The Kingdom No.8 The Grande Finale

My God is my rock in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands.

Number 176, let's start for a minute. Faithful God, faithful God, my strong, dear Lord. Faithful God, faithful God, my strong, dear Lord.

Good evening, everyone. It's nice to see you all again. If I look at you a bit strangely, you have to excuse me.

I haven't seen so many white faces for such a long time. This evening's reading is taken from Revelation chapter 11 and verses 15 to 19. Revelation 11, 15 to 19.

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven which said, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever. And the 24 elders who were seated on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying, We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry and your wrath has come.

The time has come for judging the dead and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great, and for destroying those who destroy the earth. Then God's temple in heaven was opened and within the temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumbles, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

Amen. Let's just listen to the tune of majesty being played and then we'll stand and sing this glorious anthem. Christ Jesus, the King! In his majesty! Jesus, the God! How glorified! Christ in his majesty! His spirit flows with power! Christ Jesus, the King! In his majesty! Jesus, the God! The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever.

Then God's temple in heaven was opened and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. Father, make the meditation upon your word. And link into what already we've heard in terms of testimony of dedication and in terms of some of the majestic praise which we've been singing.

That brings honor to your son who has made it possible for people like ourselves to be in a relationship with you. Amen. Do be seated.

I want you to have your Bibles open and it's important that you do so at the book of Revelation in chapter 11. Glad to have Gustav back with us and he read from the 15th through to the 19th verses. Also it's a sheer delight as Alan said as he skillfully brought that interview together to have Ben and Winsome.

I don't know why we always save it until people have gone to be with the Lord to give a tribute. But they're two of the biggest people that I've met in the kingdom of God. And I thank the Lord for times with them out in Turkana and opportunities when our lives have crossed during these years of working together within the Africa Inland Mission.

I want to read to you some supplementary verses. For in the book of Exodus references made to the fashioning of the Ark of the Covenant. The 37th chapter for example you get some information about this.

A man by the name of Bezalel made the Ark of Acacia wood. This is Exodus 37. Two and a half cubits long a cubit and a half wide and a cubit and a half high.

He overlaid it with pure gold both inside and out and made a gold molding around it. He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet with two rings on one side. Then he made poles of Acacia wood and overlaid them with gold and he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the Ark to carry it.

He made the atonement covered of pure gold two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. Then he made two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. He made one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other.

At the two ends he made them of one piece with the cover. The cherubim had their wings spread upwards overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim faced one another looking towards the cover.

And you will read in the Old Testament scriptures in comparable passages to that one. And some of you will already know of this through the mythology that Hollywood spun around the Ark of the Covenant. That object was actually central to the sanctuary and to the temple which were built in Old Testament times as places where as far as the latter was concerned the tabernacle, the people would erect their portable temple and worship the Lord.

And in the center was the Ark of the Covenant where God met with the people once a year. When the tabernacle gave way to the permanent structure, the edifice of the temple in Jerusalem, again the Ark of the Covenant, that most sacred utensil, that most precious piece of furniture, was placed in a compartment known as the Holy of Holies. And only once a year the high priest was able to go through the curtain that partitioned the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary and he would take some blood and he would daub blood on the top of the Ark of the Covenant known as the mercy seat.

And the people would believe that there in his grace and in his mercy God had forgiven their sins. Now you need to have that in mind or else you'll not make any sense at all of this chapter which commands our attention in a moment or two. There's a man who I used to know in the States by the name of Dr. Ray Stedman.

He went home to be with the Lord, slipped into glory just a few months ago. A great Bible teacher, well respected throughout the evangelical churches in the USA. And he wrote a book which I have on my library shelves entitled, What on Earth is Gonna Happen? That's a colloquial expression which means to say it's a local expression.

I mean by that you may be going through a disastrous time, maybe you've lost your job, maybe your health is impaired, maybe you've got trouble in your marriage and you come home or you go off onto the towns or somewhere where you can be on your own and you perhaps say something like that. What on earth is gonna happen? But it's not need to be a local expression. That is it's not need to refer to just a personal situation.

You can flesh it out and you can take it as it runs literally in the English language. What on earth is going to happen? And if you're a thinking person and you've got the cogs of the brain just moving a little, there is surely no question that springs to mind with more forcefulness than this one when you consider just, well, the state of events of today. I mean, for example, Maastricht and all that's been going on in Edinburgh.

If you're as clueless as I am, then you need to ask, what is gonna happen? Or maybe the news filtered through, surely it did, as far as you were concerned about India and the problem that they've had with that holy mount as far as Hinduism and Islam is concerned for so long when both these religious groups have clamored for that site and as a result of the destruction of a mosque, there has not only been the loss of life to the degree of several hundred people in the subcontinent itself but around the Islamic world, not excluding Great Britain. We have seen something of the force of Islam pitting itself against what is perhaps an even greater force, that of Hinduism. And you wonder, at the religious level, what is gonna happen? Or maybe, and surely because you're thinking people, I can't really believe that anyone attends church on a night like this when they could be watching the box or some other useless occupation, that you don't think.

You come here because you're thinking people, so this cannot have bypassed your attention whether you're 17 or 17. Yugoslavia. We could almost pray for the resurrection of Marshal Tito because at least it's a little better in his day.

With Serbia and Croatia tearing the guts out of these particular groups within what was once Yugoslavia and bestiality the like of which we, those of us who are older, has a semblance of what went on in Buchenwald and Belsen during the Nazi period. And we ask ourselves, if the human psyche is capable of such barbaric acts in Europe in the latter part of the 19th century, the latter part of the 20th century, then what on earth will ultimately happen? Or because again, sustaining the fact that you're thinking people, you must have had at least a tinge of satisfaction to know that there is a force in Somalia that has as its objective getting food to hungry people. But why did it take so long? And if we're slow when the famine is middling to serious, what will we do when it's at calamity level in North Africa? And if Hollywood got it right that one day the hungry and unfed therefore and the unclosed of Africa and of Asia, the have-nots march against the West, the haves, then how on earth will we repulse so many billions of people? It was Willy Brandt and Edward Heath who warned of the great catastrophe of the divide between the prosperous countries and those who are not prosperous.

And warned that that could be the beginnings of one of the mightiest clashes within the human race of all time. What on earth is going to happen? George Frederick Handel is, as far as I'm concerned, one of the greatest, if not the greatest composer that this country has known. On one occasion this spiritual man went into his attic and there he had a glimpse of the glory of God.

He was given some perception as to the grandeur and the might and the wonder of the Lord. And into his mind were poured scriptures which he linked together and he wrote the great oratorio known as the Messiah. Most people will perhaps say that of the anthems the superlative one is the Hallelujah Chorus.

But actually I prefer that anthem which has as its trigger off point the verse that I read again in our prayers. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever. The Bible tells you this, that the whole process of human history is locked into the purposes of God.

If you were to glance back in the Bible to the book of Ephesians, the letter which Paul wrote to that Christian community in that Greek city, you will see that in the first chapter he speaks in the ninth verse of the mystery of God's will. And he says running over to the tenth verse, God will bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. The babe who was born in Bethlehem's manger incognito is actually the Lord of glory.

And the reason why he stepped into this world is to demonstrate the fact that actually history lies within the palms of God. It is not capricious, it is not Marxist. I mean by the latter that it's not just controlled by economic circumstances.

The myth of Marxism has been laid bare within the recent history of each one of us here. But the Bible tells us this, that history consists, as I've been trying to teach on a Sunday morning, butchers by Pastor Tim's comments as well, history consists of two actions. There is the history which God permits and there is the history which God promotes.

God promoted his son coming into this world. God will promote his son coming back to this world. And in between these great events of history, of which there are others that I could give you example of, God allows certain things to happen.

His permissions. But in both the Old Testament and in the New Testament, time and time again, the psalmists and the prophets and the apostles will tell people who read the letters or the books that flow from their pen or from their lips to consider the end. For example, here's the psalmist in the 37th Psalm.

And he speaks most grippingly about the lot of the righteous. And he compares that with the situation of the unrighteous. In the 37th verse of the 37th Psalm, Consider the blameless, observe the upright.

There is a future for the man of peace. But all sinners will be destroyed. The future of the wicked will be cut off.

Here is the psalmist again in the 73rd Psalm, probably not the same author as the 37th. He's got a problem. He doesn't understand why it is that evil men sometimes prosper and get all the food and control all the power.

And then the righteous, and particularly himself, seem to be unfortunate and passed by as far as the benevolence of God is concerned. In the 17th verse he says, I enter the sanctuary of God. Then I understood.

Listen. Their final destiny. You see what I mean? I'm talking about the end.

The end not only of life lived by the individual, but the end of this world. Our beloved Lord said that there are two paths. The narrow path, which leads to life everlasting.

And the broad way, which leads to eternal destruction. And if you put together the warnings of our beloved Savior, He says, Consider your end. Have in mind where life is taking you to.

When you read through the epistle to the Hebrews, time and time again, reference is made to today. Today being the day of opportunity. Today when it's possible for you to change course, to change direction in your life.

Today is the day of opportunity. Now, the present, this very moment, is a moment of grace. But tomorrow, that could bring in what the Bible calls the day.

And when you find that in the capital letter T and the capital letter D, what it is referring to is the terminus, the omega point. The point beyond which there is no other point in terms of life that we have known. This side of eternity.

Our beloved Lord says, Of that day, no man knows but the Father. But that day will as surely dawn, as did the day when the Christ child was placed by his mother in the cot in Bethlehem's manger. And our Lord warned.

He warned against that day. For it is the terminus of human history. It is the breaking point.

Beyond it, there is no opportunity of salvation. Before it, there is the day of grace. What will happen on that day? Well, the grand finale.

As far as our blessed Lord is concerned. This is what the eleventh chapter of the book of Revelation is saying. Not so.

The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. And he will reign forever and ever. What on earth is going to happen? I'll tell you.

The world will be returned to its pristine glory. How it was when it fell fresh from the hands of God. With every trace of sin taken away.

Eden will be regained. Paradise will be restored. The purposes and the glory of God will be intact.

To this end, our Lord Jesus came into the world. Now, is it not the case, therefore somebody will argue. That our blessed Lord Jesus reigns today.

In one sense, it is true. He does reign. He reigns through his church.

He reigns within the lives of people who were singing some of these hymns. Which may have seemed sickly sentimental. To those of you who are not in a living relationship with him.

Because how can you declare your love for someone that you don't know? You see, people who are Christian. Have gone through a great change. At a lesser level, I was talking about change in our home the other day.

The tremendous difference that it made to my life in going to India. Being exposed to the third world situation. We're talking about the way that change sometimes comes.

Eric Harmer, in one of his typical offbeat remarks. Said that he went through a global change. When he went on a day trip to Dieppe.

Got a vision from the third world. For the third world in his trip. But joking aside.

A person who has become a Christian has changed. He's moved from the kingdom of the world. To the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Because as our studies have shown us. On a Sunday evening, when Jesus came. He came preaching the gospel of the kingdom.

You read that in Mark's gospel. People came along and they listened to what he had to say. And Jesus, when he teaches the sermon on the mount.

Which you find in the gospel of Matthew. And also some of it in the gospel of Luke. He addresses his remarks to those who want to move from the world in which they live.

Where they have been. Or think they have been in control. Into the world where Jesus is in control.

Because there is a spiritual world. That exists within this world. And the Bible says it doesn't really matter whether you're an American or a Russian.

Whether you're British or whether you're Chinese. The line of demarcation is this. Are you a member of the kingdom which Jesus has founded? Or are you not? If you go to Paul speaking to the Colossians.

At least writing to the Colossians. He makes reference to the finished work of our Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. By finished I mean the way in which our Saviour made it possible for people like you and me.

To become Christians. And this is how he describes it. Speaking of our Lord.

Colossians 1.13. The apostle Paul. He, our Lord Jesus, has rescued us from the dominion of darkness. And brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves.

In whom we have redemption. The forgiveness of sins. He's brought us from the kingdom of darkness.

You may not have described your life in that particular phraseology. But nonetheless this is what the Bible speaks of when it describes the experience of the unbeliever. You see, the Bible tells us this.

And there are so many scriptures which just come to my mind at the moment. I can't get them all out quickly enough. It tells us that the world in which we live is actually controlled by the evil one.

You read John's Gospel. John's Epistle. Which makes reference to this.

We know that the whole world lieth in the hands of the evil one. Verse 19 of the fifth chapter of the first letter. And so the people who do not belong to our Lord Jesus.

Are those who, whether they acknowledge it or not. Find themselves under the influence of Satan. Another Bible tells us that when our Lord Jesus returns.

Those people are going to be in a very embarrassing situation. Look at the 16th verse of Revelation 11. For there you've got the representative number 24.

24 elders who are now depicted as seeing the last day. And they're glad that this has happened. The 24 elders, well they represent the 12 patriarchs of the Old Testament.

The 12 sons of Jacob. And the 12 apostles. In other words, here is the redeemed community of the Old Testament and the New Testament.

And they know that the day has come. When our Lord Jesus Christ's honour. Shall be made visible.

Throughout the universe. And so they fall on their faces and they worship. And they thank the Lord.

Look at verse 16. 17. We give thanks to you Lord God Almighty.

The one who is and who was. Because you have taken your great power. And have begun to reign.

Now not everyone will appreciate that. A quoting from Psalm 2. Where we're told about the heathen raging. So references here made to the nations who are angry.

Those who have tried to live their lives as though they were in control of their own testimony. Their own destiny. Well the time has come.

For your wrath to be deflected. Directed. Towards them.

When the finale comes. The dead who have lived before. As well as those who are alive at that time.

Shall be judged. And what is more. The righteous people.

The prophets of the Old Testament. The saints of the New Testament era. All those who reverence the name of the Lord.

Insignificant and known. They all will be brought before his judgment throne. That's what's going to happen.

On the last day. The Bible declares it emphatically. In the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

That's why sometimes the writers seem to stand both ways. They talk about the day of the Lord. And the wrath and the judgment that's going to be poured out.

On the other hand they talk about the day of Christ. And John says even so come quickly Lord Jesus. What in the finale of all things.

Will make that day a pleasant day. Or an unpleasant day. Well.

John tells us in the 19th verse. Heaven is opened. Symbolically he speaks of seeing the temple.

In eternity. And in the heart of the temple there is what? You guessed it. The Ark of the Covenant.

You see the point? I'm back where I was 25 minutes ago. Why did I take you to the Ark of the Covenant? Well I was showing you that. When such a piece of furniture was built on earth.

And placed in the tabernacle. And then in the temple. It became the most sacred object in Jewish worship.

Because there the Jews believed. That God would meet with them once a year. There the blood of the sacrifice was placed on the mercy seat.

There they came before the Lord. To receive his forgiveness and his pardon. Now when Jesus came into this world.

How did he come? He came as a Savior seeking sinners. And ultimately he's done to death. On the cross of Calvary.

And something remarkable happened. Synchronizing with the death of our beloved Lord. In the temple.

In the heart of Jerusalem. The curtain. That covered this most holy piece of furniture was torn.

From top to bottom. And you don't need to have much initiative to realize this. That on that cross.

And in that temple. God was conjoining two things. He was saying that the Ark of the Covenant.

So revered in Judaism. Has been taken from the seclusion of the holy place. And has been paraded before the hostile eyes.

And become the butt of the abusive comments. Of sinful men. Who have asked for the death of Jesus Christ.

What the Ark of the Covenant was in the temple. So our Lord fulfilled in terms of his person. And his achievements.

The Ark of the Covenant. The mercy seat. Is none other than our beloved Lord.

And when John on the Isle of Patmos. Sees the last day. He penetrates heaven.

As the curtains are unfurled. And he sees the Ark there. In all its glory.

In all its splendor. Depicting the compassionate heart of God. Who makes it possible for sinful people.

Of every generation. Of every race. To move from the kingdom of darkness.

Into the kingdom of light. From the dominion of Satan. Under the authority of his own beloved son.

And on the last day. For folk who are so prepared. There is great rejoicing.

And great jubilation. But the flashes of lightning. And rumbles.

And peals of thunder. And earthquake. And hailstorm.

Always used in the book of the Revelation. To depict the judgment of God. That is directed towards the unbeliever.

What on earth. Is going to happen. Jesus Christ.

Shall return. In great power. And great glory.

Consider the end. Says the Psalmist. Consider the end.

Says our beloved Lord. This is. The finale.

Beyond which there is nothing else. In terms of an offer of forgiveness. It is.

The Omega Point. But the possibility right now. Is for you to make your peace.

With this God. And enter into the joy. Of sins forgiven.

Becoming a member of his kingdom. And singing with full-throated enthusiasm. Now.

Worthy is the lamb. Who was slain. In anticipation of the day.

When the kingdoms of this world. Shall become the kingdoms of his Christ. And he shall reign.

Forever. And ever. Let's bow our heads in prayer.

And I'd like those. Looking after the overheads. To find the hymn.

Tis the church. T-I-S. Tis the church.

Triumphant singing. Beloved God. We come before your holy throne.

We thank you for this night. For an opportunity of worshipping you. But we pray that each one of us here.

Might have had confirmed by your spirit. The fact that our sins are forgiven. And that whatever the outcome of.

Events in our world. However the hostilities may increase. And the confusion be made worse.

To know that our eternal destiny. Is secure. And until that time.

Help us as brother Ben. Told us in his testimony to be. To act as salt that savers.

And light that illuminates. Help us to live as members of your kingdom. In a world which.

Is so often darkened. By the influence of Satan. Lord grant your salvation.

Blessing to all within this church. And can help us to get our. Priorities right.

In the way that we live our lives. For Jesus sake. Amen.

Tis the church. Triumphant singing. Worthy of the lamb.

It's 154. In a. Song supplement. And it's on the overheads for the majority of you.

To. Triumphant singing. Worthy of the lamb.

And crowned with praises. Singing. Worthy of the lamb.

Halt. Halt. Before him.

Let us sing. With voices standing. In salvation.

Worthy of the lamb. Halt. Let us sing.

In salvation. Worthy of the lamb. Halt.

Before him. Let us sing. With voices.