The Wedding Supper of the Lamb, cont. - 49

Several weeks ago, when I sat on the platform here with Greg Phillips, I asked him a question that I've been wanting to ask him for some time. I asked him, what are three or four of his favorite hymns? And he said, well, that's a hard question.

It's like asking a kid in a candy store, what's his favorite candy? But he said, these two hymns, number one, Praise My Soul, The King of Heaven, that we love to sing here, and this hymn, When This Passing World is Done by Robert Murray McShane. McShane wrote this 180, 190 years ago.

He only lived to be 29 years of age. But he had our text in mind when he penned that last stanza. When the praise of heaven I hear loud as thunders to the ear, loud as many waters noise, sweet as harps melodious voice, then, Lord, shall I fully know, not till then, how much I owe. And that's our text this evening begins there in verse six, where John speaks of an arresting sound, 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. An arresting sound, and there are three word pictures there that he speaks of. The voice of a great multitude, a multitude numbering in the millions of millions, a multitude that staggers the mind.

That's the first word picture. And then as the sound of many waters. And then number three is the sound of mighty thunderings.

And what are they, what's all this noise about? It's praise being offered to God in heaven. And the words that are rendered to God in worship are there at the end of verse six. Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. A glorious declaration followed by an appropriate response.

What is that? Verse seven, three things. Let us be glad, let us rejoice, and let us give him glory. For, because of his attributes that are manifest for his victorious reign, for his putting into subjection all of his enemies, and for the marriage of the Lamb has come.

The marriage of the Lamb. Folks, this is hard for us to get our minds around, but here is a brief glimpse into our future. Part of the appeal and power of Christianity is its ability to tell us accurately about the future and of the future state of men and to give us great hope about the future. The message of Christianity doesn't tell us to seek our best life now, but one that is coming later. It tells us to lay up treasures for the kingdom that we will enter later, not the one we are living in now. And in our text, the marriage supper of the Lamb is set before us, and it is cause for great rejoicing. It was promised by the prophets in the Old Testament. Listen to the prophet Isaiah as God is speaking through him in Isaiah 61, verse 10, and listen to the clarity, listen to the language and the theology that we've come to understand as New Covenant believers. There's no veiled language here.

This is rich. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God for or because he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Nothing obscure about that promise. Isaiah 61, verse 10. It was promised in the gospels. Jesus told the parable in Matthew chapter 22, verses 1 to 10 about the wedding feast, and it's also recorded by Luke in chapter 14, verse 15 to 24. Luke refers to it as a great supper. Luke's account is a little bit longer because if you recall that parable, there were folks that were invited and they did not come and they had these lame excuses.

And Matthew just mentions the excuses, but Luke elaborates on the excuses, and that's the reason Luke's account is four or five verses longer. But here in Revelation chapter 19, what was anticipated in the Old Testament and promised in the gospels is seen, sealed, and delivered. Every promise has been kept. Every elect soul, effectually and irresistibly called. Every child of God preserved.

Each one present and accounted for. Every earthly trouble and care has passed. The church of Jesus Christ stands triumphant and it has prevailed. Why a wedding? Why this metaphor of a wedding? Well, because it best represents the union of God and His redeemed now and forever. In salvation, we are brought into saving union with God through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

A wedding is a union. So in salvation, there is a union that takes place when God weds Himself to His redeemed. Now John has been told on several occasions to write. We see this here in verse 9. Then this angel, he, angel, said to me, write.

Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. He's been told numbers of times throughout this book to write, chapter 1 and verse 11 at the very beginning, well at the beginning and then toward the very end, chapter 21 and verse 5, we have these words to John. Then he who sat on the throne said, behold, I make all things new.

And he said to me, write, for these words are true and faithful. So John is being told here in Revelation 19 that he's to write. And in two of the seven beatitudes, there's so much wonderful truth in the book of Revelation.

I don't know when it would be, but journeying through this preaching series, I've learned so much that my preaching I think would be helped and enhanced if I could go back with the knowledge I've got right now and begin to preach it again. Because I wasn't aware that there were seven beatitudes in the book of Revelation. In the Sermon on the Mount, there are eight of the beatitudes, but there's seven here in the book of Revelation. If you're interested, let me give them to you. You can look at them later.

I'm going to look at a couple with you this evening. Chapter 1 and verse 3, chapter 14 and verse 13, chapter 16 and verse 15, chapter 19 and verse 9 in our text for this evening, and then 3 toward the end of the book, chapter 20 and verse 6, chapter 22 and verse 7, and chapter 22 and verse 14. Here in chapter 19 and verse 9, again we have these words, then he said to me, write, blessed, there's that beatitude, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

This beatitude introduces another metaphor for believers. In verse 7, believers, saints, are called the bride of the Lamb, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready. There in verse 7, they are called, we are called, saints are called the bride of the Lamb, and while here we are called to the wedding supper of the Lamb. So notice that the saints are both the bride and those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. We're a guest at a wedding and we are the bride or made a part of the bride.

Both of those things are true. And it adds, I think, to the richness of what is being described that Christ has secured for us as the saints of God. I was always a bit puzzled by that when I'd read about this great feast and we're a guest at this great banquet. Well, that's wonderful, but if you're a guest at the banquet, you're not also the bride, but in this case you are. You are a part of the bride and you are also a guest. Well, after the pronouncement of the marriage in verse 7, John says, let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for or because the marriage of the Lamb has come.

That's the pronouncement. After the pronouncement of the marriage, the bride's preparation is the first thing that's mentioned and his wife has made herself ready. Folks, God himself must make us ready. We must have the wedding garment, which is the perfect righteousness of Christ.

God must provide that for us. It's an imputed righteousness. It's an alien righteousness. That is, it's outside of us. It's outside of this world.

It's something that's objective. It's something that God provides. And without it, we have no place at the wedding. Without it, we're like the one in Matthew chapter 22 that is found without a wedding garment and is caught, arrested, and put out. And the Bible says that he was put out into utter and total darkness for destruction. So, let us be glad and give him glory for the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready.

And then the NIV, the New International Version, renders it this way. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. God himself is going to provide the wedding garment that's necessary to be at the wedding.

And that's what it's basically saying there in verse 8. And to her, it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. And to her, it was granted.

The bride is passive in this action. Something's granted to her. Something is given to her. And what is that that's given to her? What is granted to her?

Fine linen, clean and bright. Now there's two aspects here. Here is this aspect of God's justifying grace. That's something that takes place outside of us. That's a declaration that God makes to all those who put faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. God declares us justified before him, not guilty. And not only not guilty, but absolved before the law of God, as if we've kept the law perfectly. That's justification.

It's a one-time act, never to be repeated. The newest saint among us is just as justified as the oldest saint among us. There's no degrees of justification. If you're justified, you've been declared righteous.

You can't improve on that. Again, it's something God declares based on our faith in what his Son did on the cross of Calvary for us. I like the way, I believe it was Tommy that prayed this evening. We better not get too far away from John 3.16.

That's the heart of the very gospel. That God so loved his people that he sent his only begotten Son into the world to cleanse and wash and prepare a suitable bride and his Son for his Son by so working in us through the sanctifying work of the Spirit of God and imparting a righteousness to us that prepares us for this glorious marriage. We have no wedding garment. The only garments we've got are filthy rags. You don't want to show up at a wedding with these rags that we've got that are a reflection of our damned sinful nature.

We have no wedding garment. It has to be supplied by Jesus Christ, and thank God that he has supplied it. It is an imputed righteousness.

And that's why I made reference to this hymn last Sunday night. The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is his new creation by water and the Word. From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride.

With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died. So these two verses in Revelation chapter 19 represent both sides of the gospel. It involves both justification and sanctification. Where do we see the sanctification? Well, justification is the first part of verse 8, 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, the righteous acts of the saints. The emphasis there in verse 8, the last part, is on the actual purifying cleansing of the Christian. It's something that we're engaged in through the process of sanctification. Now, we're not on our own.

It's not something that is a solo effort. It's God working in us, both the willing to do according to his good pleasure. It's us working out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God is at work in us, both the willing to do according to his good pleasure. We looked at this verse previously in our preaching, but I want to draw attention back to it, and it is the most conspicuous verse in the book of the Revelation that could be singled out as the purpose statement. This is the purpose for John writing the book, and it's in Revelation 17, verse 14. Here is that verse again. Verse 14, These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are called chosen and faithful. Notice those who are with Him and how they are identified.

How are they identified? Three identifying words. They are the called, they are the chosen, and they are the faithful. Well may I submit to you tonight that the first two words, they are the called, they are the chosen, are descriptive words that speak of the effectual, irresistible, internal call of God issued to all of his elect people. That third descriptive word, faithful, captures the bride's part in making herself ready. Faithful in his or her loyalty, fidelity, and commitment to Jesus. Faithful in maintaining a testimony before the world. Faithful in enduring and persevering through trial, difficulty, and trouble. And also included in the bride's readiness is the righteous acts of the saints.

Notice again the last part of verse 8, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. You've heard us say this many a time, but it's something we need to have in our arsenal as we're talking and thinking and that is this, that faith alone saves. Can't mix works with faith because you destroy salvation. Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone.

What do I mean by that? Works, good works, are the evidence that a man or a woman has been regenerated, has been born again. A profession of faith absent of the good works are a contradiction. So faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone.

Righteous acts are the necessary proof that regeneration has occurred. You know, it's very deceiving and I hate to use this word, but I'm gonna use it anyway and explain what I mean by it. It's diabolical. It's devilish. Now, when I say that, I don't mean that people that are engaged in saying the things that I'm about ready to tell you that I'm characterizing as diabolical and devilish and deceiving, that they're doing this knowing that that's what they're doing.

Often it's engaged in with good intentions. Much like Peter when Jesus said, I must go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the religious leaders and die and be raised again the third day. Peter said, no Lord. Jesus said, get thee behind me Satan. He had good intentions, but he was unbeknownst to him was being a mouthpiece of the devil. This idea that salvation is ultimately in the hands of the sinner. Jesus has done all he can do.

Now it's up to you to decide for or against him. And if you'll come to this altar and pray a prayer, you're gonna leave with a guarantee. You're gonna leave with an assurance and we're gonna tell you don't let anybody ever talk you out of this. You prayed a prayer. God said he would save you if you'd call upon him. You've called upon him, right?

Yes. Well then you're saved. Don't let anybody ever talk you out of it. Don't ever doubt it. Well what if, what if praying that prayer results in absolutely no evidence that a man or a woman has truly been born again? You see how a person has been deceived and the person who's tried to help that person with an assurance, there is a diabolical devilish aspect to it.

That person is being sealed in deception. There are gonna be times you're gonna doubt. There's gonna be times you're gonna wonder. But don't you ever doubt it. You see, that kind of thinking only takes place in a man-centered understanding of salvation.

What do I mean by that? Well, if man makes a decision that closes the deal, if man's decision, man's prayer, man's action, man's response is what saves a man, well then you can understand why there's that kind of emphasis. The salvation is of the Lord. Regeneration is a supernatural work of the Spirit of God. I showed you last Sunday night the parable in Matthew chapter 22 that ends, many are called but few are chosen.

Who are the, who are the called? The called are those who heard the invitation and were too busy, were indifferent, and did not respond, and many hear the gospel. Some make, I mean, my children, if you were to ask them, how many times did you pray and ask Jesus to save you? They couldn't tell you how many times. That's how many times.

Multiplied dozens of times. Well, which time did God save them? They don't know. But God had to do the saving. That's the point. The critical person in this equation is God Almighty by the work of the Spirit of God. But when you tell a man, come and pray a prayer, it puts the power upon him. It puts the onus on him. He must do something in order to be saved.

And that's a lie. Would God come up with a plan to save men whereby they make some contribution to their salvation and thereby have ground for boasting, for merit, to be in heaven and say, you know, I'm sure glad I was smart enough to pray that prayer that day. Is Bob around? No.

Well, he must not have been as smart as I was. No, no, no. For by grace are you saved through faith. And this, not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.

Why? Not of works, lest any man should boast. Praying a prayer, doing something in response to the preacher is a work that you get credit for. And it can't be a part of the salvation equation. If they would simply ask this question. Not, did you one time pray and ask Jesus to save you? Oh yes, yes, let me see here.

It was September the 3rd, 1964. How about this question? Are you right now believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ as your only hope of salvation? Not, did you believe in the past whenever that might have been, but are you currently believing? That's the rub, right?

Isn't that the issue? Because faith has got to persevere. Faith has to endure to the end. And if it doesn't, then it wasn't genuine faith. But I'm so glad that even the sanctification part that is something that we participate in doesn't fully fall upon you and me.

Why do I say that? Well, listen to what Ephesians chapter 5 says, where husbands are exhorted to love their wives just as Christ 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. If you're going to be without spot and wrinkle and you're going to be holy, it's going to be God's doing.

God is at work in you. I'm not taken away from that, but how thankful we need to be for the sanctifying work of the Spirit of God within us. The angel here in verse 7 adds a statement. Not in verse 7, but in verse 9. The angel adds a statement of divine affirmation.

John says, then he said to me, write, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God. These are the true sayings of God.

Why is that added? It has this sense to it. These things will surely occur.

They will surely come to pass. You have Almighty God's Word on it. Because this is an angel speaking, but he's representing God. We see something similar in the pastoral epistles.

About five times you see language like this. 1 Timothy 1, 15, chapter 3, verse 1, chapter 4, verse 9, 2 Timothy 2, 11, Titus 3, 9. This is a faithful saying. This is a faithful saying. Paul says this in 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. These are the true sayings of God. In other words, believe God. Believe His Word. These are received, these are appropriated by believing the Word of God. I love the way Jim Oreck characterizes belief or faith. He says it is believing the Word of God for no other reason than because God said so. Believing the Words of God. Lest you think that this is too good to be true, lest you think this is unfathomable, it could never happen, it's beyond my imagination, lest you think that these are the true sayings of God, the angel tells John.

And then this section concludes with a misguided and corrected impulse. John is so overwhelmed, he is so flabbergasted by what he's heard, that his natural response to these incredible truths was to fall on his knees. Notice verse 10, and I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, see that you do not do that.

I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. Since he was talking to an angelic messenger and not to God or to Christ, falling down in worship was inappropriate. The angel directs his worship to the appropriate one. Worship God. To him alone and him only is worshiped due. So, that's a good place for us to bring our thoughts to a conclusion. Let us, let us worship and give him praise.

For what? For placing us in saving union with himself through the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross. We have been reconciled, folks.

We have been justified. We are at peace with God. And we, beyond comprehension here, we have been made part of the bride of Christ. And God is busy preparing a bride that's worthy of his son. And that's why sanctification is a long process.

That's why it is a thorough process. Because when he presents us to him, we will be without sin, without blemish, without wrinkle, because that's the only bride that's worthy of the son. And knowing our fallenness, knowing this world, knowing the enemies we have, the world of flesh and the devil, it's a good thing God is, hasn't come because we're not ready, right? But praise God that God has given the means of grace for our sanctification. It is the word of God. It is prayer. It is our gathering together with the saints of God. It is the table that's set before us. It's a means of grace to us.

It's an opportunity for us to confess our faith afresh, to reaffirm our commitment, to acknowledge that where our faith is, it's in the person and work of Christ. And it's on that basis and that basis alone we have standing with God. Our worthiness is not the issue. What's the issue is if we have faith in the object of the one who's worthy. Christ is worthy. We're not worthy, but if we'll place our faith in Him, then we have a place at the table.

He's here. He wants to commune with us. He wants to fellowship with us. He wants us to renew our commitment to Him. And He wants us to do that in a church context, when you gather do these things.

When you see your brothers and sisters take the elements to their lips, rejoice. The person beside you or the person to your right or left is confessing their faith afresh again. God has saved them. He has saved you.

We're in the company of the beloved. Let me tell you something that I don't always do, but there are times that this imagery comes to my mind. When we're preparing ourselves for the Lord's table, I get in my head a courtroom scene, and I'm there.

And God the Father is judge of all the universes there. And my sin record is being read. And the only thing I can do is what Paul says in Romans chapter 3 and verse 19, all the world's mouth is stopped. I have no justification.

I have no alibi. My only response is guilty. So there's me and my sin, and there's God and He's the judge, and He is a God of inflexible justice. Is He the only one in the courtroom?

No. The Bible says if we sin, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous. He's there to defend me. And when my sins are read out, Jesus says, paid in full, satisfied, not guilty, and He's got the wounds to prove it. I paid for that. I satisfied that. Justice has been served. Now that's staggering, isn't it?

And let me take the picture a little further. When we've been acquitted before God and His judgment bar, and the law has been satisfied not because we've kept the law but because Jesus kept it in our place, the judge leaves the bench and comes around and embraces me and adopts me into his family. I'm now a son of God.

If that doesn't blow you away, I don't know what does. Having your sins forgiven, having your sin debt satisfied is one thing, but when the judge becomes your father and you become a son, you're one of the beloved. That's what God has done for us in Christ.

Let us pray. Mother, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the glorious gospel. Thank You for what Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has done in the place of sinners. Thank You for His perfect life. Thank You for His atoning sacrifice that satisfies the demands of Your holy law. Cause Your people to rejoice tonight, and cause any who are here outside of Christ to hear Your irresistible, effectual call, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.