GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

BLESSED ARE THE CALLED
Effectual Calling
Revelation 19:9

Don Fortner

There is a day appointed by God when Christ shall come in power and in great glory. No man knows the day or the hour when that day shall come. But it has been unalterably fixed by God's Almighty, eternal decree. And at the appointed time Christ shall come! I am not a prophet. And I do not pretend to understand the mysteries of the prophetic scriptures. But there are some things about that great glorious day that I do know. They are matters most plainly revealed in the Word of God. At the time appointed by God from eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died upon the cursed tree for the redemption of guilty sinners, will come again – (Job 19:25-27; Acts 1:11; Jude 14-15; Rev. 1:7). In that day these things will take place:

1. There will be a great General Resurrection of all who have ever lived upon the earth (John 5:28-29).

1st The Sleeping Saints (I Thess. 4:16).
2nd The Living Saints (I Thess 4:17).
3rd All the Wicked.

2. There will be a thorough, Complete Destruction of all earthly, material, temporal things (Ps. 50:3; Isa. 34:4; Mic. 1:3-4; II Pet. 3:12).

• All Material Things shall be Destroyed!


• All Temporal Relationships shall be Dissolved!


• All Earthly Concerns shall Disappear!

3. There will be a Great White Throne Judgment for the execution of Divine justice upon all men (Rev. 20:11-15; Acts 17:31; II Cor. 5:10-11).

In that great and terrible day, nothing will be decided or determined. It will not be a day of investigation, but a day of judgment. It will not be a day of trial but a day of execution. Righteousness and justice shall be executed upon all men, "Each one receiving justly his due". In that day God will not be merciful, gracious, and kind, but only just.

• Righteousness shall be rewarded with eternal life.


• Sin shall be rewarded with eternal death.

If you are a believer, if you are in Christ, God has imputed his righteousness to you. You have been made the righteousness of God in him. And God shall reward you for his righteousness which has been imputed to you, just as he rewarded Christ, your Substitute, for your sin which was imputed to him. If you die without faith, if you meet God in judgment without Christ as your Substitute, justice will seize you, cast you into hell, and torment you forever. Eternal death is the righteous reward of your sin. God help you to hear me. Flee now to Christ! Trust him and be saved.

4. Then, after the resurrection, the destruction of the world, and the judgment, eternity will commence with the glorious, everlasting Marriage Supper of The Lamb. (Rev. 19:7-9).

What glory and bliss awaits God's elect! Eternal glory is described under the symbol of a great wedding feast, prepared by God for his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his beloved, chosen, redeemed and called Bride, the Church, which is made up of sinners saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ as their Substitute.

Now, I want to call your attention to verse 9. "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." Blessed Are The Called. That is my subject. Are you called of God? Have you been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb?

In our text the Holy Spirit declares that all who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb are blessed of God, eternally blessed.

Who are these called ones, who are blessed of God as the result of their calling? All of you who hear my voice are called to the marriage supper. But you are not all blessed.

There is a general call that goes out to all who hear the gospel. God sends forth his servants into the world to call sinners to Christ and to this blessed, eternal marriage feast. He says, to his servants, "Go ye into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage" (Matt. 22:9). That is what I am doing today. In the name of God, by the power and authority of God himself, I am calling you, everyone of you, to Christ. God has commanded me to tell you, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage." (Matt. 22:4). If you will now but come to Christ in true faith, God will save you by his almighty grace, through the merits of his Son, and receive you into his heavenly kingdom. It is written "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17). "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13). "Whosoever believeth in him," the crucified, risen, exalted Son of God, shall not perish, "but have eternal life" (John 3:14).

The call, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh." (Matt. 25:6), goes out to the foolish as well as the wise. If you do not come, it is not because you are not invited and urged to come to Christ. By the Spirit of God, I now urge you, with every fiber of my being, to come to Christ.

Come, turn, run, flee to Christ! Seek his grace. Trust his blood, his righteousness, his intercession, his grace, and his power. Trust him. Trust the Son of God, and he will save you now. If you heed this call, you are blessed of God, eternally blessed forever blessed, blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. If you heed this call, the text speaks of you when it says, "Blessed are they which are called!"

But I warn you. If you despise the gospel and the call of his grace, if you despise the Lord Jesus Christ, despise his blood, his righteousness, and his grace, you will be cursed of God by this sermon you now hear. It will be a millstone about your neck to drag you into hell, a worm in your conscience to plague your heart, and a fire in your soul to torment you forever in hell - (II Cor. 2:15-16). If you harden your heart and despise the call of God in the gospel, this call will be an everlasting aggravation of God's wrath upon your tormented soul in hell (Pro. 1:23-31).

It is obvious then that our text is speaking of another call. It is not saying "Blessed are they which are called by the preaching of the gospel unto the marriage supper, though they refuse to come." The text is saying "Blessed are they which are effectually called, by the almighty, irresistible grace of God, and compelled to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb." Our text is talking about the effectual, irresistible call of God the Holy Spirit, which always results in the eternal salvation of those who are called.

1. Who Are These Blessed Ones?
2. How Are These Called Ones Blessed?

They are those who are "the called". They are called by the outward preaching of the gospel. But that gospel has come to them not in word only, but in power and much assurance. They are called by the special, inward, effectual call of God the Holy Spirit (Ps. 65:4; 110:3).

Frequently, God's elect are referred to as "the called." Their "calling" is but another word for their "salvation", because this call is always irresistible and effectual. It always results in salvation. All who are "called" by the Spirit will be present at the marriage supper of the Lamb – See Rom. 1:6; 8:28, 30; I Cor. 1:24, 26; II Tim. 1:9; Rev. 17:14).

• Matthew was called to follow him.


• Zacchaeus was called to come down.


• Lazarus was called to come forth from the tomb.

Do you obey the call? Have you come to Christ? Do you now trust the Son of God? If so, then you are among the called ones. Christ is yours! There never was any unwillingness in Christ to receive the guilty and save sinners. All the unwillingness was in your own sinful heart.

Illus: Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37).
      The Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:21).

If now you willingly come to Christ, you may be confident of his salvation. He has always been willing to save all who come to God by him.

This is the one issue I lay before you: Will you trust Christ? Will you have Christ as your Lord? Will you go with Christ?

Illus: Eliezer to Rebekah – "Wilt thou go with this man?" (Gen. 24:58).

If you willingly come to Christ, trust him, submit to him, call upon him, then you are among those who are called and blessed of God.

It would be no blessing to be called to the marriage if you did not love the Bridegroom. None will be there, among the Blessed, except those who love Christ – (I Cor. 16:22; I John 4;19).

Do you love Christ? Does your heart leap at the mention of his name? If you do love him, it is because he first loved you. You will be at the marriage supper among the blessed.

Every true believer truly does love the Lord Jesus Christ. They prefer him to all others and commit themselves to him, because they see in him beauty possessed by no one else (Song. 5:10-16).

1. We love him because of all that he has done.
2. We love him because of all that he has given.
3. We love him because of all that he is – There is no flaw in him, but only perfection and beauty.
4. Every experience we have had with him has only increased our love for him.

C. Those Who Are The Called Ones, Blessed Of God, are those Who Are Made Ready For The Marriage.

The Lamb's wife has made herself ready, because she has willingly put on the wedding garment by faith. But "to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white". Her readiness is altogether the result of grace. She is ready because…

1. Her sins are all gone (Isa. 43:25; 44:22).
2. She has a robe of perfect righteousness (Rom. 5:19; II Cor. 5:21).
3. She has a holy nature implanted within (II Pet. 1:4).
4. She is in Christ, one with Christ, and perfect in Christ (Eph. 1:6; Col. 1:12; 2:10).

Are you ready for the wedding? Do you have upon you the wedding garment? If so, then you are called. And you are blessed.

D. I will tell you one more thing about those who are called: They Are All Anxious For The Marriage Feast To Begin!

Those who are called are anxiously awaiting and looking for the coming of their beloved Bridegroom (II Thess. 1:10).

Illus: A Bride awaiting her Wedding Day!

Do you live in hope of his coming? Are you anxious to see Christ, be with Christ, be like Christ and know Christ forever?

Illus: Paul wanted Nothing Else! (Phil. 3:10-14).

If you are looking for him, he is coming to you. You are called. And you are blessed.

Our text says, "Blessed are thy which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." I know I am speaking to many of you who are called. I want you to know, enjoy, and anticipate your blessedness. So let me briefly remind you of it.

1. They were loved with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3).
2. They were chosen to be heirs of salvation (II Thess. 2:13).
3. They were redeemed by the blood of Christ (Gal. 3:13).
4. They were kept and preserved in life unto the time of their calling (Jude 1).

1. We have been counted and our hearts won by God himself! (Hos. 2:9-3:3).
2. We have been called from death to life by the power of God's almighty grace (Ez. 16:6-8; Eph. 2:1-5).
3. We have been made to experience God's favor in Christ (I John 3:1).
4. Our God has arranged and now rules all things for our good (Rom. 8:28).
5. We have assurance of our security in the love and grace of our Savior. He who called us to the marriage feast will bring us to the marriage feast (I Thess. 6:24; II Tim. 1:12).

We shall be at the marriage feast, not as spectators, not as guests, but as partakers. It is our marriage feast! We shall be forever one, in perfect union, with Christ! Child of God, lay aside your cares, dismiss your fears, and murmur no more. Here is the destiny that awaits you.

1. Heaven will be a place of mutual contentment and satisfaction.

a. We shall be eternally content and satisfied with Christ (Ps. 17:15).
b. Christ shall be eternally content and satisfied with us (Isa. 53:11).

2. The marriage supper of the Lamb will bring us into perfect union with the Son of God (John 17:20-21).

a. His name shall be ours.
b. His nature shall be ours.
c. His inheritance shall be ours.
d. His glory shall be ours.
e. Christ himself shall be perfectly ours forever!

3. And our blessedness in that future bliss shall be pure blessedness, without any mixture of fear and sorrow (Rev. 21:4).

• No more natural fear and sorrow!


• No more spiritual fear and sorrow!

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