Good morning. Let's all stand together. We'll sing hymn number 442. 442. Praise Him, praise Him, Jesus our blessed Redeemer. Sing, O earth, His wonderful love proclaim. Hail Him, hail Him, highest archangel in glory, strength and honor. ♪ Give to his holy name ♪ Like a shepherd ♪ Jesus will guard his children ♪ In his arms he carries them all day long ♪ Praise him, praise him ♪ Tell of his excellent greatness ♪ Praise him, praise him ♪ Ever in joyful song ♪ Praise Him, praise Him ♪ Jesus, our blessed Redeemer ♪ For our sins He suffered and bled and died Be our rock, our hope of eternal salvation Hail Him, hail Him, Jesus the crucified Sound His praises, Jesus, who bore our sorrows Love unbounded, wonderful, deep, and strong Praise Him, praise Him, tell of His excellent greatness. Praise Him, praise Him, ever in joyful song. Praise Him, praise Him, Jesus our blessed Redeemer. Heavenly portals loud with hosannas ring. Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever. Crown Him, crown Him, prophet and priest and king. ♪ Christ is coming ♪ Over the world victorious ♪ Power and glory ♪ Unto the Lord belong ♪ Praise Him, praise Him ♪ Tell of His excellent greatness ♪ Praise Him, praise Him ♪ Ever in joyful song Be seated. We'll sing hymn number 224. 224. I know not why God's wondrous grace to me he hath made known, nor why unworthy Christ in love redeemed me for his own. 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 how this saving faith to me he did impart, nor how believing in his word brought peace within my heart. 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 how the Spirit moves, convincing men of sin, revealing 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 the 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 whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep their 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. If you have your Bibles with you this morning, if you would, please turn with me to the book of John. I'd like to read John chapter 10. John chapter 10. I was only going to read a portion of this chapter, but I've decided we're going to read the whole thing. John chapter 10. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him that porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out, And when he put forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them, but they understood not what things which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth. And the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself, I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my father. There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings, and many of them said, he hath a devil and is mad. Why hear ye him? Others said, these are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him and said unto him, how long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. I and my father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, many good works have I showed you from my father, for which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, because thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken. Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God. If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works that you may know, and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him. Therefore they sought again to take him, but he escaped out of their hand, and he went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized, and there he abode. And many resorted unto him and said, John did no miracle, but all things that John spake of this man were true, and many believed on him there. Our most high and heavenly Father, Lord God Almighty, we come into your holy presence once more through your blessed son. We thank you for allowing us to come to you. What an honor and a privilege it is to come to you in prayer. Lord, thank you for this day. We thank you for your holy word preserved for us. Lord, we thank you for the men who you have sent to be Pastors, we thank you for those who stand to proclaim the gospel, those who study the word. Lord, we thank you for everything that you have provided us in this life and everything you have provided for us in eternity. For what an unspeakable blessing it is, Lord, to have free salvation. free grace, abundant mercies. Lord, we ask that you would give us grace this day, send your Holy Spirit to be among us, cause your word to go forth and prosper. Lord, we ask that you would cause many here to believe on you. There are many who are not here who are listening and watching, Lord. I ask that you would bless the message to them as well. For those who listen later, meet with them, Lord. I ask that thy word go forth over us, not just this town and this state and this nation, Lord, but all over the world. We've heard of wonderful things. I ask that you would continue to bless your word. Pray for Brother Cody as he stands today. Bless his heart as he speaks, Lord, and ask that you would bless his word to be your word. Bless it to our hearts. Lord, we pray for the many weak and the weary, our dear brothers and sisters, our family, our loved ones. Have mercy on them, Lord, if it would please you. Lord, we ask again that you would bless this service. For Christ's sake, amen. Let's all stand together as we sing the hymn of the day in the bulletin. O what shall we do, our Saviour to praise, so faithful and true? ♪ Abounding in grace ♪ So strong to deliver ♪ So good to redeem ♪ The weakest believers ♪ Who rest upon him ♪ How happy the man free the people who can. be joyful in thee. Their joy is to walk in the light of his face, and sweetly to rest in his comfort and grace. Their daily delight shall be in His name. They shall by His grace His righteousness claim. This righteousness wearing and cleansed by His blood they appear in the presence of God. Our Savior alone, the Lord let us Be seated. We have Brother Cody Henson with us this morning. I think everybody knows him. I assume everybody knows him, because I've known him so long. If you don't know him, he makes his way to us from Kingsport, Brother Gabe Stoniker's where he attends, originally from Danville. How long have we known each other, Cody? At least 15 years. If you know him, you know what a blessing he is. And if you don't, I pray the Lord bless his message this morning, that you would get to know him later. Brother, you come on. Good morning. You go ahead and turn with me to our text. It'll be 1 Corinthians chapter 2. This past week, and really the prior week as well, I've been thinking a lot about life and death. And this verse is not our text, but this verse has been heavily on my mind. It says, ye know not what shall be on the morrow, for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time. and then vanisheth away, what is your life? The longer I'm here, the more I realize this. This life is short. So short. And we need The life that our brother just read to us about in John 10. Our Lord said, I'm come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. Spiritual life. This is physical life. The only life we really know. The only life we can really enter into in this flesh. This life we're living, okay? It's physical life. We need spiritual life. We need eternal life. We need a life that will not end. This life is gonna end. Just like a vapor. I don't really cook, but I've seen some vapors come up on that stove. Just like that, gone. I want to acknowledge something to you, OK? I work a job just like many of you. My job, I have career pursuits. My career is not my life. I have a lot of hobbies. I like to focus on taking care of my health. That's not my life. Something that I hear a lot of people say is their life, their family. I love my family dearly. I am so thankful for the family God has given me, allowed me to be a part of, but my family is not my life. What is our life? For the child of God, the answer is simple, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my life. And I pray he's your life too. I'll quote a few scriptures to you. Paul said, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Where do you live, Paul? In Christ. And Christ lives in me. And this life I'm living in this flesh is by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. We acknowledge that in Christ and in Christ alone, we live and move and have our being. We know that apart from Christ, we have no life. No life outside of him. In him is life. And the life is the light of men. He is our life. And let me say this too. Brother just read, I give unto them eternal life. That's what our Lord said. When he laid down his life for the sheep, he said, I give them eternal life. Not only has he given us eternal life, brethren, this is what I really want us to enter into, he is our life. It's not just he's given us, he is. He is, he is our life. Now, Pastor Donnie is at a memorial service today. to remember a life, to celebrate a life. Brother Joe Terrell, who I'd say most of us, if not all of us, had a chance to hear preach at least once, a dear brother. And I couldn't help but think, when I come here, more often than not, when I come here, I know of at least one dear saint within this congregation who it seems may be about to leave this life. I've been coming here for several years now and I know of many dear brethren here who were here and they're not here anymore. Not because they quit coming, because the Lord called them home. Many. I don't want to name names out of, I know I'd be certain to leave at least one out. Let me recall to our minds what the scriptures say about these brethren who've gone before us, who've departed this life. I'll say a few things. They shall never die. That's what our Lord said. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Never. They sleep. I love that one. I love sleep. They sleep in the Lord Jesus. It's not a bad thing, is it? And though they're sleeping in Him, our Lord has appeared unto them. And they're not dreaming. They see Him. They have appeared with Him in glory. Colossians 3. And right now, they are seeing him as he is. They're beholding his face in righteousness. They're satisfied. Here's why. Because they have awoken with his very likeness. All of these are so good. They look just like him. You all look pretty good to me. Oh, imagine looking just like him. Imagine seeing him as he is. In Romans 8, we read that he hath conformed us to his image, just like him. You know, you'll say, oh, that boy's a spitting image of his dad. He's made his people look just like him. I love that. Now, for our message, I want to try to, this is always a tall task, but this is especially a tall task. I want to try for, give me 30, 35 minutes, I want to try, Lord help us, to enter in to our brethren who have gone before us, to enter into their eternal state of bliss. I pray the Lord would let us do that. I tell you what, if he will, I will be so encouraged, and I pray you would too. As we say goodbye to one another here, when we lay down this body of flesh, let us not sorrow. I know it won't be long till we come here and another brother or sister has gone to be with our Lord. When that time comes, let us not sorrow as those which have no hope, but let us rejoice and praise our God. Look here in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 9. Wonderful verse. 1 Corinthians 2.9, Do you not love that verse? I'm pretty sure I've heard Pastor Gabe preach from that at least three or four times since I've attended there. I've been there about eight years. I love that verse so much. Now, I want to start this by focusing on who's this for? You notice what it said at the end of that verse? For them that love him. Them that love him. If there's a hard part to this message, this will be it, okay? That's not everybody. That's not everybody. I know everybody claims to love, well, not everybody, you know what I mean. A lot of people claim to love God. They claim to love Jesus. They claim to love Jesus Christ, all right? But the fact of the matter is, those that love him are few and far between. Everybody loves the idea of God or a God. I know that. Professing Christians love the idea of Jesus and, you know, He loves me and I love Him. Got a good thing going and, you know, you've heard it. Perhaps you used to believe it. Perhaps you still believe it. Hear what God says. This is John 5.42. This is our Lord talking to people who thought that they loved God. Okay? Religious leaders. Here's what He said then. John 5.42 if you want to look for yourself. But I know you that ye have not the love of God in you. John 5, 42. I know you that you do not have the love of God in you. It doesn't make me happy to say that, but God forbid I stand here and tell you anything other than what God has said to us. Let God be true and every man a liar, starting with me. We need to believe him, not what some man has to say. Well, they're a preacher. Well, all the more reason to be skeptical. I'm serious. You check what I say with what God says. And if I'm not saying what God says, don't believe a word I say. I could not be more serious. Believe God. And if I'm saying what God said, then you can believe me too. But believe him. We're gonna look at some scripture today. Turn with me to 1 John chapter four. 1 John chapter four. If we do not know God, I pray God would today be pleased to make a liar out of us and reveal the truth to us and cause us to believe him. Look here, 1 John 4, verse 20. 1 John 4, 20, if a man say, I love God and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? Many people say just that. I love God, but then they just hate everybody. They just hate their brother. Well, God says we're lying. Say I love God, but then we just hate our brother, hate our sister, hate our father, hate our mother. We don't love God. No. He that loveth not knoweth not God. God is love. The carnal mind, God tells us, is enmity against God. This fleshly, carnal, sinful mind that we're born with, and this wretched, vile heart that we're born with, that we carry with us, is enmity, hatred towards God. Again, that's what God says. Take it or leave it. I pray he'll take it. I pray he'll cause us to. Now, I don't have to look out into the world. All I have to do is look within, and I know it's true. I know it's true. I did not just wake up one day and decide to love God. If that's what I think, then I still just don't know. I still don't know. Well, who loves God then? For whom did God prepare these glorious, unspeakable things? Look right here in 1 John 4 verse 19. It says, we love him because he first loved us. Have you ever seen that? God loves me because I love Him. No, we love Him. If we love Him, here's why. It's because, and it's only because, He first loved us. You remember what the Lord told Jeremiah? I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, because I love you, I drew you to myself. It started with Him, and it finished with Him. And I promise you this, if God has set his love upon you, you are going to love him, because the love of Christ constraineth us. It moves us to love him in return. God's love it, and you know, sometimes I hesitate when I'm about to say something off the cuff. Growing up, I would just, oh, I'd just be, Ooin' and gooin' over a pretty girl. In my heart I'm sayin', oh I love you. It didn't get returned. That's not how God's love works. If God loves you, you're gonna love him back. He's gonna see to it. And I love to tell you that. He's not tryin', he's not hopin'. You tried to win her heart and you did. I'm happy for ya. God wins the heart of those whom he set his love upon. I thought of Brother Joe Terrell. I believe he contributed some of the words to this song. It's called Chosen in Jesus. Make sure I get it right here. It says, "'Tis not that I did choose thee, for Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse thee, hadst thou not chosen me. My heart owns none before thee, for thy rich grace I thirst." Now listen, this knowing, if I have loved thee, thou must have loved me first. It wouldn't be any other way. Look right here, 1 John 4, look at verse 10. People love to boast about how they love God. 1 John 4.10, herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us. And because He loved us, here's what He did. He sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Who loves God? Those whom God first loved. Those for whom God sent his only begotten son to die as their substitute, to be their savior. That's who. Are we going to boast of our love for him or his love for us? I love to tell the story of the Lord Jesus and his love. There's no other story, no other story worth telling. Those whom the Holy Ghost has shed the love of God abroad in their heart. And that's what the Holy Ghost will do. If God set his love on you, the Holy Spirit will come and shed abroad that holy, perfect, pure love in your heart. And I pray he will. Turn with me to a familiar text, Romans chapter 8. Should be just a few pages before our text, Romans 8. Verse 28. Now again, remember, we're looking at who's this promise for? Who did God prepare wonderful things for? Those that love Him. Who loves Him? Look here, Romans 8, 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Now who is that? Who loves God? What's it going to say? To them that love God, to them who are thee called according to His purpose. I'm telling you, I did not just decide, oh, I'm gonna love God. Such a profession would manifest I am a fool and I do not know God. If I love God, it's because I was called according to His purpose. I am one of thee called. according to His purpose, according to the election of grace, which God hath purposed. I love this verse. Again, familiar verse, 2 Timothy 1-9. Those whom God hath saved, He hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in the Lord Jesus Christ. Not when we decided to turn over a new leaf, no. Before the world began, before we were ever thought, we were in His thoughts. We were on His mind. That's who loves God. That's who this is for. Now, back to our text, 1 Corinthians 2, 9. But as it is written, I hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." We can't, we, we try. I'm trying right now, but we, we just can't even hardly begin to enter into what God has done for us. I want to. I love getting the opportunity to week after week. But it's like when Paul was caught up into the third heaven, it says he was caught up into paradise. It says he heard unspeakable. You think about that word. He heard unspeakable words that were not lawful, not possible for a man to utter. That's what we're talking about. Words fail us to adequately tell the story, to adequately describe just what our God has done for us. I have not seen. We see so much, don't we? We see many things. But unless God gives us eyes of faith, we can't see spiritual things. We can't intervene. We have no knowledge, no discernment. Look here in verse 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Here's what we need. Look up a few verses, verse 10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God, as fallen sons and daughters of Adam. You and I desperately need God to open our eyes that we may see. See what? See the truth? To be able to open this book, to be able to sit in a church pew and hear preaching and discern whether or not it's true, the truth, what you've heard about God, is it true? What you've believed all your life about yourself, is it true? about how God could possibly accept me into his kingdom, how God, who is holy, could have anything to do with me, who is a sinner, how we could be reconciled, how we could be one. Again, in John 10, our brother read it. I and my father are one, and no man's gonna pluck then my sheep out of my father's hand. How he can make us to be one with him. We're all just thieves and robbers. Now, if God has given us eyes of faith, we've been blessed to see things that we otherwise never could have seen, to know things that we otherwise never could have known. We see, and this is only by God-given faith, okay? This is only by something God has done for us in spite of us. But by what God has done for us, we see that all the scriptures declare Jesus Christ and Him crucified Do you see that? Oh, if you don't see it, may God open your eyes to see it. Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see you. Open our eyes that we may see all glory belongs to you. I was here, I think, three weeks ago today, if my memory serves me right, and we looked at how we are unworthy. Do we really believe that? Seriously, I'm unworthy. And the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain, the Lamb of God, He alone is worthy. Has God opened your eyes to see that, to believe that? We see Him. We see the Lord Jesus, Hebrews 2, made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. Do you see Him having tasted death for you, child of God? Do you see him as the captain of your salvation? Do you see him having brought you, one of his many sons, unto glory? See your hope? Like when our Lord took a few of his disciples on that mount, do you see no man save the Lord Jesus only? Do you fall down at his feet sore afraid? Oh, Lord, have mercy on me. Turn with me to 1 Peter 1. This is what faith sees. It's what I pray God would cause us to see, see Him. 1 Peter 1, verse 1. 1 Peter 1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia." Now look who he's writing to here. God's elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. And that's our life. That's our life right there. trials, temptations. Look what it says, verse 7, that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. That's what's going to happen for God's people. There's going to be a great appearing. We're going to see our Lord Jesus Christ. Now here's why I turned here. Look at verse 8. Whom having not seen, ye love. In whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. We love him whom we have not seen. But our end is sure. We're going to see him. We're going to receive the salvation of our souls. We're going to be with him. I love what Job said, though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Does that give anybody something to look forward to? Does that make you happy? Oh, it makes me so happy. Now, I must acknowledge this concerning the sight God has given me and hopefully us. I see through a glass darkly. but I'm gonna see face-to-face." That's what God said. That's his promise. Get back in our text. I hath not seen nor ear heard. If we've seen the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, it is because God has enabled us to hear Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. And remember this, I think I preached on this a long time ago. The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made, even both of them. The Lord enables us to hear, the Lord enables us to see, causes us to believe, causes us to hear his voice and follow him. Week after week, we're privileged to come hear a man, our faithful pastor, tell us about our Lord Jesus Christ week after week. I've had the privilege of that my whole life. Now, I didn't really care for a while, but oh, I'm so glad God in mercy caused me to hear. Gave me that ear to hear him. But think about this. Right now, we hear a man. You're sitting here hearing a man. Hopefully we're hearing God through his word, through a man whom he sent. But imagine what it's going to be like to sit at our Lord's feet and hear only him, directly. Think about that. I'm excited for however many days I have left, but I can't wait. I can't, that's why this is so glorious to me. I just can't imagine anything greater. I really can't. Now please don't mistake me. I don't want to leave here. I really don't. I love the life God has given me. I love my family. But we would do wise to consider our latter end. Scripture says that. We would do well to give it thought, much thought. I thought of the Queen of Sheba. You remember when she heard about Solomon and she thought, I got to go see for myself. And she did. And this was her confession. She said, the half was not told me. You didn't even scratch the surface to tell me about all his glory, about all his wisdom. That's going to be the same for us. The half wasn't even told me. Oh, Lord, you're Your fame and your prosperity far exceeds everything I heard about you. I remember Brother Don, before the Lord called him home, he said, I've not begun to scratch the surface. I know it's true. I know it is. It's not begun to enter into our heart just how glorious the things our Lord hath done for us, just how Precious and wonderful and altogether lovely our Lord is and will always be. We know we don't deserve God's kindness to us. We don't. I know it's in spite of me. It's for Christ's sake. It's for His glory. I know it. I know it. We know we could never repay God for His infinite, matchless goodness to us. Now, we'll praise Him forever for it, but we could never get to the point where it could be said, okay, well, now you're worthy. No, He alone is worthy. He alone. I'll praise Him forever, and that could never be enough to truly thank Him for what He's done for me. we acknowledge that eternity with Christ is far greater than we can imagine. But as it is written, I hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. I still have a couple more scriptures to turn to, if you will. Turn with me to Zephaniah chapter 1. For time's sake, I've just gotta read it when I get here. If you're not there yet, just listen. Zephaniah 1, verse 7. Zephaniah 1, 7. Says, Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God, for the day of the Lord is at hand, for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice. He hath bid his guest, he prepared a sacrifice. Do you need a sacrifice? God requires one. Sacrifice for what? A sacrifice for our sin against him. Praise God, the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice. I don't have to make one. He prepared one. God will provide himself a lamb for sacrifice. He prepared, he provided himself as the sacrifice for our sin. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering, that's all it took, one offering, he hath, emphasis on that, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Amen. Praise, praise him, praise him. Turn with me to John chapter 14. John 14. John 14, verse 1. And let me interject. If someone is still sitting here thinking that somehow, some way, I have to do something, that there's something that is not undone, there's something yet to be completed that depends on me, hear the word of the Lord. Rest in Him. Look here, John 14 verse 1, our Lord speaking. Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also. There's nothing we have to do. He prepared the sacrifice. He went to prepare a place for us. It's not dependent on us accepting him or deciding to have him. That's ridiculous. If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will receive you unto myself. That's something he said I'm going to do. And when God says he's going to do something unlike us, he does it. And none can stay his hand. None can stop him. He's God. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. We're just puny inhabitants of this earth that God says are reputed as nothing. Oh, praise God for what he hath done. He went to prepare a place for us. How? You know how He came? He came as a man. He came in the likeness, the likeness of sinful flesh. He knew no sin. He came as the sinner's substitute. He came and traded places with us. That cross, we deserve to hang on that cross. Barabbas deserved to hang on that cross. The Lord took a crown of thorns. The only person that deserves a crown of thorns is every person who ever lived other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet He took that crown of thorns and gave us His crown of glory. He took that robe, mocking him as king, when he is the only king. And he's given us his spotless robe of righteousness. Talk about an unfair trade, my soul. We have no idea. And yet that's what he hath been pleased to do. He went and prepared for us a city. A heavenly one. A better one. Wherein dwelleth righteousness. No sin there. No night there. Perfect peace and rest there. Unity. Because we're with him, he's coming again to receive us unto himself that we may be with him forever. I've never heard such good news in all my life. You're not going to tell me something better than that. There's nothing better. Pastor Don, he loved to tell a story about, I really can't remember how the story goes, I just remember after the kids were done eating dinner, their mom said, keep your fork. They knew something better was coming. Dessert was coming. You know, Brother Don was buried with a fork in his hand. Because he knew something better was coming. For those in Christ. I hath not seen, ne'er hath not heard, it's not entered into our heart. Just how better. You know, Paul said, I'm in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. But for the time now, it's more needful for me to be here with you. Oh, brethren. I love this verse, Matthew 25, 34. Now, I pray this has been a glorious message to you. I'm just rejoicing to think that God would do anything like that for someone like me. Now, let me reiterate this. When it comes to the things of God, when it comes to hope of eternal life, it has nothing to do with what we have done or with what we will ever do. It all hinges on what God hath done. And that's how it's worded, hath, all right? Here's what we've done. We've sinned against God, our maker. We've loved ourselves and despised the Savior. That's my story. That's what I've done. There's no boasting there. But God, is that your hope? Here's what I've done. Here's who I am. Here's all I'll ever be. But God, there's hope. There's hope there. And there's hope nowhere else. Nowhere else. He hath poured out his soul unto death. He hath done that. He hath redeemed Jerusalem by Himself, by pouring out His own precious blood. He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He hath done that. I didn't sew my own righteousness up, no. He robed me in Himself, the spotless Lamb of God. He, I love this one, He hath glorified thee. He said in John 17, praying to his father, the glory you've given me, I've given them. That's amazing if we understand that he won't give his glory to another. How do you explain that? Because we're in him. If we're in him, if we're one with him, what's his is ours. I am his and he is mine. I want to close by reading you the verse that our text is quoting, all right? It's Isaiah 64, verse 4. I'm going to read this and close. Isaiah 64, 4. Again, this is what 1 Corinthians 2 verse 9 is referencing. Isaiah 64 verse 4. For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. If God has revealed his love to us and in us, he's going to allow us and cause us to wait for him. When we're burdened and overwhelmed and our wits end to the point of despair, what do we do? Wait on him. Pray for God to enable you to wait on him. Keep looking to Him, whom having not seen ye love, believe, you're hoping in, you're trusting in. Wait on Him, brethren. May God enable us to wait on Him. Amen. Let's have a word of prayer. God, our great and heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your word. It's so glorious. I pray that this has been good news to us today. I pray that you would cause us to bow to you right now and believe every word you've recorded for us. Cause us to hope in the Lord Jesus Christ and trust the precious promises that you've given us in him. I pray for our dear brethren who are afflicted Lord, for those that will soon be departing this life, to be united with our Savior forever. Lord, send your special graces to them in this precious, yet difficult time, and be with the families of those around them. Help us all to cling to Christ and him alone. Bless this message. Bless this meal that we're about to have together in our fellowship. For Christ's sake, be with Pastor Donnie and bring him and Shirley safely home. Guide us in all that we do. Be glorified in all things. For Christ's sake, amen. Thank you, brother. Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. Thank you, Lord, for making me whole. Thank you, Lord. There'll be no evening service this evening. Lord will and our pastor will be back and we'll meet again Wednesday at our normal time. Listen, we have 20 pizzas out here. My wife just went out to help carry them in. Hot and fresh. So there'll be plenty of pizza. Stay and eat pizza. Take pizza home with you after you've eaten all the pizza you can eat. You're dismissed.