1 00:00:08,010 --> 00:00:13,010 Revelation chapter 14 this morning and, and moving forward, 2 00:00:13,010 --> 00:00:17,370 we won't have the scripture verses on the projector so that 3 00:00:17,370 --> 00:00:20,450 you can be opening and reading your own Bible, whether it be 4 00:00:20,930 --> 00:00:25,130 the paper version, analogue, or if you've got a digital Bible 5 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,200 and you can open up and see the translations there. 6 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,159 You need to be a student of your word coming, bringing your Bible 7 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,400 with you to church, opening up your Bible, reading that, 8 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:37,680 knowing that, look around at your neighbour, say, have you 9 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,240 got your Bible today? No, well, you can borrow one out 10 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:42,680 of the pulpit. You can use that. 11 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:44,640 And if you need a Bible, you can take that. 12 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:46,680 It'll be a different translation. 13 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,320 I'm reading out of the new King James Version this morning, but 14 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:52,080 you'll still be able to follow along and get the idea. 15 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:57,200 Revelation 14, the title of the message this morning is Safe in 16 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,280 the Lamb. I'm going to open in prayer. 17 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,720 I need to pray specifically for a young Eli who had just 18 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,400 fainted. I believe out in the foyer area 19 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,920 and is receiving some first aid care at the moment. 20 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,680 So we want to pray God's hand upon him and that he's all OK. 21 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,360 And then we'll pray God's blessing on our study through 22 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:15,960 His word. Let's bow our heads. 23 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,760 Heavenly Father, we thank you for Your word. 24 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,800 Now we do pray specifically right now for young Eli, touch 25 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,760 him, heal him, restore him. May this episode be something 26 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,080 one off nothing sinister and and may your just hand of healing be 27 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:36,160 upon him. Now we pray God, we do ask that 28 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:40,440 as we open your word that as we're taught through it by Holy 29 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:42,600 Spirit, you guiding and directing us. 30 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:47,760 Help us to have ears ready to hear lives that are willing to 31 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:49,840 obey and to put into action your truth. 32 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:52,920 We need your help. We need your assistance, Jesus, 33 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,520 and it's in your name we pray. Amen. 34 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,360 It's difficult, isn't it? It's difficult to be around evil 35 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,920 for any length of time. I don't know if there's certain 36 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,760 situations, certain times, certain experiences in your 37 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,360 life. We have just gone enough's 38 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,480 enough. I just, I almost feel toxic 39 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,160 within myself just being around this. 40 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,280 You know, you put the news on, you put the radio on and, and 41 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,160 all that you hear is 1 evil story after the other and and it 42 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,880 blotches the way that you think. It certainly impacts the way 43 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:32,440 that you feel at times. CS Lewis, famous author, knew 44 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,280 something about this when he wrote a book of he's called the 45 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,920 Screw Tape Letters. He wrote from the perspective of 46 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:46,120 a senior demon, Screw Tape, who was teaching his nephew Demon 47 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:51,840 how to ruin people's lives. And in the preface, Lewis admits 48 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,720 in his words, he says, I never wrote with less enjoyment. 49 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,480 Though it was easy to twist one's mind into a diabolical 50 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,440 attitude. It was not fun, not for long. 51 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:09,440 The strain produced a sort of spiritual cramp, he goes on. 52 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:14,440 Every trace of beauty, freshness and geniality had to be 53 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:18,720 excluded. It almost smothered me before I 54 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,600 was done. That's how we feel, Lewis said. 55 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,800 It almost smothered me. That's how we feel so often, 56 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,200 living in this fallen world in which we find ourselves. 57 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,720 If Lewis felt that, and that's just writing fiction, imagine 58 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,040 John the Apostle. As we've been going through the 59 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:43,920 Book of Revelation, the visions, the sights, the sounds of 60 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,360 Revelation, especially in the last few chapters. 61 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:51,560 We looked at on Wednesday, chapter 13, and we see Satan in 62 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,080 chapter 12 like a great dragon described. 63 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:58,440 And then the beast out of the sea comes up in chapter 13 and 64 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:03,320 it's got 7 heads and 10 horns. And then there's this beast from 65 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,960 the earth, the false prophet, that comes out looking like a 66 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:11,040 lamb but speaking like a dragon. You encounter all of this and 67 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,120 you think of John as he's writing this and as he's seeing 68 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,120 this and all that. We've encountered so much 69 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,600 wickedness, so much hatred towards God, all of the 70 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,440 destruction that we've been reading of as the the seven 71 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,440 seals and the seven trumpets and the judgement of God has poured 72 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,000 out. Don't you think it must have 73 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,680 worn on? John is receiving this and 74 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,520 writing this down. And unlike you or I, John 75 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,800 couldn't change the channel. Now I don't like this. 76 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:42,040 I'll turn it over. Couldn't scroll past on his app 77 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:46,640 or scroll through and you know, unlike or unfollow everything 78 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:51,520 that he's receiving. God has John's eyes fixed on 79 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,600 this vision. He must be faithful to Pennant 80 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:59,360 and so that's why chapter 14 as we're about to read it functions 81 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:05,200 almost like a breath of fresh air for us and maybe like John 82 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,200 you found as we've been going through Revelation, you've come 83 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,800 out of the sermon going. That was another heavy one. 84 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,800 It's pretty impacting in some of the things that are described in 85 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,440 the devastation that's written and recorded for us. 86 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:25,040 And yes, chapter 14 is a breath of fresh air because it provides 87 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,840 a preview to the end. The answers in the back of the 88 00:05:27,840 --> 00:05:31,480 book here, Revelation of the time just before the Millennium 89 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:36,360 where we see the Lamb, capital L Jesus Christ, who is also the 90 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:42,560 shepherd standing on Mount Zion with his people, the 144,000 91 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:47,080 remnant that we read of in Chapter 7, safe and secure in 92 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,840 the Lamb. And the Lamb is victorious. 93 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,040 And here's the main thing that John wants for you and I to see 94 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:59,040 this morning, that even in the darkest days of evil, the 95 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:03,000 ultimate victor is not the dragon is not Satan is not the 96 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,600 enemy, though it might look like it to all our eyes as we're 97 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,520 seeing the news, as we're hearing the news with our ears, 98 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:14,720 as we're reading the stories for us in the Book of Revelation. 99 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,360 And Satan doesn't win the first beast. 100 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:20,880 Antichrist doesn't win the second beast. 101 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:25,400 The false prophet doesn't win. It's the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who 102 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:30,560 is victorious, God's Son. Now, the past couple of weeks, 103 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,600 as I say, the messages have been covering over what we call the 104 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,320 great Tribulation period, and it's almost been like a 105 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:41,400 different angle. Think of chapters 10 through to 106 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:45,960 15 as parenthetical chapters. It's not chronological in its 107 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:49,560 writing and its record for us, but it's a a deep dive in to 108 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:51,920 what we've encountered beforehand in some of the 109 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:55,640 previous chapters. They're almost functioning like 110 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:57,520 footnotes for us. As you're reading through a 111 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,080 text, sometimes there's greater explanation and detail. 112 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:04,600 That's what we're going into in these chapters. 10:11 12/13/14 113 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:06,560 this morning 15 as we go into it. 114 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,040 Or maybe by way of analogy, you're more familiar with this 115 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,640 experience. Perhaps you visited a theme park 116 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:16,040 and often in different parts of the world, they might have a, a 117 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:19,280 mono rail or some kind of a, a train or tram ride. 118 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,280 That gives you a little bit of an overview of the attractions 119 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,160 available, but then you, you go on the ground and you go and 120 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,640 immerse yourself in those different worlds, those 121 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:32,200 different, you know, adventures on the rides and so on and so 122 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:34,080 forth. That's what chapters 123 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:38,040 101112131415 are. A greater immersion, greater 124 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,280 detail into the events of the Great Tribulation that we've 125 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:46,560 received some of an overview of already, but specifically this 126 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,560 morning in chapter 14. If you're the note taking type, 127 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,160 if you've got your book handy, or if you're putting it in some 128 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,440 digital form, then here are three points that will guide us 129 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:58,480 through these verses. As we read. 130 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,280 We're going to see firstly in verses one to five that the 131 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:07,720 Lambs people are protected. And secondly, the Lambs Gospel 132 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,080 is proclaimed. And then thirdly, for us this 133 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:14,080 morning, the Lambs Saints are promised. 134 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,160 Let's look at the first the lambs people are protected, as I 135 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:20,800 say they'll be for us in verses 1:00 to 5:00, but we're just 136 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:22,840 going to consider verse one at the moment. 137 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:31,360 Then I looked and behold, a lamb standing on Mount Zion and with 138 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:38,559 him 144,000 having his father's name written on their foreheads. 139 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:42,679 And some translations have having his name and his father's 140 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,400 name written on their foreheads. I like that as well. 141 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,400 So what we're introduced to here is, is the people of God, this 142 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:54,800 specific group 144,000 who are sealed by God. 143 00:08:54,800 --> 00:09:00,880 It tells us back in chapter 13. We left off with it and it seems 144 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:05,160 that the whole world at that point in time is worshipping the 145 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,640 beast Antichrist. They bear his mark 666 it 146 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:12,040 mentions in the last verse of chapter 13. 147 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:18,400 But not everyone bounce like a virtual futuristic Shadrach, 148 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:24,080 Meshach, and Abednego. These 144,000 refuse to bend 149 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,320 their knee, refuse to bow their hearts to Antichrist. 150 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:35,160 We met them in Chapter 7. These 144,000 sealed by God, 151 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,800 they bare his mark in some way, and we're told specifically that 152 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,720 they're 12,000 of the 12 tribes of Israel. 153 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,520 Likely many attribute their task and their function during this 154 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:52,360 time to be like evangelists during the Tribulation period, 155 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,000 ultimately fulfilling that which God had called the people of 156 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,640 Israel originally too, That they were to be lights and beacons to 157 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,160 the world around of what it was like loving God and living for 158 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,520 him. They fulfil that call, but they 159 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:10,920 have God's seal, we're told, not the beast seal, not the the mark 160 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:15,240 of the beast. 666 but they bear the name of Jesus. 161 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,160 They bear the name of the Father. 162 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,200 It tells us, and I want to highlight that because I find it 163 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,080 to be a comfort for us this morning. 164 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,520 How is it a comfort? Because sometimes I don't know 165 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:30,360 about you as, as I commence this sermon with mention of the evil 166 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:34,280 that resides in the world, there's a a feeling that can 167 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:37,800 come upon us, kind of like Elijah in the book of first 168 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:42,240 Kings, chapter 19, where he cried out in desperation saying, 169 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:47,960 am I the only one left? Lord that serves you, loves you, 170 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:51,560 that honours you. Elijah felt like that in the 171 00:10:51,560 --> 00:10:54,720 time of King Ahab and Jezebel, the evil queen in Israel. 172 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,680 And, and maybe that's you this morning sitting here. 173 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:03,640 You're the only believer in your family and it wears heavy upon 174 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,840 you and and you often find yourself praying and crying, 175 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:09,520 God, am I, am I ever going to be the only one? 176 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:12,720 Maybe certainly in your workplace. 177 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,840 You're the only Christian and it's toxic and it's an 178 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:19,200 environment that just at the end of the day, if you could purge 179 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,600 yourself and wash yourself clean with, with chemicals that would 180 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:25,640 dilute every ounce of evil that you've encountered, you would 181 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:30,440 and you cry out, God, am I the only one maybe in your friend 182 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,880 group, you're you're feeling outnumbered, overpowered. 183 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:38,880 Let me tell you friend this morning, you are not alone. 184 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:44,480 You're not alone. God always has his faithful 185 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:46,760 remnant. Always. 186 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:49,680 You see it all through Scripture and specifically here this 187 00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:55,240 morning, the 144,000 sealed by God, his faithful remnant. 188 00:11:56,440 --> 00:12:00,600 Notice again the counterfeit God had sealed them in Chapter 7. 189 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,800 And so Satan, he never comes up with a good idea of his own. 190 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:09,080 He copies in chapter 13 and has people bare his mark. 666 191 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,920 Satan's the great imitator. And like that kind of cheap 192 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,960 knock off cereal in the supermarket that that presents 193 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,600 like the real deal, the product, but inside is not. 194 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:21,440 It's not the same thing. Satan's product is laced with 195 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,200 arsenic. There's something encouraging I 196 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,560 want to highlight in that those Satan counterfeits. 197 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:32,640 God had sealed the 144,000 Satan comes up with all right, well, 198 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:36,640 God sealing, I'll seal and they can bear my mark. 666 There's 199 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:39,600 something encouraging in the numbers here in this first 200 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:45,880 verse. 144 thousands mentioned in Chapter 7 and in chapter 14 201 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:50,440 we read and it says standing with him are 10,000. 202 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:56,840 No hang on sorry I misread that. Standing with him are 30,000. 203 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,840 See why you need your Bible? Standing with him are 100,000. 204 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:11,360 It says no, not even 143,999, but how many 144,000? 205 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:16,800 That's significant, why God's seal works. 206 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:22,880 Not a single one of the 144,000 from Chapter 7 now appearing in 207 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:28,360 chapter 14 are lost, are gone, are destroyed. 208 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,440 God's not wandering around going where's old so and so. 209 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,320 I thought there were 144,000, but I can't find him. 210 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,280 Have you seen him? There's none of that in this 211 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:41,520 chapter here. All 144,000 presented in Chapter 212 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,600 7 are here in chapter 14. Again, God's seal works and we 213 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,120 need to be reminded of that this morning because of this 214 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:51,920 Philippians chapter one verse 6 says he who began a good work in 215 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:56,440 you will be what faithful to complete it to the very end 216 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,360 because I don't know about you. Again, there's times where in my 217 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:05,880 life, in my experience that there's days that there's weeks 218 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:09,960 that there's months where you wonder God, am I ever going to 219 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:13,080 make it? God, will you get me through? 220 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:17,520 Will you get my family through? Will you see us to the end, the 221 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:21,320 pressures, the pain mount up the the persecution. 222 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:26,640 Maybe know this again. He who began a good work in you 223 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,480 will be faithful to complete it to the very end. 224 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:34,000 Jesus tells the story in Luke chapter 15, the parable of the 225 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:39,160 lost sheep, The shepherd who had 100 sheep and one had gone. 226 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:41,480 Wondering what did the shepherd do? 227 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,640 A picture of Jesus Christ said that he'd left the 99 and found 228 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,360 the one, restored him and returned him. 229 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,920 God's seal works, God's people here. 230 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:57,640 The 144,000 were sealed and safe in the land. 231 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:00,000 We need to remember that this morning. 232 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:06,400 But not only are they sealed, but in verses 2 to 3 we see that 233 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:10,040 they're singing a new song. Follow along. 234 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:11,840 Look with me. In your Bible it says, and I 235 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:18,200 heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters and 236 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,840 like the voice of loud Thunder. And I heard the sound of Harpers 237 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:27,080 playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song 238 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:30,840 before the throne, verse 3, before the four living creatures 239 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,440 and the elders. And no one could learn that song 240 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:39,640 except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth. 241 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:45,160 So John hears this voice, it's the voice of the Lord. 242 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,160 It sounds a lot like the description given for us in 243 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:51,760 Revelation chapter 1 of Jesus voice, a voice like rushing 244 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,720 waters as it was described. And then there's this mention of 245 00:15:55,720 --> 00:16:00,400 a voice like Thunder and then joining in the chorus with this 246 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:05,440 voice, a harpist playing God's voice described. 247 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:08,280 It's wonderful. I particularly love in the 248 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,960 Psalms how God's voice is described for us and the imagery 249 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:15,000 that's utilised in that. Think of when you read it in the 250 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:20,080 description given of God's voice cracking the cedar trees, how 251 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,840 God's voice causes flames of fire to divide. 252 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:31,360 It says how God's voice causes deer to give birth of how it 253 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:33,960 says that the God of glory thunders. 254 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,800 You know, living where we do on the coast, we have some heavy 255 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,600 storms that roll through and when when the lightning cracks 256 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,360 through the sky and the Thunder rolls and reverberates through 257 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:49,080 your house and the voice of God. But here we have it described 258 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:53,280 like rushing waters. And then there's this singing 259 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:55,920 happening. And it says for us that they're 260 00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:02,320 singing a new song and a song that only a specific type of 261 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:06,359 people are able to sing, says that the song of the redeemed 262 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,200 are the only ones that can give voice to this song. 263 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,920 I want you to think of this kind of like a, a spiritual 264 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:14,960 frequency. And maybe you can remember, 265 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,880 maybe you can relate. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14 says the 266 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,880 person without the Spirit can't understand the things of God. 267 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:28,160 Remember in your BC days before you were born again, before you 268 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:32,400 were saved, when you would maybe out of curiosity open up the 269 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,960 Bible and read the words of God, but they would blur into the 270 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,240 page and you had no understanding of what you were 271 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:40,800 reading. You might again, out of 272 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,680 curiosity, have come along to church and and heard a Christian 273 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:48,800 song being sung and you've got no connection with the lyrics 274 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,040 you don't understand. It sounds like static to you. 275 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:58,000 Doesn't make sense. Once the Spirit breathed new 276 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,080 life into you, you were born again, as the Bible says. 277 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,280 Now you can TuneIn to the frequency of God. 278 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:09,040 The lyrics start to resonate. God's word comes alive and 279 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,360 bounces out of the pages and speaks directly into your heart. 280 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:15,600 And you knew exactly what the singing was about, and you knew 281 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:17,480 exactly what the words were about. 282 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,320 Here only the redeemed can sing the new song because it's a song 283 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:26,000 of redemption. To have been lost but now saved, 284 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,960 to have been blind, but now I can see to be be made brand new. 285 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:35,040 It's the song of redemption. Let me ask you this morning, 286 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:36,640 there's a point of application in that. 287 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:40,880 Are you learning this song? Are you singing this song of 288 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,680 redemption? Is there joy within your heart 289 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:48,400 over the things of God or is your life still kind of tuned in 290 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:52,120 to the frequency, the soundtrack of the world and the things of 291 00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:54,480 God coming through kind of like static? 292 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:58,000 Well, there's no, no voice to the words and you're unable to 293 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,760 sing these 144,000. They're able to sing. 294 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:04,200 And man, what a song it would be. 295 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,440 I imagine kind of King David in the background. 296 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:10,440 He's plugged his harp into the, you know, the celestial stage 297 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,720 amp that's up there in the heavenlies, and he's strumming 298 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:17,640 away as these 144,000 are singing this song of redemption. 299 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,440 Not only can they sing this new song, but it says for us that 300 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,360 they're separated in purity in verses 4 to 5. 301 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:31,880 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are 302 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,400 virgins. These are the ones who follow 303 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:40,000 the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among 304 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:45,760 men, being first fruits to God and to the Lamb in verse 5. 305 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:51,000 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without 306 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:56,360 fault before the throne of God. As we've been reading through 307 00:19:56,360 --> 00:19:59,160 Revelation and we've been reading about this period known 308 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:02,560 as the Great Tribulation. At the time of Jacob's trouble, 309 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:08,960 there's been deep perversion that's been evident as no matter 310 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:13,200 what has has happened, people have sought not to abandon their 311 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:16,960 lifestyles and ways of living and and repent and turn to God, 312 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,720 but instead embrace what they've been doing all the more. 313 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:23,040 Think of all of the current places on the earth that are 314 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,160 filled with debauchery. Maybe you've visited Las Vegas, 315 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:28,640 maybe you've gone to New Orleans, maybe you've 316 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:31,440 encountered Haiti. Maybe you've gone to Perth. 317 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,520 Combine all of these things and multiply by 100. 318 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:41,360 Many commentators suggest that the time in which we're reading 319 00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:45,000 these future years that there'll be this heightened sexual 320 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:48,480 immorality that will mark people kind of linked with idolatrous 321 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:52,480 worship of false gods, just like in the ancient Pagan temples of 322 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:54,360 the time of writing in the 1st century. 323 00:20:55,760 --> 00:21:01,120 But again, the 144,000 sealed with God singing this new song, 324 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:07,520 they resist somehow they have in, in this heightened sense of 325 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,400 evil in which we're we're reading this, writing this, 326 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,160 taking place here. They have been able to maintain 327 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:21,400 a purity, A holiness, A devotion unto the Lamb, whether it's 328 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,280 literal purity as it describes for us, perhaps in sexual 329 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,960 abstinence or spiritual purity as we read through the 330 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:31,000 scriptures. Often the idea of of holiness 331 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,600 and purity before God is described in in language of you 332 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:39,000 know, like the people of Israel being like a virgin awaiting and 333 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:42,280 and we as the church are described as the virgin bride 334 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:45,880 awaiting Jesus Christ. It could be that point that is 335 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:49,560 made here in that but the overall point, no matter what 336 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:52,600 interpretation you take, whether literal or more metaphoric. 337 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:58,280 Is this their walk and their talk matched? 338 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,880 They were, despite what was going on around them, able to 339 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:08,320 live with a purity, A devotion, and a holiness unto God. 340 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:11,240 And because of that their witness is powerful. 341 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:17,080 In Chapter 7, it indicates that a great multitude of people are 342 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:21,720 actually saved come to a knowledge of who Jesus Christ is 343 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:26,520 through the ministry of these 144,000 Here in the verses that 344 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,880 we read in chapter 14, we indicated that they're called 345 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:34,160 the first fruits that their lives will be a much more gospel 346 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,840 fruit out of their ministry and, and and their life and living. 347 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:42,200 And so again, the application, the connection to you and I is 348 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:47,280 that do we not live in a sexually saturated world in day 349 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:51,720 and age? Do we not live in an idolatrous 350 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,600 age where people can worship anything and anyone but Jesus 351 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:00,360 Christ, it seems? And how much more than for you 352 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:04,480 and I, should we and ought we to guard both our physical purity 353 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:09,720 and our spiritual fidelity, letting no rival love take the 354 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:14,600 place of God in our lives again? For them, their lives, their 355 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:19,480 words had impact. How true for you and I. 356 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:25,040 We all know the impact that someone's words can have upon 357 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,000 us. Something favourable, something 358 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,520 encouraging that they've said in the past, or something more 359 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:32,320 detrimental and hurtful that has wounded us. 360 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:37,320 But all the more when they espouse some beliefs of theirs 361 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:40,200 and it's backed up by the life that they're living, right? 362 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:44,360 They've said one thing and their life matches up with it. 363 00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:48,680 And we also know, know the truth, the Verity of the 364 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:50,960 opposite, that when somebody says something, but then their 365 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:55,120 life declares altogether the opposite, that their life is 1 366 00:23:55,120 --> 00:23:57,880 of contradictions between speaking and actions. 367 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:00,960 Oh man, it tells a totally different story and bears an 368 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:04,960 altogether different witness. And you and I, we need the 369 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:09,440 Lord's help so much on this one that if we purport to be 370 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:15,080 followers of Jesus Christ in our words, that our lives must back 371 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:19,160 that up with our actions, our walk and our talk aligning. 372 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:25,160 So that's the the first point for us this morning. 373 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,120 Verses one through to five, the Lambs people are protected. 374 00:24:28,120 --> 00:24:32,080 And then in verses 6 to 11, we're going to consider the 375 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,640 lambs Gospel is proclaimed and I'll have some of the imagery, 376 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:38,960 some of the thoughts that are wrapped up in these verses as we 377 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:43,200 get into them. Then I saw John says verse 6, 378 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:48,240 another Angel flying in the midst of heaven. 379 00:24:49,360 --> 00:24:52,200 Now this language here in the midst of heaven, and maybe 380 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,800 another translation that you're reading or following along with 381 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:58,480 helps you understand this speaks not of heaven as being the 382 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:02,160 residence, the place of God, but as the heavens as our 383 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:06,680 atmosphere, right? So there's a visual aspect to 384 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:12,400 this that we need to understand having the everlasting gospel to 385 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:17,320 preach to those where who dwell on the earth at this time to 386 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:22,480 every nation, tribe, tongue and people saying with a loud voice 387 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:27,360 fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgement 388 00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:32,120 has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea 389 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,200 and springs of water. So stop there. 390 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:39,680 The Lamb's gospel is proclaimed and creation is declared through 391 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:41,480 this Angel. John sees an Angel. 392 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:47,880 It indicates that this Angel is, is flying overhead in the 393 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:49,960 atmosphere for people on earth to see. 394 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,920 Whether it is that the Angel is kind of hovering and as the 395 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,840 earth is on rotation that people are able to see it, or that 396 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,960 literally the Angel is flying around and speaking. 397 00:26:00,360 --> 00:26:04,120 It's, it's a, a wonderful thing to kind of imagine and consider 398 00:26:04,120 --> 00:26:06,880 in this. I don't know what your overall 399 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,520 picture of the tribulation period is, you know, with the 400 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,240 apocalyptic images that we've encountered and so on. 401 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,800 But again, I want to remind you of this point of it, that the 402 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:22,560 great tribulation period will also be a time of revival, that 403 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:26,720 there will be people who come to a saving knowledge of Jesus 404 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,160 Christ as Lord and Saviour. Now it will cost them their 405 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:32,840 lives. We read that there is beheading 406 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:36,160 that takes place in this futuristic description given for 407 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:39,920 us. But here there is this Angel 408 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:44,400 that that flies around, or again, as I say, hovers and 409 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,320 preaches and declares the everlasting gospel message. 410 00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:53,840 And this is the first time that this has ever happened in the 411 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,960 Bible. Angels have been involved in 412 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:00,200 some pretty cool stuff as you read through the Scriptures back 413 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:03,920 there, the Garden of Eden, delivering messages from God to 414 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,280 people on earth, the different battles that they're involved 415 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:11,240 in, the choirs that we read of them singing of them ministering 416 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:15,960 and helping the servants of God. But never do we read of in the 417 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:21,720 Bible of what we've just read here of an Angel sharing the 418 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:26,400 gospel message. It's interesting take you back 419 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:30,360 to a story in the book of Acts. In chapter 10, there's a fellow 420 00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:35,680 called Cornelius who the Bible describes as being a devout man. 421 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,600 He was curious about the things of God and, and maybe he'd 422 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:44,160 started to begin the proselyte process, converting to Judaism. 423 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,480 He knew that that God was real in comparison to the gods of 424 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,440 Rome and and of Greece and so on. 425 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:54,760 And an Angel appears to him and tells him to go and seek out 426 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,880 Peter, who was down in Joppa. Now if I was Cornelius and an 427 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:02,040 Angel appeared before me, don't you think that you'd be saying 428 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,440 to the Angel, can't you just tell me the gospel? 429 00:28:05,120 --> 00:28:07,080 Can't you just tell me what I need to hear? 430 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,240 But no, the Angel there, who probably wanted to tell the 431 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,560 gospel, told his message. Cornelius, you need to go and 432 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,920 get Peter. And Peter was sought after. 433 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:22,160 He travelled up from Joppa to Caesarea here by the sea, and 434 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,720 there's this wonderful conversion that takes place in 435 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:27,480 Cornelia's household. But my point is that the Angel 436 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:31,120 couldn't declare the message, then Peter had to do it. 437 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,320 Angels have never been able to share the gospel until now. 438 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,200 I think they would love to if they got the chance. 439 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:45,480 We're told in one Peter chapter one, verse 12, and the idea is 440 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,520 that when the gospel is presented and hearts are open 441 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:51,400 that the angels get excited and they long to look into it. 442 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:54,640 It says it was revealed to them that they were not serving 443 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:58,120 themselves but you when they spoke of the things that have 444 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,240 now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you, 445 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,000 by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. 446 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:06,080 Even angels long to look into these things. 447 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:12,440 And so the idea is that the angels are actually blown away 448 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:17,240 by what the gospel means. It just astounds them and 449 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:18,600 amazing. Now think of it, if you're an 450 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:23,000 Angel, you've known God for thousands and thousands of 451 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,000 years, right? You've been with him for so 452 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,440 long, you've seen his might, you've seen his power, you've 453 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,360 seen his glory. And then you've seen humanity. 454 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:37,040 How small, how insignificant They're on this small planet, in 455 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:40,240 this small solar system, around this small sun, in this small 456 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:42,360 Galaxy as part of this great universe. 457 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,520 And you've seen how humanity has despised and rejected God 458 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:51,880 Almighty, that you've been in the very presence of that. 459 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,480 You've seen his might, His Majesty, his glory. 460 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:59,880 And then you've seen how in return, God crafts a plan of 461 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:04,920 redemption to make it possible for humanity to be restored to 462 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:06,800 relationship with a holy, righteous God. 463 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,520 And as an Angel, you've blown away, gone God. 464 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:10,680 Why? How? 465 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:16,160 How come they see God willing to do this? 466 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:21,000 They see Jesus die, they see Jesus being beaten, they see 467 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:24,960 mankind mistreat the Creator with total disregard and the 468 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:33,520 gospel astounds them. So now I wonder this of the many 469 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,920 times that I've been given opportunity to share the gospel 470 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:42,480 and there's an Angel that I can't see but is present that is 471 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:45,040 witnessing this. And he's just going give me the 472 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:46,400 chance. Hold me back, hold me back. 473 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:48,040 Let me preach. Let me say it, let me say it. 474 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:49,560 Do it, Israel. Do it, Israel. 475 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:57,040 And I don't. And the angels going or you when 476 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:00,880 that opportunity has presented and you know that burning within 477 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:02,520 your heart. Yeah, this is this is a time 478 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,160 where I need to declare the gospel, the good news of Jesus 479 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:08,360 Christ and that message and the angelic hosts are going to do 480 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:10,720 it, do it, do it, do it. Come on, I want to do it. 481 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:16,080 And we don't we don't follow through with that conviction 482 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:18,800 that's happening. Do you do you see the the 483 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:24,600 privilege that we have this morning that for whatever reason 484 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:29,360 God has chosen right now. Now we're reading of this in 485 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:37,400 future, but right now God has chosen you and me to be the 486 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,120 messengers of the everlasting gospel. 487 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:46,080 This Angel gets his chance in chapter 14 to preach and to 488 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:49,520 declare that we get our opportunity. 489 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:56,560 Now God invites us to be a part of that privilege and his 490 00:31:56,560 --> 00:32:00,960 message in verse 7 is it's not too late. 491 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:05,000 Even in the midst of all that we've been reading of all of the 492 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:06,800 tribulation, all of the suffering, all of the 493 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:11,880 devastation and destruction, he says worship God, turn your life 494 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:15,320 in surrender over to him. And he argues from creation, 495 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:20,720 maybe referencing something like Psalm 19 in the first few verses 496 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:23,640 there, that the the heavens declare the glory of God. 497 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:28,320 He is the Creator, you know. And here I think we get an 498 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,200 insight into why it is that evolution is so appealing, 499 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:36,080 because people desire to write out of the equation the Creator, 500 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,760 to ignore, to disregard his existence so that what? 501 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:42,200 There's no accountability as a consequence. 502 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,880 But the Angel, his message here says otherwise. 503 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:49,840 There is a Creator, the heavens declare the glory of God, fear 504 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:51,880 him, give him the honour. Why? 505 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:56,800 Because his judgement is coming, and so corruption is doomed. 506 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,880 In verse 8, he goes on. Another Angel followed, saying 507 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:05,240 Babylon is fallen. Is fallen that great city 508 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:10,080 because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath 509 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:14,360 of her fornication as other Angel comes onto the scene. 510 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:18,240 The first message is one of good news is that Angel is declaring 511 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:21,960 and now the second Angel the message is that there is nothing 512 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:25,520 else no one else that can take the place of God. 513 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:31,360 Really preacher boy, where'd you get that out of Babylon is 514 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:33,200 falling down falling down. I don't get it. 515 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:37,720 I don't understand Babylon. There's more on this to come in 516 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:44,000 chapter 17 and 18, but in scripture, Babylon is a type of 517 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:49,920 this world's systems. Yes, it was a city, an empire 518 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:55,040 that we read of in the book of Daniel, but it also came to be a 519 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:59,640 representative indicative of political, economic and and 520 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:04,600 religious systems and aspects that are in opposition to God 521 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,600 Almighty. At the time of John's writing, 522 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:09,760 it refers to the government of Rome. 523 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,760 And here in this futurist futuristic application that 524 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:18,400 we're reading of it refers to the government of the Antichrist 525 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:23,840 set up as we read in chapter 13, the regime of Antichrist and his 526 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:29,199 false prophet that again is set up in imitation of in place of 527 00:34:29,199 --> 00:34:33,159 God's Kingdom. And the point in, in alerting 528 00:34:33,159 --> 00:34:35,960 you to this in the application I, I want to seek to make is 529 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:41,639 this in these angels, in these messages, in the declaration, we 530 00:34:41,639 --> 00:34:46,440 talked about the privilege that we possess now of, of Speaking 531 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:49,520 of declaring the gospel message. But have you ever found that 532 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:52,719 difficult? It's like an good guilt trip. 533 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:55,159 I know I need to do it, but I don't know how to do it. 534 00:34:55,159 --> 00:34:56,719 I don't, I don't know what to say. 535 00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:00,520 Well, here in, in these angels, we have a wonderful point of 536 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:03,240 application for us in that regard. 537 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:07,080 If you've ever said I have difficulty in in thinking about 538 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:09,160 how do I share the gospel, what do I say? 539 00:35:09,720 --> 00:35:12,720 When we present the gospel as the angels do here, here's what 540 00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:15,160 we do. We start with the beginning, 541 00:35:15,720 --> 00:35:20,000 God, who he is, what he has done. 542 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:25,800 We speak of creation, we speak of his goodness, we speak of His 543 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:29,880 Holiness. And then we turn to mankind, 544 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:35,920 humanity to the individual, to us, in comparison of our 545 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:40,560 rejection of God and our substitution of other things in 546 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:44,520 the place of worship that rightfully and only belongs to 547 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:46,600 God. Whether that be pleasure, 548 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:49,600 whether that be pursuits of power, whether that be all 549 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:52,640 manner of things that we've set up as functional gods that we've 550 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:55,760 worshipped. But what we discover is that 551 00:35:55,760 --> 00:36:00,760 these, like Babylon, they fall and they fail and cannot in the 552 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:04,240 depths of despair in our lives, in the grief and tragedy of 553 00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:07,840 life, living in this fallen world and in in the depravity of 554 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:11,880 our sin, offer the hope of salvation that only Jesus can 555 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:15,160 bring. And then you share of how Jesus 556 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,720 has saved you. Then you share and you speak of 557 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:21,240 the testimony of transformation in your life. 558 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:25,680 I once was like this, but now here is what Christ has done and 559 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:28,560 is doing in my life. And you speak of that change and 560 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:32,040 of that transformation. And then you offer them the 561 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:36,080 opportunity to receive that gift of salvation that that Jesus 562 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:39,920 extends and of what that means of the hope for eternity that 563 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:43,520 they can possess of a life forever in the presence of God, 564 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,520 no longer separated because of the consequence of sin. 565 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:50,400 And you can speak of and you need to speak of the consequence 566 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:55,440 of rejecting this message of eternity in hell and of what 567 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,400 that means. For this is now what the third 568 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:02,040 Angel speaks. He indicates the consequence of 569 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:06,400 rejection, of refusing the gift offered by God Almighty. 570 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:10,400 And now we have the consequences described in verses 9 to 11. 571 00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:16,360 A third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If 572 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:21,640 anyone worships the beast in his image and receives his mark on 573 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:26,360 his forehead or on his hand, he himself, verse 10, shall also 574 00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:31,200 drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full 575 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:35,400 strength into the cup of his indignation. 576 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:39,320 Back then in the 1st century, often they would drink wine and 577 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:42,280 dilute it with water so that they're not, you know, walking 578 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:44,000 around as drunkards all of the time. 579 00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:49,120 But here the, the imagery, the picture of that is that this cup 580 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:50,920 of wrath, there's no dilution to it. 581 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:55,280 It's poured out full strength as a consequence for sin and of 582 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:57,760 rejection. And it says he shall be 583 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:01,600 tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the 584 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:04,160 holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 585 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:10,200 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and 586 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:14,920 they have no rest, day or night. Who worship the beast and his 587 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:18,160 image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. 588 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:21,000 That's some heavy texts that we've just read through. 589 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:26,160 You see, the rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour 590 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:28,200 results in eternal judgement in hell. 591 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:34,160 The Bible is clear on that. God is real, the Bible is true. 592 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:37,720 Eternity is a long time and hell is hot. 593 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:43,360 In Luke 16 we're told the story of the rich man and Lazarus. 594 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:45,640 That helps to give us some understanding. 595 00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:48,960 Jesus tells this story. And by the way, Jesus spoke a 596 00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:52,160 lot about hell. He spoke more on hell than he 597 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:57,280 did about heaven. And through this we get insight 598 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:02,720 into what hell will be like, of the torment of the suffering, of 599 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:05,480 the awareness that people possess in that of their 600 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:09,200 opportunities to repent, and of their rejection of God and the 601 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:12,480 associated consequences now that they're experiencing because of 602 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:15,520 that. It's been said that one word 603 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:19,520 inhabitants of hell wish would not be in their vocabulary is 604 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:26,000 forever, because that is what the full cup of God's wrath 605 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:32,800 poured out undiluted will result in eternal torment forever 606 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:38,200 separated from God. But you know there's a wonderful 607 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:42,840 contrast. Jesus in the Garden of 608 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:50,120 Gethsemane, you picture him, he's in torment is weighted down 609 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:55,040 by what awaits the judgement upon the cross so much so that 610 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:57,360 that in he's praying and he's seeking of God. 611 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:01,440 If there be any other way that the Bible tells us that he sweat 612 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:05,480 droplets of blood. The pressure came upon him so 613 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:08,520 much. And what that picture is when 614 00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:12,520 Jesus went to the cross, is that Jesus, when he died, He drank 615 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:17,080 the full wrath of God that should have been poured out upon 616 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:21,240 you and upon me when he suffered on that cross. 617 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:26,840 He experienced the, the shame, the torment, the indignation, 618 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:30,600 the suffering, all of that that should have come upon me, that 619 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,720 should have come upon you. He drank it to the full. 620 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:38,560 And so when we accept his sacrifice on on the cross as a 621 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:40,880 gift to us, the payment is in full. 622 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:44,000 He goes, I drank it, I dealt with it, that the wrath no 623 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:47,800 longer sits heavy upon you. But if we we refuse that gift, 624 00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:53,440 then for eternity the drinking of the cup, full weight 625 00:40:53,480 --> 00:40:57,480 undiluted in totality of strength of that judgement being 626 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:02,160 poured out is ongoing torment all of eternity in hell. 627 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:07,160 And if you choose hell virtually it's over. 628 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:13,080 Jesus dead body, Ezekiel 3311 tells us as surely as I live, 629 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:17,000 says the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of 630 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:20,240 wicked people. I only want them to turn from 631 00:41:20,240 --> 00:41:22,000 their wicked ways so they can live. 632 00:41:22,600 --> 00:41:25,160 Turn. Turn from your wickedness. 633 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:27,760 O people of Israel, why should you die? 634 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:34,800 God's a sovereign God, and He affords us the dignity and the 635 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:39,720 freedom to choose. You'll never violate free will 636 00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:44,880 here. He sends angels on top of the 637 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:49,000 prior opportunities of the 144,000 and their declaration of 638 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:52,560 the two witnesses that we read of, not to mention any of our 639 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:55,720 witness prior to our rapture being taken up to declare the 640 00:41:55,720 --> 00:41:58,040 gospel. And yet still it seems people 641 00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:01,720 will reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. 642 00:42:01,720 --> 00:42:03,560 See there's two cups in Scripture. 643 00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:08,240 The cup of wrath that we've read of here in Revelation 14, verse 644 00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:15,880 10, or the cup of salvation, Psalm 116, verse 13, Luke 22, 645 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:20,280 verse 20. Jesus drank the cup of wrath for 646 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:24,920 us on the cross. If you accept Him, you'll never 647 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:28,800 drink it yourself. If you reject Him, you will 648 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:34,120 drink it forever. Our last point, we move on the 649 00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:36,160 Lamb Saints, a promise we've considered. 650 00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:40,280 The Lamb's people are protected. The Lamb's gospel is proclaimed. 651 00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:42,920 And now the Lamb Saints are promised. 652 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:48,640 Verse 12 to 13. Here is the patience of the 653 00:42:48,640 --> 00:42:51,440 Saints. Here are those who keep the 654 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:53,680 commandments of God in the faith of Jesus. 655 00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:57,600 And then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, right, 656 00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:02,120 blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. 657 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:08,680 Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours and 658 00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:13,000 their works follow them. There's a perseverance here in 659 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:15,720 the faith that God had promised that he would get them through, 660 00:43:15,720 --> 00:43:17,480 and now that promise is being delivered. 661 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:20,520 It is a call for patient endurance in their lives. 662 00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:24,480 They've been called by God to be faithful to his commands, to be 663 00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:27,640 faithful to Jesus no matter what's going on around them all 664 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:30,120 the way through to the end. And it's not a a sense of 665 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:34,520 passive survival that's going on, but active obedience under 666 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:39,720 pressure and intensity of that. And they persevere to the very 667 00:43:39,720 --> 00:43:42,240 end. But then we read this phrase 668 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:45,520 that it says blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. 669 00:43:46,240 --> 00:43:47,800 Hang on a minute. How's that positive? 670 00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:53,560 Blessed are the dead and blessed in the Scriptures, particularly 671 00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:56,600 in the New Testament reads Oh, how happy. 672 00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:00,240 Therefore, if we translate, oh, how happy are the dead. 673 00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:05,840 Help me understand this, Israel, Our society doesn't know how to 674 00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:09,040 handle death or getting old for that matter. 675 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:12,920 You know, we take potions, we put on lotions, we pop pills, we 676 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:18,360 have jabs, surgery, surgeries, even some being cryogenically 677 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:22,080 frozen, you know, hoping that technology will advance to the 678 00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:25,640 point that they can be revived in some way. 679 00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:30,320 But blessed are the dead. Many people can't wrap their 680 00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:32,080 head around that. So how so? 681 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:37,560 You're only blessed as dead with the last part of that phrase. 682 00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:41,360 Blessed are the dead. What did it say who die in the 683 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:44,360 Lord? And that's, that's the key, 684 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:46,400 That's the distinction, That's the difference. 685 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:50,680 Death holds no sting if you're a Christian, if you're a believer, 686 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:56,000 because it's it's not the end. It's a transfer of your spirit 687 00:44:56,240 --> 00:45:01,320 out of the the body that has been your, your, your tent, and 688 00:45:01,320 --> 00:45:05,480 a transformation into a a new dimension where you're forever 689 00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:07,240 in the presence of the Lord God Almighty. 690 00:45:07,240 --> 00:45:10,600 Now there'll be a resurrection, some sort of glorified body. 691 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:12,960 We read on through First Corinthians chapter 15. 692 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:18,400 But now blessed, happy are you? Not because death is pleasant, 693 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:22,800 but because of what comes after, just as what came after For 694 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:24,880 these people. It said that there was rest from 695 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:29,480 their labours and that there was reward for their works. 696 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:35,120 Death had no sting because the consequence of it had been dealt 697 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:37,120 with. Eternity had been taken care of 698 00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:40,280 in hell and now eternity transferred into the Kingdom of 699 00:45:40,280 --> 00:45:42,680 God because of Jesus finished work on the cross. 700 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:46,360 And so 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 8 holds true. 701 00:45:46,360 --> 00:45:50,400 To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 702 00:45:51,360 --> 00:45:56,360 And Philippians one verse 21 To live is Christ and to die is 703 00:45:56,360 --> 00:46:00,400 gain. So think of believers, you know, 704 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:10,320 a mum, a dad, maybe a brother, sister, son or daughter who have 705 00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:18,360 died in the Lord. Blessed are they, Oh how happy 706 00:46:18,480 --> 00:46:22,960 are they? Our hearts break because we 707 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:26,680 can't see them, we can't interact with them, but we know 708 00:46:26,680 --> 00:46:30,480 where they are. And then one day soon that we'll 709 00:46:30,480 --> 00:46:34,360 be reunited for all of eternity with them and with the Lord. 710 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:38,520 And so their faithfulness, just as the faithfulness of those 711 00:46:38,520 --> 00:46:42,400 recorded for us here, should spur you and I encourage us on 712 00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:48,040 to endure to the end. Blessed, Oh, how happy are those 713 00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:52,680 who die in the Lord. Now we'll stop there. 714 00:46:55,880 --> 00:46:59,840 If you are in the Lamb, if you are born again, if Jesus Christ 715 00:46:59,840 --> 00:47:06,280 is your Lord and Saviour, then this morning I hope that this 716 00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:09,920 message has reminded you that you can rest in him. 717 00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:15,080 You are safe, that you are secure, that you're sealed by 718 00:47:15,080 --> 00:47:16,960 the Holy Spirit living within you. 719 00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:20,880 And and that with full confidence you can know that no 720 00:47:20,880 --> 00:47:24,360 matter how it might seem in the battle around you that Jesus 721 00:47:24,360 --> 00:47:29,920 Christ wins, He has one. And we're functioning now in 722 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:32,960 that, that tension between the already, not yet, but the, the 723 00:47:32,960 --> 00:47:37,200 victory will be actualized, realised in totality, in full 724 00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:39,480 before our very eyes soon and very soon. 725 00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:43,600 We can rest in that knowledge. You're safe in the lamp. 726 00:47:45,160 --> 00:47:51,400 Secondly, remember his remnant. You might feel at times as if 727 00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:55,480 you're the only one. It might certainly be true in 728 00:47:55,480 --> 00:47:57,400 your family. It might be true amongst your 729 00:47:57,400 --> 00:48:00,120 peers and your friends in your workplace that you're the only 730 00:48:00,120 --> 00:48:03,560 one living for God, loving him, that you go to the Bible for 731 00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:06,920 wisdom, that you attend church and that you're you're invested 732 00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:09,960 in this. But know this too, that you're 733 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:13,360 not alone. There are other believers. 734 00:48:13,360 --> 00:48:15,560 There are other followers of Jesus Christ. 735 00:48:17,320 --> 00:48:25,160 Thirdly, rely on His seal. You are secure to the very end. 736 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:30,320 He again, who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to 737 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:34,320 complete it to the very end. You're not going to be that that 738 00:48:34,320 --> 00:48:37,480 one random sheep that wanders off and never returns. 739 00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:40,720 Jesus the Good Shepherd will find you. 740 00:48:41,400 --> 00:48:43,480 You're safe, you're secure in him. 741 00:48:44,680 --> 00:48:47,280 And then lastly, rejoice in your eternal future. 742 00:48:47,520 --> 00:48:50,480 Blessed. Oh, how happy are you in the 743 00:48:50,480 --> 00:48:54,200 Lord? Because rest and reward await. 744 00:48:55,760 --> 00:49:00,360 Evil may seem overwhelming. It might grate on you, it might 745 00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:03,960 be heavy, it might be smothering like CS Lewis described it. 746 00:49:05,040 --> 00:49:07,640 But the lamb reigns. Nothing changes that fact. 747 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:15,400 And in him you may. We are safe.