The Lord of Glory

Now I think this will be the last time for me at this conference to be at the podium and again I express a sincere appreciation thanks to the Brethren for the invitation to be here and also thanks to the Brethren who cooperated, shared and administrate. The Brethren have been very considerate, very economical with their time. In fact, I'm a little bit suspicious that our brother Mr. Goff hadn't quite finished all that he wanted to say.

He could have gone on a little longer, mentioned some of those other passages because he was touching upon matters that are very vital and fundamental for testimony and we certainly endorse completely some of those practical issues that he just mentioned at the close of his address. So we trust the Lord's blessing upon what has been said and upon the remaining parts of the day. Now let us briefly pray before we proceed.

Our Father again we bow before thee with thanksgiving in the name of the Lord Jesus. We thank thee for spiritual favors already granted in the earlier part of this day for the precious ministry of thy word. We ask thy blessing upon it that its truth will settle into our hearts and will become convictions in our souls and its principles will be incorporated practically in our lives.

We thank thee for thine interest in us as human beings, thine interest in human life, thine interest as we have been reminded in family life. We thank thee too for thine interest in and instructions for assembly life and so we pray that thou wilt help us to take even on board in our everyday living these permanent and practical principles of divine revelation. Just now we ask for help as the meeting continues and pray for further blessing for thy waiting people in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen. Now I'd like to read from the first epistle to the Corinthians and chapter two. The first epistle to the Corinthians and chapter two and we'll read here at verse six.

First Corinthians chapter two and verse six. Reading to the end of verse eight. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect yet not the wisdom of this world nor of the princes of this world that come to naught but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Now that's the reading and we trust the Lord's further blessing upon his word. Back in the in the book of Proverbs there's a question that is asked speaking about God himself the God who has established the ends of the earth has the wind in his fist gathers the waters of the seas in a garment and the question is asked what is his name and what is his son's name it almost seems as if there's a kind of a mystery there's something that has been hidden in old testament times what is his name and what is his son's name as we often sing the high mysteries of his name an angel's grasp transcend the father only glorious claim the son can comprehend when we move into new testament territory the veil of mystery is removed and a constellation of names and titles appear in the firmament of new testament scripture and every one of those names like a star in the sky reflects the glory of the Lord Jesus. From beginning to end we have various descriptions imply in fact the first chapter of our new testament is a chapter of names and the first name in the chapter and the final name in the chapter is the name of Jesus the book of the generation of Jesus Christ the son of David the son of Abraham.

When you get to the end of the gospels John tells us as he just gives that summarizing statement in verse 31 of chapter 20 he said these things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God so he's Jesus Christ the son of David at the beginning of the gospels when you get to the end of the gospels he's Jesus Christ the son of God. When you begin the epistles the apostle Paul has just commenced in the epistle to the Romans we all know that Romans was not the first epistle to be written but there's something very suitable that the epistle to the Romans stands just at the porch of that great epistolary section of the new testament and as the apostle begins to write he notes down these words the gospel of God concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord so he's Jesus Christ the son of David as the gospels begin he's Jesus Christ the son of God as the gospels end and then as the epistles begin he's Jesus Christ his son our Lord those six words encapsulate the great Christology of the apostle Paul Jesus Christ the central two words and then on either side we have a very special couplet he said this person Jesus Christ in relation to God he's his son in relation to us he is our Lord and so we appreciate the fullness of this great title our Lord Jesus Christ Jesus the suffering one Christ the sufficient one prophet priest and king Lord the supreme one now exalted at God's right hand in fact the first time in the new testament that we have a verse that brings the three together is Acts chapter 2 verse 36 and Peter standing in Jerusalem Calvary has just taken place a short time before and Peter said listen people that same Jesus whom ye crucified God hath made both Lord and Christ you say that's a problem what do you mean God has made him Lord and Christ I said sure we read back in Luke's gospel chapter 2 you remember when the angel said to uh said in those chapters unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord he was Christ the Lord in the manger what does Peter mean when he says then in Acts chapter 2 God has made him Lord and Christ he already was Lord and Christ what does this mean is Peter's Christology a little suspect well we'll give good old Peter the benefit of the doubt I don't think there was any problem this is exactly what Peter was saying he said what Jesus already was personally God has now made him positionally it seemed to be incompatible that a little babe lying in a manger was Lord and Christ he said that's not the position that befits such a noble person we will thank him forever that he ever accommodated himself to the small surroundings of this creation and the incarnate babe was Lord and Christ but a manger doesn't suit his royal titles but he has a position now absolutely exactly and eternally compatible with who he is and there seated in the highest echelons of everlasting glory is the very man that hung upon the cross this same Jesus God has made positionally what he already is personally and he's Lord and Christ and we have taken apart a little bit over these sessions those three names are titles the great trinity the great trinity of the description of our blessed savior Jesus of Galilee only one Christ of God only one Lord of glory only one you say what about James two and one well just take a look at the italics and you'll be all right you'll recover from that he's Lord of glory oh said paul he said the the princes of this world in their blundering blindness he said they took him out to a cross and if they had known what the great redemptive results of calvary would be they would not have crucified the lord of glory he said they put the savior on the cross and instead of that bringing God's purpose to an end he said the work accomplished on that cross has provided a foundation and a fulcrum upon which the purpose of God will swing to its universal and eternal glory and he said they thought they were bringing those purpose the purpose of God's heart to a defeat he said on the other hand it has brought God's purpose to the highest point of its preeminence and they crucify the lord of what a paradox the lord of glory hanging upon a cross the very form of execution which is the epitome of shame and deep disgrace and hanging there in the place of a slave and a criminal in the agony of calvary is one who is described as the lord of glory rc chapman said it in his beautiful little hymn the lamb of God to slaughter led the king of glory see a crown of thorns upon his head they nail him to the tree we've already visited calvary today we visited every day that we live we'll be close to calvary throughout eternal ages and it will wash across our spirits with everlasting worship and we'll bow in the ecstasy of eternal appreciation when in heaven i gaze on glory yonder the sapphire throne its bliss beyond compare surpassing all will be the deathless wonder that he himself once died to bring me there they crucified the lord of glory i hope we'll get a glimpse of his glory just before i finish my few remarks and leave space for my brother here and that just something of its radiance and resplendence might again filter into our souls we live in a dark world we live in a world where the clouds are gathering and the sky is gray and black the storm that came last night is but pretentious of the far bigger global storm that is soon coming dear christians we have glimpses of glory before we get to it we have an association with the lord who has the title to everlasting glory and whose blood has paid the passport and we're glad to date about christians we go away with our our resolve galvanized with our hearts warmed with our vision focused and sharp that we might live for his glory of course glory is connected with each person of the godhead the father of glory what do you think about that title that's a sermon for another day the father of glory we've been hearing about families a great lot of fathers haven't lived in glory but there's one father and everything that fatherhood means is seen in him there's a father who cares and loves and guides and counsels as no earthly father has ever done he's the father of every family that has ever been named in heaven and on earth whether the family of angels or the family of men there's one great father who is the fountainhead of all fatherhood he's the father of glory that's your father today dear christian you're a child in his family you're a son in the enjoyment of his adoption you have his ear enjoy the father of glory the spirit of glory we'll get there because god has given into the heart of every believer the presence of the holy spirit who is the pledge that we will be in glory we have already at the deepest level of our personality a close connection with glory a table of connection that cannot be broken and the spirit of glory it rests upon us not only the father of glory and the spirit of glory you investigate that first peter chapter 4 reach away back into its testament roots in isaiah the prophecy of isaiah i don't stay another second with that and now we're just thinking about the lord of glory you know the lordship of the savior he's lord of all that's what peter said preaching peace by jesus christ he is lord of that's the scope of it many people live their lives in total disregard of the sovereign claims and the crown rights of the rejected man of calvary he means a lot to us and when he speaks a word we respond he is the lord of all and should be acknowledged and will be every knee will bow every tongue will confess that jesus christ is lord to the glory of god the father he's the lord of all as to its scope there's a beautiful title that's introduced in the context of assembly problems in second thessalonians chapter 3 just as the apostle brings that letter to a closing he's been speaking about doctrinal differences and divisions and quite a little bit of corrective ministry both with regard to practical things and prophetical things and some people that weren't doing their work properly you know the context of second thessalonians walking disorderly and then he says now he said my prayer is this that the lord of peace he usually says the god of peace but in second thessalonians he says the lord of peace give you peace always by all means you know if there's one thing brethren to be coveted in the assembly it's just that every believer every one of us would respond to the claims of christ and if every believer responded to his lordship there would be peace are you a trouble maker are you an awkward customer you know i meet people even in my travels and i know within five minutes of conversation that they're abrasive i can read it in their eyes and they're shifting and they're twisting and they're shuffling and they want to cause talk and they're not receiving the attention that they think they should get and they're always under pressure and they're always stirring the pot dear brother i say i pray for garner villa and every other assembly represented here the lord of peace not only the scope of his lordship he's lord of all but the shalom the shalom of his lordship it's great to be in an assembly where there is spiritual and scriptural peace and believers rejoicing in the common recognition of the authority of this great lord of glory according to the book of revelation he's lord of lords king of kings the supremacy of his lordship the day is coming when he will sit upon the throne and the scepter of universal sway will be competently held in his hand and everything will be resting in every planet in every part of the planet every continent every island of the sea everything under the benign and benevolent sway of the exalted lord what a day that will be lord of all lord of peace lord of lords the lord of glory something in that title there's something here something even richer than jesus of galilee something additional to the christ of god here is the lord of glory maybe maybe i should just mention four things and stop i want to think about the glory which he did have i'll say a little bit about the glory which he does have a little bit about the glory which he will have and a little bit about the glory which he should have the glory that he did have does have will have and should have and when i've covered that ground briefly i'll give way his glory the glory that he did have first of all in eternity and then the glory that he did have upon earth as far as eternity was concerned he was the inhabitant and the possessor of eternal glory some of our brethren were referencing this morning that great verse in john 17 with the savior just on the threshold of calvary he he utters that great prayer father glorify thy son in the third person glorify thy son in a couple of verses later he says glorify thou me what's the difference you think about that glorify thy son glorify thou me with the glory which i had beside thee before the world war in those distant eons of an immeasurable eternity the one whom we remember today and in whose name we gather and whose honor we have been seeking to advance over this weekend he dwelt in that unsullied glory a glory that was the glory of eternity it was the glory of equality it was the glory of essential deity and we were singing many a time at a remembrance meeting oh what wondrous love and glory mercy thou didst lay thy glory by and for us didst come from heaven as the lamb of god to die and when he left that eternal glory and the external splendor of everlasting majesty and he stepped into the humiliation surroundings of our human condition he brought a glory with him and he manifest effect john tells us that he said we beheld his glory the glory as of an only begotten with the father full of grace and truth many christians don't grasp exactly what that verse has said at least in part the glory of his grace the moral beauty that surrounded his life he was full of grace and truth you know that in john's writings we have two great statements about god god is light and god is love when you get love dealing with fallen human beings it becomes great when you get light revealed to human beings light becomes true god is love that becomes grace god is light that becomes truth and the savior who was here he brought into visible expression the invisible essence of god with whom in whose bosom he dwells eternal full of grace and truth we look at his life i could go through it very quickly and you have covered the ground many a time we appreciate the glory of his signs the glory of his signs you know some of those miracles especially as recorded by john's gospel are giving to us just the display of the lord of glory what is the first sign a wedding john's the gospel of life that's where life begins two people get married we've been hearing about family life then a little family perhaps arriving new life the first sign is in the context of a wedding and it says these things jesus did and he manifested forth his glory the glory of christ at a wedding what's the last sign that john records in the first half of a funeral there's a man who's died that's the other end of life spectrum the lord said to one of the ladies he said if you believe you will see the glory of god for he said your brother will be raised and he showed his glory at the beginning of the wedding and he showed his glory at the end of that section at a funeral and we appreciate the glory of us say isn't it good dear christian just quietly to remind our hearts and we have heard a good deal about it from our brother that we have a lord who is interested in every phase of life's experience life's not all wedding there are days of tears and trial there are days of grief it's not all days of gladness there are days of graveyards and the savior who showed his glory at one was also present at the other and we can count upon him for his sufficiency he's the glory of his signs the glory of his sinlessness the likes of that was never seen before what about the glory of his speech never man spake like this man you could think about the vocabulary of his words you could think about the great verilies of his words you could think about the great variety of his teaching his doctrine distilled as the jew his lips were like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh there was a perfume in the preaching of christ when the savior spoke the atmosphere was fragrant with grace and with helpfulness and with joy and the people went away blessed the glory of his speech what about the glory of his sacrifice there's an old hymn in our book here i think it says something like this thoughts of his glory on the cross i gaze and there behold it's sad yet healing res beacon of hope which lifted up on high looms with heavenly light the tear dimmed eye dear christians he's the lord of glory and part of his glory shines very clearly when he hangs upon the cross and he gives to god eternal satisfaction with respect to the outstanding question of human guilt and we confidently sing and scripturally sing lamb of god the altars craving thou has satisfied with blood now in heaven fresh incense waving sweetly sounds this note abroad calvary's victim satisfied the throne of god what about the glory of a sepulcher as one of those old puritans said that the lord jesus perfumed he perfumed with the fragrance of his resurrection the graves of all his people i'm sure there are christians here and in recent days you have stood beside the coldness of death and you've paid your visit to the cemetery and you've said your last farewells and we don't know that that might come soon again but we don't go away from our graveyards without a sense of sorrow but we're not wringing our hands in the hopelessness of some kind of pagan despair or some kind of humanistic hopelessness we stand beside the vanquished tomb of a victorious lord the bible tells us that they came they came on that first day and they found not the body of the lord jesus the lord jesus because he was lord of life and he was also the lord of death the glory which he did have i better leave that what about the glory which he does have we're glad of that we take a look now just to his present position it was a marvelous day when the ascending savior passed the highest rank of angels and he kept rising still until he reached a level with the everlasting throne and the glory of his risen manhood was so resplendent it didn't even cast a shadow in the throne room of the eternal and at the express invitation of his satisfied father he took a seat at god's right hand and the new testament reminds us again and again and again that just there he's the occupant he's the occupant of that eternal throne at the nerve center of the universe in 2018 dear christians there sits a savior at the very center of executive power there is nothing happens out with the sovereign sway of his control and that's your lord and that's my savior and we appreciate the glory of his occupancy in fact that him there's another one of our great hymns we appreciate these hymns one of them tells us that he fills the throne well a lot of people occupy thrones but they don't fill them the savior sits upon the greatest throne in the universe today and he not only occupies it thank god he fills it he fills the throne the throne above he fills it without wrong the object of his father's love and the theme of angels song what about the glory of his office as he sits there as the occupant of that eternal throne and he sits where man has never said before there was an english man i like i rather like the idea i'll not develop it today an english man many years ago and he preached he preached a sermon called the horizon christ in fact i think the title that he actually gave it was the horizon lord and he was working from that verse that i was already alluding to in romans chapter one declared to be the son of god in power by the resurrection from the dead and playing a little bit of a play i'm not saying this all was legitimate but the greek word for her declared to be declared to be the son of god with power not just declared to be the son of god declared to be the son of god with power and as the son of god he will empty the tombs as the son of god in the executive power of his resurrection humanity he has universal sway unqualified and the greek word for declared to be is horizdo this good man he made a play upon that the horizon lord and he went on to he went on to express an idea that i do like he said when the savior arose from the dead he expanded the horizons of human experience beyond what they'd ever been before they talk about sending man to the moon talk about sending men to mars talk about these satellites or some of these spacecraft that will eventually penetrate some of the recesses of space and that we might need to migrate to some of the corners of the universe in order to escape all the troubles and the tragedies of our little planet dear christians there are years and years out of date there's a man who's already taken the horizons of human experience beyond the frontiers of visibility beyond the frontiers of death beyond the frontiers of gravity beyond the frontiers of angelic existence beyond all those frontiers a risen christ has penetrated the world of deity and man has gone in him higher than man ever went before he's the horizon lord and he's just there according to the book of hebrews he's there as the priest of his people he cares for us he thinks about us on his hands our names are graven on his heart our names are graven on his shoulders we are born by our god beloved in jesus we should love him in return living the good of a dear christian maybe there's a sister here today and you have family problems maybe of marriage problems maybe you find your spirit crushed by all the burdens of life and all the cures of daily living maybe you wonder how you're going to manage through the next half of 2018 dear sister lift your eye above the stellar sphere right into the presence of god and look on the face of jesus and remember inscribed upon his heart is your name and he merry thinks on every single saint he never forgets the least you have no care that is so small that it doesn't receive his attention he will listen to every burden may god help us these are not just technical things theoretical things these are things that are built into the bible to assist us as we battle through the rigors of daily life and there's a lord of glory in his occupancy of the throne in the office of his priesthood and in the outlook for his coming again when you say we're waiting for the second coming that's good so is he he's waiting the bible tells us he sat down on the right hand from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made as you remember what god said to him when he sat down he said sit down the lord said unto my lord sit down at my right hand until i make thine enemies thy footstool and upon the throne of heaven there's a savior patiently expecting the day when he will step into his universal inheritance the glory he did have the glory he does have just for a minute let me speak about the glory that he will have thank god he will again be introduced into this sphere into this very world the savior who stepped into the world in incarnation he will soon be coming back in glorious manifestation and he will have a kingdom god will see to it and into the hands of this lord of glory will be committed a kingdom and the glory of that kingdom will never fade we sing at times hail to the lord's anointed great david's greater son when to the times appointed the rolling years have run he'll come to break oppression to set the prisoner free to take away transgression and reign in equity he shall have dominion over land and sea and shore far as the eagle's pinion our doves like wing shall soar dear christians when the savior comes back and the glory of his person is revealed in shekinah splendor you remember that day when the disciples stood on the mount and they saw the face of the savior shine brighter than the sun the shekinah glory that is his eternal property it shone forth in miniature and bathed that mountain in the glory of the kingdom that will come and that same glory according to the bible it will not only cover a mountain it will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea i can't go into it today you go through the prophecy of isaiah some of you young brethren i always liked it when the brethren give us a little bit of homework to do you go through isaiah and think about the things that are glorious in fact uh this title the lord of glory that we have just once here in the new testament i think is borrowed from the prophecy of isaiah and isaiah says in chapter 33 and verse 20 or verse 21 he says the glorious lord the glorious lord shall be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams i have found christ to be like a river have you he's the glorious lord a place of broad rivers i couldn't tell you about the breath the mississippi sounds just like a little trickle the mississippi of this world the passing paltry pleasures of me we have a broad river i couldn't tell you about its length this river will go on into the ocean of eternal bliss i couldn't tell you about its depth this glorious lord is like a whose fullness can never be exhausted i encourage all the christians dip the little cup of your experience into the river of his fullness and drink and drink and drink until the deepest aspirations of your spirit are satisfied with just the wonder of the glorious christ that tells us um well tells us in the prophecy of isaiah about his glorious arm tells you tells us about his glorious voice the glorious voice of the lord will be heard in that coming day of kingdom talks about his glorious throne his glorious voice and his glorious throne you know there have been emperors in this world and they've all i have it back at home yonder i have a little selection of books the glory that was a syria an interesting book by professor says tells you about the glory of the great assyrian empire in the 8th century bc and it was a great majestic empire what is god the glory that was asserted the second volume is the glory that was babylon the third volume is the glory that was egypt and those great stories of ancient empires they're just gathering dust in the archives of history concerning the kingdom of this glorious lord they will never write a book that will say the glory that was christ no the angel said the lord god shall give unto him the throne of his father david and of his kingdom there shall be no end i tell you dear christians he will have glory and he will have honor and he will have prestige and he will have pageantry the prophecy of isaiah speaks about a savior and his glorious apparel you know kings love to get dressed in their radiance and in their royal apparels and they like to step out very imposing everybody looks at all the gold and all the glitter and all the gem and all the glitz that's the passing kings of this world you see when the savior appears the glory of the savior it will dazzle every eye in the crowning day that's coming by and by his glorious apparel you say can you say anything more about the glory that he will have well not very much because of the time i'll let psalm 24 do it psalm 24 you have heard it from your little child two years old in the prom when they were singing jesus loves me to you they told you psalm 23 the the shepherd psalm 24 the sovereign the king of glory lift up your heads ye everlasting doors and lift up your heads ye everlasting gates and the king of glory shall come in there have been many kings that pass through the gates of jerusalem some of them were gentile monarchs who reduced the people of god into captivity and into servitude there will be sweeping through those gates some of these days a glorious king the king of glory the king of israel the king of the whole earth who is the king of glory the lord of hosts the lord mighty in battle in fact that psalm tells us that the earth is the lord's and the fullness thereof and when he comes back to take this planet for god he has the maker's rights he can claim the planet because he made it it's his it will not be a king that will be capturing a foreign territory that doesn't belong to him he will be salvaging a planet that has been mortgaged by the devil and his hordes for centuries and he'll take it back because he has the maker's right psalm 24 asks us who shall ascend into the hill of the lord who shall stand in his holy place he that has clean hands and a pure heart he not only has the maker's right he has the moral right i don't need to tell an audience like this that the reason the kingdoms of this world crumble crumble empire after empire and they create heaps of dust in the books of history is just because they're built on unrighteousness but when the savior ascends the royal hill of zion and sits upon the throne of universal dominion he will have the maker's right he will have the moral right would you say there are a lot of enemies there's a lot of opposition a lot of people have all marshaled their horses in order to keep christ back from planet he will clear the field of every enemy and he will have the military right who is the king of glory he's the lord of hosts mighty in battle and not a single enemy will be left standing the field will be cleared and the conquering christ will step forward to the day of his royal davidic coronation and as we sing many a time oh the joy to see him raining worshipped glorified adored and every every inhabitant of this planet with a unanimous harmonious hymn of praise will acknowledge that he is the lord of glory so what the glory that he did have the glory that he does have the glory that he will have my only concern as i sit down in the next 60 seconds is the glory that he can have do you glorify him as lord do i what about the glory that we give him in salvation what about the glory in separation from sin what about the glory in service what about the glory in submission what about the glory of the supper that we have commemorated this morning dear christians may god grant that in every single square inch of our lives we will acknowledge his lordship that we will reflect his authority you know obedience to christ is not some of kind of a little side issue that reduces your life into some kind of captivity we are submitting to the christ who will be the coming ruler people tell us you christians are a bunch of old fuddy-duddies that belong to a previous age we are not behind our time we are ahead of our time we are already joining the christ who will be lord and every particle of this planet will have to acknowledge him by compulsion we have acknowledged him by glad choice may god grant that every ounce of our energy every meeting in our assemblies every member of our families every part of our business even the enjoyment of our pleasures that every sector of our lives will all combine and unite to reflect the glory of our blessed lord the lord of you say what do you say this is what i say if he's jesus of galilee if he's the christ of god if he's the lord of glory and he is i have nothing more to say except all hail the power of jesus name let angels prostrate fall in our hearts we say just now bring forth the royal diadem and crown him lord of all thank you for your good attention thank you only two people slept and the lord bless the rest of you and the man and the lady that slept they'll get a blessing too they'll be fresher for our brother when he gets up thank you very much