Let me just make, before we get started, because I don't want to forget, let me just make a few announcements. The next order of things, there's three things. We're actually busy this time of year. I'm usually not away this often, but on October 30th, so the 29th through the 30th, there is a conference in Louisville, Arkansas that I've been invited to preach at and Most of us are going down there, so I don't have anyone to preach here. So we're not going to have services on the 30th of October. Got that, Judy? I don't want you to show up and then be like, where is everybody? So yeah, October 30th, we won't have services, unless something changes, but I don't see that yet, it's a little close. Then the other thing, we just found out today, we thought that we had escaped the spaghetti dinner at this place this year, but they just put this out that on Sunday, November 6th, right during our time slot, they are having a spaghetti dinner. Yeah, yeah, it might be a little rowdy, but yeah. I mean, I guess that's another option. We could always try and come in way earlier, but I think they're going to be preparing. It's going to be really tough. So what we do in that case is we usually get the library over there right behind the McDonald's, is that? Yeah, so there's a little library, a nice library there of Nixa. That's where we're going to meet in one of the side rooms. It did happen one time where they did not unlock the doors for us. They didn't show up. So if that happens, then we'll maybe go somewhere. But that's, we'll know that in the first hour. So if you give me your number. If you're going to come in the second hour, Judy, just give me your phone number and I'll text you if there's any issues with that. I can do that. So again, so next, no, next Sunday we're here. All's good. Lord willing, we're here. Then there's the conference, so no services here. And then the sixth will be in the other place. And then we come back for a normal service. No, we don't. Then it's the conference. So in this one, and I'm going to give this to you, there's our conference schedule of the 12th and the 13th for November, and who the speakers are. They're all gospel, faithful gospel pastors, and they preach the gospel to everyone gathered here together. So I'll give you this one. So you have this schedule there. Oh, thanks. I appreciate it. And then, I think, is my number in there? I don't even remember. I'm going to let you up. And again, I totally did not go live, so I'll have to tell my mother. Yeah, you're good. Let's begin our second service by standing and singing 209, grace greater than our sin. 209. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt, Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was shed, Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin. Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, Threaten the soul with infinite loss. Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, Points to the refuge, the mighty cross. Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin. Dark is a stain that we cannot hide. What can avail to wash it away? Look, there is flowing a crimson tide. Whiter than snow you may be today. Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin. ♪ Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace ♪ ♪ Freely bestowed on all who believe ♪ ♪ You that are longing to see his face ♪ ♪ Will you this moment his grace receive ♪ ♪ Grace, grace, grace ♪ God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin. Thank you. Caught me by surprise. I thought I had all the verses. Sometimes it's nice to do acapella. Morning, everybody. I'm going to read Ezekiel 19. Ezekiel 19 Moreover take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel and say what is thy mother a lioness? She laid down among the lions. She nourished her whelps Among the young lions and she brought up one of her whelps and it became a young lion and learned to catch the prey it devoured men and The nations also heard of him. He was taken in their pit and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. Now when she saw that she had waited and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps and made him a young lion. And when he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion and learned to catch the prey and devoured men. And he knew their desolate palaces and he laid waste their cities and the land was desolate and the fullness thereof by the noise of his roaring. Then the nation set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him. He was taken in their pit. And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel. Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters. She was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. And she had strong rods for the scepters of them that bear rule. And her stature was exalted among thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches. But she was plucked up in a fury. She was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit. Her strong rods were broken and withered and the fire consumed them And now she is planted in the wilderness in a dry and thirsty ground The fire is gone out of a rod of her branches which had devoured her fruit So that she has no strong So she has no strong rod to be a separate rule. This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation Father we come to you again thankful this morning for having a place to come and worship. And Father, we're also thankful that you have given us optional places to go when it's necessary so the message can continue to be preached regardless of where we meet. And Father, we are thankful to have our pastor back. We're thankful you got him to Montana and back safely. And Father, we ask that when we travel to Darvins that you give us traveling mercies and get us there safely and back. Lord, we are just so looking forward to an opportunity to hear the gospel from men we haven't seen in a long time and some men we've never met. Father, we just ask that it be a good time of fellowship. Lord, we also ask that you watch over our conference coming up, Lord, that you bring those men in safely, and that you make it again another good time of fellowship with some friends we haven't seen in a while. Lord, we just continue to ask that you raise this congregation up to the size that you want it to be, whether it be 10 or 10,000. Lord, we just ask that you continue to help us grow, and we ask that you always continue to watch over our pastor as he struggles to study and put the messages together. And Lord, we just ask that you continue to watch over and care for us in Christ's name. As you remain sitting, let's sing 314. I am thine, O Lord. 3-14. Sorry, I got the wrong one here. Here we go, let's try this one. I know, Lord, I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me. But I long to rise in the arms of faith, and be closer drawn to Thee. Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died. Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side. Prosecrate me now to thy service, Lord, by the power of grace divine. Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, and my will be lost in thine. Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died. Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side. O the pure delight of a single hour that before thy throne I spend. When I kneel in prayer and with thee, my God, I commune as friend with friend. Nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died. Come ye nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side. There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea. There are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with thee. Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died. Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side. Thank you. Boy, I love that last verse. There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea. There are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with thee. Yeah. Look forward to that day. We shall see him as he is. Okay, brethren, let's go back to Genesis chapter one. Genesis 1, our text being verses 14 through 19. It's the fourth day. While you're turning there, I want to repeat a few things that we declared in the first hour. That all of creation declares Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Each day of description is a declaration of the gospel whereby the Lord Jesus Christ has reconciled his people unto himself. I won't go into as much detail as we did in the first one on this, but we see the summary of creation so far. Day one, we see a picture, a type, declaring Jesus Christ come in the flesh. He is the light of men. He is the life of his people. Day two, we saw declared the death of Christ as the sin atoning sacrifice whereby he made a covering. That firmament pictures the covering of the Lord Jesus Christ in whom we have life. Day three, we see that appearing of the land which declares to us the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. When that land came up out of the watery grave, it declared the Lord Jesus Christ is risen, that we are justified of the Father in Christ. And day four, we see the ascension or exaltation of Christ. And that was our focus in the last study. And we saw also there a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the husband of his bride. He is the bridegroom. He is the son. The son pictures him. It looks to him. It points to him. And we, as the moon, the church, is a reflection of his light and his glory being declared in the earth. Now this hour we're going to focus more so on the sun, the moon, and the stars as witnesses of Christ's light. As we said, when Christ ascended to the Father, when he returned to the throne, He did not leave himself without a witness in the earth. In the same way that the sun and the moon and the stars were given as a witness of that light which God brought forth on day one, so Christ has not left us without a witness but has given us many witnesses which all testify of the Lord Jesus Christ. So that we are given the Holy Spirit And what does the Spirit do? He testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has completed his word. We have the Old Testament and the New Testament, completed by the apostles. And what does that do? It testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he has brought together his body, the church, gathered them together in one, What does the Church do? She testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's given witnesses to his people to call them out of darkness and to bring them into the light and salvation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And so these are what's declared on the fourth day. Let's read our text now with this in mind, verses 14 Genesis 1 14-19 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament, in that covering of the heaven, to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth, and it was so. And now we see almost a repetition of what was said. Verse 16, And God made two great lights, and the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. I've titled this message, Not Without a Witness. So let's see now the sun and the moon and the stars which are spoken of in verse 16. Before we get there I just want to cover some language used in verses 14 and 15 that I want to highlight because they do show forth, they do declare the work of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the hearts of you his people who now by his glory and power do believe him and trust him. Let's read first verse 14. Just verse 14, and God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years. All right, so these lights, we're told, were given to divide the day from the night. One of the ways that our Lord shows his glorious power in our hearts is to divide us, to separate us unto his light and power. Dividing us from the darkness which we have inherited in Adam. enmity which is in our hearts by nature. Christ has divided us from that enmity that we might be reconciled, to reconcile us to the Father and to give us fellowship with our God. And so His love separates His people out from that death and darkness and brings us into light and to the life that our God has freely given His child in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Savior even said when He spoke to those Jews, yet in darkness, He said, follow me. He said, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. He shall have life. He shall have light. He will not walk in darkness, because God's power is what drew him out of the darkness, and it's God's power which gives him life and preserves him in that life, so that he beholds the Son. No longer is he trusting in the yoke of bondage to save him, he is now trusting in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ who has provided everything for him. And so the scriptures speak of our Savior calling Him the Day Star. the day star which scatters the night, scatters the darkness, driving it from his people, and he rises in the hearts of his people who behold the servant of God, who look to him and believe him. Turn over to John 12. Let's see this in John 12, and we'll pick up in verse 35, and we'll work our way down to verse 41. So John 12, 35, here he is, the light of men, the light, the life, and he's speaking what the Father sent him to declare. Then Jesus said unto them, he's speaking to the unbelieving Jews, yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light. He is there in the flesh. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light. While Christ is here in the flesh, he is saying, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus. and departed, and did hide himself from them. So we see here a division which Christ makes. There were a people who heard Christ and they followed Him. Those eleven disciples and the few others which heard Christ and followed Him, it's because He had done a work of grace in their heart. And we see here that left to ourselves this nature is so corrupt, so vile. So unbelieving and will not hear the truth that left to ourselves, we will not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We need a work of grace, the power of God working in us to deliver us from the bondage of death and sin and darkness and ruin. And it's only by the grace of God in the Son, Jesus Christ. There were many others there. But Christ left them, and He did hide Himself from them, rather than delivering them from darkness. And we see, Lord, that's not what You did for me. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for your grace. Otherwise, I, too, would have been left right there in that prison, shut up to the things of God. I never would have heard you. I never would have believed you. I never would have followed you. I would have stayed right there. It's all to the praise and glory of His grace done for sinners of His choosing. He says, verse 37, back there in John 12, 37, but though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him. You see, he did those works before them, not in them. That's the difference that he's made in you. He's done this work of grace, the miracle of grace in giving you life, working that in your heart. Working that in you, whereby you do believe in Him. And so again, we see it. Who makes the difference? God makes the difference in you. He makes the difference. Stay right there in John 12, or hold your finger there, but let's go over to 2 Corinthians. I just wanna show you this, and then we're gonna come back to John 12. 2 Corinthians 4, starting in verse 3. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 3 through verse 6. Paul says, we're preaching the gospel to every man. We're preaching it to all. And he says, but if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. They're kept in that blindness, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. What Paul is saying right there in verse 5 is, we're not preaching the flesh. If we preach the flesh, if we preached works in the flesh, you'd hear us. All would hear us. They'd have no problem with that. Man doesn't mind when you tell him what to do for God, what he can do for to save himself. Man has no problem with that. But no, we don't preach ourselves. We preach Christ Jesus, the Lord. He is salvation. We exalt him. We lift up the banner of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he draws out whom he will from death and darkness. For God, here's the power, for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And that harkens back to what? the creation, God who brought light out of nothing, the uncreated light, and brought it to bear on that dark world, showing that God would be gracious to a people there. That's what the Lord does in our hearts. Where there's nothing but darkness, he shines the light of Christ there and gives light and power in our hearts. All right now, so let's go back and Christ says it right, well he brings it out here in John 12, John 12, 38 now. Why did this happen? Why were they shut up and why did Christ depart and hide himself? That the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, and he was led by the Spirit and wrote as the Spirit led him, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed. because salvation is a revelation. It's a revelation of God's power and grace in dead sinners, giving them life, making them to hear and to believe. Therefore, because God didn't reveal it to them, they could not believe because that Isaiah said again, he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted or turned and I should heal them. These things said Isaiah when he saw Christ's glory and spake of him. Which refers back to Isaiah 6 if you want to go and read it later today. Isaiah 6 when Isaiah, being a religious man, And he was a very religious man. He had already started preaching the word. But then one day came, and he saw Christ seated on the throne, his train filling the room, so that there's no other kings, no other lords, but the Lord Jesus Christ alone. That fits there. And Isaiah, seeing, beholding Christ. And I think this would be true when we see him. He saw his sin. He then saw what a sinner he was and cried out, I am a man of unclean lips. I was so religious. I thought I knew so much and then I saw the Lord and I knew right then and there my lips are unclean and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips and he trembled. And he was afraid, and he feared. And that's what the Lord does for every sinner whom he saves. He makes us to see, I'm the sinner. How can I stand before the holy, true, and living God? God, have mercy on me. And the Lord did that, right? He took the coal off the altar, the altar being Christ, the coal being Christ, and touched his lips. and he was cleansed of his sin and could stand before God and serve him. Now, there's a time and a season. We see this also in the language there where it says, let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years. There's a time and a season when God's sovereign power and glory will come upon a sinner in the time of his choosing, in the day of his grace for them. And they'll live when he brings that salvation they shall live and they will cry out Lord Help me Have mercy on me Lord don't pass me by as blind Bartimaeus cried Lord don't pass me by save me help me save me give me sight Lord and Everyone who ever cried to the Lord for help and mercy, he never turned them away. What a comfort. Everyone who ever said, Lord, help me, he helped everyone because it was his grace that drew them sweetly to himself to behold, I need him. He's the one and the only one that can save me. Lord, save me. And he helped everyone. Now back in Genesis 1.15 we're told there, Genesis 1.15, and let them be for lights in the firmament, a light in the firmament of the heaven, a light in that atonement which Christ has made to give light upon the earth and it was so. When our Lord and Savior was here in the flesh, He shone above the brightness of the sun for glory. And yet man left to himself. He refused to hear Him. He didn't believe Him, and He took Him and crucified Him, thinking He was doing what He would do. But it was all according to the will and purpose of God, to do for His people what they could not do, to make an atonement for their sins and so we see the wisdom and power of God and this wisdom is justified of all her children who do hear and who do believe because the power and grace of God is working mightily in chosen sinners whom he will be gracious to and merciful to and giving them life and so when Christ ascended right when the light When the light returned to the Father, there was darkness in the earth. That light was gone and there was darkness in the earth, but he did not leave himself without a witness. And so we read in 1 Thessalonians 5, 4 and 5, so that he, brethren, are not in darkness. You are not left in darkness. That day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness. Why? Because God has divided us. He has separated out whom He willed and brings them into a knowledge of the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done in putting away your sins and making you righteous in Himself to stand faultless before the throne of Holy God. And so we declare this Savior, this salvation, because there is no other Savior, there is no other salvation, we declare Him. And Peter tells us in 2 Peter 2.19, we have also a more sure word of prophecy. Whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawns. till the Lord Jesus Christ is raised in your heart and the day star arise in your hearts. Hear the word. Where else could you be? Where else could you go? There's no other salvation being declared but where the Lord gathers his people to hear this word that they be fed with the bread of heaven because he and he alone is salvation. He is the nourisher, the giver, the provider, the life giver. He's all and made all unto his children, unto his sheep. Now, this is the witness which our Lord has given us and we see this in the lightbearers. Let's read 16 through 19 once more now. work our way through this half. And God made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, that would be the sun, and the lesser light to rule the night, there's the moon. He made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. and the evening and the morning were the fourth day. And so the sense here is that God did not leave himself without a light bearer, without light bearers to bear witness of the light of God, to continue to declare God's purpose to be gracious and merciful to a people here on this planet, which he had made. When that light came, it said, God has a purpose here. If He left it in darkness, that couldn't be said, but He brought forth that uncreated light to show that He will be gracious whom He will be gracious, and show compassion upon whom He will be compassionate, and to be merciful to whom He will be merciful." And so what do we see here being pictured in these lightbearers? The sense is that they show us the witnesses which the Son has given to His people to shine light upon the earth, to give a light to show us our God, to declare and turn us to the Lord Jesus Christ. For example, He gave His Holy Spirit to give you life. In Galatians 1 verse 2 it describes the earth being void having no form, being void, and in darkness. And so Christ gives the Holy Spirit, who comes and gives life to his people, which is filling that void, because there was no spiritual life in us in Adam. When we sinned in Adam, we died spiritually. We were void of all spiritual life. The Spirit is given. who takes the seed of Christ the incorruptible seed of Christ and gives life to his people whereby in that new man we do believe and call out upon him and trust him and so that void is filled and he completed the written word by his apostles so that by this word there's light shining in the darkness there's a light declaring our God and Savior and We see him gathering together his church through the preaching of the gospel so that they are gathered together by Christ and formed into a body, the body of Christ. He filled the void, made a body, and gave them light. driving away all that wrath of God which rested upon the earth before that light came. And so these light bearers are witnesses to give light upon the earth. And every one of them testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only do we see two great lights which show us Christ and his church, but here we also see types. The first one we'll look at is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost. Our Lord said in John 16, verse seven. Let's go to John 16. Let's just see it. John 16, verse seven. He said to his disciples, nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient, or it's profitable for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you." Okay, now look at John 15. John 15, verse 26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. He testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's by the Spirit poured out upon us that baptism of the Spirit whereby I do see and believe the Lord Jesus Christ. Without the Spirit I have no life. Ye must be born again. And that's not something I do for myself. That's the gift of God. That's the grace of God pouring out his spirit upon whom he will, causing them to live, to breathe, to hear, to confess, and to cry out, the Lord Jesus Christ is my all. That's the baptism. You confess along with all his saints, not my righteousness, Lord, not my works, Don't receive me in what I've done, receive me in Christ. He's all my salvation. He's all my hope, all my righteousness. I have nothing apart from Him. And so that's what the Holy Spirit does. He testifies of Christ. No, don't look to the law. No, don't look to your works. Look to Christ. Don't look to your sin. Don't look to those things. Look to Christ. Trust Him. Follow Him. He leads thee into all light, into all righteousness. Follow Him. Stay upon Him. And so, again, that first day, how do I describe that light that God brought forth on the first day when God said, let there be light? And it never says that God made the light on that first day. He said, let there be light, and there was light. God brought forth that uncreated, eternal light, the Son of God upon the creation. How do I describe it? How do I understand it? Well, the Lord gives us the Holy Spirit who gives us an understanding and light to see and to behold who the Savior is and what he has done for me, a sinner. We see him, right? It says, of Christ who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to whom be honor and power everlasting, Amen. So there's a mystery here about that light, isn't there? Just as there's a mystery about the Lord Jesus Christ until he is made known and revealed to you. Before then you may be religious, but all Jesus is then is just a religious figure. It's just another, another trinket in the good charms of man's fleshly religion. But when the power comes and gives you life, then you behold, wait a minute, he's everything. Christ is all. Colossians 3.11, Christ is all and in all. And so we see here that on the first day, that light, all I do know, all that is said in the scriptures is that that light allowed there to be an evening and a morning. And every day there was an evening and a morning. And while that seems like a mystery to me, now I can look up in the sky and I can see the sun and I can see how this thing works where there's an evening and a morning each and every day. He's given us a witness of how that was, when he would appear and hide himself, and appear and hide himself. And so it is that we have this witness, and that's what the scriptures tell us about the Spirit. He shall testify of me. Though you're in darkness, the Spirit will testify of the Lord Jesus Christ and bring you out of that darkness into the light to hear what Christ has accomplished for His people. When I see the sun, I see the brightness of incredible light, and I have an understanding that things do live and grow. Just the other day, I had a plant in a pot outside, and I heard that there's coming a fierce cold wind. I think it's tonight that's going to just frost and kill things if you leave them out there. Bring them in. But if you bring them into the garage and you forget about them, they're going to die. Put them in a window where there's sunlight. And we have an understanding of that. Well, so it is that Christ is the light. He is the warmth. He is the power that gives life to His people. Without Christ, you will die in your sins. He is the Savior. Look to Him. Stay in Him. Call out, Lord, keep me. because so many hear for a time and fall away. Lord, keep my wandering heart ever looking to your Savior, to your Son, ever looking to you, Lord. And so it is that the Spirit does that very thing, regenerating you, giving you life to look to the Son. And he gives you that power in the day of his power, and you believe. And we see this, how the Lord does it. We see in the wintertime things die, And then in the spring, they come back. I have a garden bed out there, and I don't have to plant Swiss chard anymore. It just comes back each year. Same thing with kale. It just comes out of the ground, out of nothing. Suddenly it pops up and starts growing and getting bigger. That's what our Savior does. We are dead in trespasses and sins, but when He gives life, He springs that life forth, and fruit comes, born of the Spirit, unto our God, to His praise and glory. declaring, this is the work of my son. So the spirit is given in the day of grace, the day of grace. Next, we have the moon, picture of the moon. And the moon here is a type of the scriptures. What do I mean by that? All scripture testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Savior said to the Jews, the unbelieving Jews, in John 539, he said, search the scriptures. Why? Because in them you think you have eternal life. But here's what you're missing. The scriptures testify of me. All the scriptures speak of and declare the Lord Jesus Christ. So that we see at the very beginning of the ministry of Christ, we're told in John 145, Philip findeth Nathanael. and saith unto him, we have found him of whom Moses in the law and all the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. The scriptures spoke of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then at the end of his ministry on the earth, when he had risen from the grave and appeared unto his disciples in Luke 24, 44, and 45, he said unto them, these are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written. in the Scriptures, in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures." When you see Christ, whether you see Him there or not, but you know He's there. If I can't see Him, I still know He's there. It's because the Spirit has given you understanding to understand the scriptures. To know this is declaring the Lord Jesus Christ to me. Not how I saved myself, but how He saved me. by His glory and power. And so though we find ourselves many times here in the night of darkness, and we go through dark times and difficult times and through many troubles and adversities and difficulties, go to His word. Open this word and look for him, praying, Lord, help me to see my Savior, to see again the comfort of your word of what you've done for me through your Son, Jesus Christ. Why? Because thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119, verse 105. Christ is the light. He is the one in whom we walk, seeing and understanding that this is all to the praise and glory of my God, and though he slay me, yet will I praise him. He does all these things to His glory and power. He is the light of men. Then finally, He made the stars also. What are these? These are the ministers which are given to preach that gospel light, to declare the Lord Jesus Christ the churches to speak of him right the stars in the scriptures revelation 120 are We're told these are the ministers of the gospel. It says the mystery of the seven stars All right, seven being a completion not literally seven But the exact number of all God's ministers which thou sawest in my right hand the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches of the seven churches so those stars there are are the angels, the ministers of the gospel. They're preaching the gospel to sinners in darkness to feed the sheep with the bread of heaven because he and he alone is the salvation of his people. Some stars, they were near in Jerusalem and these spread out under the heaven to the farthest reaches of heaven. How so? They were driven there by God, according to the purpose of God. Some by persecution were driven out of Jerusalem, carrying that word wherever they went. Some went because they were missionaries, given the spirit to go out and preach the gospel to the Greeks in the Gentile nations. And this is what our Lord said in Acts 1.8, exactly what he said in Acts 1.8. If you want to see it there, Acts 1.8, Speaking of these stars, He said to His disciples, Acts 1.8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth." God spread them out as little lights whereby they do minister and preach and declare what Christ has done for them and what he's done for all his people. so that they are bearing testimony to that glorious light of him that created them and made them. See that there? So we see the sun, the moon, and the stars all testifying to, all bearing, reflecting that light of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said in Matthew 5.16, let your light so shine among men That light being the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they may see your good works, which is the work of the Spirit in you, bearing forth that fruit of the Spirit, that faith, which is wrought in you by the gift of God. You go and you declare that faith and glorify your Father which is in heaven, the one whom sent the Son to save his people from their sins. to bring you out of darkness into the kingdom of His glorious light. So today is the day of grace. Hear His word. Seek Him. Believe Him. Call upon Him. Beg for His mercy because He freely gives life and light to all who ask Him. In fact, you have life because you're already seeking Him. It's a sign of His grace and mercy to you. And so these lights were given for signs and for seasons and for days and for years. In other words, just as we saw in the first hour, the Lord, the Son completes a circuit. And what He's saying to us is that one day, These things are all going to be rolled up like a scroll. The sun's going to go dark, the moon will turn to blood, the stars of heaven will fall from the sky, and this will all be rolled up like a scroll, and it'll all pass away, because the day of His wrath is come. Today is the day of grace. Call upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe Him. Trust Him. He's a merciful and gracious Savior. Amen. All right, let's close in prayer and then we'll have a hymn be dismissed. Our gracious Lord, we thank you, Father, for your grace and mercy. We thank you, Lord, for the salvation that you have freely provided in your Son. We thank you, Lord, for sending the Spirit, giving us your word, establishing your church. to proclaim, to bear witness, to testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, to bear that light upon the earth. Lord, we thank you. We thank you for your grace and mercy. We see what sinners we are in ourselves and the need we have of Christ and the all-sufficiency that is given in him freely to your people. Lord, thank you. Thank you for not hiding yourself from us and going away from us, but for being merciful to us, undeserving sinners. Lord, help us to hear these things, to believe these very words, to continue in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's in his name we pray and give thanks. Amen. Let's all stand and sing, 224. I know whom I have believed. 224. I know not why God's wondrous grace to me he hath made known, Nor why unworthy Christ did love redeem me for his own. But I know my happy leavin' And am persuaded that he is able To keep that which I've committed Unto him against that day. I know not how this saving faith to me He did impart, nor how believing in His word brought peace within my heart. I know whom I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day. I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing man of sin. Feeling Jesus through the Word, creating faith in Him. But I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day. I know not what of good or ill may be reserved for me Of weary ways or golden days before his face I see But I know my happy leavin' And am persuaded that he is able To keep that which I've committed Unto him against that day. I know not when my Lord may come at night or noonday fair, nor if I'll walk the vale with Him or meet Him in the air. But I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able. To keep that which I've committed Unto Him against that day.