Brother Bill Sunday Morning 3/24/13

Brother Bill Sunday Morning 3/24/13

The lesson tonight is living before His throne. 

Psa 24:1  A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Psa 24:2  For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

Psa 24:3  Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

Who will stand in a place where they are accepted before God?  Who can stand in a place that is before the throne?  Just coming to church will not make one stand before the throne. 

What will have you stand before his throne is asking God to forgive you of your sin and having in your heart that you are done with what you know is wrong and an attitude of heart that you will walk in all the light that God shines on your path.  He it is that will stand before His throne.

Having clean hands and a clean heart: Being in a place where you are guiltless before God and with a right attitude. 

We are like minded, “the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”  I have noticed in my life that while I am living and doing my best, things will come to the surface.  In the winter time and into spring you will notice that rocks will come to the surface. 

In doing your best to serve God there are times that things will surface you say, “I didn’t know that was there.”  The best thing to do is say, “Lord, wash me of that.”  When things surface you find out that you have need of being washed.  “My attitude is not right.  Lord, wash me of that.”

Sometimes you go along to do some things because the body is doing it.  Some of you enjoy some things and others don’t.  They would rather have a different schedule.  Sometimes you have the attitude: “I’ll be the martyr.”  I’m exaggerating so that you see what I’m trying to say. 

“The church is in this so I will do it too.”  You are going through the steps but your attitude is not right.  I’ve had this happen to me, “Lord wash me of that.  Help me to have the right attitude.”

To live in a place where you are standing before the throne spiritually and living before the throne daily.  Not everyone can live before the throne.  Remember it is he that has clean hands and a pure heart.

Psa 1:5  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

Sinners will not stand before God’s throne.  They cannot be acceptable before God with their sin unchanged.  God has certain requirements.

Psa 5:4  For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

Psa 5:5  The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

God has standards.  There is consistency with God.  He doesn’t change.  Evil will not dwell with God.  The foolish will not stand in His sight.  In order to stand before His throne and in His sight, we must do things God’s way.  We cannot go our own way. 

We are living in a crazy age.  I have noticed in these latter years that people are leaving God and still professing that God is with them. 

According to the Bible, it is not that way.  Remember that God has a specific mode of operation.  Walk with God in all that you know.  Keep it as simple as you can.  Walk before God in all that you know and when things surface, you take care of it.

However someone else is doing is the way that they are doing, I am the one that is going to stand before God for myself.  The biggest one that I am going to be concerned with is myself. 

I went to make it to heaven.  Can you imagine standing before God and knowing that you have missed heaven and you didn’t get it together and for all eternity you will be in hell?  What a terrible thing to be wanting at the judgment.  We could have attained the greatest thing in the world and have all your friends pat you on the back and think what a great guy or gal.  Yet to not make it to heaven, what a waste.

Est 5:1  Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

Picture in your mind Queen Esther when the king had not called her into his presence.

Est 4:10  Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;

Est 4:11  All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

This king had power to save her life or to pronounce death.  This was probably a scary situation.  She didn’t go before the king haphazardly with her hair messed up and in her work clothes.  She put on that royal apparel and came humbly and trembling.  She came to the inner court and knew that the king hadn’t called her.  The king saw his beautiful queen and held out that scepter.  “I accept you.”

We will have to be adorned to live before His throne.  I want to live before His throne.  The king accepted Queen Esther’s appearance.

Psa 91:1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

When I think of ‘secret’ I think of something that is not open to everyone.  Yet this is available to everyone.  You can put yourself in this position dwelling in that secret place.  That place where you are living before the throne, under the protection of God.  “You don’t touch my baby.  This is mine.” 

Every one of us can have that.  Every one of the young people and children can have this privilege.  

Psa 91:2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

If you are on the outside, not in that secret place living before the throne, then you are on your own.  You don’t have that refuge.  Sorry. 

God is saying, “My child, you can be right there.”  The choice is up to you.  That refuge is there for you. 

Psa 91:3  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

If you are walking through life living for God there are snares that the enemy has set out for you.  God says, “My child be careful here and be careful that you don’t partake of that.  Don’t take sides, be careful.  There is something strange about that.  There is something not right there.  Be careful who you take there.” 

The noisome pestilence are those poisons that people like to put out and God helps you to see that there is something not right there and He is keeping you from the snares and the noisome pestilence.

Noisome pestilence in a dictionary at home had a definition of a putrid atmosphere, something doesn’t smell right.  You are in that secret place and God wants to protect you from the noisome pestilence.

Psa 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

His truth is your shield and buckler.  You are in that secret place you can depend on His Word.  If you are in another place then you cannot depend on that; it is not for you.  You may think it is but it is not for you. 

If you are in the secret place then you can take His promise and say, “God, you said if I will ask then I will receive, help me in this area in my life.  You can hold God to His Word.  People fail, but God is one that you can really depend upon.

Psa 91:5  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Psa 91:6  Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

In that secret place you have protection.  There are times when you will have terror; you will hear reports of terror.  There will be the arrow, someone maybe from a distance from another state will shoot at you, the piercing of the sword to pierce you, things that normally would kill you, destructions and things that would come to pass, will not get the best of you if you are in that secret place.  They may affect you and hurt you and they may even leave some scars.  As long as you stay in that secret place then that is your safety.

Psa 91:7  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Why do people backslide?  I wonder if it amounts to is that they didn’t stay in that secret place.  There are few people that I started out with as a young person that have stayed true.  I wonder if what happened is that they didn’t stay in that secret place.  If you want to make to heaven then stay in that secret place.

Psa 91:8  Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Psa 91:9  Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

Psa 91:10  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

Psa 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Psa 91:12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

If you stay in that secret place then the message will come forth and give you instruction. 

Psa 91:13  Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

We can have victory over sin.  If you don’t stay in that secret place then you will not have the victory.

There will be times when you need deliverance and if you are not in the secret place then you will not be open to that.

Psa 91:14  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

Psa 91:15  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

You can call upon God and God will answer your prayer.  God said that He will be with you in trouble.

Psa 91:16  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Rev 4:2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

God is in control. There is one sitting on the throne.  God is the boss.  People may try to work against you.  What can they really do against you, if you are in that secret place, unless God allows it?  God is in control.

Rev 4:3  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

If you are in a position that you are before the throne then you are in the same place as the rainbow.  You have access to the promises of God.  You have access to all the treasures and jewels that are in the Word of God.  If you don’t live before the throne then you will not have access to this.

Rev 4:4  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Where the throne is at is where the victory is at.  We will go through battles but if you are to have victory over sin then be before the throne.

Rev 4:5  And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Living before the throne is where light will be.  There God can give you instruction.  If you are not living before the throne then you will be in darkness.

You will be directed by the Spirit of God.  You hear of people in the world that because of not living before the throne don’t have the hand of God to help them.  They are without direction.  It is like going to a smorgasbord to eat if you have the ticket then you can go to the table full of all good things and you can have any of it.  If not, then you cannot.  Living before the throne gives you access to many treasures.

Rev 7:9  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;

Rev 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

Rev 7:11  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,

Rev 7:12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

Rev 7:14  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.

Rev 7:15  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.

Rev 7:16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

Rev 7:17  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.

They stood before the throne.  Sometimes the enemy could work upon an individual that they are the only one serving God or that it is just this little few.  God helped John to see that this gathering was bigger than just you and a few others.  There are people out there that are living for God and are living before the throne. 

They are like this family here: God dwelling among them. 

They shall hunger no more.  The world will not satisfy.  God is what satisfies.  Getting married or having children will not satisfy.  There will still be that void within.  God can work to satisfy that soul.

Dwelling before the throne, when the heat comes or the storm, then there is protection.  It is not that the things that we go through do not affect us or that everything is always rosy, but the things that come cannot take your salvation.

God comes and feeds you.  There are sorrows, but the sorrows of sin you will never have to have again.  You may have sorrow because of a family member’s sin.  We have unsaved family.  But you don’t have to have that sorrow because of your sin.

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This is at the judgment.  The earth and heaven were destroyed and that is why there was found no place for them.  It was the end time and the earth and heaven were destroyed.  We see the great white throne. 

You will be judged out of the things that are written in the books.  The bible has 66 books.  You may take some of the pages out or black out some of them but He has the master copy and it is forever settled in heaven.

If we are living before the throne now and by God’s help are standing before the throne then you will just stand before the throne again on the Judgment Day.  The best thing and wisest thing to do is to just live before the throne because you will just stand before the throne there. 

Jer 15:19  Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.

The first half of this scripture:  If you will just return.  If you will just come back if you are not standing before the throne, it is so easy to get to the place where you are before the throne.  It is just by humbling down, acknowledging your needs and asking God to forgive you. 

Have an attitude of heart that you are done with all you know is wrong and have an attitude that you will live for God in all that you know.  God will not require something of you without helping you.