
The tune is Torwood.
Your steadfast love is great, O Lord.
It reaches heaven high.
Your faithfulness is wonderful,
extending to the sky.
Your righteousness is very great,
like mountains high and steep.
Your justice is like ocean depths,
both man and beast.
You keep, Dunesvah, verse 10,
to those who know you as their God,
your steadfast love impart.
Maintain your righteousness
to those of pure and upright heart.
So these verses,
your steadfast love is great, O Lord.
Amen.
Your faithfulness is wonderful,
extending to the sky.
You righteousness is very great,
by mountains high and steep.
Your justice is like ocean depths,
O plan and beast you be.
How precious is your steadfast love,
What of it, dense it brings,
O higher love,
more on yourqueous kinda suprest,
of pure imagines.
O fashion nights
In your house and drink
From streams of pure delight
For with you is the source of life
In your light we see light
To those who know you are, dear God
Your steadfast love impart
Maintain your righteousness
To those of pure and upright
Let's turn now to read God's Word.
Our reading this evening is from the book of the Revelation of John,
the last book of the Bible, and chapter 7.
And we're going to read from the beginning through to the end of the chapter.
So Revelation chapter 7 from the beginning.
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,
holding back the four winds of the earth,
that no wind might blow on the earth or sea or against any tree.
Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun
with the seal of the living God.
And he called with a loud voice to the four angels
who had been given power to harm earth and sea,
saying, Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees
until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.
And I heard the number of the sealed,
one hundred and forty-four thousand,
sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.
Twelve thousand from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph,
and twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
After this I looked, and behold,
a great multitude that no one could number,
from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands,
and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.
And all the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures,
and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom,
and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?
I said to him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple,
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more.
The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat,
for the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Amen. And again, may God follow with his blessing our reading of his own precious word.
Let's sing once again this time in Psalm 107.
Psalm 107 in the Scottish Psalter,
Verse 1-9
And the tune this time is Newington
Praise God, for he is good,
for still his mercies lasting be.
Let God's redeemed say so,
whom he from the enemies handed free,
and gathered them out of the lands from north, south, east, and west.
They strayed in deserts pathless way,
no city found to rest.
For thirst and hunger in them faints their soul,
when straight them pressed they cry unto the Lord,
and he them frees from their distress.
Them also in a way to walk,
that right is he did guide,
that they might to a city go,
wherein they might abide.
And so on down as far as verse 9,
Praise God, for he is good.
Praise God, for he is good,
for still his mercies lasting be.
Let God's redeemed say so,
whom he from the enemies handed free,
and gather them out of the lands,
from north, south, east, and west.
They strayed in deserts pathless way,
no city found to rest.
For thirst and hunger in them faints,
their soul rents,
they cry unto the Lord,
and he,
and peace of their distress.
them also in a way to walk,
that right is he did guide,
that they might to a city go,
wherein they might abide.
O that men to the Lord would give,
praise for his goodness then,
and for his works of wonder done,
and to the sons of men.
For he the soul and longing is,
that fully satisfy,
with goodness in a hungry soul,
that filled abundantly.
Let's turn together now to Revelation chapter 7,
and especially the second half of that chapter,
from verse 9,
particularly verses 13,
through to the end of the chapter.
This is really the apex,
or the terminus,
of the gathered church.
We've been looking at some aspects of the gathered church,
and some of the features the Bible tells us
are important in terms of our thinking of the church
as the gathered people of God,
not just gathered in terms of gathered for worship,
as we are tonight,
but other aspects of the way in which God's people are gathered
or united together,
as he himself gathers them together
into the body of being his people.
But this is really the church gathered in glory.
This will be our final study,
this time on this short series of the gathered church.
The church gathered in glory.
On earth,
we have the church in an admixed form.
The church gathered on earth
is always comprised of people who are saved
and people who are not saved.
And the church in the widest sense of it,
and that has been the case all the way through,
from the Old Testament days
right through to our own age as well.
But in this gathered church in glory,
there are no one saved.
They are all redeemed people of God,
enjoying the salvation that God has procured for them
through the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you'll notice it says that
when the elder actually addressed,
one of the elders addressed him who they were,
and I said to him,
Sir, you know,
in other words,
John himself at this position
was unwilling or unable to say
who exactly they were,
but he knew that this elder who spoke with him
from heaven,
this one in this wonderful scene
that he sees here before him,
he said,
these are the ones
coming out of the great tribulation,
and they have washed their robes
and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.
Now, there's a lot of speculation
over the great tribulation
down through the years.
Some people have said
and continue to say
that that is a specific time
in the history of the world
or in the history of the church,
that it refers to
a specific time of tribulation
as part of the end times.
But it's better, I think,
to take this reference,
the great tribulation,
to be a reference
to the sum total
of the tribulations
of God's people
down through the ages
of the church.
And that as this is bringing us
to the final state of the church
and the final state
which here in chapter 7
anticipates what you later have
in the final two chapters
of Revelation.
Revelation is difficult
in some ways
to work out
just where the pauses are,
and it seems that we can take it
as we are tonight,
taking it that it reaches
this point,
and then it resumes
some of the teaching
before reaching again
on account of the final state
of things in chapters 21 and 22.
Well, be that as it may,
we're taking that this
as a description
of the church in glory,
and that John is given
to see some wonderful aspects
of God's people together
in glory.
These are they
who have come
out of the great tribulation.
Down through the whole
of history,
the tribulation
that has affected the church
in different degrees
and different ways
from year to year,
from century to century,
as far as this scene
is concerned,
that's in the past.
And they are coming out
of that great tribulation
as they enter
into the final state
of heaven.
We could take it that
this, in fact,
is a pre-resurrection state
as well,
but whatever we take it,
whether it's pre-resurrection
or following the resurrection
and the final glory,
the principles of it
really, in a sense,
are the same
because he's describing
the conditions,
describing the state
in which they're found,
and describing some
of the features
of that gathered church
here in glory,
as we're calling it.
Well, there are two things
that arise from
this part of the chapter.
First of all,
we can look from verses 14,
from verse 13, really,
but 14 especially,
to the end of the chapter,
verses 14 to 15 especially,
at the qualification
for life in heaven.
The qualification
for life in heaven.
And then from verse 16 to 17,
to the end of the chapter,
the quality of life in heaven.
Because you'll see that
the word therefore
connects very closely
to what's in the previous verse
regarding the washing
of their robes
and making them white
in the blood of the Lamb.
That's an aspect of
the way that God brings them
to be qualified
to be in heaven,
to enter into the state
of glory,
of salvation in heaven.
And then the word for
in verse 17
is itself intimately connected
with what he calls,
what he says there
in verse 16,
which talks about their peace
and talks about the way
in which none of the things
of this tribulation,
of this life,
that the experience
will evermore enter
into their experience.
Why?
For the Lamb
who is in the midst
of the throne
will be their shepherd
and so on.
So the qualification then
for life in heaven.
What are the qualifications?
What is this qualification
made up of?
What is it comprised of?
Well, two things.
There is on the one hand
purity
and on the other hand
there is victory.
You can see here
that they are
people who have
washed their robes
and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.
Now, of course,
that presupposes
their need of cleansing
or their need
of being cleansed.
It presupposes
that they were
in need of washing.
It presupposes
that they had
something about them
that did not fit them
for life in heaven,
that did not fit them
for being in the presence
of God as they are here.
And that, of course,
is our sinfulness
and the defilement
of our sinfulness.
One of the features
of our sinfulness,
as the Bible often describes,
it is that we are polluted
as sinners
in the presence of God.
Sin has left us defiled
and the defilement of sin
needs to be washed away
and that's why Jesus died.
So that, among other things,
we would be washed
from our sins.
By the death he died
or through the death he died.
And that's the picture
that you have,
that's the point
that you have here
with regard to purity.
It presupposes
that they themselves
are polluted,
defiled,
guilty,
and so on.
And it reminds us
that we are actually
saved from all of that.
We are saved
from what we are
in our natural state,
in our sinful state.
Salvation is salvation
from before.
It's salvation to.
It's salvation
from our lostness,
from our sinfulness,
from our defilement,
from our guilt,
as well as being salvation
into the opposite
of all of these.
Salvation into justification
and forgiveness
and peace with God
and everything else
the Bible mentions.
And these two sides of it
are always important
to hold together.
You can only appreciate,
or begin to appreciate,
the wonder of this salvation
and the wonder of this peace,
the wonder of this cleansing,
the wonder of this washing
from our sins
when we really come to grips
with what sin is.
And when we accept
the Bible's definition of sin
and descriptions of sin,
and when we take on board
and take to heart
that we are in need
of being washed.
It's not talking about
people who have actually
made some great achievement.
It's not talking about
people of great natural ability.
It's not talking about
people who had made
great progress morally
in their lives
and were able to keep things
pretty secure
and pretty wholesome
in their lives.
Decent people.
It's not talking about
everyone who is a sinner
and needs to be washed,
and that's you and I.
These are the ones
coming out of the
great tribulation.
They have washed
their robes
and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.
You remember how Paul,
in writing to the Corinthians,
described things
for the Corinthians.
And of course,
the Corinthian church
was a church
that had so much
going on there
that really
was offensive to God.
and that was a departure
from all the things
that God himself
had set out
by way of purity of life
and holiness of life.
Well, in chapter 6,
and this is what Paul said,
in chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians,
this is,
and from verse 9,
Do you not know
that the unrighteous
will not inherit
the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived,
neither the sexually immoral,
nor idolaters,
nor adulterers,
nor men who practice
homosexuality,
nor thieves,
nor greedy,
nor drunkards,
nor revilers,
nor swindlers,
will inherit
the kingdom of God.
Not very popular
when you try and fit
that into the world
in which we're living
as a description of the world
as it undoubtedly is.
But you see what he's saying?
And such were some of you.
Not some of you
are still like that,
but he's saying
such were some of you,
but you were washed,
you were sanctified,
you were justified
in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ
and by the Spirit
of our God.
You see,
Paul is not sparing them
the description
of what they were.
He describes
the kind of lifestyles
that they once lived in
and set about
in their lives.
You were that,
he says,
but you're not that anymore.
In other words,
here is the gospel
giving hope
to people who still have
these kinds of lifestyles.
And the only hope for us,
whatever our lifestyle may be,
and however decent
and upright we may be
in the world,
we're still fallen,
sinful,
defiled sinners.
This is our hope,
that there is
washing for us,
that there is
in Jesus Christ for us,
salvation from our sins.
And that's why you find here
the description in Revelation,
they have washed their robes
and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.
Sounds strange, doesn't it?
Blood is usually something
you regard as
causing defilement
or besmirching of clothes.
But of course by
in the blood of the Lamb,
what he means here is
of course the death of Jesus.
And it's through the death of Jesus
that they have come to wash their robes
and made them white
in the provision
that's in the death of Jesus.
That's how their clothes
were made white.
And you do notice
it's they have washed their robes.
And that doesn't mean that
we have the capacity
to save ourselves,
that we have the capacity
to wash ourselves
from our sins.
It is God
who gives us
the wherewithal,
the ability
to do that.
We are washed
because he
brings us this salvation,
because his Holy Spirit
effects that salvation
in us personally,
in our experience.
But the Bible always
addresses
not only our need
but our responsibility.
And we cannot just say,
well,
it's up to God
really to wash us
and if he doesn't wash us
then we're going to remain
unwashed forever.
Some people take
that legalistic view
that if we're going to be saved,
we're going to be saved anyway,
so what can I do about it?
Well,
you can come to God
seeking his forgiveness,
expressing and
confessing your sins,
your defilement,
and seeking that he would wash you
and that therefore
you would be washed
and wash your robes,
wash your persons
in the blood of the Lamb
in the death of Jesus.
They are God's imperatives.
They don't address
our ability
when it talks
of our salvation.
These imperatives
that you have in the Bible,
what are they?
Well, there's these
repent,
believe,
be washed.
All of these imperatives
address our responsibility
to look to God
to do what our power
itself cannot achieve.
But you see,
here's the wonderful thing.
The provision
is already made.
In the Lord Jesus Christ,
death for us.
We don't have to set about
washing ourselves
by our own ability.
The means is already there.
The fountain is there.
The blood of Christ
is available to us.
And through faith,
we come,
in that sense,
to wash ourselves
in the death of Christ.
Christ.
But you see,
also,
it's not just washed
and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.
They have palm branches
in their hands.
You read of that
earlier in the chapter.
They were there
and from every nation,
people,
and languages,
clothed in white robes
with palm branches
in their hands.
And when you read that,
you are reminded
of a very important
feast or festival
in the Old Testament.
You'll find it described
the likes of Leviticus chapter 3
from verse 39 onwards.
A series there
in that chapter
of the feasts
or the festivals
of Israel.
And this was
the Feast of Booths,
Feast of Tabernacles,
if you use the old translation.
The people were celebrating
for all of these days.
They built booths
out of palm branches
for themselves
as God had ordered them
and instructed them
and they celebrated.
It was a time of great joy,
that week of joy.
It's so interesting
that that feast
follows immediately
from the previous one,
the Feast of Atonement.
Where you find
that atonement
that God himself
had required
of the people
and specified
for the people.
And in chapter 23
of Leviticus
you find
that Feast of Atonement
mentioned,
the shedding of blood,
the sacrifice
to deal with sin.
And then it's
immediately followed
by the festival
or the Feast of Booths.
The feast that celebrates
not just the
taking in of the harvest
at that time of year,
the harvest
safely gathered in,
but especially
looking forward
to the harvest
of righteousness,
the harvest that comes
to the shedding
of the blood of sacrifice,
pointing forward
to the death of Christ.
And here you find
this wonderful description
of the church
and glory,
the church
enjoying that
state of glory.
Here you find
they are before God
and serve him
day and night
in his temple.
temple.
And the word temple
there really means
more specifically
the holy of holies.
And you know
from the Old Testament
onwards
that the holy of holies
was not accessible
to the people
themselves.
And in fact
the only person
that could go into
the holy of holies
once a year
on the day of atonement
was the high priest
to make an atonement
for the people
as God had instructed him.
But now you see
the holy of holies
is open.
They are in the presence
of God.
They have access
in Christ
to God's
immediate presence.
And they stand
in his presence
and they serve him
day and night
in his temple.
They are before
the throne
in God's presence.
And the wonderful thing
is that
had the high priest
himself gone into
the holy of holies
other than
as God instructed
he would have died.
Had anybody else
gone into the holy of holies
but the high priest
with the blood
of atonement
they would have died
instantly.
But here
they are sheltered
with his presence.
He who sits
on the throne
because the atonement
that is in Christ's blood
is their refuge.
And that refuge
is actually
being exercised
if you like
in heaven
because that's
what God
has created
for them.
They are before
the throne.
They are in the presence
of God.
They have this
as their refuge.
They have their
ultimate security.
And their palm branches
the scene with
palm branches
in their hands
is not just a sign
of celebration
going back
to the feast
of booths.
It's also
a sign
of victory.
Palm branches
in their hands
were a sign
of being victorious.
Of having
this wonderful
wonderful victory
through what God
had provided
for them
in sacrifice.
And there is the church
gathered together.
Palm branches
in their hands
as the vision goes.
The church
victorious.
The church
triumphing
over death.
The church
gathered together.
Remember it's
gathered together.
This is not just
a host of individuals
who have very little
to do with each other.
This is all
of God's people
individually
yes but collectively
and united
together in Christ
rejoicing
in the salvation
that he has
procured for them.
Celebrating the fact
that they are
victorious
in him.
That's their
qualification.
They have washed
their robes
and made them white.
They have been
cleansed
from their sin.
And they are
victorious
in Christ.
They have overcome
death in him.
He has done it
for them.
And when they
have embraced him
by faith
they share
in that great
victory
that he has
achieved.
Friends
this is not
wishful thinking.
This is not
something
that's just
drawn for us
as if it was
just a cartoon
type of scene.
this is not
something that
you need to
question whether
or not it's
really a scene
of something
that is true
and lasting.
It is.
It is fact.
It is reality.
It's not wishful
thinking.
Whatever the world
might say about it.
Whatever unbelievers
might say about it.
However much
they might refuse
to accept it
altogether
as reality.
however much
they might insist
that when you
die you die
and there's
nothing beyond
it.
You know from
the Bible
that that's
not the case.
And you know
from the Bible
that it's the
case that there
is a hell
as well as
a heaven
but here
as in keeping
with the whole
run of salvation
the overwhelming
emphasis
while by no
means neglecting
to emphasize
the reality
and the awfulness
of hell
it is
especially
concerned
God
and his truth
to emphasize
the wonder
of heaven
the wonder
of salvation
the triumph
of redemption
over sin
and over death
and over Satan
and that's
for the gathered
church in heaven
to enjoy
forevermore
and remember
this as well
this book
was written
mystique
as though much
of it is
it was written
to comfort
to guide
to console
those who
were facing
severe adversities
in this life
for living
as people
of God
living as
Christians
living as
people who
worshipped
Christ
that's why
you find
in it
references
to the
beast
the dragon
all of these
representations
of evil
and of huge
evil
and of powerful
evil
but they
don't have
the last
word
the last
word is
with the
lamb
and with
his followers
and they
overcame
the beast
and they
overcame
these powers
by the
blood of
the lamb
are you
despondent
tonight
over the
condition
of the
world
to a
degree
I'm
sure
I am
when you
look out
over the
world
and see
its turmoil
when you
see its
pains
when you
see the
awfulness
of war
when you
see the
devastation
of lives
lost
and children
and young
people
and adults
actually taken
away so
soon out
of life
through the
ravages of
war
are you
despondent
yes you're
sad
of course
you're sad
we're all
sad
war is a
terrible
thing
war itself
is an
awful
thing
oh that
there were
a world
without
wars
the bible
tells us
there never
will be
till the
end of
time
don't
be
despondent
as if
it's a
world
totally
out of
control
maybe out
of control
as far as
human beings
are concerned
but there
is one
that's
holding
the reins
of the
world
and the
book of
history
is in
his hand
as you
see from
chapter 5
the scroll
was placed
in the
hand of
the lamb
who sits
on the
throne
and he
began to
open
the scroll
what does
that mean
it means
the unfolding
of history
it means
that he's
in charge
of everything
that happens
it means
that in
his plan
our present
tiny slice
of history
with all
its awful
things
is not
outwith
his purpose
his plan
his great
control
and so
this book
is for
our comfort
it's a
book to
assure us
that Jesus
is the
king
and as
the king
he holds
the whole
world
in his
hand
the
qualification
for life
in heaven
purity
and victory
in Christ
secondly
and briefly
the quality
of life
in heaven
well when you
go forward
and see
how this
passage is
very like
the final
chapters
of the
bible
verses
chapter 21
verse 4
where he
says
he will
wipe away
every tear
from their
eyes
death
shall be
no more
neither
shall there
be mourning
nor crying
nor pain
anymore
for the
former
things
have
passed
away
chapter 22
verse 3
same idea
no longer
will it be
anything
accursed
but the
throne
of God
and of
the
lamb
will be
in it
and his
servants
will serve
him
they will
see his
face
his name
will be
in their
foreheads
and night
will be
no more
they need
no light
of lamp
or sun
for the
Lord God
will be
their light
and they
will reign
forever
and ever
isn't it
wonderful how
often the
bible describes
heaven by
telling us
things that
are not
there
because we
cannot take
in in this
life
if God
was to try
and describe
for us
what is
there more
than he
describes it
in the bible
because we're
on this
side of
death
this side
of time
this side
of perfection
how could we
possibly take
all that
in even
though we
know it's
real
no God
tells us
very often
this is what
heaven is like
there is no
pain
there is no
death
there is no
suffering
there is no
sorrow
there's none of
those things
that mark
tribulation
these are all
gone
they're all
behind
heaven is the
absence of
these
heaven is the
opposite of
these
heaven is the
fullness of
everything that's
different to
these
it's beyond
sufferings
beyond
pains
beyond
sorrows
beyond
partings
beyond
bereavements
all of
these things
are no
more
they shall
hunger no
more
neither thirst
any more
the sun
shall not
strike them
nor any
scorching
heat
you see he's
saying here
there's also
an abundance
of life
they serve
God day
and night
in his
temple
we could
go into
that a bit
more but
just look at
it in
passing
there's work
and there's
worship
together
what does
that remind
you of
it reminds
you of
God in
the beginning
creating
mankind
and giving
Adam to
till the
garden to
work the
garden of
Eden
until he
fell and
was driven
out of
it
it was
always God's
intention
that man
should work
and that he
should worship
at the same
time
and of
course all
of that
has been
marred by
sin
spoiled by
sin
the relationship
between work
and worship
is so defiled
and so
defective
but not in
heaven
you see it's
come back to
what it should
be
what it was
always meant
to be
that his
servants
shall serve
him
they serve
him day
and night
in his
temple
there is
an activity
for them
to engage
in
and along
with the
activity
there is
worship
the activity
of worship
itself
and they
never tire
and there is
never an
interruption
nothing breaks
in to spoil
the sequence
of their
activity in
heaven and
their worship
of God
and they are
lovingly
shepherded
that's one of
the features
of the quality
of heaven
as well
you can see
what it says
here
the lamb
who is in
the midst
of the
throne
will be
their shepherd
and he will
guide them
to springs
of living
water
isn't that a
wonderful thing
that the
lamb who died
on the cross
is the same
lamb
the same
person
who is now
pastoring
his people
in heaven
it's a picture
here of that
wonderful
combination
of the
king of
heaven
also being
a pastor
and a
pastor in a
way that
none of us
can possibly
match
he is the
pastor
par excellence
you know
that pastoring
all of you
who know
him as
your savior
know
of his
hand
pastoring
your life
in this
world
through his
word
through his
spirit
bringing you
comfort
leading you
on
giving you
guidance
strengthening
you
confirming
you
but in
heaven
it's
constant
perfect
pastoring
in a
way that
we don't
know of
in this
life
and of
course
there is
as we
saw
the
lamb
in the
midst
of the
throne
significant
that it's
a lamb
that's
mentioned
there is
atonement
in the
sense of
its
ongoing
power
and
protective
care
of
God's
people
the
atonement
that is
now
finished
that Christ
has rendered
by his
death
on the
cross
but it's
still there
a feature
in himself
because he's
there
that atonement
that he
completed
that sacrifice
of himself
is a
feature in
heaven
because there's
a perfect
understanding
on the part
of the
gathered
church
that this
is the
basis
of their
salvation
and they
sing the
praises
of the
lamb
and the
redemption
they have
by his
blood
and he
leads them
to springs
of living
water
see what you
have here
in chapter
21 as we
mentioned
in verse
6
especially
where you
find
I am
the
alpha
and the
omega
the
beginning
and the
end
to the
thirsty
I will
give
from the
spring
of the
water
of life
without
payment
or freely
one of
the
great features
mentioned
about
heaven
is that
all
our
needs
are
met
perfectly
and
constantly
without
fail
of course
God meets
all our
needs
anyway
in this
life
but we
haven't
got that
perfect
state
of mind
or of
body
and soul
where we
are able
to enjoy
and exercise
the capacity
God has
given us
so as to
enjoy that
salvation
to the
full
but we
will in
heaven
in the
pastoring
guidance
and leading
of the
shepherd
he will
lead them
and guide
them to
springs
of living
water
ever
fresh
never
old
never
ceasing
never
needing
replaced
never
needing
replenished
never
needing
additives
constant
flowing
freshment
refreshment
from the
streams of
life that
are in
Jesus
that are
flowing
constantly
to God's
people in
heaven
the gathered
church
is constantly
being refreshed
and will
forevermore
be refreshed
from the
water of
life that's
in Christ
himself and
flows from
the throne
of God
total
satisfaction
all our
needs met
what does
the catechism
tell us
in the first
catechism
that we
learned most
of us as
children
what is the
chief end
of man
man's
chief end
is to
glorify
God
and to
enjoy him
forever
not just
to glorify
him but
to enjoy
him forever
how are we
going to
enjoy him
only by
being freed
from our
sins
washed from
our sins
brought to
know him
in Christ
brought into
heaven in
Christ
enjoying him
there without
interruption
in these
wonderful springs
of living
water
this life
that Christ
gives
that go on
forevermore
and comfort
us
as it says
in the
final
verses
God will
wipe away
every tear
from their
eyes
that's in
many ways
a picture
more of a
mother than a
father
because
you know
what it's
like
I'm sure
we've been
there or
seen our
children or
grandchildren
in a position
where they've
just woken up
from a
nightmare
something
that's
whatever
has caused
the nightmare
but they
wake up
and they're
upset
and they're
crying
and they're
startled
and they
come and
mother usually
comes and
reassures her
and says
no it's
alright I'm
here
there's nothing
wrong it's
fine
and God
shall wipe
away every
tear from
their eyes
like the
mother that
wipes away
the tears
of the
nightmare
the child
has just
been through
that great
tribulation
is over
the tears
are done
God
himself
is the
great
comforter
and these
streams of
living water
these springs
of living
water
they contain
that element
of comfort
for all
eternity
not just
to offset
the discomfort
the tragedies
the bereavements
the sorrows
you've had
in this
life
but to
actually rise
above them
to outdo
them if you
like
God will
wipe away
every tear
from their
eyes
heaven
is rest
comfort
it's all
that this
world
cannot be
it's
Jesus
Christ
and all
that he
is to
his people
pastoring
them
with comfort
with
reassurance
with
ongoing
flow
of life
which will
never end
and that's
the church
together
the Lord
says in
chapter 14
it's true
of us all
individually
as well
isn't it
we find
these words
to be very
precious
for us
chapter 14
verse 13
I heard a
voice from
heaven saying
write this
blessed are
the dead
who die
in the
Lord
from now
on
blessed
indeed
says the
spirit
that they
may rest
from their
labors
for their
deeds
follow
them
blessed
indeed
the
gathered
church
in heaven
the
gathered
church
in glory
as John
Logan
the hymn writer
from the
1700s put it
a man who
was a minister
in the
church of
Scotland
South
Leith
Leith in
Scotland
a hymn
that's usually
referred to
as
the comfort
take comfort
Christians
but it
ends like
this
they're
well known
words
I'm sure
together
to their
father's
house
together
to their
father's
house
with joyful
hearts
they go
and dwell
forever
with the
Lord
beyond
the reach
of woe
a few
short
years
of evil
past
we reach
the happy
shore
where
death
divided
friends
at last
shall meet
to part
no more
the gathered
church
gathered
by God
glorified
by God
enjoying
God
in fellowship
with God
where are
your hopes
tonight
will you be
part of that
gathering
and if you're
saying yes
on what
basis
are you
saying yes
I hope
you're not
saying no
nobody in
here wants
to miss
out on
heaven
nobody
wants you
to be
short
of it
but here
is the
qualification
that you
wash your
life in
the death
of Christ
that's your
qualification
and that you
come at
last with
God's people
to be
gathered
beyond
suffering
and in
an abundance
of life
gathered
together
in glory
forever
may God
bless
these thoughts
let's pray
Lord our
gracious God
we give
thanks
that in
your truth
you bring
to us
these great
realities
that lie
beyond
this present
world
this present
life
but we
give thanks
that they
are true
for you
have said
so
they are
true
because the
Lord Jesus
Christ died
and rose
again to
bring them
to us
freely in
the gospel
Lord we
thank you
tonight for
heaven
we thank you
for all that
it is beyond
our very
reckoning
we thank you
for all that
has gone
towards
creating it
for your
people
oh bless us
we pray
as we hear
the gospel
as we know
the gospel
as we treasure
the gospel
make us more
than gospel
hearers
Lord make us
to be
a gospel
receivers
to
in such
a way
that would
ourselves
come
to place
our trust
and confidence
in you
daily
and so
be able
to say
I know
whom I
have believed
and I am
persuaded
that he is
able to
keep that
which I
have deposited
with him
against that
day
hear us
now we pray
for Jesus
sake
Amen
our final
psalm
this evening
is
psalm 23
these well
known words
of psalm 23
we're singing
the whole
of the psalm
in the
Scottish
Psalter
I'm singing
to the tune
St.
Columba
the Lord's
my shepherd
I'll not
want
he makes
me down
to lie
in pastures
green
he leadeth
me the
quiet
waters
by
well I
need
hardly
remind you
of
the nature
of this
psalm
speaking about
God the
pastor of
his people
and finishing
by that
reference
to God's
house
as a dwelling
place
forevermore
we'll sing
to these
verses
to the tune
St.
Columba
the Lord's
my shepherd
I'll
not
want
he
makes
me
down
to lie
and
clouds
to
screen
he
leadeth
me
that
quiet
waters
by
my
soul
he
doth
restore
again
and
need
to
walk
that
way
within
the
paths
of
righteousness
in
for
his
own
his
name
has
said
O'er the work with thee and Thyromf
Rieseth with thee to trust?
In the love of us furnish it, in presence of my foes,
My head thou dost with oil anoint, and my cup overdoeth.
Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me,
And in God's hands forevermore.
My dwelling place shall be.
After the benediction I'll go to the main door.
Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father,
And the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forevermore. Amen.
Amen.
Thank you.