Before we go any further, let me say we appreciate those involved in the AV, Stuart, Andy, Samuel and Graham in the back room, and also the folk here for worship for Valerie Bailey, I was going to call her Valerie McKinty, but she's not that any longer, Valerie Bailey, and then there's Rebecca Logan, Stephen Bailey, and then Alfie's on the bass, we appreciate them very much, and they're going to lead us in worship. By the way, can we offer our apologies for this morning, we had a technical hitch-up, and we couldn't get it going any further, but apologies, but we trust that you were able to lift up your heart in praise to the Lord anyway regardless we are at the mercy of these technical details but nevertheless thank the Lord he never fails us at any stage or any age in life we're going to sing the first song it's 231 in the book but it'll come up in the words on your screen hopefully when the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more and the morning breaks eternal bright and fair and it's a wonderful thought that one day he's coming back very soon I believe as we suggested this morning and I trust that no one will be caught out. Thank you very much Rebecca. When the sacred birds should gather over on the island ship When the roll is called, the plunderer'll be there When the roll is called, the plunderer When the roll is called, the plunderer When the roll is called, the plunderer When the roll is called, the plunderer On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rest Under glory of His resurrection's light When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies Under all His love, a blunderer I'll be there When the roll is called up yonder When the roll is called up yonder I'll be there Let us save our brother master from the dawn to setting sun Let us heal our fathers from the seven plagues And when all of life is over and all hope on earth is gone When the roll is called up yonder I'll be there Well, it's not hard to know what our theme is in the service this evening as we've come to the last two gates. We're thinking of the Lord's return, the east gate, and we're thinking of his return and then his review. Our next song is very much along the same lines where it's coming a day when no heartache shall come. You know we're living in a world in a day when there is so much stress and so much disappointment and so much uncertainty and confusion even and people's hearts are failing because they don't know really what's around the corner. Well I want to tell you that as I said this morning in the open there nothing that's happening now is going to change one iota of what the Lord has planned for end times. There's coming a day when no heartache shall come. No more clouds in the sky and no more tears to dim the eye. We remain, sorry, I was going to say we remain seated. Of course, my family and I will stay standing, but you stay seated wherever you are. You can stand if you like, but we're going to sing together. There's coming a day. When the heartache shall come No more clouds in the sky No more tears in every eye All is peace for everyone On the happy golden shore What a night, glorious day at the beach And my Jesus I shall see, And I'll look upon His face, The one who saved me by His grace, When He takes me by the hand, And leads to you upon the way, What a day, glorious day, it hath for me! No more sickness, no pain And no more parting over death When forever I will be With the One who died for me What a day, glorious day that will be What a day that will be When my Jesus eyes shall see When I look upon His face The One who saved me by His grace When He takes me by the hand And leads me through the firmament What a day, glorious day that will be Just before we come to our second and third song, which is specifically chosen because it's new, but it's also very powerful in this message. It's called Jerusalem, but it's also designed as we come to the Lord's table to remind us of that a deliberate journey that Jesus made. He didn't avoid it. He, it was planned from eternity and he, on several stages in his life, in fact, at any time, could have said, called an end. But we know the battle that he did in Gethsemane. He sweated great drops of blood. Father, if it's be possible that this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. So it was a real challenge. It wasn't a picnic. It wasn't a walk in the park for him. It was a real challenge. And the verse that I have in my mind as we do come to communion service is actually a very simple one, a very well-known one, probably the most memorized one. It's in John chapter 3 verse 16, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. God wasn't duty-bound. And can I say this to you, as I've probably said on many occasions, salvation wasn't a plan B or a plan C. Salvation was always plan A. Now I can't get my head around all of that. And as I said this morning in the open air, whenever you can explain God, then God's not God anymore. But what I do know is this, that he planned it from eternity. God so loved. So it wasn't plan B or plan C. It was always plan A. God didn't, wasn't duty bound. He wasn't under any duty to anyone or under any obligation. But he simply, because he was motivated by his love and desire that you and I would taste of his love. That you and I would taste and experience what it means to be loved. in this unloving world that we may taste and know that he's good. God so loved the world that he gave. He gave willingly, freely. He gave sacrificially. It wasn't a walk in the park. So see him and let those words captivate you as we sing, see him in Jerusalem walking where the crowds are. Thank you. See him in Jerusalem, Walking with her crowds far. Once these streets had slain to him, Now they cry for him. Shot to frail and lonely men, Holding up a heavy cross, See Him walking in Jerusalem, On the road to save. Hear the scorn and laughter, Silent as an ebony waves, Praying to the Father. See the king, the maid, the sun, And the moon and shining star, Let the soldiers hold a naked dove So that he could save her Dust that formed the watching clouds takes the blood of Jesus. Feel the earth is shaking now. See the bell is set in town, and it stood before the rod of God, shielding sinners with its blood. See the empty tomb today Death could not contain him Once a servant of the world Now in victory reigning Lift your voices to Thou has seated on the throne. Freedom in the new Jerusalem. Praise the one who saves us. Lift your voices to the one. Thou has seated on the throne. Shame in the new Jerusalem Praise the one that saved us Praise the one that saved us Amen. We're going to bow for a moment of prayer as we contemplate and consider that great sacrifice that we've been speaking about. I wonder how would you handle if you were walking to a hangman's noose? How would you handle it if you were making your way to your death and knowing that you had done nothing wrong? You weren't guilty. You hadn't done anything to deserve that death. How would you have handled it? And yet he went all the way deliberately and he did it for you and I. He had you and I on his mind. And that's why he has instituted this great sacrifice. And that's why he instituted this, we call the Lord's Supper, this time of communion, time of fellowship. There's no time that you can identify more with him. There's no time that you can show your appreciation more for him than you can now as you come in appreciation and thanksgiving for what the Lord has done for you. And on that night that he's been betrayed, he took bread and he broke it and he said, this is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. The bread reminds us of the broken body of the Lord Jesus, the ease by which he was broken. He gave his back to the smiters. He gave himself a sacrifice for many. It wasn't that men overpowered him and took him. No, it was the fact that he gave himself. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. He willingly, deliberately, and determinately went all the way to Calvary for you and I. The red remains is of that broken body. He could have called 10,000 angels. but he died alone. And then the cup reminds us of the shed blood, royal blood that was sacrificed for us. So let's just bear for a moment and let's just contemplate, consider, and gather the family around with you there and just consider what the Lord has done for you as you've trusted the Lord. And then in a moment I'll give thanks for the bread which remains us of that broken body. Just reflect on his great love for you just now. Father, we thank you that we can bow together at this time, a special time, a solemn time, a somber time, Lord, a time that's sanctified to remind ourselves of all that the Lord has done for us. Thank you, Lord, for this great sacrifice that he made, he paid. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. and has committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation. Lord, in the Garden of Eden, war was declared, but O God, on Calvary, the peace treaty was signed. Peace between God and men through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we pray as we come and gather now around this table, as we come as a collection of your people, give us an appreciation for all that you've done for us. And so we give you thanks for this bread. Thank you that it reminds us of a suffering Savior. It reminds us of a willingness for someone who was Lord of glory, is Lord of glory, yet he humbled himself to sacrifice himself for us to wear our sins away. So we give you thanks for this bread, which reminds us of the broken body of our wonderful Savior. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. He took bread and he broke it and said, this is my body which is broken for you. This too in remembrance of me. Yes, he not only did he take the bread, but he took the cup. And the Word of God says, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. This was royal blood. This was the blood of the Lord Jesus. The life is in the blood, the scriptures tell us. And whenever he gave of himself that blood, that was shed for us, satisfied the righteous demands of our just and holy God. Our God's a holy God. And His holiness demands justice. Justice demands payment. But He paid for our sins through His own blood. And so God accepted the sacrifice. And Jesus says, if you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show forth the Lord's death until He come. Let's give thanks for the cup. Lord, we thank you today that as we stand before you, or as we sit before you, that we're not, Lord, wondering. We're not in an uncertainty. We're not, Lord, pondering the possibility of maybe God is satisfied. We thank you, Lord, that the empty tomb, as we sang about just now, reminds us of that sacrifice that was accepted, and his blood had satisfied the just demands of a righteous God. We thank you, Lord, that his shed blood Lord. Lord, we thank you that god was reconciled to men who his own self by our sins in his own body on the tree and so we thank you lord that he is our redeemer, our sin bearer, and god is satisfied. So, we give you thanks for this cup. We bless the the lord for his love and mercy and we thank you lord for Jesus said on that night, he said, drink ye all of it. Amen. Let's bow together for a time of prayer. We want to pray again for the various needs of our fellowship. And we want to thank the Lord where we're getting the doors open again. As I said, you keep booking for your place and make sure you get in on good time. But we're thankful that the doors are open again, and I think that's only right and proper. But let's bow together in prayer. Let's pray as we remember those who have specific needs. Lord, we want to thank you for the opportunity of bowing before you to give thanks, Lord, for your many mercies, which are in you every morning. Thank you for your grace, which is sufficient for each one of us. Thank you for the blessings, Lord, that you have showered down upon us since last we met. thank you lord for your presence with us for all your many and graces that we experience on a daily basis and father as we gather together here this evening around your word we want to lord remember your people those who are suffering and sick or sad and lonely Remember those who've been in recently in hospital. Those who are recovering from surgery and sickness. Those Lord who have had life-changing circumstances forced upon them. Lord who feel perhaps Lord at the end of life or at the last days of life Lord there's just so vulnerable and so many needs. Lord we think of these two children we thought of this morning in the open air. We ask Lord that they'll draw graciously near to Lee. Leone, and Father, to that other little girl whose grandparents has asked us to pray for. Lord, for our own folk, for Sidney and Paul, and for Charlie Turner, and for the various other individuals, those who have gone through treatment, we pray for the fellowship, Lord. We ask for our children's worker, young teenagers, Lord, those whose lives, Lord, who are about to embark on life in the fullest sense and into the wide open spaces of life, Lord, and we pray for our teenagers that you'll give them wisdom. Lord, we ask that you'll give them grace to equip them, Father, for the days in which we find ourselves. We ask too, Father, for your great hand upon us now as we turn to your word. We ask, Lord, for your help. We need thee, we need thee at this moment in time, and we ask, Lord, that you'll come to us and inspire us and enable us to truly hear what the Lord is saying as we come to the end of this little series, as we've looked again at the gates and sought to apply them to our own individual lives. We ask for inspiration and revelation and the presence and the sense of God's presence amongst us. In Christ's name we pray, amen. If you've got a Bible, then I'm going to invite you to turn with me to John's Gospel chapter 10. In John's Gospel chapter 10, there's mention of a gate. John chapter 14, sorry, John chapter 14, verse one to six, we hear Jesus said, I am the way, well, it's the same word as gate. And we've been looking at the gates here in Nehemiah. So first of all, we're going to turn to John's Gospel chapter 10 and read the verse 7. And then we're also going to go over to our base couple of verses in Nehemiah chapter 6 verses 15 and 16. And we're hoping to bring this little series, which I only intended to be three weeks, and it's turned out to be nearly 13 weeks. That's the way it goes. As I keep saying, I'm not in any hurry, and I hope you aren't either. John chapter 10 verse 7, and we'll go down to verse 21. then Jesus said to them again, most assuredly I say unto you, I am the door, or that word can be said gate, I am, because it was a gate, because the sheepfold was like an encircled fence with a gate at the end of it, more than a door, so the picture is more properly a gate. So Jesus said unto them again, most assuredly I say to 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 armed the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except 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 gives his life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The harling flees because he is a harling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and I'm known by my own. As the father knows me, even so I know the father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And though the sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. And they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore my father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again. and no one takes it from me but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my father. Therefore, there was a division among the Jews because of these things and many of them said he has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to him? Others said, these are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? Then over there to So the war was finished on the 25th day of Elul in the 52 days and it happened when all the enemies heard of it and all the nations around us saw these things that they were very disheartened in their own eyes. for they perceived that this work was done by our God. Yes, it was miraculous and yes, it was wonderful. I don't know how long, to be honest with you, how long the gates were laying off its hinges, nor do I know how long those walls were in rubble and impossible as we discovered last week but I do know that it was for some considerable time even though some of God's people were already back in the city and it seems there was no compulsion, no desire, no motivation to see the gates and the walls set up until God put his hand on a man and and that's what it's going to I'm not going to divulge any confidentiality, but I do know this. The number of situations that I have dealt with over the last 20 years of issues that are going on within homes and families with children and husbands and wives, the gates are off the hinges and the walls are falling down. and one day, one day, whenever God comes upon a man or an individual or a woman in that home and begins to help them see the awful destruction that has been wrought upon the fabric, the spiritual fabric of his church and begins to motivate them, then you begin to see things happen. And I believe that's what Nehemiah spells out to us. God came upon a man and he inspired others to throw their lot in behind the work and to see a work done and because it was of God and because of God's hand being on that individual. Now there's many things we could learn from Nehemiah but leadership and church leadership and and all of those things but because God's hand was on a man, we need to get our eyes off men and get our eyes on God who inspires men and if God has his hand on a But nevertheless, it was done in 52 days. Today we come to the last installment of that fantastic feat, that of building the wall, setting up the gates in Jerusalem. Truly we can say the hand of God was on Nehemiah. Well, what's the journey that we've done? We've gone anticlockwise around Jerusalem. We've been to the sheep gate and you know that meant salvation. We've been to the fish gate and that means telling of what the Lord has done for you. We've been to the old gate, been established in our faith, walking and learning the truths that never change about commitment, dedication, consecration, sanctification. Loyalty. Being involved in the work of God. Not being one of these people that fly around and are tossed about with every wind and doctrine. But people who are grounded in the faith. Grounded in the faith. Yes, the old gate. The old truths never change. Some people would like to change them. Then the valley gate, yes? A lot of people think that whenever you become a Christian that it's all sunshine and roses. The valley gate reminds us that there are times when the valley and there are times when we're on the mountaintops. I believe the mountaintops prepare us for the valleys, but you learn more in the valley than you do on the mountaintop. but isn't it wonderful to know that there's a gate whenever I feel low and feel down, that there's a place that I can go, there is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God, a valley gate. there's the dung gate where we can unload all those confess our sins to the lord where we where we we bring all of those old harbingers of sin and bring them to that one who's who's who's is uh where there's a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins where we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and who who of us with the many temptations, the thoughts that flood into our minds, and the reactions that we have, angry reactions, reactions that actually surprise ourselves. And then we feel so despondent, so let down, we've let ourselves down. Well, where can I go? Do I remain filled with guilt and shame? No, Jesus said there's a gate. You go to that gate where you unburden those sins of your fallen nature. That refreshing, that restoring, that reviving that comes from the Holy Spirit, as we mentioned. Then the water gate, closely related to the fountain gate, where we talked about being the Word of God. And then we mentioned last time the horse gate. The horse gate mentioned war. I am, as I said last week, so surprised that many people who don't realize and recognize that we're not at home, we're not at a picnic, we're in a war, we're in a battle, this is a war zone. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places. Today we come to the final two. I can hear people shouting hallelujah. We come to the final two, the east gate and the MCPAD or the inspection gate. Let me do a little recap on the horse gate. The last gate that we looked at was the horse gate and yes it refers to war. But there's a specific aspect of war that it refers to. The speed of war. The speed. Speaks of, in the 1900s and onwards, both of these certainly apply. The speed of medical, technical, industrial, scientific advancements was beyond comparison since the 1900s. And yet with it came two world wars, countless wars between nations and constant ethnic unrest. for the church. She's been at war. One battle after another with the rise of cults, biblical criticism, compromise, crises, carnality, and all that comes with them. Modernism, liberalism, leading to an increasing apostasy within the church. Oh, we're at war already. And then as the ultimate fulfillment prophetically of the horse gate will be as we mentioned this morning where we looked at the tribulation and the appearance of Jesus to John as he was giving out these these speaking of these these vials or these trumpets as they sounded the next installment of some terror or torture upon the people. The day of the Lord described in Revelation eight to eighteen. But we nor shall we lose heart. Though we see these things happening, though we go through such unstable times and though we experience such terrible things, it'll be all over in a flash. And as we've looked at each gate, We've discovered that Jesus represents each one of those gates or each one of those gates represent the Lord Jesus. He's the avenue. He's the he's the route. He's the he's the pathway to unburden our hearts to experience blessing as we go through life. Each gate speaks of his in our lives. And so now we come to the east gate. You'll find the reference in Nehemiah as they built the walls in Nehemiah chapter three in verse 29. Revelation in Nehemiah chapter three in verse twenty-nine and it says there beyond the horse gate, that's verse twenty-eight. The priest made repairs each in front of his own house. So, you started home, folks. You started home. Then, verse twenty-nine, after them, Zadok, the son of Emer, made repairs in front of his own house and after him, Shemiah, the son of Shekinah, the The East Gate, notice first of all, I should have said last week, but the last three gates are very in close proximity. In fact, the Horse Gate, the East Gate, and the Inspection Gate take up less than a quarter of the total circumference of Jerusalem. In other words, these three gates are very close beside each other. Close at hand, within eyesight. I want you to notice something about the East Gate historically. It'll ring some bells for you, I believe. This gate is located on the opposite side of the Mount of Olives. This is the gate which thrills and floods our souls with joy. This gate was the first gate that was opened each morning. The question would be asked, oh watchman, what of the night? What a thrill it would be when the watchman would say, the dawn is coming, I see light on the horizon and the sun will soon be up. would be his reply. The city was safe after the long night of watching, waiting, wondering, if there was any danger from an enemy in the darkness. It brought joy to the hear to hear the watchman say that the night was almost over. That a radiating stream of light had broken through. Routing the black of the night. With his eerie company. Interestingly, when you approach You live with all its sorrows. You leave behind the valley of death and with all its fears. You leave behind the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane with all its cemeteries. And as you approach this eastern gate, you discover that there's not a single gate, but there's two gates. It's a double-gated entrance. One, the commentator says, speaks of the justice of God, and the other speaks of the mercy of God. for the traveler coming, his initial purpose coming to the East Gate was to simply bring his tributes of praise and worship to the king. His idea was to come through the mercy and the justice of God of that king that give him a permission to come into the courts to offer his praise. For those in Old Testament times, they came by way of the old sacrificial system, justice and mercy these you know were only a shadow of the through. That's it. Historically. But notice it through prophetic eyes. The east gate is very close to the horse gate because of the day of god's wrath ends at the coming of the lord Jesus to Jerusalem. Turn with me to Zechariah chapter fourteen and the verse one. Behold, the day of the lord is coming, says Zechariah, and for I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. The city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half the city shall go into captivity, but the remnants of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle. And in that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives. which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives, he shall be split in two from east to west, making a very large valley. And so on it goes. And so it speaks to us, dear friends, of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the day of wrath, the day of tribulation. One old writer said the creaking of the east gates was the fanfare of a new day as the sun was about to come over the horizon. There's something else I thought about this. When we think of the East, sometimes it spawns fear in our hearts, doesn't it? Today, people look to the East with suspicion and fear. COVID-19, they say, came from the East, and so many of the ills and chills of today. The East is often viewed with concern. Why? and those in the East, and you know the nations I'm thinking of, they've mellowed a little in recent years. Subversive activity and nuclear testing and secrecy and clandestine activity nurture fear and suspicion. So sometimes we look to the East with some fear and suspicion, but God's people look to the East with joy and anticipation and thrill. Christians look to the East with hope. because the east gate reassured our hearts that one day, these days of night and sin will be over. One of these days, the Lord Jesus, who is to us the bright and the morning star, will appear. The star of living brilliance which appears before the sun comes up, writes across time span of civilization that we will appear, that he will appear to take those of his own out of this night of sin. It says in 1 Thessalonians four and the verse thirteen, let me read them to you. I do not want you to be ignorant brethren concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as those who have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so will God bring him, bring within those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. for the lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of god and the dead in christ shall rise first and we which were alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air so he's coming the east gate remains us interestingly of his coming again but what about it of it personally what a blessing it is to god's It is such a blessing that there's a specific crown, says Paul, for those who hope for, watch for, long for love is appearing. He writes it in 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 8. Paul wrote, as Paul wrote, he was accurately conscious of a spiritual battle. Notice what he said. Corinthians four verses eight and nine. We are troubled on every side. Yet not distressed. We are perplexed but not in despair. Persecuted but not forsaken. Cast down but not destroyed. And then he continues on in verse 17 of 2 Corinthians 4. Someone said, a commentator said, that whenever Paul went through all the various troubles and trials that he'd gone through as he detailed them out and wrote them all out, They say that what gave him joy and what gave him hope for that weight of eternal glory was the fact that in his mind he was standing at the East Gate and it brought hope and encouragement and inspiration to him. Ezekiel the prophet was brought by God to the East Gate and here's what he recounts in Ezekiel 43 verses 1 to 2. the east. Afterwards, he brought me to the gate. The gate that faces towards the east and behold the glory of the god of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the voice was like the sound of many waters and the earth shone with his glory. The Jews looked to the east. Malachi four and two said, but aren't you that fear may may name shall the son of We don't look to the son of righteousness for the coming hope as we already have the son of righteousness shining in our hearts but we look for as Paul said in Titus chapter two and verse thirteen for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and savior Jesus Christ. Oh yes, my dear friends, the East Gate speaks of the return, the coming of the Lord Jesus in glory and in great power and one day and very and one day he's gonna come and take his church to be with him. But very quickly, as we come towards the end of our series, I want you to notice the inspection gate. It comes immediately after, or known as the Mikpat gate, or there are many other terms, and the word in Hebrew has a military connection, and according to tradition, it was the gate that David would meet to review his soldiers returning from war, and he'd inspect them. following the return of the Lord, there's a judgment of the nations that will occur. And this is recorded in Matthew chapter 25, which I'm not gonna take time to read. But here we will separate all people who survived the tribulation to those that can enter into the kingdom on earth, sheep and goats. And then the lion of the tribe of Judah shall reign in his messianic kingdom. After the rapture of the church, every believer will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of himself to God, Romans 14, 12. Here's what Acts chapter 17, verse 30 to 31 says. Truly these times of great ignorance God overlooked, but now God commands all men everywhere to repent because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world righteousness by the man whom he has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead. As surely as Jesus rose again from the dead, he's going to judge every man. He's going to judge the believers. Ecclesiastes chapter twelve and verse fourteen says, for God will bring every work into judgment including every secret thing whether good or evil. Matthew twelve verses thirty-six to verse thirty-seven says, But I say unto you that every idle word men speak, they will give account of it on the day of judgment. For by your words will you be justified and by your words will you be condemned. The gate speaks of the examination of our lives by the Lord. Corinthians four and four. Paul indicates this in one Corinthians four and four. I am conscious of nothing against myself. In other words, he says, I don't know and can't see anything of myself that yet I am not acquitted by this but I but the one who examines me is the lord. The ultimate fulfillment of the beam of seed of Christ. In our Christian experience, we We are called to live our lives with eternity in view, caring more for the things of eternity than the temporal that we have seen around us. Let me quote to you one more text. 2 Corinthians 5, 10, and 11. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in his body according to what he has done. Whether good or bad, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men but we're well known to God and I also trust are well known in your consciences. I have a feeling, no more than a feeling, I have a real belief that God's people think that they'll never stand before Christ. Now, I do know that there's difference in the judgments. I know that. I believe that anyway. Not everybody may do, but I do believe it. I believe the beam of seat and the great white throne are two different judgments. I believe the beam of seat happens at the beginning of the millennial reign. It's also known as the seat of rewards. Paul says that everything we've done in the flesh and of the flesh will be burned up as stone and stubble. And only what's done for Christ, as the songwriter says, will truly last. give an account for every word, every action, every reaction, every impulse. Give a give a give an account for every uh every bit of disobedience and rebelliousness that was in our hearts. And yes, I know that all our sins are gone but I do know this. We stand before him and receive the words of having served him. Yes, we'll all I wonder how will it be for you or will you be reserved for the Great White Throne? The Great White Throne, which I believe will happen at the end of the millennial reign, a thousand years after Christ, and the last battle of Armageddon has taken place, and the Great White Throne, and as W.P. Nicholson used to say, you have no right to be at the Great White Throne. The Great White Throne is for those who went throughout life without trusting Christ and rejected him. The Great White Throne is not for the believer. And as W.P. Nicholson says, it's not to see whether you'll be lost in all eternity, it's to see how lost you'll be for all eternity. And I would warn anyone who's listening perhaps that's unsaved and doesn't know the Lord, make sure that you have no part in the Great White Throne. Make sure you've had part in the first resurrection, which happens at the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ. And so we've gone full circle. We've gone from the sheep gate, gone to the fish gate, and I know I'm going to get lost in them here, we've gone to the old gate, and then we've gone to the valley gate, and we've gone to the dung gate, we've gone to the fountain gate, and we've gone to the water gate, and we've gone to the horse gate, and we've gone then to the east gate, and we've come around now to the mickpad gate. Here's what the song says. I will meet you in the morning just inside the eastern gate. Then be ready, faithful pilgrim, lest for you it be too late. I will meet you in the morning just inside the eastern gate over there. I will meet you. I will meet you. I will meet you in the morning over there. Keep your lamps all trimmed and burning. For the bridegroom, watch and wait. He'll be with us at the meeting. just inside the Eastern Gate. And so it goes on. What joy, what hope, and what inspiration, what glory, what thrill it will be for us who are the bride of Christ. What a surprise it will be for the unbeliever, the reprobate, the pagan, the stubborn, the straying one. Interesting thing is, the Eastern Gate, as I learned when we were over in Israel, there is now a Muslim graveyard just on the inside of the wall at the Eastern Gate. That means that that gate cannot be opened. Something catastrophic, something wonderful, something supernatural, something marvelous must happen because Muslims would never allow you to tread over their graves, not allow the East Gate to be opened unless they're forced to do so. And I believe it will be the coming of the Lord Jesus. And I believe that God deliberately allowed that graveyard to be built there so that it wouldn't be tampered or meddled with, so that it's kept closed until he comes through that eastern gate. And it might be looking at it politically, and it might be looking at it geographically, an impossibility. but nonetheless, he he he uh our god and savior does the miraculous, does the wonderful. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, he's coming back and we are going to hear the clouds. We're going to see the clouds peeling back and the trumpet sound will sound. What a sight as the armies of the world converge to prevent the unpreventable. God fulfilling his word. Instead, they'll This is the hope of the Christian. Christ is coming back. He's coming back for his blood-boiled and blood-bought. He's coming back for the redeemed. He's going to be the center and the focus of attention one day and one day soon. As we look at these gates, as we've looked at the walls and I can tell you, we could do a whole complete other series and completely leave what we've said I remember listening to Tommy Shaw as he preached in the gates and the walls and he emphasized prayer and the family altar and personal Bible study and all of those wonderful virtues, privileges that are ours that have been fallen to the wayside. We could take all of those and see them as the gates and the walls that need to be rebuilt and that would be quite rightly so. And so there's a wealth of knowledge and there's a wealth of truth contained in these gates. But what we do want to notice is an inspiring example of what can be accomplished when God's people work together under dynamic leadership. These gates and walls were built in 52 days. The work and the worship and the witness in Jerusalem was brought back to life again, and people were satisfied and content within the walls of Jerusalem once again. because people had a mind to work onto the leadership of Nehemiah and then onto the ministry of Ezra. The work and the ministry that was leaking and where there was lethargy and indifference now became alive and alert because people had a mind to work. It concerns me bigly. It concerns me that we listen to the sheep gate, we listen to the fish gate, we listen to the old gate, we listen to the various gates, the water gate, the fountain gate, the horse gate, the valley gate, we listen to these gates, the eastern gate where he's coming again, that ought to thrill and excite our hearts, and the very fact that one day we'll stand and we'll give an account, we almost shrug our shoulders, so what? What has that got to do with me? And yet do you not see the significance of what God has put in his word for us to learn from? These gifts which have spiritual symbolism and significance for us, God has given us his word to learn from. And not only to learn so to become intellectually, with intellectual diabetes, but God has given us his word not only to learn but to apply it. And I'm, I do believe that God is the God of revival. I do believe that God is the God of blessing and blessing must come from the hand of God. But I believe that we need to be working in tandem. We need to be working in cooperation with God. We need to allow him to put his hand on us. I'm almost jealous of Nehemiah in some senses. I know that you shouldn't be jealous, but in a sense, here's a man that saw the need and gave himself. Lord, I'll be that man. Like D.L. Moody, I was just in a meeting and someone was preaching, what could God do with a man who'd just give his heart to God and allow himself to be filled with the spirit of Nehemiah? And D.L. Moody says, I'll be that man. Will there be that individual in Abba's cross? In Newton Abbey? To the things of God not concern us anymore is the word of God and the people of God. And those that are perishing outside our doors, is that not important anymore? What is important to God ought to be important to us. Because he is coming back. He's coming back soon. And to say that, I haven't got the talent or the ability, all it'll take is your willingness and God does the rest. God does the rest. I want to tell you this. You're probably tired listening to it, but I'll say it again. If God can take a boy like Trevor Galanders, from a family of 11 children, who didn't see any significance or importance in anything to do with the world or the word of God, and somehow placed him in the forefront of the work of God in Abbots Cross or in the faith mission where I was, or any area. He can do it with you. Maybe he's been wanting to do it with you. Maybe that's what he's longing to do with you. Maybe that's why we, was it Keith Green? I don't know if any of you remember Keith Green. Jesus commands you to go. It should be the exception if you stay. No wonder we're moving so slow. Of course, people refuse to obey and everybody wants to do their own thing. But when God's hand comes upon a man or a woman or a young person, then there's no telling what that person can see accomplished because God's hand is upon them. That's the message of Nehemiah. That's the message of Nehemiah. Impossibilities become possible under the hand of God. Before I rant any longer, let's go together in prayer. Let's pray. Father, we ask that as we bring this little series to a conclusion, as we ponder, meditate, as we think about, Lord, as we contemplate your truth to our hearts, we ask, Lord, that you'll give us a heart, a hunger for God, a hunger for your word, a hunger for your truth, a hunger, Lord, to see the kingdom of God extended. Because, Lord, we know that you're coming back soon. And you're coming back with your rewards. and one day we'll stand giving account as to why we didn't obey your your commands. We didn't receive your invitations to see the hand of god on us. Lord, we pray inscribe upon our hearts these days. What it is that you want each one of us to do that will not be passengers but will be active and involved in all that the lord wants to see accomplished in Amen. We're going to sing our last song is Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of My Heart. Thanks to all these folk for helping me with the music and thanks to the AV people and I trust that as we contemplate come to the end that he will be our vision, O Lord of our hearts. Thank you. Be thou my lesson, O Lord of my heart. Not be all else to me, save that thou art. Come, oh, with us, O Lord, by day or by night. Sleep in my presence tonight. Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true love. And thou with me art, Thou my bread for ever, Thy light, true sun, Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee. Be thou my battle shield, sword for the fight. Be thou my dignity, thou my delight. Thou my sole shelter, thou my high tower. Grace from the heavenward, O power of my God. Riches I need not. Now and always. Now and always. First in my heart. I came from heaven, but I treasure now I I King of Heaven, after victory won May I reach Heaven's joys over and done Heart of my own heart, whatever be found I visit, O Ruler of all. Let's just do the hearts and bow together as we conclude our service in prayer. Please remember to book for the services next Sunday and also reply to Andrew's text about your preferences going forward so we can have a road made out for a few weeks in advance or even months in advance. We're already booked in so it saves all the booking. Please, thank you so much. Father, we just pray as we commit ourselves to help us to live in light of the fact that he's coming again. and may we, Lord, live in light of the fact that one day you will review our lives, will give account at the behemoth seat of Christ. Lord, we want to hear that well-done, good, and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of my salvation. Part us in thy fear. Lord, help us to ponder your truth. Bless us, Lord, in all that we'll do in the days that lay ahead. We ask it in Christ's name for your sake. Amen. And amen.