Music...
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Welcome to 3ABN
Australia Homecoming...
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Music...
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Hello Friends and
welcome to another
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3ABN Australia Homecoming 2018,
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my name is John Lomacang,
this is John Malkiewycz.
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The two Johns...
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That's right, 1st
John and 2nd John...
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you decide which one is which
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but we are so glad
that you have taken the time
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to tune in for this beautiful...
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this has been a power-packed
Holy-Spirit-filled Homecoming.
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Can you all say, "Amen" to that?
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Amen.
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And today is not
going to be any different.
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No, it's going to be a...
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a day where you're
going to be spiritually fed
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and you will come
to know God even better
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and more than you did before.
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That's right, and I'm
so thankful for the theme,
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"Knowing God... "
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because knowing information
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and knowing God are not the same
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and we have been knowing
the Lord in beautiful ways,
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I've seen the Lord
anoint the different Speakers
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and the musicians and
the ministers of music
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and this is going
to be a wonderful time.
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Tell us a little bit
about what's happening now
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before I share about
the Speaker for this hour.
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Okay, our special item
today is with a young lady,
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she's a beautiful young lady,
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she's committed her
life in singing for the Lord,
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and that's Marleta Fong and
she's going to be accompanied
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with Sanja Kitevski on the piano
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they both go
together and play together
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and they enjoy
one another's company
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and she's going to be singing,
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"For God So
Loved The World" John.
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Wow! You know it's wonderful
about the minister of music
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is she's the sister of
the Speaker of the hour,
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The Bible says, "I
will pour out my Spirit
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on My manservant
and our maidservants"
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and we know God has poured
out His spirit on Charissa Fong
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and her message is going to be,
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"Through His faithfulness
and trustworthiness. "
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But she told me a
different title...
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It's still the same thing.
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Okay, the
title... the sub-title is:
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"We're getting married. "
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I heard that.
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And it's going to
be amazing, I know,
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but before Charissa Fong
comes to... to bless our hearts,
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we're going to be blessed
as we invite Marleta Fong
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and Sanja to come and
bless us with the song,
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"For God So Loved The World. "
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Pause.
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More pause.
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Piano...
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For God so loved the world
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God so loved the world
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that He gave His only
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begotten Son
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that whosoever believes
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Whoever believes
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Shall not perish
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but have everlasting life
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For God so loved
this fallen world...
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He left His glory above
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To carry my cross
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For God so loved
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our world.
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Piano...
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more piano...
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some more piano...
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For He came not to condemn...
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He came not to condemn
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but that the world through Him
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might have everlasting life
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For God so loved
this fallen world
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He left His glory above
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to carry my cross
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For God so loved...
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For God so loved,
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For God so loved
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piano...
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our world.
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Piano...
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Amen.
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Audience: Amen.
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Pause.
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Good morning everyone.
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Audience: Good morning.
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Lovely to see you all so
bright and early this morning.
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Our subject today is:
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Knowing God through His
faithfulness and trustworthiness
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so let's open
with a word of prayer.
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"Our loving Father in heaven,
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it's so good be
together to study Your Word
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and as we do, we
invite the Holy Spirit
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to be present in our midst.
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I pray that You
would speak to our hearts
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that Jesus would be lifted up
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and we would leave
this place loving Him more
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is our prayer in
Jesus' name, amen. "
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Well, I've been doing a lot of
thinking about weddings lately,
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actually, I've been thinking
a lot about weddings lately,
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and the reason why is
because earlier this year,
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my former
boyfriend took me on a drive
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to a beautiful national park
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surrounded by
mountains and trees
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and a beautiful
river flowing by,
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we got out of the car
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and he walked down to
the edge of this cliff...
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it wasn't really a
cliff but it was like that
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and he got down on one knee
and to cut a long story short,
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he asked me to be his
bride and I said, "Yes. "
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Audience: Clapping.
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And when I said,
"Yes" praise the Lord,
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when I said, "Yes"
my whole world changed.
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Nobody else was there
to experience this moment,
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it was very special,
it's just me and him...
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the Lord... the angels...
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there was a family
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that was swimming on
the other side of the river
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and they watched
the whole thing happen
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and when it was over,
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they looked at us
and they said, "Well... "
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and I said... this...
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and Justin said,
"She said, 'Yes'"
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and they... we
don't know who they are
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they don't know who we are
but they just started rejoicing
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and clapping and
shouting... sharing our joy
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and I've since discovered,
everybody loves a wedding...
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everybody loves a love story
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and Friends, I'm here
to tell you this morning
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that heaven is no different.
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Heaven gets excited
about a wedding as well
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so if you have your
Bibles, please take them...
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come with me to
Revelation chapter 19
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and notice with
me verses 6 and 7.
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Revelation
chapter 19 verses 6 and 7.
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The Bible says,
"And I heard as it were
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the voice of a great multitude
as the sound of many waters,
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and as the sound of mighty
thunderings, saying Alleluia:
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for the Lord God
omnipotent reigns.
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Let us be glad and
rejoice, and give Him glory:
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for the marriage
of the Lamb has come,
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and his wife has
made herself ready. "
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Now, I'm just going to begin
by telling you an Amazing Fact.
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Did you know that
the word, "Hallelujah"
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appears four times in the Bible
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and all of them right
here in Revelation chapter 19
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which makes this chapter
the original Hallelujah Chorus.
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Audience: Laughing.
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Amen.
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In fact, the Hebrew of this
phrase in the book of Psalms
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is translated
as, "Praise the Lord"
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and it's this one word that
drives everything in chapter 19
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of the book of Revelation.
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It's like the whole
of the New Testament...
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all 26 books and 18 chapters
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has been telling
us the story of Jesus
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how He came down from heaven,
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died on the cross,
rose from the grave,
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ascended to heaven
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sent the Holy Spirit
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raised up His church
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and has ministered in
heaven's holy sanctuary for us
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and now, all that's
left is for him to come
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and for everybody to
shout a resounding, "Hallelujah"
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of praise to God.
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The marriage supper
of the Lamb has come.
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Oh, friends, the Bible
is the greatest love story
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telling us about the greatest
lover that there ever was.
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You see, many years ago,
in a garden called "Eden"
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a paradise of pleasure...
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God made man in His image
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and the relationship that
He shared with Adam and Eve
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was very special.
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There was no
fear... perfect love
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and there was
perfect joy... no shame...
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but then one day,
things went wrong,
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lies were
believed... trust was broken...
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and the heart of
God was shattered.
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The Bible tells us that
sin separates us from God
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and any of us who have
been through betrayal of trust
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will have experienced the
pain of a broken relationship,
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you know just a little
of the pain that God's heart
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went through that
day in that garden
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and so, because sin
caused a separation between God,
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sin divorced man
from His presence,
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God was not content
to let that be permanent
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and so, He told Adam and Eve,
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"I have a plan and I am going
to do everything that I can
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to restore our
relationship again
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friends, love always finds a way
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and so for the last 6,000 years,
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God has been seeking
to woo us to Himself.
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Ask Hosea about it, He
can tell you the story.
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Boil it down and the
whole salvation story
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is about the faithful,
tireless pursuit of God,
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the injured bridegroom for His
prodigal bride... His people.
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Now, I just want
to share with you
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a little lesson
that I got from nature.
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Did you know that
when it comes time
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for a female eagle
to choose her mate,
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many mates come
along... potential... rather...
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potential mates come along
and she looks over her suitors
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and she has this little
test that she puts them through,
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she will pick one...
she'll fly with him...
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and during the course of
the flight, she will come down,
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she'll pick up a stick
and she'll fly up high with it
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and at some point,
she will drop that stick
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and if he's a good
suitor, he will be watching...
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he will see the stick come down
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and he will
swoop down and catch it
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and that will impress her
and so, she'll do it again.
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She'll pick up a bigger stick,
she'll fly a little bit higher,
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she'll drop it and
again, he has to catch it.
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She keeps doing this process
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and if an any point along
the way... he drops the stick,
00:12:45.73\00:12:49.03
well, she just moves on
and finds somebody else.
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She'll do this until she
can pick up the biggest stick
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that she can find... drop it,
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and if he
catches it, he's the one.
00:12:57.27\00:12:59.54
Why does she do this?
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Well, interestingly,
if they settle together
00:13:01.58\00:13:05.98
and little eaglets come along,
00:13:06.01\00:13:07.92
one day, they will build
their nest high up somewhere
00:13:07.95\00:13:11.32
and in the process of time,
00:13:11.35\00:13:13.19
those little eaglets are
going to learn how to fly
00:13:13.22\00:13:15.99
and it's possible that one of
them might fall out of the nest
00:13:16.36\00:13:19.43
and that's where
his role comes in.
00:13:19.46\00:13:21.56
He's going to swoop
down and faithfully get them.
00:13:21.60\00:13:25.33
Now, I love this picture
00:13:25.37\00:13:27.87
because, you know,
the attributes of God
00:13:27.90\00:13:29.80
are clearly seen in nature.
00:13:29.84\00:13:31.61
God has been faithfully
trying to woo us to Himself
00:13:31.64\00:13:35.58
through His faithfulness
throughout Bible history.
00:13:35.61\00:13:39.41
God kept trying to win the heart
00:13:39.45\00:13:41.98
and affections of the human race
00:13:42.05\00:13:44.55
and to a man named Abraham
00:13:44.59\00:13:46.72
He made an
amazing covenant promise,
00:13:46.76\00:13:49.79
He told him that he would
make of him a great nation
00:13:49.82\00:13:53.70
and that through them,
00:13:53.73\00:13:55.53
all the nations of
the earth would be blessed
00:13:55.56\00:13:58.33
and friends, by
an absolute miracle,
00:13:58.37\00:14:00.84
God kept His
promise, did He not?
00:14:00.87\00:14:03.24
He kept it
faithfully and Isaac was born
00:14:03.30\00:14:06.61
and through Isaac, the
nation of Israel was born
00:14:06.64\00:14:10.85
and through
Israel, Jesus came as well.
00:14:10.88\00:14:14.88
Then we come to
the New Testament
00:14:14.92\00:14:17.52
and suddenly this
relationship pursued
00:14:17.55\00:14:20.22
that God has been
on with His people...
00:14:20.26\00:14:22.86
it takes a totally new turn
00:14:22.92\00:14:25.29
that no one in the
universe was expecting.
00:14:25.33\00:14:27.66
I remember one Sabbath,
00:14:27.70\00:14:29.83
I was welcoming
people to my local church
00:14:29.86\00:14:32.83
and this young man showed
up, I've never seen him before
00:14:32.87\00:14:36.47
and he showed up at the
church, I shook his hand
00:14:36.50\00:14:38.71
and this is what he
said to me, straight up...
00:14:38.74\00:14:40.91
after I welcomed him, he said,
"I'm here to find a wife. "
00:14:40.94\00:14:43.71
Audience: Laughter.
00:14:43.75\00:14:45.51
I couldn't help him
00:14:45.55\00:14:47.12
but when Jesus came
to this world, friends,
00:14:47.15\00:14:51.49
He came to take a wife.
00:14:51.55\00:14:54.36
The Bible says in
Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25,
00:14:54.39\00:14:58.93
"Husbands, love your wives,
00:14:58.96\00:15:01.63
just as Christ
also loved the church,
00:15:01.66\00:15:05.07
and gave Himself for her. "
00:15:05.13\00:15:08.00
That's a high calling
for any husband, by the way,
00:15:08.04\00:15:11.81
what an example!
00:15:11.84\00:15:13.51
What a standard
we have in Jesus!
00:15:13.54\00:15:15.74
But understanding this concept,
00:15:15.78\00:15:18.41
I tell you, it
will change your life,
00:15:18.48\00:15:20.62
and that's kind of what I hope
00:15:20.65\00:15:21.98
you will catch a
glimpse of today.
00:15:22.02\00:15:23.72
You see, in Jewish culture,
when a man loved a woman,
00:15:23.75\00:15:27.32
proposed to her
and she said, "Yes"
00:15:27.36\00:15:29.86
then the wedding
process would take place
00:15:29.89\00:15:32.76
in the following stages.
00:15:32.79\00:15:34.13
Number one, the bridegroom
would go to the bride's home
00:15:34.16\00:15:38.63
and he would
negotiate a bride price
00:15:38.67\00:15:42.10
with the father of the bride
00:15:42.14\00:15:43.87
and he would pay
that price to the father.
00:15:43.91\00:15:46.78
and although it
was paid to the Father,
00:15:46.81\00:15:49.51
the idea was that
when she was married,
00:15:49.54\00:15:52.18
the father would actually
give that inheritance...
00:15:52.21\00:15:55.88
that dowry to her for her
to take into her married life.
00:15:55.92\00:16:00.96
Friends, 2,000 years ago,
Jesus Christ left heaven...
00:16:00.99\00:16:05.99
the Father's house...
00:16:06.06\00:16:07.60
to come down to this earth where
He would die for His bride.
00:16:07.63\00:16:12.33
The Bible says
in Romans 5 verse 8
00:16:12.37\00:16:15.44
that God demonstrates
His own love toward us
00:16:15.47\00:16:18.97
in that while we
were not sinning...?
00:16:19.01\00:16:20.61
while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us at Calvary,
00:16:20.64\00:16:28.32
as the Lamb of God,
00:16:28.35\00:16:30.02
Jesus came and He took
away the sin of the world
00:16:30.05\00:16:33.79
and He came to pay
the bride price for us
00:16:33.82\00:16:37.13
with His own blood.
00:16:37.16\00:16:38.49
Can we say, "Amen. "
00:16:38.53\00:16:39.86
Then after this, in a
Jewish wedding ceremony,
00:16:39.89\00:16:43.43
there was a thing
called the Betrothal Ceremony
00:16:43.47\00:16:46.23
and this had three
parts to it, number one,
00:16:46.27\00:16:48.97
there was a thing called
the Katuba or a Covenant,
00:16:49.00\00:16:53.14
a contract that was
drawn up between them
00:16:53.17\00:16:56.54
and signed by both of them
00:16:56.58\00:16:58.51
and it would contain promises
of the bride to her groom
00:16:58.55\00:17:02.25
and of the groom
to her husband...
00:17:02.28\00:17:04.25
and an original of this
contract was actually kept
00:17:04.29\00:17:07.72
in the local synagogue.
00:17:07.76\00:17:09.59
It was considered
to be a legal document
00:17:09.62\00:17:12.26
and that meant that the
only thing that could break it
00:17:12.29\00:17:15.63
was adultery or unfaithfulness.
00:17:15.66\00:17:17.83
This was to try and
give security to the bride.
00:17:17.87\00:17:21.10
Then, after this
contract was signed,
00:17:21.14\00:17:24.17
the couple would drink
from a shared cup as well.
00:17:24.21\00:17:28.44
There was also, I understand,
00:17:28.48\00:17:30.55
a practice of ceremonial washing
involved, prior to all of this,
00:17:30.58\00:17:35.05
where the couple separately
would wash to cleanse themselves
00:17:35.08\00:17:39.55
but also to say that we
are now keeping ourselves
00:17:39.59\00:17:43.19
for each other.
00:17:43.22\00:17:44.66
Isn't this beautiful?
00:17:44.69\00:17:46.03
Friends, when we
commit our lives to Jesus
00:17:46.06\00:17:48.93
through the waters of baptism,
00:17:48.96\00:17:50.40
we are saying a
public "Yes" to Jesus
00:17:50.43\00:17:53.13
in a public "no"
to everybody else,
00:17:53.17\00:17:55.77
we're saying that we
choose Him and Him alone.
00:17:55.80\00:17:58.74
Then, after the
betrothal ceremony,
00:17:58.77\00:18:02.28
the custom was
that the bridegroom
00:18:02.31\00:18:05.01
would return to
His father's house,
00:18:05.05\00:18:07.12
to prepare a place for his bride
00:18:07.15\00:18:10.42
and it wasn't uncommon
00:18:10.45\00:18:12.05
for the groom to actually
build on to his father's house,
00:18:12.09\00:18:15.82
if they weren't rich, he
would just build an extra room
00:18:15.86\00:18:19.59
onto his father's house
00:18:19.63\00:18:21.16
and then, before
he left to do this,
00:18:21.20\00:18:23.50
he would even tell his bride,
00:18:23.53\00:18:25.43
"I go to prepare a place for you
00:18:25.47\00:18:27.27
and if I go to
prepare a place for you,
00:18:27.30\00:18:30.07
I will come again
and receive you to myself
00:18:30.11\00:18:32.61
that where I am,
there ye may be also. "
00:18:32.64\00:18:35.11
When Jesus said those
words to the disciples,
00:18:35.14\00:18:38.45
they knew, this
was wedding language,
00:18:38.48\00:18:40.72
Jesus was going to
prepare a place for them
00:18:40.78\00:18:43.69
and not only this, it
gets even better than that.
00:18:43.72\00:18:48.16
The Rabbi was actually
supposed to inspect the place
00:18:48.19\00:18:52.59
that the groom was
preparing for the bride
00:18:52.63\00:18:54.76
to make sure that... get this,
00:18:54.80\00:18:57.60
that it was better than the
place she was leaving behind.
00:18:57.63\00:19:01.04
Audience: Laughter.
00:19:01.07\00:19:03.00
How does the Bible finish?
00:19:03.04\00:19:04.81
It tells us all about heaven
00:19:04.84\00:19:06.54
and how much
better this heaven is
00:19:06.57\00:19:09.28
compared to the
world that we live in...
00:19:09.31\00:19:11.15
do death, no wars, no tsunamis,
00:19:11.18\00:19:13.98
no heartache, no
cancer, no pain... all gone...
00:19:14.02\00:19:17.09
all good... forevermore,
can you say, "Amen. "
00:19:17.12\00:19:20.12
Not only that, but while he's
preparing a place for his bride,
00:19:20.16\00:19:24.93
the bride would stay
in her father's house
00:19:24.96\00:19:27.73
and she would prepare
herself for the wedding.
00:19:27.76\00:19:30.43
She would wait for her groom
they say... up to one year,
00:19:30.47\00:19:34.37
no more than that
00:19:34.40\00:19:35.74
and right now,
that's what we're doing.
00:19:35.77\00:19:37.67
We're waiting for
the bridegroom to come,
00:19:37.71\00:19:39.81
we're waiting for Jesus to come
00:19:39.87\00:19:42.21
and when both bride
and place were ready,
00:19:42.24\00:19:45.88
then the groom would
come to get his bride
00:19:45.91\00:19:49.08
and he would take her
to his father's house,
00:19:49.12\00:19:52.22
the wedding would take place
00:19:52.25\00:19:53.59
and it would be topped
off with a marriage supper
00:19:53.62\00:19:56.66
where they would celebrate
with friends and family
00:19:56.69\00:19:59.69
on this joyous occasion.
00:19:59.73\00:20:01.23
What a God!
00:20:01.26\00:20:02.66
What a groom! What
a lover is Jesus, amen
00:20:02.70\00:20:08.37
and I just can't stop
being so excited about it,
00:20:08.40\00:20:11.41
maybe it's because I'm
engaged as well right now
00:20:11.47\00:20:14.44
and this all just
takes on new meaning
00:20:14.48\00:20:16.54
but when I come to
the book of Revelation,
00:20:16.58\00:20:18.61
I see John, he gets a glimpse
00:20:18.65\00:20:20.98
of our heavenly
bridegroom and he...
00:20:21.02\00:20:23.39
he gives him release...
he finds He has four names
00:20:23.45\00:20:26.02
here in the passage
which we're about to read,
00:20:26.05\00:20:28.56
so come back to Revelation
19 and notice with me, verse 11.
00:20:28.59\00:20:32.96
It says, "Now I
saw heaven opened,
00:20:32.99\00:20:36.16
and behold a white horse;
00:20:36.20\00:20:38.67
and He who sat on him
was called Faithful and True,
00:20:38.73\00:20:42.54
and in righteousness
He judges and makes war. "
00:20:42.57\00:20:46.37
Hollywood can't
compete with this,
00:20:46.41\00:20:49.01
this day is the
brightest day of human history
00:20:49.04\00:20:51.88
and it makes human
history's brightest day
00:20:51.91\00:20:54.72
look like midnight.
00:20:54.75\00:20:56.15
In Revelation chapter
13, a question was asked
00:20:56.18\00:20:59.52
by those who follow
the beast and worship him,
00:20:59.55\00:21:02.86
and it was this,
"Who is like the beast?
00:21:02.92\00:21:05.69
and who is able
to make war with him?
00:21:05.73\00:21:08.43
Well, friends, Revelation 19
is the answer to that question,
00:21:08.46\00:21:13.44
for the first time
John sees heaven opened,
00:21:13.50\00:21:16.71
not just the
door open in heaven...
00:21:16.74\00:21:18.87
he sees heaven
opened and he sees Jesus
00:21:18.94\00:21:22.84
our heavenly
bridegroom coming into view,
00:21:22.88\00:21:27.65
bursting into view
as a mighty warrior
00:21:27.68\00:21:30.19
on a magnificence white horse
00:21:30.22\00:21:32.52
at the midnight
of human history.
00:21:32.55\00:21:34.59
Forget, "Here comes the bride"
00:21:34.62\00:21:36.59
here comes the
groom and he is wonderful.
00:21:36.62\00:21:40.40
The last time
the world saw Jesus,
00:21:40.43\00:21:42.70
they saw Him with
a crown of thorns,
00:21:42.76\00:21:45.17
when John sees
Him in Revelation 19,
00:21:45.20\00:21:47.60
He is crowned with many crowns.
00:21:47.64\00:21:49.70
The last time
the world saw Jesus,
00:21:49.74\00:21:51.81
He rode on a donkey.
00:21:51.84\00:21:53.17
When John see
Him here in vision,
00:21:53.21\00:21:54.94
He sees Him riding on a
white horse as a conqueror
00:21:54.98\00:21:57.95
and a victorious warrior.
00:21:57.98\00:21:59.71
Friends, Jesus is
coming back not as a lamb slain
00:21:59.75\00:22:03.42
but as a redeemer of the world,
00:22:03.45\00:22:05.32
as our redeemer and
our victorious king.
00:22:05.35\00:22:07.79
He's coming to reign and rule,
00:22:07.82\00:22:11.36
and names in the
Bible, you and I know,
00:22:11.39\00:22:14.00
they're very significant
00:22:14.03\00:22:15.86
because they tell us
about a person's character.
00:22:15.90\00:22:18.47
When He introduced
Himself to Laodicea,
00:22:18.50\00:22:21.14
He called Himself, "the
faithful and true witness"
00:22:21.17\00:22:24.11
and here, we meet our
champion of eternal justice,
00:22:24.14\00:22:27.98
our warrior groom,
00:22:28.01\00:22:29.81
He wants us to know that He
is called, "faithful and true. "
00:22:29.84\00:22:34.55
Study God's Word and
every verse, every chapter,
00:22:34.58\00:22:40.52
every story will
tell you the same thing,
00:22:40.56\00:22:42.92
"God is always faithful
even unto the point of death,
00:22:42.96\00:22:47.70
He's never been unfaithful...
00:22:47.73\00:22:50.00
He has never let us
down... always faithful"
00:22:50.03\00:22:53.84
and that's a quality of a groom.
00:22:53.87\00:22:56.91
He's faithful to his bride.
00:22:56.94\00:22:58.91
Faithful and true
00:22:58.94\00:23:00.61
which is why Joshua could
say in Joshua 21 verse 45,
00:23:00.64\00:23:04.71
"Not a word
failed of any good thing
00:23:04.75\00:23:08.38
which the Lord had
spoken to the house of Israel;
00:23:08.42\00:23:11.05
all came to pass. "
00:23:11.09\00:23:13.86
God always keeps His promise,
00:23:13.89\00:23:16.49
this means, that we can trust
Jesus in sickness and in health.
00:23:16.52\00:23:21.16
For richer or for
poorer, even till death,
00:23:21.20\00:23:25.23
we can trust Him to the very end
00:23:25.27\00:23:27.07
because He says, "Be
thou faithful unto death
00:23:27.14\00:23:29.24
and I will give
thee a crown of life. "
00:23:29.27\00:23:31.67
When the Bible speaks of God's
faithfulness in Lamentations,
00:23:31.71\00:23:35.51
it tells us, "His
faithfulness is great. "
00:23:35.54\00:23:38.38
In the book of
Psalms... Psalm 36 verse 5,
00:23:38.41\00:23:41.18
it tells us, His faithfulness
reaches to the clouds.
00:23:41.22\00:23:44.75
The next time
you soar 37,000 feet,
00:23:44.79\00:23:48.36
remember that God's
faithfulness reaches you there
00:23:48.39\00:23:51.59
and it's higher still.
00:23:51.63\00:23:52.96
Have you experienced
the faithfulness of God
00:23:52.99\00:23:55.43
in your life?
00:23:55.46\00:23:56.80
I have...
00:23:56.83\00:23:58.17
just this year, I was
on my way to American Samoa
00:23:58.20\00:24:01.30
for a church meeting
00:24:01.34\00:24:02.67
and to get to American Samoa,
you have to leave the airport
00:24:02.70\00:24:06.17
in Apia and you fly...
00:24:06.21\00:24:08.44
do a little island
hop on a little plane
00:24:08.51\00:24:10.35
that looks like a mosquito
00:24:10.38\00:24:12.05
and I was all ready
to go on this plane,
00:24:12.08\00:24:14.58
I was waiting
in the waiting room
00:24:14.65\00:24:17.45
and then this
official came and said,
00:24:17.49\00:24:19.52
"Ms. Fong, you
can't get on the plane. "
00:24:19.55\00:24:21.56
I said, "Okay. "
00:24:21.59\00:24:22.92
they took me out the back
00:24:22.96\00:24:24.29
and they sat me down in
their office and they said,
00:24:24.33\00:24:26.19
"I'm sorry, but
you don't have a visa
00:24:26.23\00:24:28.36
to enter American Samoa. "
00:24:28.40\00:24:30.10
Now, we didn't
know this visa existed,
00:24:30.13\00:24:32.47
I've traveled to
the States many times
00:24:32.50\00:24:34.74
and never had a
problem getting into America
00:24:34.80\00:24:37.87
but American Samoa... I
was not permitted to go.
00:24:37.91\00:24:40.78
So, we prayed,
00:24:40.81\00:24:42.38
and praise the
Lord, I have an aunty
00:24:42.41\00:24:45.88
who's a very
strong woman and she...
00:24:45.91\00:24:48.35
my family
actually watched the plane
00:24:48.38\00:24:50.52
that I was
supposed to get on take off,
00:24:50.59\00:24:52.55
they were all waving that
plane off thinking I was on it,
00:24:52.59\00:24:55.42
and I came out
running from the airport,
00:24:55.46\00:24:57.89
I said, "Hey, I'm still here. "
00:24:57.93\00:24:59.36
They said, "What
are you doing here?"
00:24:59.39\00:25:00.73
I said, "I don't have a visa. "
00:25:00.76\00:25:02.33
So, my aunty got on the phone,
00:25:02.36\00:25:04.03
and this is how God works,
00:25:04.07\00:25:05.67
it just so happens
and I didn't know this
00:25:05.73\00:25:07.84
but I have an uncle who
is the Chief of Immigration
00:25:07.87\00:25:11.24
in American Samoa.
00:25:11.27\00:25:12.61
Audience: Laughter.
00:25:12.64\00:25:13.98
I didn't know this man
existed until this trip,
00:25:14.01\00:25:17.11
but when my aunty got on
the phone to Uncle Dennis,
00:25:17.15\00:25:20.45
she called him and she said,
00:25:20.48\00:25:22.15
"Dennis, you get
Charissa on the next plane,
00:25:22.18\00:25:24.25
she's supposed to be
there and take a meeting
00:25:24.29\00:25:26.32
in American Samoa tonight. "
00:25:26.35\00:25:28.06
And so, I don't know what he did
00:25:28.09\00:25:30.33
but he did something
00:25:30.36\00:25:32.03
and I ended up
sitting in the co-pilot's seat
00:25:32.06\00:25:35.06
all the way to American Samoa
00:25:35.10\00:25:38.57
and actually, I'm
very nervous about flying,
00:25:38.60\00:25:41.40
flying is a
spiritual experience for me
00:25:41.44\00:25:43.54
but the pilot... he
looked at me and he said,
00:25:43.57\00:25:46.47
"You see that
button there on the door?"
00:25:46.51\00:25:48.08
He said, "When I tell
you to press it, press it. "
00:25:48.11\00:25:50.28
I said, "Anything
you say, I'll do it. "
00:25:50.31\00:25:52.71
So, the plane takes
off, he says, "Put it down. "
00:25:52.75\00:25:55.95
So I put the
button down, we get up...
00:25:55.98\00:25:59.12
He says, "Bring it
up" so I brought it up...
00:25:59.15\00:26:01.02
everything he said,
straight away I did it
00:26:01.06\00:26:02.92
because I did not
want this plane to crash.
00:26:02.99\00:26:04.83
Praise the Lord, we got there
00:26:04.86\00:26:06.29
but just before we got there,
he looks at me and he says,
00:26:06.33\00:26:09.50
"That's a very important
job you have right there"
00:26:09.53\00:26:11.83
and I said, "Great,
what... what is it?"
00:26:11.87\00:26:13.44
He said, "That's
the air conditioning. "
00:26:13.47\00:26:14.97
Audience: Laughter.
00:26:15.00\00:26:16.74
So... but God was faithful.
00:26:16.91\00:26:18.67
God... God made...
00:26:18.71\00:26:21.44
He made a way for me
to this island place,
00:26:21.48\00:26:24.51
where there was
no way... God did it.
00:26:24.55\00:26:27.42
To me that was just the
most exciting answer to prayer.
00:26:27.45\00:26:31.19
When I left American Samoa, I
get to the desk in Immigration
00:26:31.22\00:26:35.09
and the lady says,
00:26:35.12\00:26:36.46
"Oh, the boss wants to
talk to you... the Chief...
00:26:36.49\00:26:39.66
I knew it was
Uncle Dennis and I said,
00:26:39.69\00:26:41.40
"Well, I don't have
a phone number here,
00:26:41.43\00:26:43.06
I don't have a phone
and I can't call him. "
00:26:43.10\00:26:44.67
So, said, "Okay"
she gets her phone
00:26:44.70\00:26:46.20
types a number in and says,
00:26:46.23\00:26:48.20
"Chief, I have Ms. Fong here. "
00:26:48.24\00:26:50.17
He said, "Give
the phone to her. "
00:26:50.21\00:26:52.04
I get the phone,
"Hello, Uncle Dennis... "
00:26:52.07\00:26:54.44
I've never met the man before
00:26:54.51\00:26:56.88
and he says,
"Is everything okay?
00:26:56.91\00:26:58.65
because if you ever
need help, just let me know
00:26:58.68\00:27:00.72
and I'll get you
anywhere you need to go. "
00:27:00.75\00:27:02.75
But... how good is God?
00:27:02.78\00:27:04.29
Like, right when
we needed something,
00:27:04.32\00:27:06.22
He had Uncle
Dennis there, ready to go
00:27:06.25\00:27:08.52
and God moves like that,
00:27:08.56\00:27:11.06
whenever we come to
the end of our resources,
00:27:11.09\00:27:14.23
God is just beginning,
00:27:14.26\00:27:15.63
He's just about to come through
and provide what we need.
00:27:15.66\00:27:18.73
So, the first name that
John sees that Jesus has
00:27:18.77\00:27:22.40
in the book of Revelation is,
00:27:22.44\00:27:24.21
He is called,
"Faithful and True. "
00:27:24.27\00:27:27.11
Our heavenly groom
is faithful and true
00:27:27.14\00:27:31.41
but not only that, there's more.
00:27:31.45\00:27:33.52
Look at verse 12,
Revelation 19 verse 12 says,
00:27:33.55\00:27:38.85
"His eyes were
like a flame of fire,
00:27:38.89\00:27:41.46
and on his head
were many crowns;
00:27:41.49\00:27:44.06
he had a name written,
00:27:44.09\00:27:45.79
that no one
knew, except Himself. "
00:27:45.83\00:27:48.90
Friends, this is the
same Jesus who we saw,
00:27:48.93\00:27:52.43
walking through the candlesticks
00:27:52.47\00:27:53.84
when he was ministering
to the seven churches there
00:27:53.87\00:27:56.94
at the very
beginning of the book.
00:27:56.97\00:27:58.31
He is the same Jesus
00:27:58.34\00:28:00.28
who has tenderly, lovingly
cared for His church bride
00:28:00.31\00:28:04.88
in every age of human
history and He says to us...
00:28:04.91\00:28:09.42
He presents Himself to us,
rather, as One who sees all,
00:28:09.45\00:28:12.95
knows all and rules all, amen
00:28:12.99\00:28:16.39
and he is
wearing so many crowns,
00:28:16.42\00:28:19.79
John can't even count them.
00:28:19.83\00:28:21.16
You know, that's
interesting because the beast...
00:28:21.20\00:28:23.87
we're told how many crowns
the beast and the dragon wear
00:28:23.93\00:28:27.70
John can count
them, there's ten there,
00:28:27.77\00:28:29.54
but when he looks at Jesus,
00:28:29.57\00:28:31.07
there are so many
crowns, he cannot count them.
00:28:31.14\00:28:33.78
By the way, there are two words
for crown in the New Testament,
00:28:33.81\00:28:37.71
One is Stephanos,
which is a victor's crown,
00:28:37.75\00:28:40.95
this is what is
promised to those who overcome
00:28:40.98\00:28:43.89
in the book of Revelation,
if we are overcomers,
00:28:43.92\00:28:46.79
Jesus will give to
us the victor's crown
00:28:46.86\00:28:49.32
and the other is a "Diadem"
which speaks of a royal crown
00:28:49.39\00:28:53.53
and guess what,
Jesus wears both.
00:28:53.56\00:28:55.46
He wears both the
Stephanos and the Royal Crown
00:28:55.50\00:28:59.63
because He overcame the evil one
00:28:59.67\00:29:01.94
and it is because He
overcame the evil one,
00:29:01.97\00:29:04.97
that we too can overcome.
00:29:05.01\00:29:07.01
When I do this,
you can say, "Amen. "
00:29:07.04\00:29:09.91
So, amen... He overcame.
00:29:09.94\00:29:14.02
Now, what is this about
the name that nobody knows?
00:29:14.05\00:29:17.72
Obviously, I don't know it
so I can't tell you what it is
00:29:17.75\00:29:20.42
but listen to this...
reminds me of a story.
00:29:20.46\00:29:23.16
When the angel of the
Lord met the parents of Samson,
00:29:23.19\00:29:27.50
the Bible tells us that Manoah
said in Judges 13:17 and 18,
00:29:27.53\00:29:32.67
Manoah said to
him, "What is your name,
00:29:32.73\00:29:35.10
that when your words come
to pass, we may honor you?"
00:29:35.14\00:29:38.81
And the angel of the Lord
said to him... " in verse 18,
00:29:38.84\00:29:43.28
"Why do you ask me my
name, seeing it is wonderful?"
00:29:43.35\00:29:47.68
That is, if I were to translate
that a little differently,
00:29:47.72\00:29:51.29
"It is too wonderful
for you to understand. "
00:29:51.32\00:29:54.69
Friends, there are
aspects of God's character.
00:29:54.72\00:29:58.36
Christ's character
which are too wonderful for us
00:29:58.39\00:30:02.00
to even begin to understand.
00:30:02.03\00:30:04.57
He's more than wonderful.
00:30:04.60\00:30:07.07
Jesus is better
than the best thoughts
00:30:07.14\00:30:09.74
that you have ever had of Him,
00:30:09.77\00:30:11.11
He's more wonderful
than my mind can conceive,
00:30:11.14\00:30:14.11
He's more wonderful
than my heart can believe,
00:30:14.14\00:30:17.05
He goes beyond my highest
hopes and fondest dreams,
00:30:17.08\00:30:20.48
He's everything that
my soul ever longed for...
00:30:20.52\00:30:23.65
everything He's
promised and so much more...
00:30:23.69\00:30:26.76
that's what
Jesus is to all of us
00:30:26.79\00:30:29.09
and by the way, to the
overcomers, He even says,
00:30:29.12\00:30:34.03
that I will give to them a
new name which no one knows.
00:30:34.06\00:30:37.57
Beautiful.
00:30:37.63\00:30:38.97
So He comes, He
is faithful and true,
00:30:39.00\00:30:41.30
our groom comes
and He has a name
00:30:41.34\00:30:43.61
which is too wonderful
for us to even comprehend.
00:30:43.64\00:30:46.17
He's better than
our wildest dreams
00:30:46.21\00:30:48.74
and our highest imaginations,
00:30:48.78\00:30:50.55
and more than that,
notice what it says in verse 13,
00:30:50.58\00:30:54.25
it says, "He was clothed
with a robe dipped in blood:
00:30:54.28\00:30:57.92
and His name is
called The Word of God.
00:30:57.95\00:31:00.59
And the armies in
heaven clothed in fine linen,
00:31:00.62\00:31:03.86
white and clean
followed Him on white horses.
00:31:03.89\00:31:06.80
Now, out of His
mouth goes a sharp sword
00:31:06.83\00:31:09.66
and with it... that with it
He should strike the nations:
00:31:09.70\00:31:12.37
and He Himself will
rule them with a rod of iron:
00:31:12.40\00:31:15.84
He Himself treads the winepress
of the fierceness and the wrath
00:31:15.87\00:31:19.94
of Almighty God. "
00:31:19.97\00:31:21.48
How many grooms do you know
00:31:21.51\00:31:23.45
that when they show
up to their wedding,
00:31:23.51\00:31:26.01
they come with an army?
00:31:26.05\00:31:27.82
Pause.
00:31:27.88\00:31:29.22
That's what Jesus
does when He comes back
00:31:29.25\00:31:31.95
and even Enoch...
00:31:31.99\00:31:33.32
the only recorded
words of Enoch in the Bible,
00:31:33.36\00:31:35.56
in the book of Jude,
he said... the Bible says,
00:31:35.59\00:31:38.09
"Enoch, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied about these things
00:31:38.19\00:31:41.80
saying, "Behold, the Lord comes
00:31:41.86\00:31:44.20
with ten
thousand of His saints. "
00:31:44.23\00:31:46.50
There's something
almost ruggedly handsome
00:31:46.53\00:31:49.64
about Jesus returning
with the armies of heaven...
00:31:49.67\00:31:52.57
all the angels of
heaven and the Bible telling us
00:31:52.61\00:31:55.48
that His robe
is dipped in blood.
00:31:55.51\00:31:57.85
You say, "Charissa, this
doesn't sound handsome to me. "
00:31:57.88\00:32:01.15
Well, let me just share with
you the devotional application
00:32:01.18\00:32:03.89
I take from this.
00:32:03.92\00:32:05.39
When I was in Primary
School, I was bullied quite bad,
00:32:05.42\00:32:09.02
so bad that I
dreaded going to school.
00:32:09.09\00:32:12.29
I would cry... I'd come
home and I'd beg my mom,
00:32:12.33\00:32:16.06
"Please, don't send
me back to that place,
00:32:16.10\00:32:18.50
I don't want to see
those... those people again. "
00:32:18.53\00:32:21.24
And my mom would hug
me... she would comfort me,
00:32:21.27\00:32:23.84
my sister would
come... she would comfort me
00:32:23.87\00:32:26.37
and speak consoling words to me,
00:32:26.44\00:32:28.61
and when my dad
walked by the room
00:32:28.64\00:32:30.75
and he saw me sitting
there crying... being comforted,
00:32:30.78\00:32:33.75
and he said,
"What's the matter?"
00:32:33.78\00:32:35.12
We told him...
00:32:35.15\00:32:36.75
and my dad's response
was always very simple,
00:32:36.79\00:32:39.29
always the same...
00:32:39.32\00:32:40.66
he wanted to know their name,
00:32:40.69\00:32:42.02
what they looked
like and where they lived.
00:32:42.06\00:32:44.09
Laughter...
00:32:44.13\00:32:45.46
He was read to fight for me,
00:32:45.49\00:32:47.13
when I see Jesus
here in this passage,
00:32:47.16\00:32:49.80
I see Him pictured
00:32:49.83\00:32:51.27
not as someone who's not
been doing anything for us,
00:32:51.30\00:32:53.87
but as someone who's engaged
00:32:53.94\00:32:56.04
in the conflict of
battle with sin for us
00:32:56.10\00:32:59.04
to save us, to
rescue us, to fight for us
00:32:59.07\00:33:01.94
and any time that... in
the process of Jewish wedding,
00:33:01.98\00:33:06.21
while the groom was away
preparing a place for the bride,
00:33:06.25\00:33:10.45
and the bride is
waiting for the groom to come,
00:33:10.49\00:33:12.65
if at any time in that process,
00:33:12.69\00:33:15.19
the bride
started to get worried...
00:33:15.22\00:33:17.53
started to
distrust... maybe think...
00:33:17.56\00:33:19.66
"Maybe he won't
come back for me. "
00:33:19.69\00:33:21.66
Guess what she could do?
00:33:21.70\00:33:23.03
She could go to
the local synagogue
00:33:23.06\00:33:25.23
and pull out the
Ketubah... contract
00:33:25.27\00:33:27.50
and she could open it and
she could read the promises
00:33:27.54\00:33:31.51
that her groom had made to her.
00:33:31.54\00:33:33.91
Has God left to us a Ketubah?
00:33:33.94\00:33:36.21
God has left to us
promises in His Word,
00:33:36.24\00:33:40.32
He'll keep them...
00:33:40.35\00:33:41.68
whenever we feel
like we can't make it,
00:33:41.72\00:33:43.99
read God's Word.
00:33:44.05\00:33:45.39
Whenever we feel
like we're abandoned,
00:33:45.42\00:33:47.56
read the promise
that He made to you here
00:33:47.59\00:33:49.79
where He said, "I will never
leave you nor forsake you. "
00:33:49.82\00:33:53.40
God keeps His promises...
He's faithful and He is true
00:33:53.43\00:33:56.97
and here, John sees
Him, not only with that name
00:33:57.00\00:34:00.64
and the name that nobody knows,
00:34:00.67\00:34:02.74
he sees Him here
as the Word of God
00:34:02.77\00:34:04.77
and we know from the Word
that God's Word is powerful.
00:34:04.81\00:34:08.74
Jesus speaks and
the waves are stilled,
00:34:08.78\00:34:11.55
He speaks and a
fig tree withers,
00:34:11.58\00:34:13.95
He speaks and soldiers
are knocked off their feet,
00:34:13.98\00:34:17.19
He speaks and
the dead come forth,
00:34:17.22\00:34:20.26
and when the Word of God
comes, when Jesus comes...
00:34:20.29\00:34:23.69
that He will speak and
the dead in Christ will rise
00:34:23.73\00:34:26.53
amen,
00:34:26.56\00:34:27.90
so we see, there is
power in God's Word,
00:34:27.93\00:34:30.37
the Bible says,
00:34:30.40\00:34:31.73
"By His Word were
the heavens made. "
00:34:31.77\00:34:34.40
So, beloved Church,
and I can call you that
00:34:34.47\00:34:37.74
because you are
His beloved bride,
00:34:37.77\00:34:40.18
read God's Word...
study God's Word...
00:34:40.21\00:34:42.58
claim the promises
therein, love it and share it...
00:34:42.61\00:34:46.21
because when we do that,
00:34:46.25\00:34:47.88
this Word is a
living and a powerful thing
00:34:47.92\00:34:50.22
an extension of Himself
and it will change our lives
00:34:50.25\00:34:53.79
pause...
00:34:53.82\00:34:56.69
but it gets even
better than that,
00:34:56.73\00:34:58.06
He's faithful and true,
00:34:58.09\00:35:00.36
He has a name
too wonderful for us.
00:35:00.40\00:35:02.96
He's the Word of God
but look at how this ends
00:35:03.00\00:35:07.14
in verse 16.
00:35:07.17\00:35:08.50
It says, "And He has on
His robe and on His thigh
00:35:08.54\00:35:13.04
a name written, King of
kings and Lord of lords. "
00:35:13.07\00:35:17.51
I don't think John slept very
well after he saw this vision.
00:35:17.55\00:35:23.02
If I were him, I think I'd
be awake for a very long time.
00:35:23.05\00:35:28.56
You know, the composition
of Handel's Messiah...
00:35:28.59\00:35:32.79
it took him just 24 days
to compose the whole thing.
00:35:32.83\00:35:36.56
Isn't that amazing?
00:35:36.60\00:35:37.97
It's a remarkable piece of work
00:35:38.03\00:35:39.67
and the highlight of that work,
00:35:39.73\00:35:41.54
perhaps its most famous part,
00:35:41.57\00:35:43.91
is Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.
00:35:43.97\00:35:45.97
I love the Hallelujah chorus,
00:35:46.04\00:35:47.98
They play it at the
Sydney Adventist Hospital,
00:35:48.01\00:35:50.71
"Carols by
Candlelight" at Christmas time
00:35:50.75\00:35:52.95
and you see fireworks in the air
00:35:52.98\00:35:55.62
and you hear the
Hallelujah Chorus coming
00:35:55.65\00:35:57.55
and it's like a little foretaste
of the coming of Jesus...
00:35:57.59\00:36:00.96
that's what it feels like,
00:36:01.02\00:36:02.36
but one day,
according to the accounts,
00:36:02.39\00:36:04.43
after Handel was
writing his Handel's Messiah,
00:36:04.46\00:36:08.20
an Attendant of his was
looking for him in his house,
00:36:08.23\00:36:11.17
called out to
him... no response...
00:36:11.20\00:36:13.80
and so, finally
the Attendant comes...
00:36:13.84\00:36:16.40
opens the door to
Handel's Office... Study...
00:36:16.44\00:36:19.31
where he was working
00:36:19.34\00:36:20.81
and he finds Handel with
tears streaming down his cheeks
00:36:20.84\00:36:24.31
and he says,
"What's the matter?"
00:36:24.35\00:36:25.68
And Handel held up
the Hallelujah Chorus...
00:36:25.71\00:36:28.32
the score he had
just finished writing
00:36:28.35\00:36:31.12
and he said this, "I did
think I saw heaven opened
00:36:31.15\00:36:35.86
and did see the face of God. "
00:36:35.89\00:36:37.89
Pause...
00:36:37.93\00:36:39.76
John... sees heaven opened
and he sees the face of God
00:36:39.79\00:36:45.43
and he sees Him
coming back as King of Kings
00:36:45.47\00:36:48.17
and Lord of Lords
00:36:48.20\00:36:49.54
and if John was a
wedding photographer,
00:36:49.57\00:36:51.77
he would make a good one
00:36:51.81\00:36:53.14
because he
doesn't miss any detail
00:36:53.17\00:36:54.61
he even catches that
the name on His thigh
00:36:54.64\00:36:57.65
matches the name on the robe,
00:36:57.68\00:36:59.15
this is not someone else's robe,
this robe belongs to Jesus.
00:36:59.18\00:37:04.22
This is a picture of a
Covenant-keeping God as well,
00:37:04.25\00:37:07.66
if you look at the
story in Genesis 24,
00:37:07.69\00:37:10.76
but listen, there are many kings
00:37:10.79\00:37:12.99
but He is the King
of all those kings.
00:37:13.06\00:37:15.43
There are many Lords
00:37:15.46\00:37:17.23
but He is the Lord
of all those lords.
00:37:17.27\00:37:19.63
Did you know that the
admirers of Charlemagne...
00:37:19.67\00:37:23.44
the great Charles the Great,
00:37:23.47\00:37:25.54
they sat his
corpse up in its grave,
00:37:25.57\00:37:28.81
they crowned him with a crown...
00:37:28.84\00:37:30.91
put a scepter in
his bloodless fingers
00:37:30.95\00:37:33.88
and they said... this was
their way of honoring a king.
00:37:33.92\00:37:37.42
Friends, when Jesus
comes back, He's a living King.
00:37:37.45\00:37:40.96
He is the King of
kings and Lord of lords...
00:37:40.99\00:37:44.09
He's God's Son...
He's the sinner's Savior
00:37:44.13\00:37:47.20
He's honest...
He's unparalleled...
00:37:47.26\00:37:49.76
He's the miracle of the ages,
00:37:49.80\00:37:51.73
He is able to
supply all of our needs
00:37:51.80\00:37:54.20
everything that
we have ever needed,
00:37:54.24\00:37:56.60
His hand has provided,
00:37:56.64\00:37:58.44
He's available for
the tempted and the tried,
00:37:58.47\00:38:01.24
He forgives, He
saves, He sympathizes,
00:38:01.28\00:38:04.61
He delivers... He
defends... He blesses the young,
00:38:04.65\00:38:08.05
He blesses the old...
He serves the unfortunate,
00:38:08.08\00:38:11.45
He beautifies the
meek, this is our King.
00:38:11.49\00:38:14.86
He's the King of kings
and the thundering hoofbeats
00:38:14.89\00:38:19.83
in the book of
Revelation in chapter 19
00:38:19.89\00:38:22.66
tells us of a White Horse
Rider who is heaven's bridegroom
00:38:22.73\00:38:26.97
and He loves us more
than we can ever know.
00:38:27.04\00:38:30.21
When we accepted
the proposal of Jesus,
00:38:30.24\00:38:33.34
when we accept Him
and His love for us
00:38:33.38\00:38:36.41
and we accept Him as our
Savior, everything changes.
00:38:36.44\00:38:39.68
So, we can say,
"Ride on King Jesus,
00:38:39.71\00:38:42.58
no man shall hinder Thee. "
00:38:42.62\00:38:44.59
All heaven is excited
about the coming climax
00:38:44.65\00:38:48.59
of this romance of the ages
between Christ and His people
00:38:48.62\00:38:52.69
His church... it's all it had...
00:38:52.73\00:38:55.13
He's coming soon.
00:38:55.16\00:38:56.50
The marriage supper
of the Lamb, He's coming
00:38:56.53\00:38:59.20
and an eternal honeymoon awaits.
00:38:59.23\00:39:01.94
This is the wedding
of the ages, friends,
00:39:01.97\00:39:04.97
and it's not far away.
00:39:05.01\00:39:06.64
I'm excited about it today.
00:39:06.68\00:39:08.81
This isn't fake news
that I'm sharing with you.
00:39:08.84\00:39:11.98
It's true, it's faithful,
00:39:12.01\00:39:14.12
it's as real as the
Bible you hold in your hands.
00:39:14.15\00:39:16.85
There's no budget
constraints to this wedding,
00:39:16.89\00:39:19.52
there's no guest-list
limitations to this wedding.
00:39:19.55\00:39:22.89
Prince Harry... Meghan
Markle had a beautiful wedding.
00:39:22.92\00:39:26.19
Apparently, they spent an excess
of 50 million Australian dollars
00:39:26.23\00:39:30.27
on their wedding...
00:39:30.30\00:39:31.83
it was beautiful...
00:39:31.87\00:39:33.34
hey, don't be amazed...
00:39:33.37\00:39:34.80
this wedding's
going to break the bank...
00:39:34.84\00:39:36.97
it's going to be more
amazing than that wedding...
00:39:37.01\00:39:40.51
a billion times
more spectacular.
00:39:40.54\00:39:42.91
Friends, the groom is ready,
00:39:42.94\00:39:44.65
the armies of heaven are
ready, the place is ready.
00:39:44.68\00:39:49.82
The meal is ready.
00:39:49.85\00:39:52.42
The decorations are
ready, can't wait to see...
00:39:52.45\00:39:55.26
choir is ready...
but what about the bride?
00:39:55.29\00:39:58.06
There's no
wedding without a bride
00:39:58.19\00:40:01.23
and I'm a bride-to-be right now
00:40:01.26\00:40:04.20
and my question when I
read this passage is this,
00:40:04.23\00:40:08.17
"How do you prepare to
meet a groom like that?"
00:40:08.20\00:40:12.07
I had a nightmare
before I was engaged.
00:40:12.11\00:40:15.34
I had a nightmare
once and it said...
00:40:15.38\00:40:18.55
in my dream I dreamt
that I was decorating a church
00:40:18.58\00:40:22.02
for my wedding
00:40:22.05\00:40:23.39
and everything was in place
00:40:23.42\00:40:26.29
and after I finished
the final decoration,
00:40:26.35\00:40:29.52
I realized that I had
forgotten to get a dress
00:40:29.56\00:40:32.43
and I remember I
woke up in a cold sweat...
00:40:32.49\00:40:35.46
it was the terrible
realization to come to.
00:40:35.50\00:40:38.43
What would it be to not be ready
00:40:38.50\00:40:41.84
to meet the
bridegroom of heaven?
00:40:41.87\00:40:45.14
What would it be to not be
ready to meet our royal groom?
00:40:45.17\00:40:50.71
Well, we're still in
Revelation 19, just go back...
00:40:50.75\00:40:54.02
look at what it
says again in verse 7
00:40:54.05\00:40:56.55
and we'll read
through to verse 9.
00:40:56.58\00:40:58.79
The Bible says, "Let
us be glad and rejoice
00:40:58.85\00:41:03.06
and give Him glory!
00:41:03.09\00:41:04.73
For the marriage
of the Lamb has come,
00:41:04.76\00:41:07.73
and his wife has
made herself ready.
00:41:07.76\00:41:10.63
And to her it was granted
to be arrayed in fine linen,
00:41:10.67\00:41:15.14
clean and bright
00:41:15.20\00:41:16.54
for the fine linen is the
righteous acts of the saints.
00:41:16.57\00:41:20.38
Then he said to me,
00:41:20.41\00:41:22.08
'Write, blessed are
those who are called
00:41:22.14\00:41:24.15
to the marriage
supper of the Lamb!'
00:41:24.18\00:41:26.18
and He said to me these words,
00:41:26.21\00:41:29.58
'These are true
saints of God. '"
00:41:29.62\00:41:32.75
Friends, there are only two
women in the book of Revelation,
00:41:32.82\00:41:36.89
and it's not hard to
tell which one is the bride.
00:41:36.93\00:41:40.73
She looks like a bride...
she's radiant... she's glowing,
00:41:40.76\00:41:45.73
she looks so beautiful in white.
00:41:45.77\00:41:48.70
When the Bible says
00:41:48.74\00:41:50.91
that the garment is the
righteous acts of the saints,
00:41:50.94\00:41:54.01
it means that God's
bride... His church...
00:41:54.04\00:41:57.88
will develop a character
that is like their Lord's...
00:41:57.91\00:42:02.88
that is like her groom's
00:42:02.92\00:42:05.05
to make her ready to
spend an eternity with Him
00:42:05.09\00:42:09.22
but can we manufacture
a character like Jesus?
00:42:09.26\00:42:13.36
No... our best
attempts are embarrassing
00:42:13.40\00:42:18.00
so, listen to this,
00:42:18.03\00:42:19.73
it just keeps getting better
00:42:19.77\00:42:21.74
because the word in
the Greek for "granted"
00:42:21.77\00:42:24.71
actually means, "given. "
00:42:24.74\00:42:26.81
It's given...
00:42:26.84\00:42:28.81
the white robes
are not self-made
00:42:28.84\00:42:31.05
purchased on eBay
00:42:31.08\00:42:33.35
or supplied by any
other wedding shop,
00:42:33.38\00:42:37.72
they're supplied by Jesus.
00:42:37.75\00:42:39.89
Audience: Amen.
00:42:39.95\00:42:41.29
And given to the redeemed.
00:42:41.32\00:42:43.19
He does it all...
00:42:43.22\00:42:44.56
He paid the price...
He's paid the bride price...
00:42:44.59\00:42:47.90
He has prepared a place
00:42:47.93\00:42:50.17
and now we find, He
provides the garment too.
00:42:50.23\00:42:53.60
He is the One who presents
us faultless before His glory
00:42:53.64\00:42:57.71
with exceeding joy.
00:42:57.74\00:42:59.07
He is the One who
washes us whiter than snow,
00:42:59.11\00:43:03.01
how does He do it?
00:43:03.04\00:43:04.55
Little detour
because I like detours...
00:43:04.58\00:43:08.45
Joni Eareckson
Tada... you familiar with her?
00:43:08.48\00:43:11.65
I was reading
about what she said
00:43:11.72\00:43:15.62
about the day she got married
00:43:15.66\00:43:16.99
and for those of
you who don't know,
00:43:17.03\00:43:18.36
Joni Eareckson Tada
dived into shallow water
00:43:18.39\00:43:21.63
when she was a teenager
and became a quadriplegic.
00:43:21.66\00:43:24.40
When I was a teenager,
her testimony... her story
00:43:24.43\00:43:27.10
was very impactful on me
00:43:27.14\00:43:28.60
and this is what she
says about her wedding,
00:43:28.64\00:43:31.21
I'm just going to read it
here because she says it well.
00:43:31.27\00:43:34.94
She said, "I felt awkward as
my girlfriend strained to shift
00:43:34.98\00:43:38.61
my paralyzed body into
a cumbersome wedding gown.
00:43:38.65\00:43:41.98
No amount of
corseting and binding my body
00:43:42.02\00:43:45.09
gave me a perfect shape.
00:43:45.12\00:43:46.45
The dress just
didn't fit well and then,
00:43:46.49\00:43:48.92
as I was
wheeling into the church,
00:43:48.96\00:43:50.93
I glanced down and noticed,
00:43:50.96\00:43:52.29
I'd actually run
over the hem of my dress
00:43:52.33\00:43:54.70
leaving a greasy tire mark.
00:43:54.73\00:43:56.83
My paralyzed hands couldn't
hold the bouquet of daisies
00:43:56.87\00:44:00.24
that lay off-center in my lap
00:44:00.27\00:44:02.04
and my chair, though
decorated beautifully,
00:44:02.07\00:44:05.17
was still a big,
clunky, crane machine
00:44:05.21\00:44:07.98
with belts and
gears and ball bearings.
00:44:08.01\00:44:10.05
I didn't feel like
the picture-perfect bride
00:44:10.08\00:44:13.08
in a bridal magazine.
00:44:13.11\00:44:14.45
I inched my chair
close to the last pew
00:44:14.48\00:44:17.29
to catch a glimpse
of Ken in the front.
00:44:17.32\00:44:20.36
There he was,
standing tall and stately
00:44:20.39\00:44:23.43
in his formal attire.
00:44:23.46\00:44:24.79
I saw him looking for me,
00:44:24.83\00:44:27.53
craning his neck
to look up the aisle,
00:44:27.56\00:44:30.27
my face flushed
00:44:30.30\00:44:32.57
and I suddenly
couldn't wait to be with him.
00:44:32.60\00:44:35.30
I had seen my beloved.
00:44:35.34\00:44:37.17
The love in Ken's face
00:44:37.21\00:44:38.97
had washed away all my
feelings of unworthiness.
00:44:39.01\00:44:41.64
I was his pure
and perfect bride.
00:44:41.68\00:44:44.25
How easy it is for us to think
that we are utterly unlovely
00:44:44.28\00:44:49.12
especially to
someone as lovely as Jesus
00:44:49.18\00:44:52.29
but He loves us with the bright
eyes of a bridegroom's love
00:44:52.32\00:44:55.92
and cannot wait for the day
00:44:55.99\00:44:57.53
until we are
united with Him forever. "
00:44:57.56\00:44:59.79
The reason I took that detour
00:44:59.83\00:45:02.76
was because when I
asked the question,
00:45:02.80\00:45:04.73
"How do we prepare to
meet a bridegroom like Jesus?"
00:45:04.77\00:45:07.90
There's one step
in a Jewish wedding
00:45:07.94\00:45:09.97
that I
deliberately skipped over,
00:45:10.01\00:45:11.97
and that is this, as
part of the betrothal,
00:45:12.01\00:45:15.44
before the bridegroom...
00:45:15.48\00:45:17.31
but when the bridegroom would
leave, he would send a gift...
00:45:17.35\00:45:20.72
a betrothal gift to his bride
00:45:20.75\00:45:23.69
again, as a promise
that he would come again...
00:45:23.72\00:45:26.59
a token of his
love and a promise
00:45:26.62\00:45:28.36
that he would be coming back.
00:45:28.39\00:45:30.73
Did Jesus leave us any gift?
00:45:30.76\00:45:33.73
He gave to us the Holy Spirit
00:45:33.80\00:45:36.67
and what is the
purpose of the Holy Spirit?
00:45:36.73\00:45:40.44
To empower us and to
teach us to live for Jesus
00:45:40.47\00:45:44.14
and to be like Jesus.
00:45:44.17\00:45:45.77
He's the One who changes us.
00:45:45.81\00:45:47.61
When I surrender my life to Him,
00:45:47.64\00:45:49.68
He does all the changing
that needs to take place
00:45:49.74\00:45:52.48
from the inside
00:45:52.51\00:45:53.85
so that I will be ready to meet
my bridegroom on the outside,
00:45:53.88\00:45:57.05
amen.
00:45:57.09\00:45:58.42
Have your surrendered
your heart to Jesus today?
00:45:58.45\00:46:02.36
Have you allowed... are
you allowing the Holy Spirit
00:46:02.39\00:46:06.39
to work in your heart day by day
00:46:06.49\00:46:08.66
so that you will be ready
to meet heaven's bridegroom.
00:46:08.73\00:46:12.07
When we are filled
with the Holy Spirit,
00:46:12.13\00:46:14.20
the fruit of the Spirit
will be seen in our lives
00:46:14.24\00:46:17.21
and the righteous
acts of the saints.
00:46:17.27\00:46:19.11
That's the fine linen that
is spoken of here in our text.
00:46:19.14\00:46:22.54
Friends, Jesus is our
Ephesians 5 Bridegroom
00:46:22.58\00:46:26.48
coming back to
our Proverbs 31 bride
00:46:26.51\00:46:29.45
and I find this all
personally very overwhelming.
00:46:29.48\00:46:33.19
When we commit
our lives to Jesus,
00:46:33.22\00:46:35.96
we become part of His
bride... part of His church.
00:46:35.99\00:46:39.46
The King of kings
is not just a King,
00:46:39.49\00:46:42.10
He's an engaged King
00:46:42.13\00:46:44.23
and soon, He will
be a married King.
00:46:44.27\00:46:46.40
So, I've got news for you today,
00:46:46.43\00:46:48.54
we're all getting married.
00:46:48.57\00:46:50.17
By God's grace we'll be
married to the King of kings...
00:46:50.21\00:46:54.74
all of us... to Jesus.
00:46:54.78\00:46:56.38
With earnest longing, Christ
desires to bring us to His home,
00:46:56.41\00:47:00.75
to share forever with us.
00:47:00.78\00:47:03.02
We are engaged to Him but
are we fully engaged to Him?
00:47:03.05\00:47:06.52
Let me read to you this quote
from the Spirit of Prophecy,
00:47:06.55\00:47:09.96
she says, "The
church is the bride,
00:47:09.99\00:47:12.99
the Lamb's wife.
00:47:13.03\00:47:14.36
She should keep
herself pure, sanctified, holy.
00:47:14.40\00:47:18.13
Never should she
indulge in any foolishness;
00:47:18.17\00:47:21.97
for she is the
bride of a King. "
00:47:22.00\00:47:25.07
Listen to this,
00:47:25.11\00:47:26.74
"Yet, she does not realize
her exalted position... "
00:47:26.78\00:47:29.91
and here is the best part...
00:47:29.94\00:47:32.31
"if she understood this,
00:47:32.35\00:47:34.58
she would be
all-glorious within. "
00:47:34.62\00:47:38.42
Huh, this all can change
our experience with Jesus
00:47:38.45\00:47:43.19
because we are
loved by a warrior groom
00:47:43.22\00:47:46.96
who is faithful and true...
00:47:47.00\00:47:49.00
more wonderful than
we can ever comprehend.
00:47:49.03\00:47:52.13
He is the Word of
God, the King of kings
00:47:52.17\00:47:55.20
and one day, by God's
grace, if we surrender to Him,
00:47:55.24\00:47:58.47
day by day, we will
see Him face to face.
00:47:58.51\00:48:01.74
Revelation 19 invites
us to think about something
00:48:01.78\00:48:05.65
more than our Facebook
accounts, more than our studies,
00:48:05.68\00:48:08.32
more than our
degrees and our work,
00:48:08.35\00:48:11.15
it invites us to remember
00:48:11.19\00:48:12.89
that we ought to be
preparing for a royal wedding.
00:48:12.92\00:48:15.96
Pause.
00:48:15.99\00:48:17.33
John saw it... imagine it...
00:48:17.36\00:48:19.49
the coming
conqueror of conquerors,
00:48:19.89\00:48:21.96
coming down with the ranks
upon ranks of heaven's army
00:48:22.00\00:48:25.97
riding down the
pathways of light...
00:48:26.00\00:48:28.57
past galaxies and
systems and worlds unknown,
00:48:28.60\00:48:31.81
coming to this
earth to claim His bride
00:48:31.84\00:48:35.04
and take her home,
it's a beautiful picture.
00:48:35.08\00:48:37.55
Tell me a more
wonderful picture than this.
00:48:37.58\00:48:39.98
Truly the high
point of human history
00:48:40.02\00:48:43.15
will be the appearance of
the captain of our salvation
00:48:43.18\00:48:46.69
on the field of battle.
00:48:46.76\00:48:48.32
Audience: Amen.
00:48:48.39\00:48:49.72
Beloved Church,
00:48:49.76\00:48:51.09
momentous times are ahead of us,
00:48:51.13\00:48:53.50
you read about it here
in the Bible's last book.
00:48:53.53\00:48:56.16
Does Jesus have your heart?
00:48:56.20\00:48:58.60
Because He loves you.
00:48:58.63\00:48:59.97
This is why today and every day,
00:49:00.00\00:49:02.24
you and I must embrace
the victory of the cross
00:49:02.27\00:49:05.64
and surrender our
lives and our hearts to Him
00:49:05.67\00:49:09.01
who is the lover of our souls.
00:49:09.04\00:49:11.21
He conquered by His love today
00:49:11.25\00:49:13.38
so you'll be ready to be
taken with Him when He comes.
00:49:13.42\00:49:17.82
This defeat to be
conquered by the love of God
00:49:17.85\00:49:21.46
is a blessed defeat
if there ever was one.
00:49:21.52\00:49:24.93
There is nothing
better... nothing sweeter
00:49:24.96\00:49:28.30
than to be shipwrecked on
God and stranded on omnipotence.
00:49:28.33\00:49:33.07
So Friend, when
things aren't going your way,
00:49:33.10\00:49:36.20
trust that God
would lead you through,
00:49:36.24\00:49:39.41
He will make a way
through the disappointment.
00:49:39.44\00:49:41.98
Pause.
00:49:42.04\00:49:44.05
When death seems to
gain the upper hand,
00:49:44.08\00:49:46.61
trust that your groom...
God... He will bring you through
00:49:46.65\00:49:51.22
and He will bring life
00:49:51.25\00:49:53.15
when people
disappoint and fail you.
00:49:53.22\00:49:57.26
Trust that your heavenly
bridegroom will never fail you,
00:49:57.29\00:50:02.80
He has never failed us yet.
00:50:02.83\00:50:04.97
When you don't
see God at work...
00:50:05.00\00:50:08.20
pray... rest in His peace
00:50:08.24\00:50:12.57
and know that your
heavenly bridegroom...
00:50:12.61\00:50:15.58
He knows all about it.
00:50:15.64\00:50:17.18
Jesus' final words in the book
of Revelation is simply this,
00:50:17.21\00:50:21.82
He says,
"Surely, I come quickly. "
00:50:21.85\00:50:25.35
And what is John's response?
00:50:25.39\00:50:27.22
I love it how he says it,
00:50:27.26\00:50:29.02
He says, "Amen, even
so, come, Lord Jesus.
00:50:29.06\00:50:33.43
The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all. Amen. "
00:50:33.46\00:50:37.07
After John has just
seen heaven's bridegroom,
00:50:37.10\00:50:40.80
seen the place that
the bridegroom has prepared
00:50:40.84\00:50:44.67
for His bride,
00:50:44.71\00:50:46.04
all that's left
to say is, "Amen...
00:50:46.07\00:50:49.11
and even so, come, Lord Jesus. "
00:50:49.14\00:50:52.35
Has this picture of
Jesus encouraged you today?
00:50:52.38\00:50:56.79
Audience: Amen.
00:50:56.82\00:50:58.15
It encourages me,
00:50:58.19\00:50:59.52
I look on the
church differently now,
00:50:59.55\00:51:01.36
I see her as a bride waiting for
her lover... for Jesus Christ
00:51:01.39\00:51:06.59
and there is no
greater lover than Jesus.
00:51:06.63\00:51:09.36
So, do you want to be
ready for Him when He comes?
00:51:09.40\00:51:12.10
Then, beloved
church, let's be prepared
00:51:12.13\00:51:15.14
and let's allow the Holy Spirit
00:51:15.17\00:51:17.47
to do whatever it
takes in our hearts
00:51:17.51\00:51:19.54
so that we'll be ready
to see Jesus, let's pray,
00:51:19.57\00:51:22.31
"Our loving Father in heaven,
00:51:22.34\00:51:25.55
we thank you so much
00:51:25.61\00:51:27.68
that You are the
lover of our souls
00:51:27.75\00:51:30.69
and You have faithfully,
tirelessly pursued our hearts
00:51:30.72\00:51:35.92
and Lord, today as we
have seen Your love again,
00:51:35.96\00:51:39.56
we see what You have promised,
we see all that You have done,
00:51:39.59\00:51:42.96
our hearts have been
conquered by Your love,
00:51:43.00\00:51:45.80
we want to be
ready when Jesus comes,
00:51:45.83\00:51:48.57
make us a captive to Your love,
00:51:48.60\00:51:50.67
and so, Lord, as
we pray this prayer,
00:51:50.71\00:51:53.71
I invite the Holy
Spirit to come into my heart,
00:51:53.78\00:51:57.55
and I pray that everybody
here with their heads bowed
00:51:57.58\00:52:00.68
would do the same,
00:52:00.72\00:52:02.05
that we would
allow the Holy Spirit
00:52:02.08\00:52:03.92
to come into our lives,
You didn't leave us orphans,
00:52:03.95\00:52:06.92
You sent to us the comforter
so that we would never be alone
00:52:06.96\00:52:10.46
and so that we could
make us to be more like You,
00:52:10.49\00:52:13.26
so Lord, we give You permission
00:52:13.29\00:52:15.33
to work in our
hearts and to change them,
00:52:15.36\00:52:18.00
so that when Jesus comes...
our heavenly bridegroom...
00:52:18.03\00:52:21.97
we'll look up and
we'll be ready to meet Him,
00:52:22.00\00:52:24.74
until that day, Lord,
keep us faithful is our prayer,
00:52:24.77\00:52:29.01
You've been so faithful to us,
00:52:29.04\00:52:31.51
all we want to do
is be faithful to you,
00:52:31.55\00:52:34.58
so give us the
strength to do that,
00:52:34.62\00:52:36.58
we pray in Jesus' name, amen. "
00:52:36.62\00:52:38.35
Audience: Amen.
00:52:38.39\00:52:43.86
Piano...
00:52:43.89\00:52:50.87
more piano...
00:52:50.90\00:53:08.88
some more piano...
00:53:08.92\00:53:26.90
Hallelujah...
00:53:26.94\00:53:30.94
Hallelujah... hallelujah...
00:53:30.97\00:53:34.44
our God reigns...
00:53:34.48\00:53:38.31
Hallelujah...
00:53:38.35\00:53:41.58
Hallelujah
00:53:41.62\00:53:44.79
Hallelujah, hallelujah
00:53:44.85\00:53:48.56
And He shall reign forever.
00:53:48.59\00:53:52.69
Piano...
00:53:52.73\00:54:13.38
And He shall reign...
00:54:13.42\00:54:23.43
And He shall reign forever...
00:54:23.46\00:54:28.76
Hallelujah, hallelujah
00:54:28.80\00:54:34.74
Hallelujah, Hallelujah...
00:54:34.77\00:54:39.87
And he shall reign forever.
00:54:39.91\00:54:44.98
Hallelujah...
00:54:45.01\00:54:48.12
Hallelujah,
00:54:48.15\00:54:51.15
Hallelujah... Hallelujah
00:54:51.19\00:54:55.82
And He shall reign forever.
00:54:55.86\00:55:00.46
Piano...
00:55:00.50\00:55:39.17
Hallelujah...
00:55:39.23\00:55:41.04
Hallelujah
00:55:41.07\00:55:42.84
Hallelujah, Hallelujah...
00:55:42.87\00:55:46.47
And He shall reign forever.
00:55:46.51\00:55:50.11
Hallelujah...
00:55:50.15\00:55:52.35
Hallelujah, hallelujah...
00:55:52.38\00:55:57.72
Hallelujah...
00:55:57.75\00:56:00.59
And He shall reign forevermore.
00:56:00.62\00:56:06.80
Piano.
00:56:06.83\00:57:16.70