FBC Morning Worship Service

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Sunday morning service from Faith Baptist Church

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Well, good morning. Good to see you on this Lord's Day, and I hope that you're Awake enough.
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I realize that we have a challenge before us today to Deal with a loss of sleep last night.
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I Hope that's not you lost sleep, but you know, I I don't understand why this is but it is we know that this is coming
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We know it months in advance. We know it all week that we're gonna be setting our clocks ahead and And You know, we ought to be able to say, okay,
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I'm gonna do that. I did this yesterday afternoon I set clock my clocks ahead so that I would
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I would go to bed at 1030 last night go to sleep at 1030, which would be 930, right?
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Nine, it just doesn't work. Does it it doesn't work. I don't know why that is Anyway, I hope you're rested enough that You can join in to the worship service today and it'll be a blessing and an encouragement to you before we do that though just a few announcements to emphasize one is the breakfast for the men on Saturday at 8 o 'clock in the morning and There's a sign -up sheet on the bulletin board need you to let us know if you're planning to come so we know
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How many eggs to fry or whatever? So if you could men let us know that and then you see the
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Schedule the plan for Easter Sunday April 4th for Sunday of April coming quickly and so we'll have a sunrise service and then a
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Breakfast time together and then the regular morning activities of Sunday school and morning worship service
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So I encourage you to plan on those things Yeah, I know another weekend where you get up early and lose a little sleep, but after all it's
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Resurrection Sunday It's a way to celebrate the fact that the Lord is risen and we serve a risen
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Savior And then also some of you are following through that Bible reading plan
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Month of March is going to be over here soon. And that plan that you have in your Bible ends the end of March the
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April through September schedule is is available on the table in the foyer and that just carries right on in the
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Right on with the schedule that you're following currently As you know the other day the
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The president signed this bill that says everybody's going to get some a bunch of money going to get your tax refund an additional huge tax refund and Regardless of what you think about that politically, it doesn't much matter what you think about it.
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It's coming it's going to show up in your bank account and one of the things I thought would be, you know, really kind of ironic is allow that to some little measure to further in advance the cause of Christ and the blessings of God's people collectively so Next Sunday will mention a special project that we can give towards and just think about that using a tithe from that Stimulus Whatever you want to call that thing use a tithe from that to go toward that special project that will be a blessing to the congregation blessing to the church and to those who worship together with us, so We'll say more about that next week
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But that just kind of put that in your mind when you check your balance and your checking account on your phone app or whatever
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And you say oh all of a sudden I got a bunch more money. What am I going to do with all that money? As if I'm sure that would be a real problem to figure out
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Nevertheless, well, we've gathered together to worship the Lord today and want to open with Psalm 145
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Verses 10 to 13 say this all your works shall praise you O Lord and your saints shall bless you
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They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and talk of your power To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious majesty of his kingdom
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Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and your dominion endures throughout all
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Generations. Thank the Lord for his enduring kingdom and where the sands of time are sinking and time will be no more
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Our Lord's kingdom will endure forever and ever. Let's sing about the sands of time as Jim comes and leaves us
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Please Jim Thank You pastor It's on number 60 in your blue supplement books.
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Anybody need a blue supplement book. You all have one of those Okay, good. All right
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Thank you. Number 60. Let's all stand together. We're gonna there's six verses listed. We're gonna be singing one three
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Five and six one three five and six and number 60 the sands of time
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Oh Christ he is the fountain the deep deep well of love
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The streams on earth I've tasted more deep a drink of love
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There to an ocean fullness his mercy doth expand and glory glory dwell in Oh I stand upon this
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I know no other stand not even glory dwell
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The bright eyes not her garments but her dear bridegroom's face
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I will not get that glory But on my king of grace
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Not at the crown he giveth But on his pierced head
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No Let us pray
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Thank you Lord For this day you've given us and for each person in this here
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We just pray that your fourth your word would go forth Lord and just bring glory and honor to you.
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So Lord Have your way and will done here today. So touch our hearts and draw us closer to you
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I just pray this in Jesus name. Amen. You may be seated The back of your bulletin is the
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Psalm we want to read together today Psalm 8 and want to read this responsively
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So what that means is you look on the Look there on your your your bulletin the dark or bold letters
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Words verses those are the verses you'll read Encourage you to just read right out.
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Don't worry about hearing yourself as you read. It's all good We'll all join together in unison in that way.
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So I'll read the first verse you read the second We'll alternate back and forth like that. Okay, Psalm 8.
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Oh Lord our Lord How excellent is your name and all the earth who have set your glory above the heavens?
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When I consider your heavens the work of your fingers the moon and the stars which you have ordained
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For you have made him a little lower than the angels and you have crowned him with glory and honor
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All sheep and oxen even the beasts of the field. Oh Lord our
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Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth? So we've read that together and we want to now sing it together in your bulletin is the insert of Psalm 8 and You'll you may not have sung this we sang this in the afternoon service a few weeks ago
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But this song is set to the tune of Oh for a thousand tongues to sing so you'll recognize the tune and The text just goes along with that tune.
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So Jim, please come and lead us should all have one of these and Let's sing it.
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It's Oh Lord our God how excellent all four verses together Surround the earth and children sing your fame
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The heavens shout your handiwork We stand beneath it all
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To think the one made all things should care for us at all
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Yet you have made us less than gods are passing on but you
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With heart and mind with strength and will do search for what is true
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Into our hands you placed all things the earth the sea each place
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We're called to probe for secret gifts venture into space
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Should have mentioned that the fifth stands is actually at the bottom of that Right underneath that they didn't have room
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I guess to put all five stanzas in that song Well as we pray together today, we want to remember in prayer our missionary of the week
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Sam Slobodian Sam and Amy Sam heads Baptist international evangelistic ministries.
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Their primary focus is working with Indigenous church planters and missionaries in Russia and in the
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Ukraine So we want to pray for them and for that ministry pray for the
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Lord to bless it and to enable them soon to be able to Make a trip to those places.
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They have not been able to do so obviously for the last year And by the way, it just struck me.
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It was a year ago today that we had our last service before we went into this whole kovat lockdown and all of the all of the
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Limitations and crises are related to that. So today we're celebrating we're celebrating a
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Year a one -year anniversary since that since that day But pray for Sam Slobodian also want to pray for our shut -ins and I just mentioned them by name
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But then highlight a couple of them pray for Bob Kline in hospice pray for Jed Hunsberger Dean Kinnaman Maxine gomer
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These are folks that just they'd love to be in church, but simply cannot because of their physical limitations and then
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Sue Cherry and Jeannie Ludwig are both in Assisted living or nursing home facilities and have not been able to get out.
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Sue can get out for doctor's appointments and for a ride with Jan from time to time but very limited and not allowed to get in to Visit these folks in fact had a gentleman call the other day who's in Heritage Woods and wanted a ride to church and I said, well, we'd be glad to work that out if that's possible
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And after I talked with him, I said I think I better call Heritage Woods and find out what their Requirements are and if he's even allowed to do that, so I I called and they said well
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If he wants to do that, that's fine. But when he comes back, you'll have to be quarantined for two weeks So I said well, never mind then.
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Yeah, we'll not do that so this is the kind of limitations these folks are under and that it puts a great deal of Just feelings of loneliness and isolation and so forth upon them
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And we also want to pray for Patricia Alvey. Some of you would know her but many wouldn't she's
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She's a Honor membership role is shut in she lives in the high -rise in Rock Falls that caught fire and has been
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Displaced from her home. I talked to her the other day. She's doing fine In fact, she said she was kind of excited.
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She said they're putting us up in the hotel She's in a super 8 and I said, well, do you have plenty of food?
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You got that taken care of? She says oh, yeah, we get candlelight twice a day lunch and dinner and she said
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Looks like we're gonna be here for another week. I said, are you are you hoping it'll be longer? She said yeah, this is really great.
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Yeah, so Well, at least thank the Lord that that she's being taken care of.
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I was quite concerned about that situation Well, let's look to the Lord in prayer. Shall we?
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our father in our God we do thank you for the prospect of Those of us who are your people who comprise the
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Bride of Christ the prospect of standing before the Bridegroom and beholding his face and Not being at all concerned about our garments but being
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Being infinitely concerned about the wounds on his hands and side said
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We're thankful for that glorious hope that we have as the Bride of Christ and We pray even so come
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Lord Jesus to take your bride to yourself We thank you father that we can assemble together on this
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Lord's Day We thank you for the grace that has been granted to us
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Even in this past week. We thank you for your gracious provision for our needs
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We're thankful for the health that you've blessed us with the physical strength to be out and about But father we think of those who are limited in their health and limited in their freedom and ability to get about So we do pray for these in need today.
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You think of Bob and his bout with cancer and In hospice care.
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I just pray that you'd continue to be gracious to him and Encourage him and Thank you for Thank you for the testimony the
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Bob and Jerry sharing through this time We also pray for Sue Cherry and Jeannie Ludwig today and for Maxine Gommer for Jed Hunsberger Dean Kinnaman pray for these who are limited in their ability to Get out of where they're living pray that you would encourage them
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And that these limitations might soon be lifted so they can at least be visited and enjoy company of loved ones and friends
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We also pray for Patricia Alvey and thank you that her needs are being cared for Very well, just pray that you would continue to supply and meet her needs and pray that you might be able to get back in her home soon
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Father we pray for the Slobodians. Thank you for their ministry Focusing on Russia and the
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Ukraine Thank you for the faithfulness of the the missionaries and the church planting pastors
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That are just faithfully keeping their congregations their flocks together during times of great limitation,
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I pray that you would encourage each one and use Sam and the ministry of BIEM as they
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Serve and help support so many of these these churches and ministries in Russia Ukraine and some even in some
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Islamic countries. I pray your blessing upon that work that ministry Father we pray for those who are in physical need
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From our congregation some can't be here today because of their health
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Limitations and other concerns and I pray that you would just bless each one thank you for those who are watching by Livestream and just pray that though they can't be here in person and join together with the congregation that they could nevertheless be blessed by The worship together today and the ministry of the word to the heart so meet their needs even in their homes today we pray
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Now father we just ask as we continue to to worship you That you would be honored and glorified
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Praised and pleased in the rest of this service. We ask in Jesus name. Amen pastor 594 in your hymnals
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In your hymnals 594 a glorious church. Let's all stand together, please and sing all three verses together
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Do you hear the coming brother thronging up the steeps of life, clad in glorious shining garments, blood -washed garments pure and white?
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Tis a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the
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Lamb Tis a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the
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Lamb Do you hear the stirring anthems filling all the earth and sky?
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Tis a grand victorious army, lift its banner up on high
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Tis a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the
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Lamb Tis a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the
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Lamb Never fear the cloud of sorrow, never fear the storms of sin
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We will triumph on the morrow, even now our joys begin
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Tis a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the
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Lamb Tis a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the
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Lamb Please be seated. So forth that it's easy to follow.
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Revelation 19, verse 1. John writes and says, After these things
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I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying, Hallelujah, salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the
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Lord our God. For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.
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Again they said, Hallelujah, her smoke rises up forever and ever. And the twenty -four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped
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God who sat on the throne saying, Amen, Hallelujah. Then a voice came from the throne saying,
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Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great. And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying,
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Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and give
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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.
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Then He said to me, Write, Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the
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Lamb. And He said to me, These are the true sayings of God.
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The Lord add His blessing to the reading of His word. A brief word of prayer. Father, I pray that as we consider the prospect of the bridegroom calling his bride to himself, and bringing her to this marriage supper, that our hearts would be blessed and encouraged, and may we also be challenged to be ready for that time.
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We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, I'm quite sure that I don't know the half of all that was involved in the process, but I know that 41 years ago,
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Chris was preparing to come down the aisle on August 9th, 1980.
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So this is March, and in March of 1980, we were in school together, and we spent a lot of time talking about the upcoming wedding, invitations, and so on and so forth.
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And I know that she spent an awful lot of time with her mom, going dress shopping to find just the right dress, to pick out a head covering of some kind.
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She finally settled on a hat with a veil, and I don't know how much time she spent looking for something of that nature, and so forth.
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She did not hire a professional to do her makeup, like a lot of girls, women do these days,
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I suppose. But she was very skilled at that herself, and very artfully took care of those matters on her own.
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Nor did she pay someone to fix her hair and do all the stuff that is done to a bride's hair on her wedding day.
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She didn't pay somebody to do that. But there was a lady in the church who was a hairdresser, and she volunteered to take care of preparing
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Chris's hair for her on that wedding day. And I know that there had to have been so much more that was involved.
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What's most memorable to me, though, is how stunning she looked when
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I looked down at the end of that aisle, and she came around the corner in her dad's arm.
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It was stunning. She was a beautiful, glorious bride on that wedding day.
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And with good reason. As soon as the door was opened and the processional music started, everybody in the congregation stood, and they turned, and they had their eyes fixed on the bride as she made her way down the aisle toward the altar.
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I also recall the elation when my dad, who was performing the ceremony, spoke to the congregation as she and I turned to face the congregation, and he announced,
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It is my pleasure to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Brian Bice. Now would you look at Ephesians chapter 5 with me for just a moment so we can read again this passage of Scripture that is primarily in application addressed to husbands and wives, but in that address,
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Paul appeals to the relationship between Christ and His church.
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Ephesians chapter 5, verse 25. Paul writes, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
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There is coming a day, and we don't know when it is, it may be soon, hope it is soon, but there is coming a day when
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Jesus the groom will present to himself his bride, his radiant, glorious bride, the church.
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Now the process of Christ taking a bride to himself is parallel to the
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Jewish wedding customs. I mean the way the Scripture presents all of this, this relationship between Christ the groom and the church's bride, it parallels those
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Jewish marriage customs, and that custom involved at least five steps, five major steps, and I want you to note these, and we're going to focus on the last three of them.
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But the first step in that Jewish custom was that the groom would betroth the bride, the wife, to himself.
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He would betroth her to himself. And this is, Jesus did this when he betrothed the church to himself, and he did so before the foundation of the world.
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Now remember back in Ephesians 1, just a couple pages prior to this, in Ephesians 1 verses 3 and 4,
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Paul says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.
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So the groom chooses the bride for himself, and he betrothed her to himself.
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Jesus did this, the groom did this, before the foundation of the world.
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In fact, we read, and we're going to focus on this a little later, but in Matthew chapter 25, verse 34,
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Jesus says to those on his right hand, and this is the account of the parable of the sheep and the goats, and the sheep he says, to those on his right hand,
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Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the world.
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So this destiny that the groom has for his bride is established and set before the foundation of the world.
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And his choosing of his bride, his betrothing of the bride to himself, occurs also before the foundation of the world.
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So the groom has betrothed himself to the bride, he has betrothed her to himself.
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This is the betrothal. This is like an engagement period in our culture, in our way of doing things, but it's much more formal, and it is a legally binding step in the wedding process.
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The groom betrothed himself to his bride. The next step is that the groom then pays the bride price, he pays the dowry for his bride.
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And again, Jesus, the groom, has done this. Listen for example to 1
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Corinthians chapter 6 verses 19 and 20. Paul writes to the
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Corinthian church and he says, he writes to the church at Corinth and he says, Do you not know that your body is the temple of the
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Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
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Why? Because you were bought at a price. What was that price?
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Revelation 5 tells us, verse 9, the elders around the throne in heaven, speaking of the lamb, speaking of the groom, they say,
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You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, for you were slain and have redeemed us, you have purchased us to God by your blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
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In other words, the groom paid the dowry for his bride at Calvary, at the cross.
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And the price that he paid was the price of his own blood, the shedding of his own blood, he paid with his own life for his bride.
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So the groom has betrothed to himself the bride, he has paid the dowry for his bride, and the day is coming when the groom will secure his bride unto himself.
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Now, if you would, turn to 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. 1
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Thessalonians, chapter 4, verses 13 to 17, talk about that day in which the groom will come and take his bride to himself.
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In the Jewish custom, in the wedding custom, the way this would work is that the groom would go to the bride's home and he would collect the bride, he would take the bride from her home and take her to his place, take her to where the marriage feast is going to occur.
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So he would come for his bride and take his bride to that marriage feast.
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Well, 1 Thessalonians 4 talks about the time that is coming when
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Jesus, the bride, the groom of the church, the bridegroom, if you will, of the church, is going to come to secure his bride.
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Look at these verses, verses 13 to 17. Paul says, I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as those who have no hope.
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For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus.
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For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
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For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
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Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
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And thus shall we always be with the Lord. Notice how verse 16, the
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Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God. This is the celebration that is calling for the bride to let her know that the groom is coming and to meet the groom and go with the groom to that wedding feast.
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But notice here how the groom will secure all who comprise his bride.
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He will bring all who are his bride and secure them to himself. Verse 14,
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Paul is addressing a concern that the Thessalonians had, that what happens to my loved one who has died?
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If Jesus comes, he's already gone, my loved one has died, and he's going to miss out on the coming of the groom.
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What is to become of that loved one who's died? And Paul says, listen, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus.
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That's a reference to those who have died. So the departed souls of those who have died in Christ, they are going to come with him when the groom comes for his bride.
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And verse 16 tells us that the bodies of these deceased loved ones, their souls who have gone to be with the
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Lord are now coming with the Lord to be reunited with their deceased bodies.
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Verse 16 says that they're going to rise and they will be glorified at that point. The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of archangel, the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
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So Thessalonians, so 21st century Christian, no need to grieve over and worry over the loved one who has preceded you in death and is in the
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Lord. They're absent from the body, present with the Lord, but there's going to be a reunification of that soul and the body when the groom comes for his bride.
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And that body will be resurrected to join that soul. And then the living saints will join with them, verse 17 says.
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We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
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Lord in the air. So the Lord, the Lord, our groom, when he comes, he will secure all, all who comprise his bride, all of them.
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And he will secure his bride forever. See this at the end of verse 17, where Paul says, and so will we always be with the
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Lord. We'll always be with the Lord. So when the groom comes to collect his bride, secure his bride to himself, whenever that day is, whenever that day arrives, he will secure all of his bride, take, take his bride to himself and his bride will be with his, with the groom forever and forever.
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And therefore, verse 18 says, let us comfort one another with these words.
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Let's take comfort and be encouraged by this promise. Even as we wait for that day, when the groom comes to take his bride, let us, let us take comfort in this and be encouraged by this in spite of, in spite of whatever sorrows that we're enduring right now, whatever grief that we are anticipating, looking forward to, whatever delay, whatever the delay in our perspective, from our perspective, let us take comfort.
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Let us be encouraged by the promise that when the groom comes, he will secure all of his bride unto himself.
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But then once secured, and this takes us to the book of Revelation chapter 19, we read earlier.
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Once secured, the groom presents his bride to himself and to the host of heaven.
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And I want you to notice the context in which this presentation occurs. As this chapter opens, chapter 19, what's coming in that presentation of the bride, it occurs in the context of, of the bride's vindication and security.
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Here's what I'm talking about. In verses one to four, the Lord, in verse one, has secured his bride's salvation.
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Hallelujah, the host of heaven says, this great multitude in heaven. Hallelujah, because salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the
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Lord, our God. Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the
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Lord, our God. The Lord, our God has secured by his power, by his glory and in his might, he has secured the salvation of his bride.
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And he has done so for all eternity by judging
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Babylon. Verse two talks about this. True and righteous are his judgment because he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication.
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Who is that? What is this great harlot? What's that all about? You go back to chapter 19, or go earlier into,
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I mean, chapter 18, verses two and following, and it says, he cried mightily with a loud voice saying,
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Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.
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For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.
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I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins and lest you receive her plagues for her sins have reached to heaven and God has remembered her iniquities.
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Render to her just as she has rendered to you and repay her double according to her works.
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In the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give torment and sorrow for she says in her heart,
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I sit as queen and am no widow and will not see sorrow. Therefore, her plagues will come in one day and death and mourning and famine and she will be utterly burned with fire for strong is the
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Lord God who judges her. And what this is talking about is the total destruction and devastation and decimation of this entire world system that is contrary to the groom, our
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God and our groom. All of this will be destroyed, all of this which so vigorously seeks to entice the bride away from her groom, all that would undermine the relationship between the bride and her groom, this
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Babylon is to be destroyed and it is in the context of that destruction that this praise and exaltation is elicited here in chapter 19 verses 1 through 4.
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And you notice how at the end of verse 2 that the blood of the bride is avenged here in this destruction of Babylon.
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He has avenged on her the blood of his servants shed by her.
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So all who are part of the bride of Christ through the centuries who have been persecuted and executed for their faith in Christ the groom, their blood will be avenged.
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So this presentation of the bride that's coming here is set in the context of the bride's vindication and her security.
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It also occurs in the context of celestial worship. So verses 5 and 6, here's this praise service, this worship service to our
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God. A voice came from the throne saying, praise our God, all you his servants and those who fear him both small and great.
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So this is a call to all of the host of heaven to praise
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God, all of the host of heaven to praise God. And they do so.
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Verse 6, I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering saying hallelujah for the
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Lord God omnipotent reigns. Notice what is being praised,
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God of course, but the fact that the Lord God omnipotent reigns.
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So this worship and praise is being offered because the
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Lord our God reigns omnipotently, omnipotently.
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And that omnipotent, that all powerful reign of God is expressed in the absolute total decimation and destruction of Babylon.
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No one, nothing can stop him from exercising his power of judgment over Babylon, the enemy of his bride.
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So he's extolled for destroying Babylon but that omnipotent reign is also expressed in ensuring the marriage between the groom and his bride.
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You see this in verse 7, let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory. Him who reigns omnipotently, let's give him glory.
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Why? Because the marriage of the Lamb has come, nothing has been able to keep this from happening.
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Babylon couldn't keep this from happening. The marriage of the Lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready.
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So it occurs in the context of this celestial worship, the presentation of the bride does.
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And then in verses 7 through 9, notice how it occurs, this presentation of the bride occurs at the completion of her preparation.
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She has, the end of verse 7 says, she has made herself ready.
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Now here's a wonderful thing brought out in verse 9, that the attendance of the bride at this wedding ceremony is a blessed certainty.
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Verse 9 says, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the
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Lamb. Those who are called to this marriage supper. Who are the ones called to this marriage supper?
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Well, there's been some ink spilled in the commentaries trying to determine who those called to the marriage supper are.
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Some think they are all the Old Testament saints who are brought to the marriage supper. Some say it's all the hosts of heaven who are called.
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But I think it's very simply the individuals who collectively form the bride.
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Who is the bride of the Lamb? It is the church.
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The church is the bride. Well, who is it then that is going to be at this marriage supper?
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All the individuals who have been called to comprise that church.
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To comprise the bride. So, Peter uses this kind of terminology of the individuals called that comprise the church.
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He uses this kind of terminology in 1 Peter 2 verses 9 and 10. Listen to what he says. Peter says, you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people.
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A bunch of different images to speak of the same people. The church.
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A chosen generation. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. His own special people. Now listen to what he says.
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In order that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light who were once not a people but are now the people of God who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
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I believe that these who are called out of darkness into his marvelous light those who are called who were not a people but are now the people of God these called ones who had not obtained mercy but by that gracious call of God Almighty have now obtained mercy.
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I believe that these are the ones who will be there at this marriage supper of the
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Lamb. The individuals who comprise the bride.
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What a blessed position to be in. This is the declaration of the multitude in heaven as they cry out blessed are all who are called to the marriage supper of the
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Lamb. This is a blessed certainty. And the bride is adorned and arrayed marvelously.
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But how so? Well the first part of verse 8 says that to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen clean and bright.
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How is it that she is so brilliantly adorned for this occasion?
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She is adorned because of gracious God's gracious enablement.
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Christ's gracious enablement. The groom's gracious enablement. To her it has been granted to be arrayed in fine linen clean and bright.
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This dovetails very well doesn't it with what we read in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 26.
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Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Why? So that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word that he might present himself present her to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
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This is the gracious gracious work of the groom to grant that she may be arrayed in such glorious splendor at this marriage supper.
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And yet and yet don't miss this at the end of verse 8 her attire is very practically put on.
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What I'm getting at is the end of verse 8 says for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
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Okay so there is there is some involvement on the part of the saints those who are been called to this marriage supper who who then are involved in this glorious splendor of the presentation of the bride in all of her glory and her her brilliant adornment there is some practical application or putting on of the attire that she is to wear.
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The fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
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This brings us to a step in the process that I skipped over deliberately. In that Jewish wedding ceremony or process there are five steps.
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Remember the groom betroths the bride to himself then the groom pays the bride price but then we said eventually the groom secures the bride to himself and then presents the bride to all at that marriage supper.
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We skipped over the part between the paying of the dowry to the groom securing the bride to himself.
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In the Jewish wedding process this is called the interval period. Again we understand that in our own processes don't we?
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We have the engagement period and how many times I mean only in Las Vegas I suppose does a person say let's get married and right away they're at the chapel and they get married.
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You know normally it doesn't happen that way does it? A couple gets engaged and then there is a there is a period of time between the engagement and the wedding ceremony.
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Well in the Jewish festival the Jewish process there was too. This interval period. We are in that interval period.
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Right? So what takes place during the interval period? During the interval period is when the bride the bride prepares to meet her groom.
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This takes us back to the book of Matthew chapter 25. So turn with me back there to Matthew chapter 25.
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Matthew chapter 25 Jesus tells a couple of parables and then he gives some teaching about this end time period and this section this chapter chapter 25 is set in the context of the groom's coming for his bride.
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We know that because in chapter 24 verses 30 and 31
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Jesus says then the sign of the son of man will appear in heaven and all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and he will send his angels with great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.
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So this whole section this whole passage is set in the context of the groom coming for his bride.
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And chapter 25 Matthew 25 talks about three ways that the bride prepares herself for the groom's coming.
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Now there may be a lot of ways that we can apply this and there may be other places we could go to in the scripture that give us some direction for preparing ourselves with those righteous acts that are the fine linen that will adorn the bride at the marriage supper.
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But I want to just zero in on this particular passage because Jesus is talking about the groom's coming for his bride and he then shares a couple of parables that give us some insight into how to prepare for that coming day when the groom will come for his bride.
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So let me suggest these three ways. In the first we get from the first parable that he tells and it's a parable in verses 1 through 13 of Matthew 25 the parable of the ten virgins the wise and the foolish virgins.
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You remember this story as Jesus tells us there are these ten virgins and they are waiting for the coming of the bride groom to call them to himself.
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Now they are not the bride but there is imagery here there is a point that Jesus makes and we want to get the point and not be bogged down with the details of who is what.
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But there are these five wise virgins and there are five foolish ones. The wise ones have plenty of oil for their lamps in case the bride groom should come at night time.
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If he comes at night they need to have their lamps trimmed and burning bright they need to have enough oil in their lamps to keep them burning.
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The foolish virgins are those who didn't have enough oil and so here it comes in the middle of the night they have run out of oil for their lamps the bride groom comes to call these ten virgins to himself and the foolish ones say to the wise ones give us some of your oil because we have run out and they say nope sorry you have to go buy it somewhere else.
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And so while they are off buying oil at the merchants the groom comes and the five wise virgins they go off with the bride groom.
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And then the foolish ones they finally get their oil and they come and they went in and he said sorry I don't know who you are.
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Alright so what's the point of this parable of the wise and foolish virgins?
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The point of the parable is to be watchful to be watchful for the groom's arrival.
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So notice verse 13 because verse 13 gives us the point of it all. Verse 13 Jesus says watch therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the
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Son of Man is coming. We need to get that point as the bride we need to be we need to prepare ourselves for the coming of the groom by being watchful for the groom's arrival.
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We don't know when that's going to be. Jesus made that point back in chapter 24 verse 44 when he says therefore you also be ready for the
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Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect the groom is coming when?
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I don't know neither do you you say well couldn't it be a century from now?
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Yeah couldn't it be a millennium from now? Yes could it be a moment from now?
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Indeed be watchful be watchful the watchful live in the light of his coming the wise these wise virgins they had plenty of oil in their lamp why?
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Because they were watchful they didn't know when the bridegroom was coming they just knew he was coming they needed to be ready they needed to be watching for when he comes the wise virgins in this parable represent the bride and they represent you who are the called of Christ you who he has chosen from the foundation of the world you who have come to faith in Jesus Christ you who comprise the bride of Christ this you are they who need to be watching for the groom to come because he's coming at any time the watchful are those who are ready as in verse 10 while they went to buy the foolish the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding and the door was shut be watchful for the groom's arrival now the second parable he tells in verses 14 14 through 30 is the parable of the talents and you've read this before perhaps probably and you've heard it before Jesus says in verse 14 the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them to one he gave five talents to another two to another one to each according to his own ability and immediately he went on his journey now again parables are not given by Jesus for us to dissect the details and make one to one correspondence to all the details
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Jesus told parables to communicate a point and the point of this parable is that you need to be faithful until the groom comes for his bride to be faithful until the groom's arrival faithfully faithfully investing your gifts of grace that have been given to you how many it's irrelevant how elaborate doesn't matter how public and publicly acknowledged again it doesn't matter what the those gifts of grace and how much those gifts of grace it doesn't really matter maybe five maybe two as in verses sixteen and seventeen as they are called to account verse sixteen says and he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and he made another five talents he was faithful with his gifts of grace and so also verse seventeen the one who had received two he was faithful with his gifts of grace and he gained two more and so in verses twenty through twenty three when the bride groom comes when the master returns to call to account these servants who had been given these gifts of grace it says so he who would receive five talents came and brought other five talents saying
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Lord you delivered me five talents look I've gained five more talents besides them his
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Lord said well done you good and faithful servant you were faithful over a few things
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I'll make you a ruler over many things enter into the joy of your Lord and the one who had gained the one who had received two talents two gracious gifts if you will he also came and said
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Lord you delivered me two talents look I've gained two more beside them and the Lord said exactly the same thing to him it wasn't determined what he said to him was not determined by how many gifts of grace he originally had what he said to him was based on what he did with what he had he was faithfully investing those gifts both of these individuals were so we need to as we are as we're waiting for the groom to appear we need to be faithful until the groom's arrival faithfully investing the gifts of grace that we have received but then diligently avoiding the mindset and the attitude and ideas of this third servant he had a corrupt view of the groom comes out in verses 24 and 5 the one who received the one talent came and said
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Lord I knew you to be a hard man reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed and I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground look here you have what is yours what was this view what was this man's view of his master what what would what would this professing
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Christians view be of the groom his attitude is that the groom is a cruel and harsh individual wanting only his stuff not concerned about the welfare of his bride whatsoever as if as if the bride is not the object and the focus of his love see the reality is this
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Jesus is more listen Jesus is more concerned with the development of his servants than he is with a return on the investment you get that he wasn't concerned with whether the guy who had two talents had two or four or six or eight he wasn't concerned about that he was concerned with what the man did with the gifts of grace he had received he was concerned that he developed and grew as a servant who loved his master and appreciated him and wondered what was best for his master this is the attitude that the bride needs to have toward her groom not that of this guy considers him just to be a harsh cruel master no not at all and he ended up living this third individual ended up living a rather selfish lazy way of life didn't he verse 26 the
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Lord answered and says to him you wicked and lazy servant you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gathered where I have not scattered seed you ought to have at least deposited my money with the
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Lord you were just lazy you were selfish you were more concerned about doing your thing you were indifferent to the
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Lord's purposes to the Lord's desires because after all once he got that talent whatever it was and wrapped it up in a cloth and buried it someplace took him about what all of 15 minutes to go through that process alright that's done now now what do
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I want to do I can get on with my life and do what I want to do and not have to be worried about this stuff that the
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Master gave to me to deal with they're professing Christians who act like this kind of individual they claim to be a part of the bride of Christ but they're not faithful waiting for the groom's arrival instead just living for themselves and and and pursuing their ambitions and pursuing what they want and all concerned about themselves wholly indifferent to the gifts of grace that have been given what do we do in the meantime what does the bride do in the meantime as she waits for the coming of the groom be watchful for the groom's arrival be faithful until the groom arrives and then thirdly as this chapter wraps up be helpful be helpful until the groom's arrival the the last section of this chapter
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Jesus talks about at the end time there's there's going to be a division all the nations of the earth are going to be divided between the sheep and the goats mentioned that earlier and this comes out in verse 32 the sheep and verse 33 are going to be on his right hand the goats on his left hand and in verse 34 you notice that the sheep inherit the kingdom prepared for them from before the foundation of the world so in this in this teaching the sheep parallel the bride the bride of Christ the bride inherits the kingdom the sheep the bride inherit the kingdom well look at how this continues as the sheep are characterized and how they are identified the
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Lord the king says to those in his right hand come you blessed inherit the the my father inherit the kingdom prepared from before the foundation of the world for verse 35 and following look follow for I was hungry and you gave me food
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I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was a stranger and you took me in I was naked and you clothed me
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I was sick and you visited me I was in prison and you came to me and they said well notice who it is it says that the righteous answered saying
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Lord when did we see you like any of these things and the king says in verse 40 assuredly
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I say to you and as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren you did it to me you did it to me the sheep in this passage is
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Jesus is talking about the parallel with me now jump with me revelation 19 the fine linen is the righteous acts of the
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Saints Jesus is saying the sheep the Saints the bride their righteous acts are acts of helpfulness of gracious kind helpfulness the focus of their help notice is on the bride
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Jesus says in as much as you did it unto the least of these my brethren you did it unto me you did it unto me and remember in Ephesians 5 verse 30 in that passage talking about the oneness between a husband and wife and how they are one body
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Jesus Paul applies that to the bride of Christ and Christ the groom we are members of his body we who are
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Christ's are members of his body this is why Jesus says here in in verse 40
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I say that as much as you did it to the least of these my brethren you did it to me when you as an individual believer in Christ as a part of the bride of Christ when you are graciously helpful to another who comprises that bride of Christ this is a righteous act that ends up becoming a part of the fabric that arrays the saints on the marriage supper of the lamb day those expressions that Jesus talks about here in this passage are the righteous acts of the saints because you notice verse 37 says the righteous will answer him when did we do this when did we do this so here's the thing if you're part of the bride of Christ you have a glorious event to look forward to just like a bride who's been betrothed who's gotten engaged and there's a date she has a ring and a date and she's looking forward to that date you who comprise the bride of Christ you have a glorious event to look forward to the groom our
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Savior the Lord Jesus he's going to come for his bride to present her to himself and to all of the hosts of heaven but for now for now this is preparation time this is time to be watchful for the groom this is time to be faithful to the groom this is a time to be helpful to those who belong to the groom bride is going to be presented will you be there will you be there are you part of that bride of Christ have you come to faith in him
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Jesus as your Savior called upon him to save you have you been blessed to be arrayed in that glorious garment all right professing believer in Jesus what linen what righteous acts are you molding into shaping into you know working into that fine linen of the saints are you watchful faithful helpful father in heaven
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I pray that you would bless and encourage us and challenge us by even this prospect of the marriage supper of the lamb we pray may we be ready for that glorious day we pray in Jesus name and for his sake amen like us to turn to 281 281 in our hymnals sing just the first two stanzas of this song that reminds us that it may be today when our
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Lord will come for us 281 let's stand together as we sing shall we 281 stanzas 1 and 2 my
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Lord will come it may be soon it could be morning night or noon till then
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I'll watch and work and pray when he comes
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I'll go home there to stay maybe today my
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Lord will come for me maybe today I shall see maybe today from sin
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I shall be free Jesus will come and I will go home it may be today my
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Lord will come I know not when but this is sure he'll come again with eager eyes
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I look for him in his presence new joy will begin maybe today my
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Lord will come for me maybe today your eyes shall see from sin
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I shall be free Jesus will come and I will go home it may be today it may be today we look for that glorious day before we close in prayer
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I want to ask we have a couple of people who have recently asked to join the membership of Faith Baptist Church and the deacons and I have met with these individuals and have heard their testimonies and are eager to present them to you for membership in the church
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So, if Kyle and Yvonne, if you two would come, I'm glad to see this young couple and Dad's got a little one with him today as well.
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And then also Deb Foreman has come before our church today to be considered for membership.