Happy Sabbath one and all. (Well now I’ve finally finished, Sabbath has just about finished.)
Let me first start off by saying that I almost stayed home today and would’ve missed an awesome day of worship and a down-to-earth and powerful sermon. God had a plan for me to be at church even though my plan was to sleep in and catch on some rest.
Anyways, as God would have it, after hiding out in my room and missing my ride, I was asked if I wasn’t going to church and because I didn’t have a reason not to go I said yes because I knew my ride had already left. However as I said before, clearly God had a plan for me because things worked out in such a way that I wasn’t the only late riser so I got a ride down.
Well by the time I got to church, Sabbath school was now about wrapping up and it was time for church to start. Just let me tell you guys now; I’ve never been happier to be at church and to tell the truth, every Sabbath I am blessed at church but today was just special.
Pastor Rowe, a youthful and very animated man of God, delivered today’s sermon.
Below will be my account of the sermon, and in some cases, quotes of what he said (where I can remember). I’m not trying to take any credit for anything the pastor said that I forgot to quote. All the glory is the Lord’s; the pastor is His messenger and I’m simply a servant who received and am now sharing.
We serve a great and powerful God and we are all here because of Him.
“It wasn’t a Big Bang! It was a big God!”
He made something from nothing!
Who are us to think differently? To think that we are not special?
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.- Psalm 139:14 (KJV)
“You are worthy of worship because You made me. And You are worthy of worship because when I was lost, You saved me.”
Jesus has put down a deposit down on us and when He comes again, He is coming to claim what is His.
“Who shall be able to stand?”
Pastor Rowe told us a story of when he was in grade 10. A Friday evening at church the pastor asked him and all his schoolmates that question, “Who shall be able to stand? If Jesus were to come now, which of you can stand and say you would go to Heaven?” He told us that he and all his friends looked around and no one budged. Then this one girl, she stood up slowly. He told us that at that point, everyone got paper and bawled it up and tossed at her. He told us that a reaction like that should never be, but he said that back then they all were thinking “who are you to stand up?” He said that the general consensus was even though some of them did think they would make it to Heaven, who were they to stand up.
So many of us are unsure about whether or not we will make it to heaven. Guess what? That’s what Jesus came here to do. He came to make the way.
You guys know the song?
“He came from Heaven to earth, to show the way
From the earth to the cross, our debts to pay
From the cross to the grave
From the grave to the sky
Lord I lift Your name on high.”
Salvation is a gift from God.
He came to make sure we have everything we need, He died to make sure we are clean and He left to go make sure everything is good and ready in heaven for us when He comes again to receive us.
“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.”- John 14:2 (KJV)
At this point Pastor Rowe started to get in the grove as he was telling us about Heaven. No one ever made me so excited to want to go to Heaven. I know where I want to go and ain’t nobody stopping me. Not at all.
“He has gone to prepare a place for me. One of those mansions up there are for me and it’s going to have in fine custom made furniture because my Jesus was a carpenter and He knows me.” Needless to say he went on to describe his mansion and the congregation was having a blast.
Pastor Rowe said, “When I get to heaven I want to meet all the great men. I want to meet Adam, the first man. I want to meet Sampson, the strongest man. I want meet Methuselah, the oldest man. I want to meet Solomon, the wisest man. However, before I meet all those men, I want to meet my Jesus.”
Couldn’t have said it any more beautiful than that.
In Heaven we will worship God for what He has done but even more than that, because of who He is. We will worship Him just because He is who He is.
That’s how we are to worship Him now. In all we do, worship Him.
Anyone want to tell me my God isn’t great? Have a seat.
I know He was, I know He is and I know He will always be great.
That’s the amazing and wonderful God I serve.
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Revelation 7:9-17 KJV)
This piece of scripture tells of Heaven and it starts with the Apostle John seeing a great multitude which no man could number. I am but just one, so if the multitude be so great, my one must be in that number.
Are you going to be in that number?
One of the elders in Heaven asked John who are these people dressed in white robes and where did they come. Those people are us. We came out of a sinful world and were cleaned, not by ourselves but by the blood of Jesus; nothing but the blood of Jesus. Now, because we are cleaned we are able to go Heaven and come before God’s throne and worship Him. Why would we do that? I said it before. We will worship Him just because of who He is.
Pastor Rowe told another story. He told us of his first trip to Six Flags Great Adventure. He was young then but when he went there, there were long lines and not only were there long lines but the man who took him and his friends was disabled. So as he was approaching the lines he was most annoyed that he would have to wait in the line and that disabled man would slow them down in the park. He then said that the strangest thing happened when they got to the back of the line; They brought the man to the top of the line because he was disabled. Now because he and his friends were with him, they all were brought to the top. So there he was holding onto the man’s hand and just saying “excuse me” as he made it to the top of the line. All day he was taken to the top of the lines for all the rides because of whose hand he was holding.
Pastor Rowe then told us how that all tied in. We just need to hold Jesus’ hand. He’ll take us to the top but not because He is disabled but because He is able.
Isn’t that the truth! My God is able.
And I too am able because He is.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13 KJV)
So back to the question at the start of this post, “So who shall be able to stand?”
Well I’m a sinner like any one else but I am here to say now, I am able to stand because of the blood of Jesus.
Why is the blood of Jesus so amazing? Well think of actual blood. Blood is made up of three things; red blood cells, white blood cells and plasma. The red cells provide nutrients and take away waste; My Jesus provides what I need and takes away those things I don’t need. The white cells protect us and the improve our immune systems; Jesus protects us from all harm. “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;…” (Isaiah 54:17 KJV). Finally the plasma heals us; the blood is Jesus heals us because He is able to forgive us of all our sins.
One great thing about the blood of Jesus; it never loses its power.
Ain’t that great?
Till next sabbath, I pray that what I share here would be a blessing to someone, as someone shared with me and I know I have been blessed.
My God is awesome.
TrappedAlone 