I gladly invite you to turn in your Bibles with me to the Book
of Revelation chapter 14. Revelation chapter 14.
Many of you know this by way of experience, but the Christian
life is like a marathon. And like any actual physical
race, in order for there to be any hope to completing it well,
there must be a preparedness of mind and awareness that such a
race will be demanding at times. In fact, if we're honest, it can
become so demanding that we might even feel the temptation
to quit. To quit on growing unholiness,
to quit on sacrificial love, to quit on our pursuit of knowing
the Lord. To quit on the local church, to
quit on our ministries, and to even quit on our unashamed
witness for Christ and the Lord is so tender.
He's so kind. He's fully aware of our
tendencies to dial down our convictions and our callings.
And so He provides us fuel for our faith.
He has granted us means to no fresh oxygen to our souls,
enthusiasm in our endurance, strength for every stride.
He has not abandoned us should those moments of weaknesses
visit us. And that is what we are prepared
to see here. Because one of the ways that God
does in fact provide energy to us, hydration to our souls, is
by reminding us just how blessed we are in Christ.
And what we're going to see with John in these two verses in
Revelation 14 is just how rich and how great the scope of our
treasures are in Jesus. And so vast are such blessings
that John wants to focus on how we are even blessed in death,
that in Christ even death becomes a blessing.
And my prayer is that by looking at these Scriptures, each of us
will know heavenly enthusiasm poured into our hearts afresh.
And so let's turn here to verse 12 and verse 13 and ask the Lord
after we read it, for this to be our portion today.
Here is a call for the endurance of the Saints, those who keep
the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, write this, Blessed are
the dead who die in the Lord from now on.
Blessed indeed, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their
laborers for their deeds. Follow them.
Father, we ask, oh, you've heard our prayers since the beginning
of this service, but we come yet again as we open your word and
we pray. How?
We pray for the Holy Spirit's help to understand your mind and
your heart in these scriptures. May they be delivered in power,
may they be received in humility, and may you receive
glory through it. We thank you and we trust that
you will indeed speak to us today.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Question #1 You've been falling with us, hopefully through the
series in Revelation, Carefully, patiently.
And what I want to know, reading these two verses, is why is John
commanded to write about this now?
It seems a little bit out of place because John just finished
describing a very vivid picture of the eternal torment that
awaits those who deny Christ and worship the Antichrist.
But that is precisely the point. Right after describing the
horrors and the torment and the holy wrath of God that will be
poured out on those who deny His grace, we have this strong
contrast between two different types of worshippers.
We have here first the distinction between those who
worship the beast and those who serve Jesus Christ.
And there are many, many differences between the eternal
fates of such worshippers. But the one thing that the Holy
Spirit wants to emphasize is that of rest.
Scroll back to verse 11. Let's remind ourselves what was
said last week, John writes. And the smoke of their torment
goes up forever and ever. And they have no rest day or
night, these worshippers of the beast and its image and whoever
receives the mark of its name. And in comparison, as what we
just read in verse 13, those who die in the Lord will have rest
from their laborers. So you notice what's being
highlighted here, that there is a rest that is eternal and
unending for those who worship Christ, and there is no rest for
those who reject Christ. Now this message was primarily
given for those who would be believers during the Tribulation
era, more specifically the Great Tribulation.
And it makes sense, doesn't it, that they would have to undergo
such torment and sorrow and difficulties as they are living
under the tyrannical reign of a man who demands the devotion of
the masses. And so contextually, what's
happening here is that the Holy Spirit wants to provide fuel to
those who have to face such oppression and he grants them
the fuel to remain faithful, even if it means martyrdom, even
if it means believing in Jesus will cost me my life.
But listen, this promise here, this blessing in verse 13 is not
reserved for a single future generation will have to undergo
end times persecution. It's also for you and me.
And the reason why we know that is because of the wider
testimony of Scripture concerning the believer and his
or hers experience of death. It all is confirmed here.
This confirms what we see in the wider testimony of the Word of
God. And I believe the best way,
though there are many ways to approach this one verse, verse
13 is what we're going to be spending time on, is to consider
at least three reasons why the Christian can no blessing in
death. Job tells us that death is the
king of terrors, but because of our faith in Christ, because of
what Christ had accomplished on the cross, death is different
now. And I want us to focus on these
three things that we find in this one verse.
The first thing that we have to consider is the reassurance of
death, the reassurance about death.
This can be so easily overlooked, but you and I can't
skip over the reliable testimony of this blessing that's being
pronounced. Notice what John says.
He tells us that he sees as he's experiencing this vision, a
hearing of a voice. He hears a voice from heaven
saying, but the Bible doesn't tell us whose voice this is
exactly, but knowing where it came from is enough for us to
comfort us. It came from heaven, heaven.
Why is that important? Well, for one, we know that
heaven is a place of perfect holiness.
There are no liars in heaven. There are no manipulators in
heaven. There is no exaggeration in
heaven, which tells me that if there's any representative from
heaven, it is going to be dependable.
It's going to be true, it's going to be right, it's going to
be trustworthy. But secondly, heaven is around
beyond this world. And what that tells us is that
death ushers us into heaven if we are in Christ, which means
that this announcement is coming from someone who is on the other
side, someone who is witnessing and Speaking of what awaits the
Saints when they die in the Lord.
Do you remember what the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus when he
wanted to provide credibility to his teaching?
When he wanted to explain why his teaching is more
authoritative than any other kind of teaching?
Well, let me remind you in John chapter 3, let's turn there.
Notice what Christ says to Nicodemus as he explains to him
of spiritual things. He pauses to inform him why he
is more credible than any other voice.
John chapter 3, Look at verse 11 and read the blessed words of
our Lord. John 311 reads Truly, truly.
I say to you, we speak of what we know and bear witness to what
we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.
If I've told you earthly things and you do not believe, how Can
you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from
heaven, the Son of Man. You see the case that Christ is
making here, especially in verse 13.
Nicodemus, I can tell you about heavenly things because I
descended from heaven. I have experiential knowledge of
heaven. Therefore I am the most
qualified to speak about heavenly things.
I have the greatest rabbinic credentials because heaven has
been my home from eternity past. Therefore I alone have first
hand experience of spiritual things and spiritual dimensions.
I come from heaven. So listen to me.
And in like manner, when we consider this voice in
Revelation 14, verse 13, the fact that it is speaking about
the blessedness of dying from heaven gives the testimony more
weight. It's the difference between
someone suggesting something without experience of it and
someone who has tasted it for themselves.
That is not to say that the voice that is speaking to John
is someone who died, but what it does mean is that this is
something and someone coming from the place that death leads
to. You know, if that wasn't enough,
amazingly we have a second glorious testimony to this
blessedness. Go back to verse 13.
What does it say? And I heard a voice from heaven
saying, write this. Blessed are the dead who die in
the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed, says the Spirit.
Now the Holy Spirit interjects and he confirms this blessing.
And here's what's so fascinating about this.
The Holy Spirit's speech is not frequently quoted directly in
the New Testament especially. There are times in the New
Testament where we read that the Spirit says, the Holy Spirit
says, but to have his words actually recorded rarely occurs.
In fact, the two books that have the most of the Holy Spirit's
direct speech is the Book of Acts and the Book of Revelation.
And if you don't consider the seven letters to the churches we
read at the end of every letter. He who hasn't here, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches.
You only have two recorded places in the Book of Revelation
where the Holy Spirit is quoted directly.
What we find here and what we find at the end of the book when
we read that, the Spirit and the Bride say, come.
They make that invitation for those who are thirsty and desire
to take the water of life without price.
So consider this for a moment. We know that all of the word of
God is breathed out by God. We know that the Holy Spirit is
the author of this book. But for him to speak out, for
him to almost interrupt and to say something at a particular
point says something. And for him to say something at
a point where a promise is being made to the Saints in order to
encourage them in facing death says something about his
eagerness, does it not? The Spirit himself speaks up.
So here's the author who's inspiring John to write it.
And he takes the time now to actually interject and make his
own personal pledge in order to offer even more guarantee, a
double guarantee to this single blessing.
Now, if you doubt that this is the interpretation of this,
consider another interesting detail in that verse alone, did
you notice that this voice from heaven tells John, write this,
look again, and I heard a voice from heaven saying, write this.
You would think that's obvious. Why would you think that's
obvious? Because the last time that John
was commanded this clearly and specifically to write something
again if you don't include what is said in the churches is back
in Revelation 1. Let's remind ourselves, go back
to the beginning of the book. This is John's initial
Commission by Jesus Christ that he faithfully honored Revelation
One, verse 11 saying write what you see in a book and send it to
the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum,
and to Thyatira, and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to
Laodicea. Look at verse 19 right there for
the things that you have seen, those that are and those that
are to take place after this. Write it.
John. He's told at the start, and we
know that he honored this command because he completed the
book. We even see a glimpse of John's
faithfulness in chapter 10 where we read that he's about to write
what he saw and the Lord says, OK, this you don't write about.
So he had this constant posture of obedience.
And so it seems strange to be redundant here.
It makes us wonder, why are you telling someone who is
faithfully doing what he was called to do from the beginning
to do it here? Unless, of course, it's meant to
convey the absolute importance of what's about to be said.
As though this voice is saying, John, don't miss this.
You've been writing. But I want to ensure that you
document this blessing for my people, especially my people who
are enduring great pressure for their faith in Christ.
And So what I want you and I to see is the reassurance about
death. You have this voice from heaven,
a voice from another realm, a voice in which death will usher
us into. You have the voice of the Holy
Spirit. You have this eagerness, this
keenness in order for us to be assured.
Consider the source of this promise.
God Himself wants you to know that there is blessing that
awaits death, that death in Christ becomes a portal into
glory. The second reason why death is a
blessing for the believer is because of the rest that follows
death. Isn't that what's being
underscored here? The Spirit says blessed indeed,
says the Spirit, that they may wrest from their laborers.
Heaven is a domain of uninterrupted, unending,
marvelous, blissful rest. And the question I have is, what
kind of rest are we talking about?
Rest. From what we don't have to
guess, he tells us rest from their laborers.
So hold on, is heaven going to be this eternal slumber?
Is it going to be this unending, idle way of life strolling
around glory, doing nothing? Very unlikely.
You know this very well, that work was a part of the world
before it was fractured by sin. I believe that many of us are
going to be very busy in heaven, but there will be no toil.
There will be no sweat on our brow.
There's going to be a lot more to do in heaven than you think.
So then when he says rest from our laborers, what is he
implying? Well, here's where word studies
help a little bit. Labor can be more than just hard
work. It can actually communicate
trouble, a labor that comes through sorrow and grief.
Now that makes more sense according to this context
because again, the primary audience are those who will be
alive during this great tribulation era, who are trying
to survive under a Christ hating regime.
And so yes, they're maintaining their faith.
They're trying to survive physically and spiritually all
the horrors that will be imposed, all the threats, all
the dangers, all the loss, all the layers of problems that they
will have to face. And the Holy Spirit wants to let
that audience know. Primarily, listen, in Christ,
death will be the greatest relief you will ever know.
Now, most of us in here have lived long enough to know that
the human experience has much trouble in it, never mind the
tribulation period. And that's why this truth
applies to you and I as well. That death, although it is a a
great danger and threat to many, for the believer it has a
different translation. All of Satan's harassments,
every single allurement of the world, all the frustration that
our flesh causes us, all the the sadness and the pain from
disease and sickness and the evil that people inflict on one
another will suddenly come to an end, will forever be put behind
us, and death will be the instrument to bring it about.
Someone said something so wise about death that because of sin,
death is brought into the body before the redeemed.
Death will cast sin out of the body.
Isn't that true? There is a relief that awaits us
through death. There is going to be a new
dress, a new body, a new mind, a new heart, a new environment, a
new world. And this is what's being offered
to these believers and to us. Realize this, that you and I are
being called into a reality that offers rest.
Now some would take this verse and make crazy conclusions like
ha see this shows that when you die, even if you're a Christian,
that you remain unconscious. That rest is synonymous with you
being dormant and you're actually going to come alive in
eternity when that final day comes and Christ summons us in
the resurrection. But that's not what the Bible
teaches. For the Spirit to say that there
is rest that are that awaits us assures us that we'll be fully
alive the moment we die. In fact, you'll be more alive
than ever. And that's supposed to comfort
us and more than just comfort us in our own experience with that
appointment, but also brings consolation concerning those
whom we love that have gone before us to rest in the Lord
forever. I want to take the time to
actually address that. You know my prayer has been
leading up to this message. Those who are still trying to
manage the pain of losing a loved one with no relief from
the truth that's about to be explained.
There's so many places that we can go to bring us that kind of
consolation. But let's turn to the book of
Job to see it. Go to Job chapter one for a
moment. Job, chapter one, verse one.
I'll wait for you. I don't mind listening to the
pages of our Bibles flipping over in this place.
It's one of my favorite sounds on Sunday afternoon.
Job one, verse one. There was a man in the land of
Oz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright,
one who feared God and turned away from evil.
There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
Remember that he possessed 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of
oxen, and 500 female donkeys and very many servants, so that this
man was the greatest of all the people of the East.
So you're in Job one, right? Go to the very end of the book
of Job. We know the story very well, and
most of us are aware that after Job endured this trial and
received the fresh revelation of God's sovereignty, God blesses
Job. Very specifically, look at verse
10 of Job 42. And the Lord restored the
fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends.
And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had had before, twice
as much as what? As he had had before.
What you just read in chapter 1. And we're told exactly that in
verse 12 of 42. Look at it with me.
And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his
beginning, and he had 14,000 sheep, 6000 camels, 1000 yoke of
oxen, and 1000 female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three
daughters. Wait a minute, hold on.
There must be a miscalculation here.
The Bible says that the Lord gave Job twice as much as he
had. So based on what we read, he
doubled the sheep. Yes, He multiplied the camels,
absolutely. He doubled the yoke of oxen, and
he did the same with the female donkeys.
We would think then that when it came to his children that it
would be consistent that the Lord will also give him what?
Well, if he had seven sons and three daughters, it's basic
math. Fourteen sons and six daughters.
But that's not what we read verse 13.
He also had seven sons and three daughters.
Is this a mistake? Is this an error?
Did he forget about the children?
Not, not at all. This is intentional.
And when you see something like this that seems to be a
discrepancy, it invites you to lean in and ask the question
why? And when you don't have a clear
answer in the immediate text, you are invited.
Because God's word is consistent because our God is consistent,
he doesn't contradict himself to see how other truths in the
Bible can inform what we find here.
For example, if God said that he doubled the blessing that Job
once had when but when it came to his children there was no
double, then what could that mean?
The best explanation for this apparent contradiction is that
although Job's children tragically and suddenly died,
they did not cease to live. What does the Bible teach about
the death of the righteous? It does not mean the cessation
of life. It may mean the cessation of
life in this world, but we go on living, do we not?
So what do we find here? Here's what we find.
Job is told that he would be blessed.
Job receives double blessing when it came to his children.
It's the same number. Why?
Because he's going to be reunited with the first sons and
daughters that he lost in chapter 1.
If you count them seven sons and three daughters, and here he has
seven sons and three daughters. That is double the number.
And that teaches us a glorious truth of what happens to those
who pass on from this life to the next.
Jesus said that those who believe in Him, that believe He
is the resurrection of the life, they will not die.
Well, weren't Job's children sinners?
Read your Bible carefully. When Job woke up every day to
intercede for his children that visited each other on feast
days, he said it may be that they have sinned in their
hearts. People have this understanding
that the Job's children went on partying every single day and
Job interceded for them. Job said it may be that they it
didn't say that they're guilty of sin.
And here's God who pronounces his blessing over this man of
God and he indirectly communicates to them.
I'll give you double of the camels.
I'll give you double of the donkeys.
I'll give you double of this and a double of that.
But I don't need to double your children because your children
are going to be reunited with you one day.
So what about your loved one in the Lord?
They are more alive than you can imagine.
They are more at rest than you can fathom, and there is an
appropriate time for grief. Even Jesus, knowing that he was
going to raise his friend from the dead, wept.
There was somebody who didn't need to cry about someone's
death. It was him.
And yet he still showed emotion. Because Christ hates death.
Thank God. Through His sacrifice, He
changes our experience of it, but he still hates it.
He will conquer that final enemy.
But listen, brother and sister, if it's been three years and you
can't still get out of bed, you can't go on your normal life.
May God give you a revelation of the rest that your loved one is
enjoying now. May you be comforted in knowing
that there is a time coming where you will be greeted by
them and they will embrace you. And I'm sure whatever they are
experiencing now, they wouldn't want you to waste a moment of
grief because of the glory that they are basking in.
Listen very carefully. You're joining them one day.
This is just a temporary separation, and they're waiting
for you on the shores of eternity.
And that reunion, though the greatest union, will be between
US and Christ. There is layers of blessing to
this place that death will usher us into.
And one of the treasures that are there is that we will see
our loved ones face to face again.
And Job is just one illustration of that truth, where he receives
children, but not in a way that replaces the ones that passed on
because they are alive. To this day I've not been able
to find any theologian or minister who is able to speak
about death like the Puritans. And I want to read to you a
quote from a Puritan, from the book The Fading of the Flesh and
the Flourishing of Faith. Just lean in and listen to these
words. What wise man will grieve at his
friends gain? In the ceremonial law there was
a year of Jubilee in which every man who had lost or sold his
land gained it back. The day of death for your
believing Friend is his day of Jubilee, in which he is restored
to the possession of his eternal and estimable portion, who
complaints about receiving his inheritance once he comes of
age. Their death is not penal, but
remedial. It is not destructive, but
perfective to their souls. It does for them what none of
the Ordinances of God, the Providence's of God, or Graces
of the Spirit, ever did for them.
It sends the weary soul to its sweet and eternal rest.
This serpent is turned into a rod like an Exodus 4, with which
God works wonders for their good.
Do you see the argument being made here?
Who grieves at the gain that their friend experiences?
If death is gain for us, then how can we sorrow over the loss
of those who have gone on before us?
This thing called death? And this is the analogy that's
being used. It's like a serpent, but because
of God's power, it's turned into a rod, and then that rod is used
for our good. Brothers and sisters, you and I
need to constantly remind ourselves that Christ changes
everything, including death. And that's true for you, and
that is true for those who die in the Lord that you love.
The second reason why we can rejoice even in the face of this
terror, it's because there is arrest that follows it.
There is a life that awaits. Lastly, there is a reward that
awaits us after death. Look again at verse 13.
He says at the end here the final words of the Spirit.
For their deeds follow them. For their deeds follow them.
You know, one of the difficulties of facing death is
that it calls for separation from what we've always known.
And that separation may include permanent severance, right?
Like from your possessions and your positions in this life.
Or that separation might be temporal, like from our
believing loved ones. But the Bible reminds us in this
one verse that there is something that will immediately
follow us when we are summoned into that new world, our deeds,
what you and I have done with the name and the will and the
message of Jesus Christ that comes with you and I right away.
And that message again is primarily to comfort the
Christian. Remember who John is writing to.
Primarily look at verse 12. Here is a call for the endurance
of the Saints, those who keep the commandments of God and
their faith in Jesus. So this is meant to stimulate
the faithful, the selfless, the sacrificial, those who are again
paying a price to serve the Lord.
And what John is saying here is also for you and I.
The Lord will not forget a single deed, a single act that
you've done for him, not one. And even if your faithfulness to
Christ will cost you your life, all that you did for the Lord
will be accounted for. Every single thing will be
rewarded. Every single minute that was
spent, every single dollar that was donated, every single mile
that was driven, every single visit that you made, every soul
that you served, whether small or great, will be remembered and
recompensed by our God. Remind yourself of that.
Remind and exhort others about that truth, because this is a
truth that echoes throughout the Bible.
That our God, because of His nature, because of His grace,
will reward us for what we did in His name.
We will celebrate for what He's done for us.
None of our deeds will guarantee or even give us a chance of
eternal life. It's His deeds, His words.
We know this. Nevertheless, it's possible that
we would grow weary and miss out on even greater experiences in
the world to come because we don't consider how seriously God
takes our deeds. Turn with me to the book of
Hebrews for a moment in chapter 6.
Hebrews 6, and look at verse 10. Here you have another group of
Christians who are very weary. They're battered, they're
bruised, they're ready to quit, they're ready to just assimilate
with their Jewish culture again. If that means denying the
Messiah, at least I get to go to the temple.
At least I get to be visited by my Jewish neighbors.
At least I get to be integrated back into society.
And the author by the Holy Spirit wants to encourage
faithfulness until the end. Notice what he says here in
verse 10 of Hebrews 6. For God is not unjust so as to
overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name
in serving the Saints as you still do.
Most of us know this verse, but I don't think many connected to
the next part, verse 11. And we desire each of you to
show the same earnestness, to have the full assurance of hope
until the end. Many people start with
enthusiasm and excitement, and they lose it over time.
And one of the reasons is not because of temptation, but
because of pressure, persecution, and problems that
arise because of your faith. So let me just tone it down a
bit. Let me not be so public with my
faith. Let me not be so sacrificial in
my service to Christ. And the author says, by the
Spirit, don't you dare. It's possible to maintain that
same earnestness until the end. And that's the will of God.
The nature of your service and mine might change over the
years, but the conviction and the passion for it shouldn't.
And that should encourage us to keep going.
By the way, notice the greatest motivation in serving the
Saints. One of the reasons why I believe
the author is saying this is because as we go on serving the
Lord, we tend to lose the encouragement for it because we
feel overlooked. And even Christians can overlook
us, right? Especially for those who are
working in the background, who keep things running.
But nobody sees it because most people see what's happening here
and most people applaud what's happening here.
And the author wants to say, hey, listen, people may overlook
you. Even Christians may overlook
you. Elders may overlook you.
God does not overlook you. His character is at stake.
His nature is at stake. He is just.
And if he were to forget, he would be unjust.
And he will never be unjust. But notice there's, there's the
greatest motivation intertwined in this promise.
What does He say here? Look at the language carefully.
For God is not unjust for us to overlook your work and the love
that you have shown for His name, the love that you have
shown for His name in serving the Saints.
You want to know how to continue serving the Saints because the
Saints alone will give you a lot of reasons not to continue to
serve them. It's love for His name.
Your love for His name will help you love others even when they
are unlovable at times. So you see what God is saying
here. There's this, there's this push
and there's this drive, love for his name.
And, and God so loves you that you will have a conversation one
day with him about what you did for him.
And he has blessings awaiting. He has treasures in mind.
And so the Spirit of God in Revelation 1413 says there is a
reward that awaits, and death is the means by which we get to
inherit them. And no one will take them away
from us. They will never rot.
They can never be stolen. They'll be yours.
Let's end them with one final verse.
Do you remember the prophet Balaam?
He wasn't a good prophet. He was a false prophet.
He said something amazing in his first Oracle when he was hired
by Bailek to pronounce curses toward the people of Israel
while they were wandering through the wilderness.
And God and his sovereignty turns those curses into
blessings. But from time to time, Balaam
also received revelation of Christ and those who belong to
Christ. And here's one instance of that.
Turn to Numbers 23 and look here at one single verse, verse 10.
Balaam. The New Testament doesn't speak
very kindly of Balaam. Balaam is a picture of a false
teacher, of a wicked man, of a covetous man, and he's a real
man. Notice what he says here in
Numbers 23, verse 10. Who can count the dust of Jacob,
or number the 4th part of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like
his. Do you see that?
Balaam, as he is giving these oracles, as he is receiving
downloads from God, catches a glimpse of the death of the
upright, and he sees something about the end of those who are
righteous. And he can't help but exclaim,
oh, that my end might be like his, that I might share in that
same fate. Makes you wonder that Balaam
have a revelation of the reassurance of death and about
death, the rest that follows death, the rewards that await us
after death. But you know, what shocks me the
most about Balaam's experience here is not that he got a
revelation of it. It's that he desired it.
This is an evil man. This is a sorcerer.
And yet he can't help but say, I want that.
But he never realized it, because when you continue in
numbers, especially in chapter 31, Balaam will be killed.
Balaam will be killed because of God's judgment.
Balaam never experienced the death of the upright, and he
desired it. Desires are tricky things.
People can desire righteousness and holiness and they can even
desire Christ and never own it, never possess it, in fact die
without it. And it's possible for you and I
to listen to a message like we just heard in the last 40
minutes or so and be moved by these truths and these insights.
Job and the eagerness and the keenness of the Spirit and
heaven comforting Christians. It's I, I want that and never
realize it. Do you know why?
Balaam never realized it even though he desired it, because he
longed for the death of the upright, but he didn't want to
live the life of the upright. Do you know why Balaam never got
the chance to even live the life of the upright?
Because he loved money. That's why money was his God.
He obeyed money instead of Yahweh, instead of God.
He submitted to the impulses and the inspirations of money
instead of the will of God. You want to die the death of
the. Righteous #1 You have to
surrender your life to the righteous 1.
Living the life of the upright doesn't mean that you.
Pull your bootstraps and become more moral and become more clean
in your living and integral at your workplace and pure in your
sexuality. That's pride to think.
That you can attain your own righteousness.
It primarily means that you surrender to an alien
righteousness and a righteousness outside of
yourself. Where you surrender.
Your garments and you say clothe me in the righteousness of
Christ. Let him be my canopy and be my
banner. I want to live under his grace
and mercy. I receive his gift of salvation
and then. From there, the righteousness.
That's imputed unto you, inspires you to now live
righteous for Him. This is Christian righteousness.
Not that we reach. Out to try.
To please God, but that we bend the knee and surrender to what
God had done in Christ on our behalf.
And then from there you live from out of the place of
gratitude and grace. Big difference.
And my question for you today. Is how confident are you for
your appointment with death? Because no matter.
How advanced we become. In the society and our cultures
and our civilization, we still haven't figured out this death
problem. Oh sure, you can take a little
bit more vitamins and go to the gym and live a bit longer, but
even guys who do that sometimes die tragically it.
Doesn't matter what we invent. Or what we come up with, or what
things we discover in science. We can't seem to break free from
our individual appointment with death and with.
All the studies that we're. Trying to come up with and all
the ideas that philosophy have been able to conjure up.
Only the Bible has the most articulate and accurate data
concerning death. It's not going anywhere.
It's not going. Anywhere because we brought.
Death into this world through our sin and the only.
Time death will be dealt. With is when Christ comes back
and fixes everything. It's inescapable and.
My. My wish.
Really my? Prayer is that more churches
would remind the people of God of death, not from a morbid
place because the world. Is constantly telling.
You and I of how to make the most of this life and how you
can live forever and how you can enjoy this as though there's
nothing else after this and it's God's house.
That has to regularly. Remind us.
Listen, this isn't it. You're.
Going to leave behind everything.
That house that you're building, that bank account that you're
trying to stuff with more money, those relationships even.
That you're building to a. Certain degree all of this is
going to be left behind and the only thing that's.
Going to matter with your. Final breath is did I put my
faith and trust in Jesus? Did I walk?
With him in this life. Am I going to stand before
Christ as a stranger or as a familiar friend?
Am I going to? Be ashamed at his appearing.
What will I sing? And it's the preacher.
'S duty to do exactly. What's taking place here to
ensure not to just give you life hacks?
Not to just make your family a little bit.
More comfortable. How to overcome this and?
There is a place for. That yes, but from time to time,
oh, we need to remember about eternity.
And not just the people of God, but people who stumble into.
This place who don't know Christ and like Balaam, you like
listening to sermons, but you don't know the one that we were
speaking about you. Like the songs?
They're nice. They have a nice tune.
I like the lyrics, they make me feel a certain way.
Who cares about the feelings? What's going on with your faith?
Where's your? Confidence.
Where's your conviction? Where's the assurance I come
here? Because I know the one.
That the preacher is talking about.
I come here because I'm singing to the one that I have a living,
vibrant relationship with. And so today can.
Be the day where even your interests, your curiosity, your
attraction to Christian realities can become true for
you and. The only way that can happen is
if you humble. Yourself in the presence of God
and say, Oh God forgive me for my sins.
I repent. I believe that what you did on
the. Cross, you did for me.
I believe that there's no other way that I can have heaven and
the rest that it offers and the roars that await unless I put my
complete trust and confidence in you.
I believe that I will only have the chance to stand before you
because of what Christ did for me and stood in the gap for me.
Would you do that today? Would you go from desire?
To devotion today Christ is waiting.
Let's seek him. Here is a call for the
endurance. Of those who obey the.
Commandments of God. And have faith in Jesus.
We pray, Lord, that you would give.
US. More energy, more efficiency,
more enthusiasm to serve you as we are reminded of death.
Thank you that you reassure. Us that it is a blessing.
Thank you that you promised us that there is a rest that we
will enjoy forever. Thank you that though
undeserving, there will be rewards for what we've done in
your name. And Lord, if there's any Balaams
listening. To this now we pray.
That they would go beyond. Desire, but that by your spirit.
You would draw them to. Yourself into saving faith, but
we. Sing because you have.
Informed us of the glories of the gospel that in Christ you
not. Only change.
Us now, but you change what we will experience at the end of
our lives. For this we are thankful.
We bless you and worship you now in Jesus name, Amen.
Let's stand and let's worship the Lord for the gift that we
have in Jesus.