Download... August 8, 2010. Sunday Morning Service. Bro. Dave Goble.
What a blessing to serve God in Spirit and Truth! Many worship God,... not necessarily with a knowledge of the truth. God though, will always ultimately lead souls to truth, that truly seek it. A seeking and honest heart will fully accept the Truth, and therefore qualify as the Bride of Christ, with the evidence of pure and godly fruit. Too often people choose error, while still assuming they are of God’s pure church or His bride.
TEXT: ROMANS 7:1-4
1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
It is not necessarily just talking here in the text above, of a marriage in the flesh, but one also of the spirit. Verse 4 illustrates this, by talking about being dead to the law, and married instead to Christ, which will bring forth fruit through this spiritual marriage. In any true marriage, at their ceremony, the bride and bridegroom have eyes only for each other. This is especially true involving God’s bride the church, and the groom Christ. Being the bride of Christ,... should be our overriding desire!
Matthew 25:1-13 1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
This is the second passage selected here in reference to God’s marriage to His bride, The Church.
Revelations 19:1-9 1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
3 And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. 5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
The bride here, is all those who love God in spirit and truth. It is confined to those who always examine their heart( II Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?), to ensure their allegiance to Christ to be made ready when the time of marriage will come,.. with the return of the groom for His bride The Church.
A true marriage is only between a bride and bridegroom. It is the only marriage contract that is valid before God. You cannot change it without changing the reality of what marriage means. You also cannot “mess” with your contract with God, to ensure it’s validity. Some people today have confused the true nature the gospel. Our society is responsible for allowing this darkness to creep into their minds.
Br D Goble shared a past employment experience at an office, while in his cubicle. He could not help overhearing a animated conversation amongst several co workers promoting evolution, and homosexuality in connection with that. When that conversation justified homosexuality as being normal based in an example of “monkeys” even engaging in those practices, Br Goble had had enough. He told them “just because supposedly a monkey cannot figure it out, doesn’t dilute God’s plan, and people are “crazy” for considering anything less!” Unfortunately though society in a great part has slowly evolved into this dark and deceptive heresy of nature. Because they loved not the truth to keep pure the plan of God. II Thessalonians 2: 10-11 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: In their delusion error becomes ‘truth,” to any that would be deceived by it. Error is without a foundation, and devised by actions from deceit. If you want to criticize this truth, you cannot validate doing so, without trying to use God’s pure word. In other words.. impossible.. to validate a rebuttal. Are you a part of God’s bride? The world's high institutions of learning are not qualified to teach or invalidate this Gospel Truth. All honest hearted souls want to study God’s word to confirm whether or not they are Christ’s bride. For Jesus is coming back only for His bride!
The bride does not consist of dirt, trees, the cosmos, etc. Christ is marrying someone , not “things,” or those divided from His own. His bride is UN-divided. If you want to marry, you can only hug a tree for so long. If you are a man, you need to find a woman, and a woman needs to find a man. The bride Christ will return for, is clean, not will be,... but Already is. For people not only have died in righteousness, but those yet living if saved have also become righteous. God makes them righteous. Christ is coming back for all Saints, who are dead or Alive, delivered From sin. (Matthew 1:21). He is not coming back for sinners, as He has already paid the price for their deliverance and empowerment over sin. Are you a bride of Christ?
Saints are nothing more than those who used to be sinners. Saints have confessed, repented, and forsaken their sins, so they could be cleansed by Jesus blood. Kept by Christ blood. Saints have a hatred for sin, and love holiness. If they let go of their hatred of sin, or love of holiness,..they will lose their experience of salvation, and no longer will be saints. The attitude of the heart must have a hatred of evil or sin, to keep themselves clean from it. Psalms 97:10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil : he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. If you lose your hatred of sin, you will lose your love for God. The bride of Christ (saints) are chaste.. or pure.
Returning to Matthew 25:5, of the ten virgins, five have kept their lamps trimmed, and five have neglected their lamps by “sleeping,” and not keeping the wicks trimmed. If the oil lamps were not carefully kept, they would lose their light. To remain saints, souls must ensure they always examine their hearts, to keep themselves unspotted. I John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. The bride of Christ is waiting and ready to illuminate the lost world. Otherwise if not kept, they will be unable to shine for other souls, and keep in preparation for the return of their bridegroom, Christ Jesus. Are you part of the bride? Is your lamp trimmed so others can see your light? Are you ready?
Pastor Goble spoke of an older literal marriage procession and custom, that made a transition at sundown, to the house of the groom at about midnight for a marriage supper. Likewise Christ blesses only the ready and prepared to be called to His marriage supper. Revelations 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. The bridal party here (again in Matthew 25:6) were called at midnight to be ready at that present coming of the bridegroom to meet Him. God wants us ready to go out of the house to meet the groom. Those called in the above passage had to be first cleansed and kept chaste to be ready for the groom. They could not be attired in sinful attire as a harlot, but in purity. God's church's “attire” will be one based only in a full scriptural faith, and not of one a “smorgasbord” (you own ideas) or harlot religion, for the bridegroom came for One church. No spiritual “toes” will be “stepped on” if a soul keeps clean by the whole pure word of God. God’s ways are not our ways. Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. The gospel is a chaste message for a purified people. Only a fleshly interpretation will pollute it's intent. No where does God's word state that His people are still sinners after salvation.
Revelations 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. Her clothing is the righteousness of the saints. Are you ready now, as His bride? It is a terrifying thing to land into the hand of God and not be ready! He is only coming back for a church that is ready, purified, kept clean and prepared for His return. Not a church “in progress”. When Jesus delivers a soul, they are no longer not ready, because of sin. God’s church does not ever appear or look to have any speck of sin. God’s word is complete. No sin, means No sin! Prepared and waiting, His church has been made holy with no sin, and kept ready for His return.
The righteousness of the saints, is not ever a cover up for sin. We cannot be dirty, then clean by our own self. One must repent, tell God you’re sorry in sincerity, so God can wash you clean, and give you His word to keep you. A sin not unto death, (I John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.) means not accountable, whereas a sin unto death, means God has revealed it to you, to make you accountable. The blood of Christ is the only cure for sin, IF you ask for it. God wants to be asked,... loved enough.. to be approached! He will not force His word on you. The bride of Christ is clean, chaste, and ready! Are you clean, desiring only to be of that bride, ..and ready for His return? There will be no excuse to be otherwise when He returns.
