In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the book of Revelation, specifically chapter 5 and verse 6. The sermon also references the letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, verses 9 to 11. The preacher highlights that God highly exalted Jesus and granted him a name above every other name. It is emphasized that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The sermon also mentions the author of the book of Revelation, John, who was in the island of Patmos for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. John describes his experience of being in the spirit on the Lord's day and hearing a voice behind him like a trumpet. He is instructed to write a book and send it to the seven assemblies. John turns back and sees seven golden lampstands, with one like the Son of Man in the midst, wearing a garment reaching to the feet.

Will you please turn to the letter to the Philippines. Philippines chapter 2, verse 9 through verse 11. Philippines chapter 2, verse 9. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and granted him a name, that which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly and earthly and infernal beings, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to God the Father's glory. The book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 1, verse 9. I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and patience in Jesus, was in the island called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus. I became in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamos and to Titera and to Hatshades and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. And I turned back to see the voice which spoke with me, and having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment, reaching to the feet. Revelation chapter 5, verse 6. And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a lamb standing as newly slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, which are sent into all the earth. And it came and took it out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when it took the book, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell before the lamb, having each a harp and golden bowls full of incenses, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sing a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open its seals, because Thou has been slain and has redeemed God by Thy blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And may them to our God, kings and priests, and they shall reign over the earth. And I saw, I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and their number was ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the lamb that has been slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every creature which is in the heaven and upon the earth and under the earth and those that are upon the sea and all things in them, heard I say to him that sits upon the throne and to the lamb, blessing and honor and glory and might to the ages of ages. And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and did homage. Chapter 21 of Revelation. We begin with verse two. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice out of the heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with man and he shall tabernacle with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them, their God. And he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall not exist anymore, nor grief, nor cry, nor distress shall exist anymore for the former things have passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he says to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. And she said to me, It is done. I'm the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him the thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcomes shall inherit these things and I will redeem to him God and he shall be to me son. Let's have a word of prayer. Dear Lord, as we continue in thy presence, fill this place and fill us with thyself. Oh, let thy glory descend upon us that we may all bow and worship because thou art our God, our Lord, our Master, our all anymore. We do commit this time back into thy hands and pray, Lord, that by thy spirit thou will open up our whole being unto thyself and fill us with thyself that thou mayst be glorified. We ask in thy precious name. Amen. Thank God for gathering us together these days and we focus our whole attention upon one thing and that is the declaration of the Apostle Paul. He said, I am not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Since by the grace of God, the heavens opened and a light brighter than the noonday sun shone upon this Pharisee Saul. He was smitten by that light. He fell on the ground and he saw the heavenly vision. Since he saw that heavenly vision, his whole life was transformed, redirected. And after many years, he could testify that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. We mention again and again that this heavenly vision is not just for the Apostle Paul. This is the heavenly vision which is given to all of God's people because it is concerned with the eternal purpose of God. God wants each and every one of us to see that heavenly vision. Now, some people may ask the question, how can I see that heavenly vision? Now, brothers and sisters, actually, it is a very simple thing. You remember how you are saved. You remember how you received the revelation from the Father concerning His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. How He has revealed to you that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. And this is not something known according to the flesh. You may be brought up in Christian families. You may even have read the Bible. But one day, that revelation from above came to you. And deep down in your heart, you know that Jesus is Christ. He is the Son of God. And you are given that faith to trust in Him. And you are saved. Your life has changed. A new relationship has been established between you and God. You can lift up your head and say, Abba, Father, because He is yours and you are His. That is our experience of new birth. And, brothers and sisters, in the same manner, that is the way that we receive that heavenly vision. First of all, we acknowledge that we are helpless. There is nothing we can do. We humble ourselves before Him. Open our whole being towards Him. And say, Lord, show me the heavenly vision. Show me Thy Son as Thou seest Him. And if we seek, we shall find. We need not be anxious about it, but we need to be diligent in seeking after Him. He that is hungry and thirsty after righteousness, he shall be filled. Remember, brothers and sisters, it pleases God to reveal His Son in us. It is God's good pleasure. He wants to reveal His Son in us. Just like the parents that have a new baby, or even the grandparents that have a new grandchild. You do not really need to ask, but they will show you, even show you the picture. And that is the way that the Heavenly Father has such a good pleasure. He delights to reveal His Son in us. All we need to do is just to open ourselves to Him, to ask, to seek, and we shall be given. Do not seek for some special feeling. Just seek Him, and you will have it. He may have His timing, but He is faithful and true. So, brothers and sisters, it is God's will that we know the heavenly vision. It is God's will that we possess that heavenly vision. And that heavenly vision is nothing other than the Son. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him. To see that He is your all and in all, and to see that He has a bride, a life companion to share with Him in His burden as well as in His glory. Now, because the heavenly vision and this matter of obedience to the heavenly vision is not just a theory, a theology, a mental knowledge, but it is a reality, a spiritual reality. And therefore, we try to illustrate this matter of being obedient to the heavenly vision with real persons. And my responsibility is the life of Christ. As I mentioned at the first session, when I first got this assignment, I felt it was ironical because Christ Himself is the heavenly vision. And how is it that we should use Him as an example of not being disobedient to the heavenly vision? But thank God, the more I meditate on it, the more I realize that there is no better example to that matter of being obedient to the heavenly vision than Christ Himself. Because He's not only the vision, but He is the author and the finisher of that vision. He is the originator and the completer of that vision. He is the one who makes that vision possible. He is the one who brings in that vision and brings us into that vision. We have already said the story of Christ is altogether different from our story because our story began with our natural birth. But the story of our Lord Jesus begins with eternity past. We remember that in eternity past, in the beginning was the Word, the Logos, the Speech, the Utterance, the Voice, the Expression, the Image. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, the Supreme One, the Father. And the Word was God because He was the Son, and He was one with the Father. We mentioned how in eternity past, to use human language, the Father and the Son has perfect fellowship, sharing equally, the same, everything with each other. Their fellowship is complete, is perfect, is harmonious, is joyous. It is in the Spirit. It is of life, of light, of love, of righteousness. And during that fellowship, something began. The Father expressed to His Son how He loved His Son. He wants to do something, everything for His Son. He has the desire to create all things, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth. And He wants to give all these things to His Son. And more than that, He knows that His Son is love, and love cannot be satisfied with anything that is just outside of Him. He needs something that will answer to Himself, to His heart. So it is the eternal will of God that He would give His Son a helpmate, His like. But as they were fellowshipping together, the Father said, Well, because of my foreknowledge, I can see that there will be problems in the creation, and even problems with the man who will be created in our image and after our likeness. And what should I do? That my love towards you will not be hindered, but can be fully expressed. And somehow the Son stepped forward and said, Father, if this is your good pleasure, go ahead. I voluntarily offer myself to be the Lamb, a Lamb to be slain from the foundation of the world. So, dear brothers and sisters, the obedience of Christ to the heavenly vision began in eternity past. It is marvelous in our eyes, and it is because of this offer of the Son. In obedience to the heavenly vision that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. So, dear brothers and sisters, that is the story of our Christ in eternity past. And then centuries and centuries passed until the promise of God was fulfilled. In the fullness of time, God sent his Son into this world. Born of a woman, born under the law, that he might deliver us from the curse of the law, and we might receive sonship. So, in John chapter 1, verse 14, it says, the Word became flesh. Philippians chapter 2 tells us, he is subsisting in the form of God, because he is God. So, he has all the character, the nature, the essence of God, the glory, the honor, the sovereignty, the power of God. He was above all, but because in eternity past, he has offered himself to be the Lamb's slave. Therefore, he emptied himself. He laid aside the form of God in order that he might put upon himself another form, the form of a born slave. Brothers and sisters, this is the obedience of Christ to the heavenly vision. This is the price he paid. Think of that. He was God, the sovereign, and now he gave up that right, laid aside that right, in order that he might take the form of a born slave. With no right whatsoever, living no longer for himself, but for the one. And with that inward mind of a born slave, he took up the fashion of a human being. As we mentioned last time, that a man whom God created in the first place is a man who has that inward sentiment, inward sense of being a bondman to God, to serve God's purpose, to exist as it were, to be used as a vessel, as an instrument in God's hand to fulfil his eternal purpose. Man was created not just to enjoy himself. Man was created for God's purpose, to serve God's purpose. So our Lord Jesus, while he was on the earth, he called himself the Son of Man. He is the real man, the man after God's own heart. And throughout his life, one thing marks him, and that is he was obedient to the Father. Being a perfect man, he can do much more than anybody else. There is not one genius among man that can be compared with our Lord Jesus. And yet how he denied himself, take up his cross, and obedied to his Father. He humbled himself, even unto death, and that the death of the cross. Oh, thank God. Before he died, he shouted, it is finished. The mission was completed. The impossible task was done. The work of salvation was completed. The way to the fulfilment of the heavenly vision is open. The foundation to that heavenly vision is laid. So, brothers and sisters, in the life of our Lord Jesus and in his death, he opens the way to the heavenly. He was buried, and the third day he was raised from the dead because he is the resurrection and the life. He died in our stead. He completed the work of redemption, and he is raised from the dead, giving life to those who believe in him. He has overcome death. He robbed death of his power, and now he holds in his own hand the key of death and head. For 40 days, he appeared to his disciples, talking to them concerning the kingdom of God, and then we remember how on that Mount of Olives he ascended up to heaven. So far as his work on earth is concerned, it is finished, completed. But, brothers and sisters, maybe we wonder what happened after he ascended to heaven, after he returned to his father. The life of Christ begins from eternity past. It goes through the time, and it enters into eternity to come. So, in other words, the life of Christ does not end at his ascension. It continues on to eternity. So, this morning, we would like to conclude the story, the history of Christ, as an example of being obedient to the heavenly vision by seeing Christ in glory. You remember the story recorded in Acts chapter 1? Our Lord Jesus began to ascend from Mount of Olives. And the disciples looking up, seeing him going up, until a cloud took him. They could not see him anymore, but they were still looking up. And then two men in white appeared to them and said, men of Galilee, why do you look up? Because the one who is taken up, he will come back in like manner. Now we wonder, after the cloud took him, did he really arrive heaven? Did he really sit at the right hand of the Father on the throne? Where is the proof? Now, thank God, we find the Apostle John. You know, after the Apostle Paul was martyred, and all the original 12, except John, died. The Apostle John was the last one. And for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus, he was exiled to the island of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus. And on the Lord's Day, he was in spirit. And there, the heaven opened. And in the spirit, he was taken up to the third heaven. And the vision he saw once sits on the throne. It was God, the Father, surrounded by angels, worshipping, praising, honouring him. And then he heard a voice, who is worthy to take that little book in the hand of God and to open the seal. And the voice was heard in heaven, on earth, and even underneath the earth. But there was no answer. And John wept, because he thought he was now hopeless. But then he was comforted and was told, weep not, there is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He has overcome. And he's able, worthy, to take that book and to open the seals. And John saw, in Revelation chapter 5, he saw, in the midst of the throne and of the 24 elders, there was a lamb, newly slain, standing there. Now, brothers and sisters, we know that Revelation chapter 5 is a review of the ascension of our Lord Jesus. Why? Because it tells us it is the lamb, newly slain, but standing. That means he had died, newly died, and resurrected, and now ascended to the throne. So it is a replay of the ascension scene of our Lord Jesus. And there you'll find this lamb slain, standing. He is worthy. In the whole universe, nobody is worthy but he. Why? Because he has overcome. On Calvary's cross, he has overcome. He has overcome Satan and all the evil forces. And by the cross, make a show of them. On the cross, he has defeated sin and death. He is the overcomer as the Son of Man. We know this little book is the title deed of the universe. God created the heavens and the earth. He is the owner of the universe. But unfortunately, when he gave to man the dominion to rule over the earth, man forfeited to Satan. So Satan today is called the prince of this world. But remember, he is a usurper. He is not an owner. God has never given up his ownership. He holds in his hand this little book. And now God is going to claim his right over creation. But who is worthy to take that book? Who is worthy to open the seals, to execute the will of God? Only the one who is worthy, who has overcome Satan and all the evil powers. And thank God, as the Lamb slain and resurrected, ascended, he is the one who is worthy. So brothers and sisters, here you'll find our Lord Jesus in glory. And in glory he is still the Lamb slain but resurrected. And even it is matter of coming forth to take the title deed of the universe, to open the seals, to execute the will of God, to bring all things back to God, subject all things to the feet of God. Even in doing this work, he does it as a Lamb in obedience to his Father. So brothers and sisters, remember one thing. In eternity past, he prepares the way for the heavenly vision by offering himself as a Lamb slain. While he was on earth, during the days of his flesh, he laid the foundation to the heavenly vision. And now in heaven he is to complete, to fulfill the heavenly vision by being obedient to the Father. So you find from the very beginning to the very end it is obedience to the heavenly vision. As you read the book of Revelation, you will find in the book of Revelation how as the Lamb slain and risen up in the midst of the throne, how he executes God's will in bringing all things back to his Father's feet. And that's what Revelation is. So to me, I feel brothers and sisters, the heavenly vision is one. It is singular in number. The heavenly vision. But the heavenly vision is so inclusive. I think to the Apostle Paul, he was given the heavenly vision but particularly he was shown as the starting point. How the heavenly vision began to be true. And I believe that the vision that Apostle John saw, it is the same heavenly vision but it is the finishing point. The concluding part of that heavenly vision. It is just one vision. Now for us, we are not going to cover all the areas about how he reduced all things under his feet until he defeated the last enemy, death. And then he will give all things back to his Father. As we find in 1 Corinthians 15. We will just concentrate ourselves on the part that we are included. In other words, in obedience to the heavenly vision, what Christ in glory has completed, has done in us. And what will be our part to play in the completion of the heavenly vision. I think that is what our focus will be this morning. We have to go back to chapter 1. Actually what happened in chapter 1? Happened after our Lord Jesus had ascended up to heaven. You remember our Lord told his disciples, wait in Jerusalem until you receive the power from on high. And then you will be my witness to the world. So, the 120 waited in Jerusalem for 10 days. They prayed together with one accord. On the day of Pentecost, suddenly there was a hard breathing. That's what the original is. A wind. But that wind is the breathing of a person. God was breathing out his spirit. And there was a hard breathing fill the room. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. This is Pentecost. The beginning of the history of the church on earth. You remember when our Lord was on earth? Before his crucifixion? When he saw that the day of his death was drawing to nigh? He began to open himself to his disciples that he would go to Jerusalem and he would die there. In Matthew chapter 16, when he was by the border of Caesarea Philippi, rejected by his own people, he asked his disciples, whom do men say that I am? And then he said, whom do you say that I am? You who have followed me all these years. You should know me. Who do you say I am? And Simon Peter, representing the other disciples said, you are the Christ. The anointed of God. You are the son. And Christ said to Peter, you are blessed. Because this is not something revealed to you by the flesh. It is the father in heaven who has revealed you are Peter. A little stone. On this rock I will build my church. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. In other words, when our Lord Jesus was on earth, his coming to earth is for a purpose. His coming to earth is to seek for his bride. But unfortunately when he came to the world, the world did not receive him. He met with all these blinds, the cripples, the lepers, even the dead. But he came trying to find his bride. And because he couldn't find them anywhere, he has to create them. He has to go to the cross that out of his sight comes out blood and water to create his Eve, his bride. So he said, I will build my church. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. But it is on the day of Pentecost that the building began. Because the baptism with the Holy Spirit means one thing. It is explained to us in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 13. For in one spirit ye were baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether three or bondmen, and you were all made to drink of one spirit. Brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus has ascended to heaven. How do we know? Because after he reached heaven, he was anointed. He was made Christ, the anointed and Lord of all things. And now the oil, the anointed oil comes down to the beard and even to the whole body. In one spirit, brothers and sisters, we were baptized into one body. We become members of the one body of Christ. The church is his body. The fullness of him who fills all and in all. And that is his building, his church. And the building began in heaven. On earth he laid a foundation for it, but in heaven when he was in heaven the building began in earnest. From Jerusalem it spread to all Judea, to Samaria, and to the end of the world. So you find towards the end of the first century the apostle John on the island of Patmos, most likely you know. John might be sitting on a rock facing the sea and from the island of Patmos if it's a clear day he could see the outline of Asia Minor. That was where he labored before he was exiled. It must be that on the Lord's Day he was thinking about the assemblies that he labored before. What happened to them? And then he heard a voice behind him. He turned back and he saw a vision. He saw seven golden lamestands and one like the Son of Man standing in the midst of it. And he was closed with a long white robe. Now even in the first chapter of Revelation the seven lamestands are explained to us because the seven lamestands are the seven churches in Asia. God chose these seven churches to represent the churches of all ages. The church is a lamestand. The lamestand is not an end in itself. The lamestand is a means to an end. The lamestand exists for one purpose to hold up the light. And the church the assembly of God's called out ones is a vessel to hold forth Christ the light. It is a golden lamestand. It is made all of gold. You know in the tabernacle only two pieces of furniture are made of pure gold. One is the mercy seat and the other is the lamestand. The mercy seats speak of Christ. He is the mercy seat. And the lamestands speak of the church. In other words, in the church it is all of Christ and none. And the church is to hold forth how Lord Jesus committed, commits his own testimony to the church. He reveals himself to the church and his revelation is his testimony. So the church is to testify to Christ. The church does not speak of itself. The church speaks of Christ. And this Christ is the one revealed to the church. So here we find these seven golden lamestands there. And there was one walking in the midst of them. Now this is a scene in the heaven. This is the reality. What's going on on earth is the appearance. But the reality is there before God. After Christ was ascended into heaven in glory. What is he doing there? Does he just sit on the throne and wait, doing nothing? Because it is finished. So far as the work on earth is done, so far as the foundation to the heavenly vision, it is already delayed. It is finished. You cannot add anything more to it. But brothers and sisters, there is something more that needs to be done. That is, he is to bring that heavenly vision into perfection. To bring you and me into the heavenly vision. And that's what he's doing in heaven. He has saved us, but then he ever liveth, making intercession for us, that he may save us to the uttermost. Now, what is the uttermost? The uttermost is that he wants to save us into the very centre, into the very being of the heavenly vision. All that God has purposed in his calling shall be fully fulfilled. You remember Romans chapter 8? Whom God has foreknown, he has foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son. That his Son might be the firstborn among many brethren. Whom he has foreknown, he has called. Whom he has called, he has justified. Whom he has justified, he has sanctified, glorified. Brothers and sisters, individually speaking, what our Lord is now today doing, he is our high priest. On earth, he is the apostle, sent by God to accomplish the work of redemption, to lay the foundation of the heavenly vision. Now in heaven, he is our high priest. That's what the book of Hebrews is. We have a holy high priest who is able to sympathise with us and he is able to save us to the uttermost, to the very being in the heavenly vision. That is what he is doing. Now collectively, so far as the church is concerned, you find that he also is the high priest ministering in the heavenly tabernacle. That's what Christ is doing. And he is doing it in obedience to the heavenly vision, because that's what the heavenly vision is. In that heavenly vision, there is your part and my part, your place and my place. In the heavenly vision, the church occupies a very important place in the whole matter of the completion of the heavenly vision. And that is what Christ is doing today in glory. He is completing the work of the heavenly vision. So far as the church is concerned, he is the high priest to the church. There you find he is walking in the midst of the seven golden lambs there, observing, seeing whether the light is shining or whether it gets dim or whether it is smoking. He will take off the ashes, pouring the oil to see that the light is burning. The testimony is clear and strong and shines over the earth. Brothers and sisters, thank God, thank our Lord Jesus Christ, that even now in heaven he is not just sitting there and waiting. He is working day and night without ceasing, ministering, praying. He gave himself. What he has revealed to the church is the testimony that we should bear for him today. So he is looking to see whether our testimony is clear, is strong, is burning, is shining, or whether it is getting dim. The oil is depleting, smoking. Since his ascension, since the day of Pentecost, our Lord worked incessantly interceding, ministering to his church throughout the century. Unfortunately, we find that how we fail him again and again. When you look into the situation of the seven churches, aside from the church in Philadelphia and the church in Smyrna, all the five other churches, you find that our Lord Jesus, he has to issue the call to repent because they do not meet his eyes. If Christ should come to our midst today and he is here, what will he see? Will he find himself shining in full light? Or whether he has to knock at the door from outside because of our weakness? He expects the whole church to be victorious as he is victorious because he has given himself so completely to us. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily. And we are complete in him. But unfortunately, you find how we look elsewhere. We are occupied with many other things and therefore, towards the end of the first century, there is the call to overcome. He that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. What does the Spirit say to the church? The Spirit says to the church nothing but the Christ that has been revealed in the measure of his revelation to us. What will be the measure of our faithfulness? He revealed much. We receive much, but we are unfaithful. And therefore, the call is out today as it was at the end of the first century. He that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church. Brothers and sisters, we need to repent. Repent not just for our sins, but repent because we are not up to what he has revealed. Are we faithful to that which he has revealed to us of himself? And those who are faithful, they will be few. They will be the minority. They probably will be those that are persecuted, as we find in church history. But they will answer the heart of Christ. And they are those who are willing to deny themselves, take up the cross and follow him. Whenever the Lamb goes, they go. And thank God, in spite of the failure of the church in general throughout the centuries, here and there, there is always some who respond to him in obedience to the heavenly vision. They may be the persecuted. They may be the minority. They may be the rejected. Not just by the world, but by the Christian world. But God knows. He knows who they are. And they will be the first fruit, and later on. Brothers and sisters, why is it so important that we should respond to the heavenly vision? Why is it so important that we should be obedient to the heavenly vision? Because it has great relationship to the restoration of all things. You remember in Ephesians chapter 1, it says, that our Lord Jesus risen from the dead, and he is ascended up on high, above every principality, authorities, and he is over all things, to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all and in all. You know the victory of Christ, the ascension of Christ, is for the church. That the church, that his body, that the members of his body, may overcome all things, and bring all things to the feet of the Lord Jesus. One day all things will be brought in subjection to Christ. But first, all things has to be brought in subjection to Christ in our lives. We are the first fruit. He wants to see that everything in our lives is brought in subjection to the head. And when this is done, then the whole universe, all things, will be brought into subjection. In Romans chapter 8, you find the whole creation today is groaning, waiting for the time of their liberation. The whole thing, the whole creation is under corruption, is under vanity, under emptiness, purposely ruined. And that is something they do not desire. But they are all subjected today to vanity, to emptiness, to bondage because of man. And they are waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. Who are the sons of God? Those who are conformed to the image of Christ. That they may be sons. That Christ may be the firstborn among many sons. So brothers and sisters, the whole creation is waiting for you. Waiting for you to be completed first in that heavenly vision. And unless we are completed by the grace of God, by His intercession, by His working of His Spirit in our lives, by the working of the cross in our lives, by being transformed and conformed to His image and come to sonship. Brothers and sisters, the whole world is waiting for you. We are to assist, as it were, Christ to complete that work. So this is what man is created for in the first place. Oh, brothers and sisters, our responsibility is great because our privilege is great. To whom He gives more, more is required. So it is extremely important, brothers and sisters, for the completion of the heavenly vision. When Christ shall be the heir of all things, when everything will be under His feet, He has to do it first in our lives. And then through us and with us, everything will be put into subjection. Thank God, no matter how weak we are, He is strong. We may fail, but He can never fail. Therefore, you find when you come to the end of the book of Revelation, you see the new Jerusalem. Humanly speaking, as we look around, as we look at ourselves, we tend to give up hope, but God is working. He is working silently, secretly. He is working towards the completion of the age. And at the completion of the age, the eternity to come, you will see a new heaven and a new earth and a new Jerusalem. The tabernacle of God is on earth. But even in that final scene, you find Christ is still the Lamb. In New Jerusalem, there is no temple because God is the temple and the Lamb. In Jerusalem, there is no need for light because God is the light and Christ is the Lamb. The Lamb is the Lamb. In New Jerusalem, you find there is the throne of God and of the Lamb. In other words, our Lord Jesus, once He volunteered, the eternity passed to be the Lamb. He remains the Lamb forever and forever. His obedience never changes. And this is the way that He has dedicated. May the Lord help us. Dear Lord, we bow in worship because from the beginning to the very end, it is now grace and mercy shown through Thy beloved Son. We thank Thee for what He has done, what He will be doing, and what shall be accomplished. O Lord, we willingly surrender our lives to Thee and say, Lord, speed up Thy work until that heavenly vision, Thy eternal purpose, be fully realised. We ask in Thy name.