From the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster we present Let the Bible Speak. It's good to have you join us today as we spend time around the Word of God, preaching Christ in all His fullness to men and women in all their need. O soul, and praise the Lord, who hath redeemed thee by his blood. Deliver me from chains that bind, and walk me to redemption ground. Redemption ground, O cloud of peace. Redemption ground, O wondrous place. ♪ Dear God of love, where's Jesus? Oh, he left and ran. ♪ ♪ Good God, our God ♪ ♪ Our Saviour, Lord, Redemption, God ♪ ♪ Redemption, God, the God of peace ♪ ♪ Redemption, God, the one most grace ♪ ♪ Here in our praise, good God, our God ♪ ♪ The works go fair and now I'm clean ♪ ♪ On Jesus' name for all I need ♪ ♪ The righteousness in me is done ♪ ♪ Except upon redemption run ♪ ♪ The crown of peace, redemption crown ♪ ♪ O wondrous grace, the ever-praising God ♪ ♪ Who saves us all, redemption crown ♪ ♪ A weary soul, but here I rest ♪ The Christ who died, my God, is come, To pour out of redemption ground. Redemption ground, the ground of peace, Redemption ground, O wondrous place, God our God, who saves us all, he then shall rise. Our gracious Lord, our loving, eternal Heavenly Father, we bow before thee humbly and reverently today in the name of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee for the theme of which we have been singing, Redemption Ground, the place where the blood was shed. We thank thee, O Lord, for the Son of God, the one who loved us and gave himself for us, the one who shed his precious blood that we might be forgiven. We thank thee, O Lord, for a full and free salvation. We thank thee, O Lord, we're still in the day of grace. We thank thee, Lord, whosoever will may come and drink of that fountain of life freely. We pray, O Lord, that through this ministry that souls will be saved through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's people encouraged and edified. Meet with us now, we pray. Open now the word to our hearts, we ask, meet with us and bless us. In Jesus' precious name we ask it. Amen. We're going to turn to the Word of God for our reading. It's found in Revelation chapter 21 and verse number 23. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it. For the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And there shall no wise enter into it anything that defileth. neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face. and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. Amen. Our next hymn is, There is a Story Sweet to Hear. I love to tell it to you. It fills my heart with hope and cheer. Tis old, yet ever new. There is a story sweet to hear, I love to tell it to you. It fills my heart with romantic, it's old memory. I know, I'm sure it's true, this hope will ever be. It tells me, God, there's something done, from lowly stone to high, that I might live and care and cry and reign with Him on high. Whatever you disown, whatever you, I know I'm sure to disown. ♪ Since He bore the cross for me ♪ ♪ And suffered in my place ♪ ♪ When I crossed Him I fastened faith ♪ ♪ And praised Him for His grace ♪ ♪ Tis all, yet ever new ♪ ♪ Tis all, yet ever new ♪ ever new. I know, I'm sure this truth is old, yet ever new. Oh, what rest of so great, so vast, so boundless, and so great! I know my church is true. 1 Corinthians the 2nd chapter and the verse 9, Paul is writing and he says, But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. In terms of splendor and magnificence, nothing in our modern world could match the ancient city of Corinth. standing on a narrow piece of land washed by seas on either side. One of the seas was bringing in all the commerce out of Europe, and the other was conveying in that which was coming from Asia. With a magnificent mass of columns and statues and towers and temples, Corinth, for those who visited, they find their breath taken away from them. So when Paul wrote the words of this text in 1 Corinthians 2 verse 9, he wasn't addressing a squad of rough, common rustics. Men who had never in their lifetime seen anything grand. These men had spent their whole lives surrounded by the sounds of the best music, by the most beautiful pictures, sculpture and architecture, and by all of this Corinthian brass for which the area was famous, molded and shaped into their chariot wheels and towers and gateways right through the city and country. And yet in spite of all of this splendor surrounding them, Paul writes, but As it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. In fact, Paul was saying to these in Corinth, you Corinthians reckon that you live in a splendid city, and in many ways you do. But you think you've heard all the sweet signs and seen all the beautiful sights, but let me tell you something. All that you've ever known is but nothing. in comparison to what I'm speaking about. 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. And ultimately, in mine term, he has the whole vista of heaven in front of his sight. Heaven far surpasses anything we have ever seen or known on earth. So our first comment tonight on this passage is simply this. While we live in the world, we can get just a little idea of the splendors of heaven. John, another apostle, tried to describe those and said, the twelve gates are twelve pearls. Then he went on to say, and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And he takes us further in the 21st chapter of Revelation, the verse 21, down to the foundations of the wall of the city, they were garnished with all manner of precious stones. As we stand behind John and we're looking through his telescope, we see a blaze of amethyst, and pearl, and emerald, and sardonyx, and sapphire. There's a mountain of light in front of our eyes, a whole cataract of colour, a sea of glass, a city like the sun. But then John tells us, look again. And as we look, we see thrones, the thrones of the prophets, thrones of the patriarchs, thrones of the angels, thrones of the apostles, thrones of the martyrs, and then in the center, that imposing throne, the throne of Jesus, the throne of God. John tells, look again, there's more to be seen and we see that great procession of the redeemed passing by. Christ Jesus on that white horse leads the march. The armies of salvation follow. There's a cavalcade en route here. Ages upon ages of time are represented. We have Europe, we can see Asia, Africa, Australia, North and South America, and they're pressing into line. Generations before the flood, generations after the flood, and as Jesus rises at the head of this great host, and he weaves his sword to signal final victory. Out of this mass of men and women, all crowns are lifted, all flags unfurled, all chimes ring out, and the hallelujahs begin to be chanted, and everybody cries. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Every house here is a palace. Every step is a triumph. Every meal a banquet. Every stroke coming out of the tower a celebration bell. Every day is a jubilee and every moment is one of ecstasy. And so Paul is saying, I tell you I have not seen nor ear heard the splendors of heaven. Again while we're here on earth we can get very little view of the society of heaven. A number of years ago the Daily Mail told the story of two pairs of childhood sweethearts. They were brought together again for a meal to reminisce over past events. They had lived separate different lives for twenty and twenty-six years respectively. None of the four persons involved had regretted the lives that they had lived, or the partners that they had eventually married, but they were still delighted to meet up again with one another, meditate over mews, exchange notes over times gone by. What will our joy be like after we have passed through and over the sea of death and we meet in the bright city of heaven those from whom we have long been parted? Oh, what a meeting, there in disguise. No tears nor crying shall dim our eyes. Loved ones united eternally. Oh, what a daybreak that morn shall be. After we've been separated from friends maybe 10 years, 15, 20 years, and then we come upon them, maybe a chance circumstance, we think, and we notice the changes. Well, the hair has changed. There's been a whole invasion of wrinkles over their faces and their brow, and we say, ah, you've changed. When we stand before the throne, all anxieties wipe from our faces, all marks of sorrow erased, all lost teeth and hair replaced. And feeling the joy of this blessed land, I think we'll say to each other with the kind of exultation that even now we can't imagine how you've changed in that glorified body. In this world, we meet only to part. It's goodbye. Goodbye. We hear it at the harbor. We hear it at the airport. Goodbye. Sometimes it's in a light way, and we let the word fly into the air lightly. Goodbye. Other times, it's with anguish, and the soul is breaking down under some weighty burden, and it's a painful goodbye. But not so in heaven. welcomes in the air, welcomes at the gates, welcomes throughout the house of many mansions, and no goodbyes. One by one, their seats were emptied. One by one, we go away. But soon all of us who were saved by Jesus' blood, we will all be over. I imagine when a soul arrives in heaven, some angel, I'm speculating here takes it around and shows that soul the wonders of this blessed place. This usher angel will say to the newly arrived, here are the martyrs that perished at the stake in England and Scotland and all over Europe. And look at these ones. They're the ones who were torn to pieces so brutally during the Inquisition. Here's the throne of the great Jehovah. This is Jesus. to stand in His presence. This will be heaven. To put our hand into the hand that was wounded for us on the cross. To mingle with all the groups of the redeemed and shake hands with the prophets and with the apostles and martyrs and join up again with our own dear loved ones who have gone before. What a great reunion. We can't imagine it now. Our loved ones seem so far away. There are times where we are lonely and we're in trouble and they don't come again to us. We don't have their ear to pour our trouble into. Unbelief is then whispering. They're dead. They'll never live again. But we have a Bible that tells us differently. We open it, we find they are not annihilated. They never were so much alive as they are today. They're waiting for our coming, and we will join with them on the other side of the river. It's a brilliant reunion. We can't fully grasp it now, and so Paul says, 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." This side of that world, we can only get a faint idea of the splendors of heaven, of the society of heaven, and of the song of heaven. In the battle of Waterloo, the Scots Highlanders were giving way. Wellington discovered the bands of music they'd stopped playing, and so we sent out a quick message telling those bands to play with utmost fervour a battle march. That music started. The Highlanders rallied. Gordon Highlanders, Cameron Highlanders, playing out in the pipes, war or peace. And the poet said, wild notes playing, streamers flying, defiance to the foe was thrown. And with that pipe music going out over that hillside and battlefield, boldly they marched on until they secured the victory. Now we appreciate the power of martial music such as that, but there's nothing more inspiring than a whole congregation that is lifted up on a weave of sacred song to the Lord Jesus Christ. When we sing some of those grand old songs, they stir up the memories of the past. They were sung by our mothers and fathers. They were sung by our brothers and sisters. We associate them with our grandfathers and our grandmothers who are gone now. When I hear them, Amazing grace, blessed assurance, Jesus thy blood and righteousness, redeemed, how I love to proclaim it. It seems as if all those old country meeting houses have joined together in the chorus until the whole continent of the redeemed is lifting up this grand doxology. When generals come back from victorious wars, we cheer them on enthusiastically. And when Jesus passes along, after the conquest of Calvary and his redeemed ones all brought home, shall we not have for him one loud ringing cheer? All hail. Can you anticipate the song? All hail the power of Jesus' name. Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all. But if music on earth is so sweet, what will it not be like there in heaven? We'll have David on his harp, he'll be accompaniment. We'll have Gabriel on the trumpet, he will be there. We'll have Germany redeemed, pouring its deep guttural bass voice into the song in African. They'll be adding to the music with their inimitable voices. I wish even now we could anticipate and hear a little preview of that song. God grant that through the rich mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, all of us will be there. There's only one way to get there. It's not your way. It's not my way. It's nothing to do with our efforts or our supposed goodness, for we are full of sin and can do nothing to earn the favor of a holy God. From the day of our birth, we're on the wrong way, facing sin, loving sin, scooping up sin with both of our hands, grieving God all the time. And all the rituals of religion will not turn us around. We need to see by God's revelation the kind of sinners we are. And we need to understand all that the Savior of sinners has done for us. Then turn from that love of sin and turn to Christ in love to Him. There's one way. It's pointed out again and again in this book. Jesus said, John 14, verse 6, for example, I am the way. No man cometh unto the fathom, but by me. Jesus is the only Savior, now and forever. Through him alone, God is revealed and heaven is reached. Someday, my earthly house will fall. I cannot tell how soon it will be, but this I know, my all in all has now a place in heaven for me. Someday when fades the golden sun beneath the rosy tinted west, my blessed Lord will say, well done. And I shall enter him into rest, and I shall see him face to face, and tell the story saved by grace. And I shall see him face to face, and tell the story saved by grace. We've only got a little preview. That's the point of emphasis that Paul has inscribed by the Spirit on the page of Scripture. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 9, I have not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come before Thee, we thank Thee for the word of truth. Praise Thee for the little glimpses that we have of the glory in the book of God. We'd love to see more, but what we see really whets our appetite. We thank Thee for the reading of Thy word. We thank Thee for those grand passages in Revelation. that pulled back the curtain and let us have a little glimpse of that majestic throne of God. Help us, Lord, to be in practice down here for heaven. Maybe, Lord, tune our voices, tune our hearts to sing, as we will do when we reach there, the song of Moses and of the Lamb unto Him who has loved us, washed us from sin, Unto Him be the glory forever. Amen. Take our praise. Lead us after Thyself, and we thank Thee in heaven. Thou wilt still be leading us by those living fountains of waters, washing every tear from our eye, filling our hearts with those grand old throbbing amens and hallelujahs. Take her, please. Thou art worthy, O Lord. Amen. Thank you for spending some time with us today around the Word of God. We look forward to joining with you next time as we seek to let the Bible speak once again. For further information, visit our website at ltbs.tv.