MATTHEW 13:1,2 We are turning to the opening verses of Matthew 13. It is a beautiful picture that takes us to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It is such a significant portion of Scripture that the Holy Spirit records it also in Mark 4 and Luke 8. The Lord Jesus is in the north of the country, in his home territory of Galilee. He had been having some bother from the Pharisees who were watching His every move, and those of His disciples also, to try and catch them out. It must have been discouraging for Jesus as they hounded Him but nevertheless He did not give up on the task to which God Had Sent Him to do. He left the Pharisees and their supporters behind Him for if He had spent all His time dealing with them He never would have achieved the purpose of His coming to earth. The Bible tells us He went out of the house (where He had been discussing matters with the Pharisees) and He went down to the shore and sat by the sea side (13:1). He took time out. It would have been so beautiful, so tranquil just getting away from the arguments and the pride of these know-it-all theologians. You could almost imagine Him sitting there in the quietness of the surroundings, looking out over the hills, listening to the birds, and the water gently lapping at His feet. It would have been so peaceful. I remember lying on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, on the stones, in the heat, closing my eyes and it was so absolutely beautiful. There are three simple pictures I want us to consider and the first of them takes us to this scene along the seashore SEATED BY THE SEA OF GALILEE I would love for you to experience Galilee. It is so absolutely beautiful. It would be hard to imagine a more perfect place. There are none of the crowded streets of Jerusalem; there is no wild noise or radios blaring; there is no shouting except for the fishermen calling to one another... simply, unbelievably tranquil.
D.G. 2 That is where Jesus was and from there He would be going along the road that would eventually take Him to Jerusalem and the cross. What would have been going through His mind? I don t think it is too difficult to find an answer to that question. The thoughts would have been piling upon Him; yes, it was so tranquil by the Galilean sea but ahead lay the greatest battle that ever has been fought or ever will be fought. He could look behind Him to the hills, - where He was brought up as a wee Boy, where He worked and lived just beyond those hills - in Nazareth. And as He looked at the sea and the mountains He made them! He formed them out of nothing before anything was, He created the soil and all the molecules and all the chemicals and He made them. And as He sat there by the Sea of Galilee He began to hear the noise of the crowds approaching Him. Many another person would have told them to go away and to give his head peace but not Jesus! Jesus got up from sitting by the side of the sea and He walked down into the water and boarded one of the fishing boats. Look at how beautifully the Holy Spirit writes the Scriptures, he went into a ship, and sat. The picture is so simple. All the people had gathered to see Him, - and as He sat in the boat the Bible tells us the whole multitude stood on the shore. Their attention was captivated not by the beauty of Galilee. No, as the whole multitude stood on the shore, their attention was drawn to the Saviour. As you keep that picture in your mind, I want us to turn now to Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Here is the second picture/scene THE SEAT OF GLORY You have seen pictures of Queen Elizabeth as a young girl. I m sure you have seen the one when, after the War, she stood on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with parents, and with her sister Margaret. Winston Churchill was also there.
D.G. 3 But King George has died, then Winston Churchill, recently Princess Margaret has died, and more recently Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother has died The point I am trying to make is that earthly dominions and rulers are only for a time, they pass away but look here at the picture the writer to the Hebrews draws. He brings our attention right into Heaven s splendour; He focuses our gaze upon He Who is the brightness of his glory, - His beauty and majesty never fade; His face never wrinkles, His power never fails. The brightness of his glory is brighter than any star or any planet in all the universes and that is how, - when He returns for His Bride, - it will not matter whether it is nighttime or daytime He will outshine them all. His people will see the express image of his person; yes, there are the angels and the saints in Heaven and they have been transformed but the centre of Heaven s gaze is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! Do you want to see your loved ones again and your friends who died in Christ? Yes, of course you do, but even before you look for them you will see Christ, - the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. And He won t be hounded by Pharisees or legalists or opponents of any kind because they won t be there, for in Heaven He is upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; He is sitting again! He has finished His work. He is sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. There is no other power or authority but His. All things are under His dominion. He is Majesty. He is Sovereignty. He is the complete demonstration of Kingliness. He is Heaven s Glory. Hell is shut up! The gates are forever closed. It has no more power to deceive the nations; the voice of the devil and the devils are silenced. Heaven rings with the glorious sound of God s glory. Yes, there He is, seated on the Throne, the brightness of his glory. Let s combine those two pictures even closer together
D.G. 4 On the shores of the Sea of Galilee the Bible tells us He sat. Then we see Him on the Seat of Glory Let s turn over to Rev. 19:4 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. What now do we find when once again He is seated?... THE SONG OF GOD S PEOPLE You know how some people say they became Christians because they needed a change of lifestyle because their old lifestyle was no longer satisfying. Or they were afraid of ending up in hell. Or they didn t want to be parted from their loved ones. None of those reasons are valid for entrance into Heaven. Yes, of course it s good that you saw your need of a change of lifestyle; of course it s good that you feared ending up in a lost eternity; and of course it s good that you didn t want to be parted from your loved ones But that which gives your salvation is that you have seen and recognised the Glory of God. In recognising His glory it showed up to you your sin and the Holy Spirit directed your eyes to Calvary. God s glory is all His! It is the song of God s people. The Bible says they all worshipped God that sat on the throne. Their song is solely of His glory and there is none of there s! They see Him seated on the Throne and the Book of the Revelation is the Book of the Throne and the picture is drawn for us the four and twenty elders and the four beasts [falling] down and worship[ing] God on the Throne. Notice too that John tells us they aren t singing these words, - they are saying these words. Everything in Heaven directed towards the One seated upon the Throne is the most beautiful melody, - whether it s sung or said! Look at the simple chorus: simply Amen; Alleluia.
D.G. 5 Many of the song writers nowadays would shun it for being too simple and not having enough chords. They might even dare to change the words for they would tell you Heaven s Songwriter has written them the wrong way round, Amen; Alleluia. And then a voice comes from the Throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. Those, who had no voice while on earth, those who had no tune while on earth, those who sat quiet while on earth; Heaven s worship Leader says, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And it is Heaven s choir, - it s Heaven s songsters! It is the complete number of the Redeemed and do you see that important word at the beginning of verse 6, and? In other words, they were obedient to the command of v. 5, a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. There was none of this, Oh, I can t sing, Oh, I m too tired, Oh, I don t know the words or the tune no, because And introduces the obedience of the saints and the angels as they begin their song. Yes, in front of them is the One seated, - the same One who sat by the shore of Galilee but now what a vast array of harmony in Heaven! the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings. What a choir! what a song? Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. It was the song David sang when he brought the ark of God to Jerusalem (I Chron 16:31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.) and again in Ps. 47:8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. It s a recurring theme throughout the Psalms, Ps. 93:1 The LORD reigneth, 2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. 97:1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. 99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
D.G. 6 CONCLUSION Yes, the centre of Heaven is God, in just the same way as the centre of Galilee on that day was Jesus. The crowds were all gathered upon the shore. And yes, there is coming another day when there will be another great multitude standing on another shore. It is not any earthly shore The Bible tells us Rev. 4:6 before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal and it goes on to tell us about the crowds standing around that sea, 5:11 ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. Yes, the old hymnwriter caught the picture too, Soon we'll reach the shining river, Soon our pilgrimage will cease, Soon our happy hearts will quiver With the melody of peace. Yes, we'll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river; Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God. The song of the Redeemed is in perfect and complete harmony for it is all centred upon the One seated before them. His seat at Galilee went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. His seat in Glory upon which all the Redeemed in Heaven are gazing. And listen again to their song as they as they gaze upon the brightness of his glory, for it is a most beautiful and eternal song, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.