Much for that good singing. While in New Hampshire Avenue in Washington, Silver Spring, they had outside a large notice, fifteen great days, referring to our gospel effort with my colleague Boyd Nicholson. And they truly were fifteen great days. But I can assure you with all my heart that these past seven days spent here have been seven great days. I'd like to thank you on behalf of my wife and myself for all your kindness and for your hospitality. Apart from a trip to Bermuda for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, this is the first time away with me since she was here last year. So very thankful that she was able to come with me this time. Thank you for all your kindness. Now shall we turn again to the letter to the Hebrews chapter twelve. Chapter twelve and verse twenty-two. But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels of the general assembly, and the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, And to the spirits of just men made perfect. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. And to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel. God will bless again this reading from his word. I'm sure you observed that I linked the general assembly with the marriage of angels. This seems to be a more accurate translation. It has been our privilege to have examined in the past few days things that we have come to. We have come to Mount Zion. We have come to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, and to myriads of angels, and to the church of the firstborn. And thank God for everyone whose name is written down in heaven. This morning we discussed that we were brought also to God the judge of all. Now it's obvious that we cannot complete the study, but very hurriedly, notice please in verse twenty three. We have also been brought to the spirits of just men made perfect. God in his kindness has linked you and me with the Old Testament sense. The last verse of chapter eleven dealing with that galaxy of stalwarts, God hath provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect. The Bible speaks about Noah being a just man, perfect in his generation and one that walked with God. So God has linked you and me with such men as Noah and Abraham and Daniel, these Old Testament stalwarts, we have been brought to the spirit of just men made perfect. Calvary is the pivot of all God's dealings for their past, present or future. And these Old Testament saints, they look forward to Calvary in faith. whereas you and I look back to Calvary in faith. But what are the Old Testament saints? Are those since the death of Christ? We all focus our attention upon the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. How did these just men become perfect? Again, it was through the work of the Saviour. We have been brought to the spirits of just men made perfect. Then we have been brought to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant. We were expressing our delight this morning in having been brought to God. The eternal God, the omnipotent God. And God has brought us to himself. We have been brought to God. But thanks be to his blessed name. We have also been brought to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant. We have not been brought to Mount Sinai where there was a fearing mediator. Moses, we read in verse twenty-four, he says, I exceedingly fear and quake. Moses was a fearing mediator because of the holiness of God and the sinfulness of men. But you and I have been brought to the Lord Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, one who is complete to compose, and he is a faithful mediator. But for the rest of the evening, I would like to conclude the study by referring to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel. In other words, we have been brought to the blood of sprinkling or the blood that has a far better message than that of Ava. And the message of the blood covers the entire range of the Word of God. Running like a silver or a scarlet thread, brother, And interwoven in the exquisite fabric of divine truth is the subject, the Lamb. Which has a far better message than that of Abel. And this was a message for the ages. It commences in Genesis and runs right through to the book of the Revelation. And this subject, the blood of the Lamb... has a special appeal to every individual in every age. Because this is the basis of our approach to God. No shed blood, no access into God's presence. The great Spurgeon one day was in a building in London, England, and he was testing the acoustics of the building. It was prior to the days of electrical aids. He went into this building and he thought he would test the acoustics. He selected one verse of Scripture. John one, verse twenty-nine. And he tested the acoustics with his voice reverberating through the building. Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. Unknown to Spurgeon working in the rasters of the building was a carpenter. and on his way home all he could hear were those words behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world able he being dead yet speaketh but God is speaking loudly tonight and his message is in the blood of his son the carpenter incidentally was led to Christ as he returned home through that verse by the guidance of the Spirit of God. It runs from Genesis to Revelation. The first inference is found in Genesis chapter four. Here we have the land and the land is typified. Evo brings his little land which has a very, very strong message. And he offered the Lamb with effect thereof. The Lamb titify. And he followed that red strand, that scarlet strand, to Genesis chapter twenty-two. And here we have the Lamb, and the Lamb was prophesied. Isaac said to Abraham, here is the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for a burnt offering? The lamb prophesied. Abraham says, God will provide himself a lamb. And we continue into the book of Exodus, and there we come across a very important event in the history of the nation of Israel. God sent to Israel, I want you to take a lamb, keep it up from the tenth to the fourteen day of the month, and in the evening thou shalt kill it, and sprinkle the blood on the doorpost and on the lintel. Here we have the lamb applied, typified, prophesied, here applied. And we continue and God's message was brought home to bear in all forcefulness in the language of the prophet. In Isaiah chapter fifty-three he is a message for his people. A message of far greater import than that of Abel. Here we are the lamb and he is personified. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And into the Gospels we go, and again God has a specific message for you and me. And in John chapter one, John said, Behold, the Lamb of God, which take us away the sin of the world. Here we are the Lamb and he is identified. And into the Revelation we go. In Revelation chapter five, we are the Lamb and he is magnified. Worthy is the Lamb. And right to the last chapter of our Bibles, we follow this scarlet strand, and there we find the Lamb, and he is glorified. God has a far better message of greater import than the message of Abel. And when God speaks, you and I should give a very careful ear. It's a message that is unique in its origin. It's a message direct from God. It is a message that is not only unique in its origin, in its source, but it is a message that is unique in its sweetness. And it is a message that is unique in its standard. In Genesis chapter four, in the lamb typified, the emphasis is on the sweetness. In Genesis chapter twenty-two, in the lamb prophesied, the emphasis is on the preciousness. Exodus chapter twelve, the lamb applied, the emphasis is on the protectiveness. Isaiah fifty-three, the Lamb personified, the emphasis is on his submissiveness. John one, the Lamb identified, the emphasis is on his distinctiveness. Revelation five, the Lamb magnified, the emphasis is on his worthiness. Revelation twenty-two, the Lamb glorified, and the emphasis is on his loveliness. Oh, this is a far better message than ever evil could produce. This is a message for all our hearts in our gathering this evening. God mentions in Genesis four for the benefit of the early inhabitants of the earth that he has a message of great importance. And so he tells Abel and Cain that there is only one way of approach to God. It's very interesting to meet people as we travel and some say, well, you follow your line of persuasion and I'll follow my line of persuasion and somehow, some way we'll all reach heaven at last. That's the philosophy of men. But what does God say? We have turned everyone to his own way. But friend, in the meeting tonight, let's face facts squarely. There's only one way of approach to God. King, he wanted to do his thing, as we talk about today. He says, I'm going to come with this fruit. And if God's not satisfied with this offering, just too bad. But Abel came God's way. And he brought that little lamb. And God was indeed pleased with Abel's sacrifice. But he was displeased with the sacrifice of King. He offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, says God. Cain perished in his sins, but Abel was born again. The emphasis is on the sweetness. Dear friends, is there anything more sweet to the heart of mankind than the Lord Jesus. Nothing. His name is sweet. We cringe when we hear men take that name in vain. But to the Christian there is a name I love to hear. I love to speak its words. It sounds like music in my ear. The sweetest name on earth. The great Harry Morehouse or Henry Morehouse was passing by a tent in Manchester, England. And he thought he would come into the tent and disrupt the procedure, the preaching and the preacher and the congregation. The tent was filled to capacity and in came Harry Morehouse. He just got his feet on the threshold when suddenly weaver the preacher was at the point in his message when he says Jesus and had him more house to rivet in he couldn't move instead of coming to disrupt the meeting he was awakened to the sense of his need and he fell in love with the Lord Jesus Christ Jesus He came to this great country. He filled Murray's pulpit for a week and he preached John three-sixteen. Murray's wife said to D.L., we've had great meetings. John three-sixteen, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. And Murray came back into his own building, expecting to hear Morehouse maybe switch to some other scriptures. And he opened up his Bible to John three sixteen. And he became known as the man that changed the man that changed the world. Such was the recommendation of D.L. Moody to the preaching of the great Harimur hats. But Jesus that precious name completely swung him around. He made a U-turn. and he became a servant of Jesus Christ. I might have mentioned this before, but while in the city of Detroit, my colleague and I were invited out to lunch one day by a mutual friend. And incidentally, the man was pointed to Christ by one of our brethren in this meeting tonight. This man was linked with the Mafia. And God saved him gloriously. And he was telling us about his conversion at the table. A few seats back was a gentleman, obviously, trying to capture something of the conversation. Finally, he came up to our table. He says, gentlemen, I have one word of your conversation. Jesus, oh, how sweet that is. God bless you, my brethren. He left. He paid his bill. And he returned. He said, I'm the general manager of the largest independent, evangelical radio station in the world. Our call sign WBFG, we broadcast for God. Jesus. His name is sweet. And we have been brought to that name in all its sweetness. But not only is his name sweet, but his friendship is sweet. Solomon says, ointment and perfume rejoice to heart. So does the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. The great Chrysostom or Chrysostom was brought before the emperor Archaeus, who demanded that he retent and give up his Christianity. And so there he stood before the emperor, and the emperor says, unless you give up your Christianity, I'll put you in exile. He said, sire, this you cannot do. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. Well, says the Archaeus to Christ's wisdom, this is what I'll do. I'll confiscate your property. He says, Tire, this you cannot do. My treasure is in heaven and nothing can break through. Well, says the emperor, I'll take your life from you. He says, sire, this you cannot do. My life is hid with Christ in God. This is what I'll do, and he was absolutely infuriated. I'll put you in solitary. I'll put you in confinement. Away from your friends. He said, sire, this you cannot do. I have a friend which stick it closer than he, brother. And he has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. His friendship is sweet. So also is his voice. Mary on the morning of resurrection, coming to the garden tomb, turning to him, supposing him to be the gardener, she said, Sir, If I was born him, hence, tell me when I was laid him, that I might take him away. He says, Mary. Immediately she says, Rabonai. She recognized her Lord. His voice was more sweet. Mr. Archon Asmith, who spent many years, forty years or more, in the Godavara Delta in India, has a very priceless book, notes, quotes and anecdotes. And in that book he has a very thrilling story of a man who used to come into a church building and every day at noontime he would come to the front pew, get down on his knees and pray. And this was his prayer. Jesus, it's Jim. And out the door. Next day the same procedure, Jesus, it's Jim. The man too sick was in the hospital seriously ill, suffering excruciating pain. But every day at noontime his face began to glow to the curiosity of the nurse. She says, how come every day at noontime you seem so happy? Oh, he said. I have my daily visitor. Oh, but she says, no one comes in to see you. I've made my observator. Oh, he says, you're all wrong. Every day at noontime, my friend comes to the foot of my bed, and he says, Jim, it's Jesus. His voice is sweet. We have been brought also into this happy relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. And we enjoy the benefits of his death. Not only is he marked by sweetness, but in Genesis chapter twenty-two, the Lamb prophesied the emphasis is on the preciousness. Brother and sisters, there's no one more sweet than Christ. In a bitter world, he is sweet to the palate, and there's no one more precious than Christ. Abraham was being tested by God. Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest. get thee into the land of Mariah and offer him up as a burnt sacrifice upon one of the mountains. Those of us who have been on the boy can somewhat measure the anxiety in the heart of Abraham as he climbed Mount Mariah. His heart must have been breaking his legs like legs as God put the supreme test to the man of faith. And as he's about to plunge that knife into the heart of his only boy, God said, Abraham, Abraham, and turning round he saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. Acres of diamonds, rivers of silver, mountains of gold, could not be compared with that ram, the substitute for his only boy. We salute our Lord Jesus Christ to that because he is the most precious object that anyone can find in this universe. He's precious because through his death to which we have been brought, our sins can be forgiven. He's precious because he secures our forgiveness. He said to the disciples, looking at the cup of wine, this is the New Testament in my blood, shed for many. for the remission of sins. He's precious because he secures my forgiveness from a holy God. And he is precious because his blood cleanses from every sin. The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanses us. from all sin. He is precious not only because he secures my forgiveness and cleanses everything, but he is precious because he imparts a peace into the troubled soul. And I tell you friends, as we deal with young folks in our troubles, My heart goes out to kids today in high school, junior high, high school colleges. They are the target for the wicked machinations of the devil. Godless professors, communistic infiltration, they are a special target. And they are looking for something. Many are looking in the wrong direction. But there is one who can meet the troubled soul, who can impart a peace which passes all understanding. He's precious. He imparts peace. And the Lord Jesus is precious because I can actually come right now into the presence of God. Wherefore, brethren, having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Israel could not come near that mountain that could be touched, as we observed. But you and I with spiritual boldness can come right into the immediate presence of a righteous and a holy God. Who would not want to have such an access when it is available? tonight. He is precious. In Genesis twenty-two it's the Lamb prophesied. Abram says God will provide him and the emphasis is on the preciousness. But in Exodus chapter twelve we have the Lamb applied and the emphasis here is on the protectedness. God said to Israel, you take that blood of that little lamb and sprinkle it on the doorpost and on the lintel. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Suppose Israel had gone so far as to capture the blood in a basin, but failed to apply it to the doorpost and to the lintel, what would have happened? They would have perished the same as the Egyptians. If you are in the meeting tonight and you know something about the death of Christ, about the nail-pierced hands and the spear-riven signs, but if you have not applied that death personally to your life, you are still exposed to the wrath of God. Israel had to apply that blood to the doorpost and to the little. And when God saw that blood applied, God said, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Have you applied the blood of Christ to your life? Or is he just a historical figure on the page of history that will never save your soul? you must apply His precious blood to your individual needs. Precious. He can protect us from coming judgment. A Christless cross, no refuge there for me. A crossless Christ, my Savior, Near could be. But, oh, Christ crucified, I rest in me. I was preaching one night in Niagara Falls, Ontario side. A lad, nineteen years of age, college student at Brock University, lovely fellow. He came to me at the end of the meeting. He said, Mr. Dugall, I got saved tonight in the meeting. I said, Praise God. But his dad was standing beside me and he addressed the boy. He says, but you have been saved for some time. You have been leading the intervarsity classes. He said to his boy. He says, Dad, I was just going through the motions. But tonight he says, I'm saved. I said, tell me, son, what? was responsible for the change. He says that poem, a Christless cross, no refuge there for me. A crossless Christ, my Savior there could be, but oh Christ crucified, I rest in thee. Oh, my friend, I appeal to you all tonight to make sure that you are sheltered under the blood. We have been brought to the blood of sprinkling, which has a far better message than that of evil. And God has a message through the prophet in Isaiah chapter fifty-three. We have seen the Lamb typified and the emphasis on the sweetness. The Lamb prophesied and the emphasis on the preciousness. The Lamb applied and the emphasis on the protectiveness. But here in Isaiah chapter fifty-three, one of the most sublime chapters in the entire range of the Word of God, and we have the Lamb and he is personified and the emphasis there is on his submissiveness he was led as a lamb to the slaughter when we think of who he was Jehovah Sabiah the Lord of hosts Jehovah said can you the Lord of righteousness. El Shadiash, the God of love. And yet he was led as a lamb to the slaughter. Our hearts must be like stone. if we are not affected by the submissiveness of Christ. See him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Along comes Judas. And there are his friends, his cohorts. How ludicrous! They are carrying lanterns and pictures. And they are coming to take him who is the light of the world. to his death. And he's led just like a little lad across the river Kedron and he's brought before Caiaphas. First of all, before Anus, his father-in-law and then Caiaphas. And then they heard that He must appear before Pilate, and they lead him across the city to Pilate. Pilate heard the fox was in town that day, Herod, and he sent him across the city to Herod. And back again to Pilate, and down the Via Dolorosa, the way of the cross. And they led him out to die. The maker of the universe, as man for men was made a curse, the claims of law that he had made unto the Atomos he paid. His holy fingers formed the bow, where grew the thorns that crowned his brow. The nails that pierced his hands were mine, in secret places he designed. He made the forest whence the sprung, the tree on which his body hung. He died upon a cross of wood, yet made the hill on which it stood. The sun which hid from him its face, by his decree was poisoned space, the skies which darkened over his head, by him above the earth was spread. the spew of which spilt his precious blood, was tempered in the fires of God. The grave in which his form was laid was hewn in rocks his hands had made. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. Oh, how we should thank God for his blessed son, and for his submissiveness. He was submissive in every avenue of his life. In sacrifices and in offerings, he says to God, There was no pleasure in, but a body hath thou prepared me. Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me. I delight to do thy will, O God, his submissiveness. And on we go into John's Gospel, Chapter One. He wheeled the Lamb, and he was identified. John, seeing Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold, the Lamb of God. John Chapter Ten says, that John did no miracle, but all things that John said, of this man were true. John's ministry covered the span of perhaps twelve months. John never raised the dead. John never performed a miracle. John never spoke with tongues. John never healed. And yet he was the most spiritual man There are those today who tell us that unless we can do these charismatic things, then we are either not born again or we are not spiritual. Isn't that true? The second blessing is the very essence of spirituality. What was the Lord's appraisal of John the Baptist? Of men born of women, there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist. And John did no miracle, but all things that John said of this man were true. And John says, Behold, the Lamb of God, which take it away the sin of the world. And the Lord Jesus walked past that day, in solitary grandeur and in unprecedented decorum, John was influenced by the Spirit of God to link the Savior with the prophecy of Genesis twenty-two. God will provide himself a lamb. And there he is. The emphasis is on his distinctiveness. There was something unique about his bailing as he walked past on the banks of a jogger. I must hasten to conclude. We have been brought to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better things than that of evil. And we have been brought to the Lord Jesus. We have observed his sweetness, his preciousness, his submittiveness, his distinctiveness. But in Revelation chapter five, we have his worthiness. and it is the Lamb and he is magnified. John wept. There was no one found worthy to open a book and to loose the seals thereof. Weep not, John. The lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed to open a book and to loose the seals thereof. And turning round, no doubt John anticipated in seeing the lion of the tribe of Judah in all his excellence, in all his majesty. But what did he find? A little lamb, as if it had been newly slain. And he let loose that day. Worthy is the lamb that was slain. The lamb magnified on the emphasis is on his worthiness. Finally, at the end of the revelation, in chapter twenty-two, God says of that heavenly city to which you and I have been brought, in that land of faithless death, he says there shall be no more curse. That is to say, in that heavenly city there shall be perfect sinlessness. Nothing that defiles shall ever enter him. And the throne of God, verse three, And of the Lamb shall be in it, the Lamb. And here he is, glory for him. Perfect government. His servants shall serve him. Oh, how we just put our heads down in shame. At the little we do for credit. He has done so much for us, and yet we do so little for him. The story is told about the great artist, the German artist, Stenberg. One day marching or walking down the street, he saw a little girl dancing ahead of him, a cute girl. So immediately the artist concede in his mind a masterpiece that he would call the dancing gypsy girl. He invited this girl to his studio, and while having a recess, as he began to paint this picture, she was allowed to go around the studio. And there on the wall was a picture, not complete, but obvious what it was, a picture of the crucifixion of Christ. She turned to Stenberg, and she said, Oh, what a picture! He must have been a very wicked man. to die such a death. No said Stenberg, he was the best man that ever lived. He died for the world. And immediately she turned to the artist. She says, tell me, sir, did he die for you? Well, Stenberg never had a challenge so personal before. He had understood that Christ had died for the world. But he was challenged by the Spirit of God through his yell, Tell me, sir, did he die for you? And Stenberg, his sin came before him in all its volume. And he got down on his knees and he cried to God for mercy. And God saved his soul. He went to work again on that picture, the crucifixion of Christ. and he placed under that masterpiece the challenge. This, this I have done for thee, what hast thou done for me? Oh, that that challenge would ring home tonight to all our hearts. This I have done for thee, what hast thou done? for me. Ultimately that picture hung in the art galleries in Dusseldorf, Germany. Passing through the art galleries was Count Zinzendorf. And Zinzendorf was arrested by the challenge, This I have done for thee. What hast thou done for me? He took into his castle the persecuted Moravian missionary until finally they emigrated to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, here in the United States. This I have done for thee. What hast thou done for me? Some of us can't even come to a prayer meeting. To our children, we can't even come to a prayer meeting. Or a gospel meeting. Sunday morning only. But I'm thankful to say that's not true of part of the past. But it's true in many an area. His servants shall serve him. We'll serve him in that day and nothing will hinder our servants. And his name shall be on their foreheads. Men will walk the streets of Keystone Heights. and throughout the universe displaying on their forehead the mark of the beast six, six, six, after we have God. But what a thrill for us, the people of God, who have been brought to that heaven of Jerusalem. We'll walk down that street of gold. We'll walk down Redemption Avenue and we'll carry on our forehead that blessed name. and we shall display that name to wandering worlds and to the nations that will walk in the light of that satellite city. We belong to Jesus. Perfect service, perfect ownership. And says John, and there shall be no nightmare. Perfect illumination. They say somewhat jokingly about the Pearl Home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that it's the nearest place to heaven. And that's true in many ways. But the Pearl Home you spend hours going into the early morning and then you're up with a mockingbird in the morning. and they say there's no night there in Grand Rapids Michigan well beloved this will be true of that heavenly city there shall be no night there and finally it says and they shall see his face perfect occupation oh glorious face of beauty Oh, gentle touch of care, if here it is so blessed, what will it be up there? We have been brought to many things, haven't we? Thank God for His kindness, for His name, shall we pray? Father, we thank You for everyone in our gathering this evening who has been brought to Mount Zion. to the city of the living God and to myriad of angels and to the church of the firstborn and to the spiritual just men made perfect and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than that of evil for all father of hearts go out to our friends and some of our loved ones still in the danger zone loving father sweep him and bring them into thy kingdom bring them to Jesus before it be too late be asked in the Savior's name amen shall we sing in closing in three hundred and seventy three seven oh the sands of time are sinking The dawn of heaven breaks. The summer morn I sigh forth. The fair sweet morn awaits. Dark, dark has been the midnight. But day spring is at hand. And glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel's land. Now you can't sing this hymn sitting in your seat. So let's stand and sing it to God's glory. Three hundred and seventy.