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God Saves the Best for Last
John 2:10 Intro: This is a familiar story in the life of Christ. He had been invited to a wedding and attended along with his disciples. When the host ran out of wine, Mary told Jesus about the dilemma and she then told the servants to do what ever he commanded. Jesus had the servants fill the water pots to the brim with water, then he told them to draw out and take it to the governor of the feast. When they did, the governor exclaimed in surprise- Most people put out their best at the first and if they need more, they put out the lesser quality. BUT you have done the opposite; you have put out the Best at the Last. That’s the way God works; He saves the Best for Last. I. Creation. The whole story of creation is amazing; “In the beginning GOD...” Nothing existed but God- God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. God decided to create a universe and began creating just by speaking it into existence. 1) God created Light- cosmic light; no sun or stars yet 2) God created the Atmosphere that would surround and support life on the earth. 3) God created the Seas and Dry Land; then called forth grass, herbs, and trees; Vegetation on the earth. 4) God Created the Planets, the Sun, Moon, Stars 5) God created all the Birds of the air and the Fish of the Sea 6) God created all the animals that would live on the earth This was All Pretty Amazing! Actually Incredible! BUT THEN- God had saved the Best for Last; For NOW God said Let Us make MAN in Our image and after our likeness... So God created Man in his own image- in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them; The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Man was God’s BEST creation: - by his special creation by the very hands of God; - by his special composition- not only body, but soul and spirit; - by his special commission- he was given dominion over the entire earth and the animal kingdom. The Psalmist said it best- Ps 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. II. Salvation. God’s plan of Salvation clearly Saved the Best for Last. In Eden when Adam and Eve sinned, God shed the blood of innocent animals and made Coats to Cover them. Later, at the Passover, God revealed the necessity of Blood to Atone. In the law, God prescribed Sacrifices as Substitutes; where innocent animals took the place of guilty men and women and bore the penalty of their sins for them. Also in the law, God ordered Ceremonies of Commitment whereby men and women offered their sacrifices in faith and by doing so, offered themselves and their lives to God. Still- these methods and procedures were only preliminary ones- for the Best was yet to come. Heb. 1- God who at sundry times (various times) and in divers manners (in different ways) spake in time unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by HIS SON- who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person... Better than the Coats to Cover; Better than the Passover Lamb to Atone; Better than the Sacrifices as Substitutes; Better than the Ceremonies of Commitment; Better than the Tabernacle; Better even than the Angels! Not Just BETTER but the BEST! Christ came a High Priest who was Holy, Harmless, Undefiled, Separate from Sinners and made higher than the heavens. He needed not offer up sacrifices first for his own sins- for he KNEW no sin; he was Tempted in all points like as we are YET WITHOUT SIN. He did not enter into the Holy of Holies with the blood of goats or calves- but by his OWN BLOOD, he entered in once into the holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us. (not temporary but Eternal) Thank God the Father for Giving us Jesus! Thank you Jesus for Giving us Your Life; Thank you Holy Ghost for bringing the Life and Presence of Jesus Inside Us! AND this matter of God saving the Best for Last is not over yet. III. Dispensations. When God started dealing with his people it was in the Garden of Eden with a dispensation of Innocence; when they sinned God opened the dispensation of Conscience where he led men by his voice inside of them; then he ushered in the dispensation of Human Government after the flood where man was given the authority and the command to deal with wrong doing and govern themselves properly. God then spoke to Abraham and began a dispensation of Promise- where he chose Abraham to be the father of a Nation that would be God’s own special people and would bless all the nations of the earth. At Mt. Sinai God brought in the dispensation of Law where he revealed how he expected his people to live and where he instituted the sacrifices mentioned before to cover man’s sin temporarily. Then came the Dispensation of Grace- where God sent his own son Jesus to be the lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world; Jesus paid the price for sin and opened the door of salvation to the entire world. NOW we can be SAVED- we can become part of the Church; the body of Christ; we can become part of the Bride of Christ; we can enjoy the fulness of the Holy Ghost not only in Conversion but in a Baptism of Glory and Power; we can experience the sanctifying power of the Spirit of God and the Word of God and can live a victorious life for the Lord right in the midst of a Dark and Wicked World. This dispensation comes to a close with a Powerful and Amazing Event known as the Rapture of the Church. Jesus himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch angel and with the trump of God; the dead in Christ will be raised first and we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord! All the Saints of God will be Caught Up; Changed; Glorified; Rewarded; Granted positions of Rulership in the coming Kingdom of God- we will Rule and Reign with Jesus Christ as Kings and Priests. Oh, yes, God is Saving the BEST for LAST. The LAST age of time; the last dispensation will be one of TOTAL Righteousness; a time where God’s Kingdom is established first on this earth and finally in a New Heaven and New Earth. This is not Science Fiction; not Fantasy; not some Far Out Opinion; This is TRUTH and REALITY. Jesus is Coming! Saints are Going to Heaven! After the world is punished by the Wrath of God, His Kingdom will Come; His Will will be Done on the earth just like it is done in heaven. Are you Ready for that day? That day when God puts out the Best he has saved for Last!
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The Last Words of Jesus
Rev. 22: 7, 12, 20 Intro: John the Apostle had been persecuted beyond measure; he was arrested by the order of emperor Domitian and taken from Ephesus to Rome where he was thrown into a large vat of boiling oil. John was miraculously protected by God and was not killed. The emperor then ordered that he be banished to the Isle of Patmos, a small rocky and barren island where prisoners of Rome were sent to work in the mines till they died. Here John received the Amazing and Glorious Revelation of Jesus Christ that concluded God’s Revelation to man as far as his Written Word was concerned. It is here in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible that we read the last spoken words of Jesus; in vs 20- Surely, I Come Quickly. I. The Urgency of This Announcement These are the last words Jesus spoke aloud to an Apostle; these are the last words in Red in the Bible; this was the announcement that meant the most to Jesus as he concluded his revelation of Truth to mankind. “Surely, I Come Quickly!” Even today, a person’s last words are considered very important. Those last words often reveal the inner most part of a man’s soul. Sometimes they are a confession of wrong doing; sometimes they are an admonition for those standing by; sometimes they are final words of love and devotion; sometimes important information is given that no one knew about. The Last Words of Jesus are important! “Surely I Come Quickly!” Then, when we add to the fact that these were the last words of Jesus, the fact that in this chapter Jesus gave the same announcement Two More times besides, this announcement Really becomes Important! Do you feel the Urgency of this announcement? Vs. 7 Behold, I come quickly Vs. 12 Behold I come quickly Vs 20 Surely I come quickly “Behold!” (May I have your attention please? Hey! Listen Up! Maybe A loud whistle; clapping of the hands; raised voice. This is Urgent; this demands your immediate attention.) Already in the Gospels Jesus had emphasized the urgency for us to be aware of his coming. In Matthew’s account Jesus said, Watch therefore and Be ye also ready. In Mark he said, Take Heed; Watch and Pray; Watch ye therefore; Watch In Luke he said, Take heed to yourselves; watch ye therefore; pray always. Then Paul later said that we must Watch and Be Sober. Peter exhorted us to be Diligent in regard to the coming of the Lord. Do you feel the urgency of this announcement? Are you watching, praying, taking heed to your life; being sober and alert and aware and diligent? II. The Certainty of His Appearing I would say that a three fold repetition would make a great case for the certainty of what is being said, how about you? Three times here in the last chapter of the Bible Jesus reminds us that he is Coming. When Jesus ascended into heaven Angels told the disciples that this same Jesus that was being taken away from them into heaven would so come in like manner as they had seen him go. How did he go on that day? He ascended bodily and visibly; he ascended up into a cloud. He will come bodily and visibly; he will come in the clouds and call his children home! Paul wrote that the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch angel and the trump of God; the dead in Christ will rise first; then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Peter told us that the Chief Shepherd, Jesus, would appear. John said that Jesus would appear and that we would be like him for we would see him as he is. James said, Be patient brothers unto the coming of the Lord. I know there are unbelievers and there are scoffers and mockers who deny that Jesus will really come in the air to take Christians to heaven BUT whose word will you take? Will you take the word of people who don’t know the Lord at all? And Have no spiritual understanding at all? OR will you take the word of Jesus himself; the holy angels; the holy apostles who wrote the holy Word of God? The Urgency of this Announcement; The Certainty of his Coming; and III. The Glory of His Approval In vs 7 Jesus said, Blessed is he that keeps my sayings. “Blessed!”- Favored, Happy, Enriched In vs 12 Jesus said My Reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. He is coming and he is going to Reward Us. He will bring his Glory to us as a sign of his Approval of our life. When we took Him as our Savior and our Lord, we became his children. His great love for us does not end when we die or when we are raptured; NO his great love continues on into Eternity. Think of some of the Rewards the Christian will Receive: 1) A miraculous change from mortal to immortality. 2) Being translated from this earth into the Wonders of Heaven. 3) We receive Crowns as rewards. 4) We are designated as Rulers in the kingdom of God. AND the reward that sums it all up- “And so shall we ever be with the Lord!” Are You Ready for the Rapture? |
Bro. Dwain GaliherPastor of JHPC Archives
January 2026
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