Participants: James Rafferty
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000088
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00:12 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth from the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:17 Decoding Apocalyptic Prophecy with James Rafferty. 00:23 Hello friends and welcome to another evening here 00:25 at the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:27 We thank you for tuning in for the continuation of our 00:31 trek through the book of Revelation. 00:33 Now if you've been following along, you'll discover that 00:36 Revelation is a book of symbols. 00:38 There are symbols in the messages 00:39 and messages in the symbols. 00:42 Don't get the two mixed up. 00:44 It's a book of symbology with great messages, 00:46 and messages with great symbols. 00:49 And last night, we learned a number of things. 00:53 Many times we talk about what the beast is going to do, 00:56 how he's going to force people to worship if they don't 00:59 choose to receive the mark of the beast. 01:01 And we learned that the symbolic message there is, 01:04 we shouldn't force anyone to do anything against their will. 01:08 We also discover in the Bible that the devil is 01:11 come down having great wrath. 01:13 He's angry with those who keep the commandments of God. 01:16 And we learned the symbolic message applying to us, 01:18 how to handle our anger. 01:22 We also learned about how important it is 01:24 not to be hypocritical. 01:27 And we also learned about Satan, how he is the 01:30 accuser of our brethren. 01:32 And we should learn not to accuse, 01:34 because that's Satan's job. 01:36 And we don't want his job. Can we say amen to that? 01:38 So tonight, listen for the symbols in the message 01:42 and the message in the symbols as James Rafferty continues 01:46 tonight, The Everlasting Gospel, as encased and as embodied 01:52 in the book of Revelation. 01:55 We also have some wonderful music tonight. 01:57 Two of my favorite people. 01:58 They are members of the 01:59 Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, 02:01 3ABN family. 02:02 Celestine and Michael Barry. 02:04 Michael, her husband, is going to be playing the piano 02:07 and Celestine is going to be singing. 02:09 But before we do anything else, we're going to ask 02:11 for the Lord to bless us. 02:12 And right after the prayer, our hearts will be blessed 02:15 by a song entitled, Follow. 02:17 After the song, the next voice that you will hear will be that 02:20 of our teacher and our preacher tonight, James Rafferty. 02:23 Let's pray together. 02:25 Our heavenly Father, we thank You for the goodness of God 02:27 that leads us to repentance. 02:30 We pray that as we listen to the message again tonight 02:33 that our minds will not be filled with fear. 02:36 For the symbols in Revelation can cause us to shutter 02:39 if we focus on the beasts, and the fire that will 02:43 come down from heaven, and the wrath of God 02:45 revealed against sin and all of the things that are 02:50 against the government of God. 02:51 But Lord, when we look even more deeply, we find 02:54 from the very beginning to the very end of the book of 02:56 Revelation, Jesus is in every place. 02:59 He's in the midst of His churches. 03:01 He's walking with us. 03:03 He is the one coming to deliver us. 03:05 He is the Word of God. 03:06 He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 03:09 And He is, in fact, the whole focus of the everlasting gospel. 03:14 So tonight, bless Your manservant and all 03:17 of those who have tuned in. 03:18 May we hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 03:21 And this we ask in Jesus' name, we pray. 03:23 Amen. 03:25 And now open your hearts as we are blessed by 03:27 Michael and Celestine Barry. 03:57 Follow. 04:01 Follow wherever He leads you. 04:08 You'll find that His ways will please you 04:16 more than if you make your own. 04:26 Follow, even though friends 04:32 may forsake you. 04:37 You'll find that Jesus will make you 04:44 the best friend that you'll ever know. 04:54 And one day as you're traveling along, 05:00 something will happen to you. 05:07 You'll find that His way is much better by far. 05:13 You'll find that it's your way too. 05:29 So follow. 05:37 Follow. 05:43 So follow. 05:57 And one day as you're traveling along, 06:03 something will happen to you. 06:09 You'll find that His way is much better by far. 06:15 You'll find that it's your way too. 06:31 So follow, even though 06:38 friends may forsake you. 06:44 You'll find that Jesus will make you 06:51 the best friend that you'll ever know. 07:10 Amen. 07:14 Well, good evening. 07:16 How are you tonight? 07:19 Excited, yes. 07:20 We are in the book of Revelation. 07:22 That's a very exciting book because of the 07:23 time in which we live. 07:25 And because we're learning some new things in this book. 07:28 Have you noticed that? 07:29 Revelation... 07:31 Well let's begin tonight with some corrections and additions. 07:35 Last night, we talked about the idea that there were about 07:39 93 direct references to Jesus in the book of Revelation. 07:46 I went back over that. 07:47 I kind of got excited yesterday as I was studying this. 07:50 And there are actually only 81, approximately. 07:55 I'm going to say approximately this time. 07:56 About 12 less. 07:58 I got excited because as I was going through there, I was 08:00 finding all of these references, you know, 08:02 and I was adding them up. 08:04 And then I realized that some of them aren't direct. 08:06 For example, in Revelation chapter 3:14, 08:08 Jesus calls Himself, the faithful and true witness, 08:10 and the Amen. 08:12 Which I thought was really powerful because 08:15 sometimes when I say "amen," I think, "Oh, amen," 08:18 but I don't always think about, "This is Jesus saying amen." 08:22 He is the Amen. 08:23 Amen? 08:25 But then He says in verse 19, 08:27 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." 08:29 Well that's an indirect reference to Jesus. 08:30 Jesus isn't actually referenced in that verse, 19. 08:34 It's Jesus speaking, but it's an indirect reference. 08:36 So I'm just talking about the direct references in Revelation. 08:40 Revelation has about 81 direct references to Jesus; 08:44 the Word, the Angel, the true Witness, the Amen. 08:50 About 81 direct references. 08:53 And then there are still a dozen or more indirect 08:57 references to Jesus in the book of Revelation. 09:00 So really, the number can be quite large. 09:03 I think it's easily going to pass one hundred. 09:06 But I just wanted to clarify that and 09:08 make a correction in that area. 09:09 Another correction I wanted to make was, 09:11 I don't know if I mentioned this last night, but there are 09:14 404 verses in the book of Revelation. 09:17 I might have said there are around 200 and some. 09:19 That number is more in connection with 09:22 how many verses in Revelation are connected to the 09:25 rest of the Bible. 09:26 The book of Revelation is directly connected 09:29 to the rest of the Bible. 09:30 There are about 274 references from the Bible 09:33 in the book of Revelation. 09:35 Or at least allusions to the book of Revelation. 09:37 So there's correction number two. 09:39 404 references, just in case. 09:41 Also, I mentioned a verse, "Be angry, and sin not." 09:46 We were talking about the spirit of the dragon. 09:47 Do you remember that? 09:49 And how the dragon manifests himself not just in some 09:52 institution, organization, or great earthly power, 09:55 but in the lives and hearts of individuals like you and me. 10:00 And sometimes we see the spirit of the dragon 10:03 or the character of the dragon in us. 10:05 And that develops this unity with the dragon that, 10:10 well, in the end of time a lot of people are going to have. 10:13 They're going to be united in this body. 10:14 And we, God is giving us the privilege to say "no" 10:18 to that final summation of individual daily experience 10:24 in overcoming the dragon within. 10:27 When we talked about that, one of the characteristics 10:29 we looked at was anger. 10:32 The dragon is angry, wroth with the woman. 10:34 Going to make war with the remnant of her seed. 10:37 Revelation chapter 12 verse 17. 10:39 And I mentioned the verse that I'd struggled 10:42 with for many years. 10:44 The one that says, "Be angry, and sin not. 10:48 Don't let the sun go down on your wrath." 10:49 And we talked about that a little bit. 10:51 That verse is found in Ephesians 4 verse 26. 10:55 Ephesians 4 verse 26, "Be angry, and sin not." 10:59 We're not going to go through what that means tonight, 11:01 because we want to get right into our time in Revelation. 11:04 By the way, there are two additional character traits 11:06 we didn't have time to cover. 11:08 We won't cover them tonight. 11:09 But you, for your own personal study, can look at these. 11:12 One of them is that the dragon, the spirit of the beast, 11:16 is a spirit of deception. 11:18 Revelation 13:12, he deceives those that dwell on the earth. 11:21 We don't want to develop the spirit of deception. 11:24 Number two, another one we want to look at 11:26 is found in Revelation 13:3-5. 11:31 The spirit of the dragon also is the spirit of pride. 11:36 And that's why I shared with you all these corrections. 11:38 Because it isn't easy sometimes to admit that we're wrong 11:41 about something or anything. 11:42 Especially when we feel that we're pretty much experts 11:45 about whatever it is we're talking about. 11:47 But to teach is not to know everything. 11:50 To teach is to learn. 11:53 And so we want to always maintain a humble 11:57 attitude, a willing spirit, to be corrected 12:00 and to learn. 12:02 Well the spirit of the dragon is a proud spirit. 12:04 It doesn't want to be corrected, it doesn't want to learn, 12:05 it doesn't want to repent, it doesn't want to do any of that. 12:09 God can help us to overcome that spirit of pride. 12:12 Okay, everlasting gospel tonight. 12:14 Oh, this is the best. 12:16 I love this theme, the everlasting gospel. 12:19 We're going to find that in Revelation chapter 14. 12:22 So let's just open our Bibles there to Revelation 14. 12:24 This message tonight is the summary, the consummation, 12:29 really the zenith, of the entire book of Revelation. 12:33 Revelation chapter 14 verse 6 is where we find this phrase, 12:36 "the everlasting gospel." 12:38 John says, "I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, 12:41 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell 12:46 on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, 12:47 and tongue, and people." 12:50 What is the everlasting gospel doing in Revelation? 12:54 Especially in Revelation chapter 14 12:58 in the context of the three angel's messages and the 13:00 warning against the mark of the beast, and the wrath of God. 13:03 I mean, that was the question I asked myself 13:05 when I first started studying the book of Revelation. 13:08 It was a surprise to me. 13:09 I mean I was really focused in, not on the Lamb, 13:12 not on the plan of salvation. 13:14 But when I first started studying in Revelation, 13:16 I was really focusing in on the beast. 13:17 And I was the kind of guy that would skip, jump right in 13:20 to Revelation 13, you know, and skip the boring parts. 13:22 Especially the music parts. 13:24 I mean, what were people singing about in the book of Revelation? 13:26 What was that all about? 13:28 You know, you come along and you go through this 13:30 incredible powerful picture, a symbol of salvation, 13:35 or horses, or whatever. 13:36 And then you find a bunch of people singing. 13:39 And it's like, "Okay, skip those verses. 13:41 Let's get to the good stuff, let's get to the gory stuff. 13:44 Let's get to the plagues, let's get to the judgments." 13:46 And now I'm realizing. Oh, am I ever. 13:49 I know why they're singing. 13:52 I know why they're singing. 13:53 Today when I was driving... 13:55 I mean, I've been here since Tuesday. 13:57 Well I left Tuesday early, didn't get here until late. 13:59 Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. 14:03 And I don't like to think about when I'm going to get back 14:05 together with my family until it gets close to that time. 14:08 And when I do start thinking about it, I just get kind of... 14:11 And then so I find a song and I'm listening to the song. 14:14 And I get happy. 14:16 Songs are powerful. 14:18 I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free. 14:22 His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me. 14:25 Songs are powerful. 14:27 And that's why the book of Revelation is 14:29 filled with singing. 14:31 There is so much singing in the book of Revelation 14:32 sometimes we pass right over it. 14:34 We don't even realize what's going on. 14:36 But songs lighten the heart, strengthen us to bear the load. 14:42 Jesus Christ was on His way to Gethsemane. 14:44 He knew what was going to take place there, in Matthew 26. 14:48 He was feeling the separation already. 14:50 And He began to sing a hymn. 14:53 Psalm 22 tells us that the prophecy was, 14:57 "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me." 14:59 That was going to be fulfilled in His life. 15:01 Well in Psalm 22, it also says that God dwells 15:08 in the presence of song, in the presence of praise. 15:14 He dwells in the presence of praise. 15:17 Read it in Psalm 22. 15:19 And so Jesus was praising God even as He knew that He was 15:22 being separated from God, even as He knew 15:24 He was going through that experience. 15:25 He was praising God, because by faith He was 15:27 going to stay connected to God. 15:30 So we find in the book of Revelation this praise, 15:34 this powerful singing, this communication. 15:37 We're getting off track here, aren't we. 15:39 Revelation chapter 14 verse 6, the everlasting gospel. 15:41 What's it doing here? 15:42 What is good news doing here? 15:44 Well last night, and correction today, we found that 15:48 the good news is all through the gospel. 15:49 The good news is Jesus. 15:51 Jesus on the cross is the good news. 15:53 That is the gospel. 15:54 Hanging on the cross, Christ is the gospel. 15:57 And this is our message. 15:58 So the everlasting gospel, this phrase ought to be here 16:03 if the book of Revelation is really a revelation of Jesus. 16:05 There are four reasons, though, why it is here. 16:07 One, this is God's last message for the world. 16:13 After this message is given, Revelation chapter 14 16:17 beginning with verse 14... 16:18 Excuse me, Revelation chapter... Yeah, 14:14. 16:21 Jesus returns and He reaps the harvest; 16:24 the good and the bad, the lost and the saved, 16:26 the righteous and the wicked are reaped. 16:28 This is basically wrapping it up. 16:30 This is God's last message for the world. 16:32 And what other message would God give to the world but, 16:37 yes, the everlasting gospel, the good news. 16:40 Number two, this is a vital truth about the 16:44 gospel of salvation. 16:45 You will not find this phrase, "everlasting gospel," 16:48 anywhere else in the Bible. 16:51 It is a unique phrase. 16:52 You'll find "everlasting salvation" in Isaiah. 16:55 That's about it. 16:56 Those two words together are nowhere else in the Bible. 16:59 This is unique. Why? 17:01 Because there is confusion today about how we are saved. 17:08 There are people today who believe that in the 17:11 New Testament under the new covenant we're saved by grace. 17:14 In the Old Testament, people were saved by 17:16 obedience to the law. 17:18 There are people who believe that. 17:20 And so God is wanting to clarify this. 17:22 And we'll spend a little time on this as we go through. 17:24 God is wanting to clarify this idea. 17:27 He has a law, His Ten Commandment law. 17:30 That law was valid in the Old Testament 17:32 and it is valid in the New Testament. 17:34 However, listen closely to this, there has never been anyone 17:40 and there never will be anyone who are saved 17:45 through keeping the commandments of God. 17:49 In other words, God's plan of salvation has always been 17:53 through the gospel of grace. 17:55 It has never been through our obedience to the law, ever. 17:58 This is the everlasting gospel. 18:01 It's the only way anyone ever has been saved 18:03 or ever will be saved. 18:04 In the Old Testament, they looked forward to the Lamb. 18:07 In the New Testament, we look back to the Lamb. 18:10 Everything centers in the cross. 18:13 Number three, reason number three, the everlasting gospel 18:17 is here in Revelation 14 because the everlasting gospel 18:20 is a summary of the first half of the book. 18:24 We're going to spend a lot of time on that. 18:26 I'm going to jump to reason number four and we're going to 18:27 go back to reason number three here in a second. 18:29 The everlasting gospel is in Revelation chapter 14 18:34 because it's the three angel's messages. 18:37 And the second angel announces the fall of Babylon. 18:41 The everlasting gospel is the only, 18:44 o- n-l-y, underline, underline, exclamation point, 18:49 the only power that can bring Babylon down. 18:53 Babylon will not fall by trying to identify what Babylon is. 18:57 Because Babylon is everywhere and in everything. 18:59 It's so immersed in us fallen human beings 19:03 that there is no way we can identify every strand 19:06 and pull it out of us. 19:07 The only way Babylon can fall is if the gospel, 19:11 the everlasting gospel, is preached. 19:13 That's why the first angel goes first. 19:19 The first angel says to the second angel, 19:21 "Oh, you go first." 19:22 The first angel is a gentleman, "You go first." 19:24 "Can't do it," the second angel says. 19:26 "My announcement can only follow yours. 19:29 My announcement is null and void unless you proclaim first 19:32 the everlasting gospel." 19:34 "Oh," says the first angel. 19:36 "I am necessary for you to follow." 19:40 "Yes." 19:41 "Yes." 19:43 The gospel has to be preached. 19:44 And then the second angel says, "Okay, 19:47 the gospel has been preached. 19:48 Now I can make the announcement, 'Babylon is fallen.'" 19:50 Because the more we see the truth, the beauty, 19:52 and understand the everlasting gospel, 19:54 the more clearly Babylon is decimated, destroyed. 19:59 That's why we lift up Jesus Christ. 20:01 That's why we lift up the everlasting gospel. 20:03 Because the more we see of the truth, the more clearly 20:06 we see error and darkness. 20:08 And it is diminished in the light of the love of God. 20:13 So that was reason number four. 20:14 We're going to go back to reason number three right now. 20:16 It is, the everlasting gospel, the summary of the 20:20 first half of the book. 20:23 This is so powerful, this is so beautiful; 20:25 this book of Revelation. 20:26 I don't know where to begin. 20:27 But I better begin somewhere because our time is limited. 20:31 Revelation chapters 1 through 11 never once mention anyone 20:39 who keep the commandments of God. 20:44 I don't know if you've noticed that before. 20:47 Revelation chapters 1 through 11 never once mention a people 20:56 who keep the commandments of God. 20:59 The first time that is ever mentioned 21:02 is Revelation chapter 12 and verse 17. 21:08 Now make note of that because we're going to go back and 21:10 we're going to try and understand right now 21:12 why that is. 21:15 Actually, let me give you a simple answer. 21:18 Three verses. 21:20 The reason that is, is because of three verses. 21:23 Verse number one, John 14:15. 21:29 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." 21:33 John 14:15 21:35 That verse is written in the Greek, cause to effect. 21:37 Love produces obedience to the commandments of God. 21:41 Okay? 21:42 Second verse, 1 John 4:19. 21:46 Which says, "We love Him because He first loved us." 21:54 There's cause to effect again. 21:56 And then finally, our verse, the verse 21:59 that we've been looking at. 22:01 Well we haven't looked at it yet, but we will. 22:04 John chapter 12 and verse 17. 22:11 "Here are those who keep the commandments of God." 22:13 He went to make war with the remnant of the woman, 22:18 the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God. 22:20 Why do we have people who keep the commandments of God? 22:24 Well, because they love Him. John 14:15. 22:28 Why do they love Him? 22:29 Because He first loved them. 22:34 How do they know He first loved them? 22:36 The first half of the book of Revelation tells them 22:39 that He first loved them. 22:41 And that's why commandment keeping isn't mentioned 22:44 until the second half of the book. 22:45 The first half of the book primarily focuses on 22:48 the gospel of Jesus Christ. 22:50 How so? Well one verse I want you to look at in the 22:54 book of 1 Corinthians. 22:55 It's chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians. 22:58 I like this verse because in my understanding 23:01 this is the gospel. 23:03 This book right here that I'm holding up is the gospel. 23:05 This is the gospel. 23:06 The whole Bible from cover to cover, 23:07 from Genesis to Revelation, is the gospel. 23:10 But Paul begins, when he identifies the gospel, 23:13 he begins somewhere specific. 23:14 1 Corinthians 15, he tells us, we're in verse one, 23:18 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel 23:21 which I preached unto you, which also you have received, 23:24 and wherein you stand. 23:27 By which you have been saved, if you keep in memory 23:30 what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain." 23:33 1 Corinthians 15 verse 3, "For I delivered unto you 23:38 first of all..." 23:40 This is the "first of all" of the gospel. 23:42 The gospel is the whole Bible, the message of the whole Bible, 23:45 But there is a "first of all." 23:47 There is a place where you start, there's a foundation. 23:49 "I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, 23:53 how that Christ died for our sins 23:56 according to the scriptures. 23:59 That he was buried, and that he rose again the third day 24:04 according to the scriptures." 24:06 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that Christ died, was buried, 24:14 and rose again; that this is the "first of all" of the gospel. 24:16 Now in order for Christ to die for our sins... 24:18 Which is Revelation chapter 1 and verse 5, He washed us 24:23 from our sins in His blood. 24:24 In order for Him to die for our sins, He had to 24:26 first come down to this earth. 24:28 He became a man. 24:30 He was incarnate. He was God with us. 24:33 That is the message to the seven churches. 24:37 "I'm with you. I'm among you. 24:41 I'm there with you. 24:42 Even those who make Me want to throw up, I'm still with you. 24:45 I'm with all the churches. 24:47 I'm walking through the churches." 24:48 In other words, Revelation chapter 1 gives us a picture 24:53 of God with us. 24:55 Which is part of the foundation of the gospel. 25:00 The incarnation of Jesus Christ. 25:02 God coming to be with us in the person of Jesus Christ. 25:06 Being with us in spite of all our weaknesses and defects. 25:09 Now that is the beginning of the picture of the 25:13 everlasting gospel that is summarized 25:15 in Revelation chapter 14. 25:17 Revelation chapters 2 and 3 are expanding on that picture. 25:23 And by the way, that is that first vision. 25:25 Revelation chapter 1, Jesus among the candlesticks. 25:28 Then we move to Revelation chapters 4 and 5. 25:31 And what do we see there in Revelation 4 and 5. 25:33 Before we get to the opening of the seals, 25:36 we see a throne, Him that sits on it, a roll that's 25:40 sealed with seven seals that no man in heaven or earth 25:43 or under the earth can open. 25:44 No one is worthy. 25:46 And then we see Jesus. 25:49 He's called a lion, but He looks like a lamb. 25:51 The King of heaven becoming a lamb that was slain 25:57 in order to redeem us. 25:59 This is a picture of the cross. 26:02 In the churches, we have the incarnation; God with us. 26:04 In the seals, we have the cross; the Lamb slain for our sins. 26:10 Again, this is another aspect of 26:12 the "first of all" of the gospel. 26:15 1 Corinthians 15. 26:17 The incarnation is in the beginning of the churches. 26:19 The crucifixion is in the beginning of the seals. 26:22 And there's only one thing left for us to understand or see. 26:24 And that is the intercession of Christ as He is 26:28 resurrected to heaven. 26:30 Would that picture be in the trumpets? 26:35 Let's look there in Revelation chapter 8. 26:37 Revelation chapter 8 opens up with the seven angels 26:40 that are given these seven trumpets. 26:42 They're preparing themselves to sound. 26:44 And right before they sound, Revelation chapter 8 26:47 and we're beginning with verse 2, but we're going to 26:48 move into verse 3. 26:50 And right before they sound, "I saw another angel, 26:53 and he came and stood at the altar. 26:55 He had a golden censer. 26:58 And there was given unto him much incense, 27:01 that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints 27:03 upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 27:06 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of 27:10 the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." 27:16 This is a picture... 27:18 You guessed it. 27:19 ...of the mediatorial work of Jesus. 27:23 This angel is a symbol that represents the work of Christ 27:29 in taking His sacrifice on the cross into the 27:32 heavenly sanctuary and mingling that sacrifice 27:36 with the prayers of the saints. 27:38 Now there are some symbols here that might be difficult 27:41 for us or challenging for us to understand. 27:43 The first one is the altar in Revelation chapter 8 verse 3. 27:48 "I saw an angel and he came and stood at the altar." 27:49 Now I want you to notice in this verse there are two altars. 27:52 There is an altar and then there is a golden altar. 27:56 This is sanctuary language. 27:57 And by the way, the language of the sanctuary is found 28:02 in almost 70 places in the book of Revelation. 28:05 It is a key to unlocking Revelation. 28:08 Now in Revelation chapter 8, this first altar represents 28:12 the cross. 28:14 Revelation chapter 8 can be tied into Hebrews chapter... 28:17 Well, the book of Hebrews. 28:18 The entire book of Hebrews is sanctuary language 28:21 unfolded or unlocked. 28:23 Paul takes the sanctuary and makes it a reality 28:26 in the plan of salvation in the book of Hebrews. 28:28 In Hebrews 13... 28:29 I'm not going to turn there with you tonight, but 28:31 write down this reference, folks. 28:33 Hebrews 13 verses 10, 11, and 12. 28:36 Paul says that the altar that was in the courtyard 28:39 of the earthly sanctuary represents the cross. 28:42 In the place where Christ was sacrificed. 28:45 That altar was where the lambs were brought and were slain. 28:47 And Jesus was the ultimate Passover Lamb. 28:51 Then there's the golden altar. 28:53 Well the golden altar wasn't in the courtyard. 28:55 The golden altar was in the Holy Place. 28:59 That golden altar was the place were the incense 29:01 was burned as an offering to Christ. 29:06 As an offering to God, excuse me. 29:08 So that incense represents... 29:13 Well in Revelation chapter 5, we have to be clear, 29:16 it does represents the prayers of the saints. 29:18 But symbols can sometimes have more than one signification 29:23 or one interpretation in the Bible. 29:25 A symbol, for example; a day can represent a year. 29:28 But a day can also represent a thousand years. 29:32 It can represent part of a day. 29:33 It can represent the Day of the Lord. 29:36 And in Revelation chapter 5, incenses represents 29:39 the prayers of the saints, but in Revelation chapter 8 29:42 the incense can't represent the prayers of the saints, 29:44 because it's mingled with the prayers of the saints. 29:45 And that wouldn't make sense. 29:47 The prayers of the saints are be mingled with the 29:48 prayers of the saints. 29:50 Ephesians 5 verse 2 tells us that incense represents 29:55 the sacrifice of Jesus. 29:57 That's Ephesians 5 verse 2. 29:59 So in Revelation chapter 8, you have this angel, 30:03 which represents Jesus. 30:04 Remember now, Jesus is not a created being. 30:06 He's not an angel. 30:08 Being identified as an angel symbolically here 30:12 is no different than Jesus being identified literally as a man. 30:16 Because Jesus became a man, that doesn't mean He's not God. 30:18 That doesn't mean He's a created being. 30:21 Any more than the Holy Spirit being identified as a dove 30:23 makes Him a created animal. 30:25 Or Jesus being identified as a lamb makes Him 30:27 a created animal. 30:28 No, this is a symbol. 30:30 And what this is symbolizing is the work of Christ 30:35 in taking the sacrifice that was made at Calvary 30:39 into the heavenly sanctuary and mingling it with our prayers 30:44 on the golden altar so that those prayers 30:49 have applied to them the righteousness of Jesus. 30:53 Every prayer that we pray is mingled 30:57 with the sacrifice of Jesus. 31:00 Yeah, we need that. Don't we? 31:02 Have you ever prayed a selfish, lifeless, listless, 31:04 let's just get this over with so that I can get to sleep, 31:06 kind of prayer? 31:08 Ever found yourself, you know, kind of wondering off in prayer? 31:11 Or falling asleep in prayer? 31:13 Or thinking about anything and everything while you're praying 31:15 except for actually praying? 31:17 Praise God for the righteousness of Jesus Christ 31:20 that is mingled with our prayers. 31:21 And the intercession of the Holy Spirit that makes utterances 31:25 that we can't even utter, and helps to interpret those prayers 31:28 into what we really need and want. 31:29 So think about this. 31:31 This is a beautiful picture. This is amazing. 31:34 This is incredible. 31:35 All you need to do if you want to understand Revelation, 31:37 break it up into four sections, four main sections. 31:40 Now that's not including the prologue, 31:41 which is the introduction, and the epilogue, 31:43 which is the close. 31:45 Break it up into four sections. 31:47 Beginning in Revelation chapter 1 with the image, 31:51 the vision of Christ among the candlesticks, 31:54 in around verses 12 and 13. 31:58 Beginning with that verse through Revelation chapter 3, 32:01 that is section number one; the seven churches. 32:05 Then from Revelation chapter 4 verse 1 32:09 all the way through to Revelation chapter 8 verse 2, 32:11 that is section two. 32:13 And that is the seven seals. 32:16 Then from Revelation 8 verse 2... 32:19 Verse 1 belongs to the seven seals. 32:21 From Revelation 8 verse 2 all the way to 32:23 Revelation 11 verse 19, that is section three. 32:27 That is the seven trumpets. 32:29 And then from Revelation chapter 12 all the way to 32:34 the very end of the book... 32:37 Well, to the epilogue. To Revelation 22 verse 4. 32:41 That is the section that I call, the woman. 32:45 The bride of Christ. 32:46 That is section number four. 32:48 All of those sections begin with a picture 32:56 of the gospel. 32:58 Based on the completed work of Jesus Christ 33:02 that gives us hope and encouragement. 33:04 And then they take us on a journey. 33:06 Everyone of those sections is written kind of like 33:08 repeat and enlarge, repeat and enlarge, repeat and enlarge. 33:11 Let me try to explain that. 33:13 If I were to give you directions to my house, 33:17 it would be very complicated. 33:19 Revelation is a complicated book, it's a prophetic book. 33:22 Daniel is a complicated book, it's a prophetic book. 33:24 So the way God communicates to us in Daniel and Revelation is, 33:28 there's a principle that He uses called, 33:30 repeat and enlarge, repeat and enlarge. 33:33 Because God wants us to come from this earth... 33:37 Which is where Daniel begins in Babylon 33:40 and John begins in Rome, the time of Rome. 33:42 Both of those prophets begin in their time and preach 33:46 or teach or prophesy to the second coming of Jesus. 33:49 Both of them do. 33:50 The reason why they take us to the second coming of Jesus, 33:52 and John a little beyond through the 1000 years 33:55 to the very consummation of the new heaven and the new earth 33:58 on this planet, is because that's our destiny. 34:01 That's where they want to get us. 34:03 That's where God wants to get us. 34:04 So if I want you to get to my house, my house is destiny, 34:07 I want you to get there from the Eugene airport. 34:09 You're flying into the Eugene airport and 34:11 I want to get you to my house. 34:13 So I'm going to give you directions. 34:14 I'm going to start out with general directions. 34:16 What you're going to do is, out of the airport, 34:18 you're going to get on the I-5. 34:20 And then when you get on... 34:22 Well actually you're going to get on the I-126. 34:24 Well, it's the I-5. Let's me see. 34:26 It's the Belt, it's the Beltline. 34:27 You're going to get on the Beltline highway 34:29 and you're going to take that to the I-5. 34:30 And then when you're on the I-5, you going to take the 126 east. 34:33 You're going to go down 126 east until you hit some stop lights. 34:37 You're going to go through. That's main street. 34:38 You're going to go through Main Street stop light. 34:40 You're going to be on Bob Straub highway. 34:41 You're going to follow that and it's going to turn into 34:43 Jasper Lowell Road. 34:44 You're going to go about eight miles. 34:45 And my house is on the left. 34:49 Think you can make it? 34:50 No, let me repeat that and enlarge upon it a little bit. 34:55 So I'm going to tell you, you're going to go exactly 34:57 X amount of miles on 126 until you come to that stop light. 35:01 Then you're going to see a sign that's going to 35:03 tell you to go straight through. 35:04 Get in your right lane and go straight through. 35:06 As you follow that, you're going to go over railroad tracks. 35:09 Then you're going to get to Jasper Store on your left 35:11 and you're going to see a green bridge on your right. 35:12 And you're going to see mile markers. 35:14 Mile marker 1, mile marker 2, mile marker 3. 35:16 When you get to mile marker three, next left. 35:18 And then left again. 35:21 Think you'll make it? Maybe. 35:23 So let me repeat and enlarge upon that. 35:26 And I'm going to do that three or four times, 35:27 and I'm going to give you more and more detail. 35:29 Because I'm going to talk about the white bridge. 35:30 I'm going to talk about the white house. 35:31 And I'm going to talk about how far it is up the driveway. 35:33 And it's the fourth driveway on the right. 35:35 It's the paved driveway. 35:36 I'm going to give you more and more detail until I know 35:39 that you are settled and that you are going to get 35:42 to the destination. 35:44 That's what God is doing with the book of Revelation. 35:46 He's beginning at a certain place with the churches. 35:50 And He takes us all the way through to the Promised Land. 35:52 That's what the churches end with, these promises. 35:54 You're going to get the hidden manna. 35:55 You're going to be a pillar in the temple. 35:56 And then He begins again in the seals. 35:59 The same thing all over again. 36:00 He starts with this picture of the cross. 36:03 In the churches, "I'm with you." 36:04 In the seals, the cross. 36:06 And then He takes us again from the apostolic age, 36:08 the white horse rider going forth conquering and to conquer, 36:10 all the way through to the second coming of Jesus 36:13 and the wrath of the Lamb. 36:14 And who's going to be able to stand. 36:16 And then John see an interlude in Revelation 7. 36:19 And he sees who's going to be able to stand. 36:21 A great multitude that no man can number. 36:23 And then Revelation chapter 8 begins again 36:25 with these seven trumpets. 36:27 And that begins in the days of the apostolic age. 36:29 And you have again the mediatorial 36:32 work of Jesus Christ. 36:34 First you had His incarnation. 36:36 Then you had His crucifixion. 36:38 And now you have His mediation in the trumpets. 36:42 And as He enters this work... 36:44 Now we've got to remember, this began right after His ascension. 36:47 So Revelation 8 is opening up with the ascension of Christ. 36:51 That's why it's the golden altar. 36:52 The golden altar is in the Holy Place. 36:56 That's where Christ went when He ascended. 36:58 He didn't go to the Most Holy Place, 36:59 He went to the Holy Place. 37:01 By the way, if you want to know where Christ is 37:03 time wise in the book of Revelation, just follow 37:05 the sanctuary symbols. 37:07 Every single symbol of the sanctuary in the first half 37:11 of the book begins where? 37:13 Guess where. The Holy Place. 37:16 He's among the candlesticks in the churches. 37:19 He's at the golden altar in the trumpets. 37:22 If you look at it carefully, all of the symbols; 37:25 there are the seven flames of fire, the seven spirits of God 37:28 before the altar in Revelation 4 and 5. 37:30 All the symbols point to the sanctuary Holy Place 37:35 in the first half of the book. 37:36 When you get to Revelation 11:19, 37:38 here's what is interesting. 37:40 In Revelation 11:19, the temple of God is open in heaven, 37:46 "and I saw in his temple, the ark of his testimony." 37:50 Can anyone tell me where the ark of the testimony is? 37:52 Most Holy Place. 37:53 What's in the ark of the testimony? 37:55 Ten Commandments. 37:57 Now after John sees the ark of the testimony open, 38:01 in Revelation 11:19, after that, he sees a people who 38:05 keep the commandments of God. 38:07 Where are we now? 38:08 Most Holy Place. 38:10 So the second half of the book, primarily Most Holy Place. 38:13 Primarily, I'm going to say this for you who understand, 38:17 post 1844, okay. 38:19 Getting back to our focus, though. 38:22 Every aspect of those sections begins with this picture 38:26 of Christ in the context of the gospel. 38:29 God with us. 38:30 God crucified for us in the person of Jesus Christ. 38:34 God interceding for us in the person of Jesus Christ. 38:37 Then you go to Revelation chapter 12, and what do you see? 38:41 It's a beautiful picture. 38:42 It's a powerful picture. 38:44 This is our destiny right here. 38:46 This is the destiny of you and me. 38:48 We are destined to Revelation chapter 12 and verse 1 38:53 This is what God wants for us. 38:54 He wants us to be the woman. 38:55 He wants us to be the bride. 38:58 Revelation chapter 12 and verse 1. 39:00 "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven..." 39:04 I was raised in England, by the way. 39:06 My mom lives there to this day, I lived there for 10 years. 39:09 And there are certain words that I say that bring that out. 39:11 I can't say... I don't know how Americans say "wonder." 39:14 But "wonder," I can't say that any other way. 39:18 That's just the way it is because of... 39:20 I've lost my accent but there are certain words 39:21 that I just say a certain way. 39:23 "There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman 39:26 clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, 39:32 and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." 39:36 Now this word "wonder" is a sign by which a person or thing 39:42 is distinguished or known. 39:47 It is an occurrence transcending the common course of things. 39:54 That's what the definition is in the Greek. 39:58 It is an uncommon occurrence. 40:01 This is our destiny right here. 40:04 Because this woman represents the church. 40:06 It's a picture of God's church who is clothed, 40:10 which is clothed with the sun. 40:12 Now the sun, we're told in Malachi chapter 4, represents... 40:15 Anyone know? 40:18 Let's read the verse, Malachi chapter 4. 40:20 Malachi is just before the book of Matthew. 40:24 Malachi chapter 4. 40:27 And if you look here in verse 2. 40:32 It says in Malachi 4 verse 2... 40:34 So Matthew, first gospel of the New Testament. 40:36 Just go back one book and you're in Malachi. 40:38 Malachi 4 verse 2. 40:40 "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness 40:45 arise," S-u-n, by the way, "with healing in his wings." 40:51 The Sun of righteousness, capital S-u-n, is Jesus. 40:58 The sun that the woman is clothed with is Jesus. 41:01 Jesus is our righteousness. 41:04 This is an unusual occurrence because God has a people 41:08 who are finally clothed with the righteousness of Christ. 41:12 They've understood that He has been with them; churches. 41:15 That He's been crucified for them; seals. 41:18 That He is interceding for them; trumpets. 41:21 They understand that Jesus is the one that is referred to 41:24 all through the book of Revelation. 41:25 They see the direct references to Him over 80 times, 41:29 and the indirect references to Him dozens more times. 41:31 They recognize that He's everywhere in the 41:33 book of Revelation. 41:34 And they've lost their fear of the beast, and they've 41:36 lost their fear of the dragon. 41:37 They've lost their fear of everything else 41:39 because they're totally consumed with this picture of Jesus. 41:43 And they finally are ready to follow the 41:45 Lamb wherever He goes. 41:47 They overcome, verse 11, by the blood of the Lamb. 41:51 And they have the word of testimony. 41:54 And they don't love their lives even unto their death. 41:57 And now those people are ready to keep the commandments of God. 42:01 Just as an aside, in case you're wondering. 42:05 Because they love Jesus. 42:07 Because He has become everything to them. 42:09 And Jesus said, "Well if you love Me, 42:10 you're going to keep My commandments." 42:12 He said, "And the way you're going to love Me is if 42:13 you understand that I first loved you." 42:15 So the first of half of the book of Revelation gives that focus, 42:18 primarily and completely saturates us 42:21 in the love of Christ over and over and over again. 42:25 Giving us that hope, giving us that direction, 42:27 so that by the time we get to Revelation chapter 14, 42:31 we are following Him wherever He goes. 42:33 Past the beast, around the dragon, 42:36 through the seven last plagues. 42:38 Wherever He leads, we're going to follow Him. 42:41 Anywhere with Jesus, I can safely go. 42:44 All fear is gone. 42:46 Because perfect love casts out all fear. 42:47 You don't have perfect love and I don't have perfect love, 42:49 but Jesus has perfect love. 42:51 And He's going to put that perfect love in our hearts. 42:54 So if you're angry with someone, if you're bitter with someone, 42:56 if you're upset with someone tonight, 42:57 you can't do anything about it. 43:00 But Jesus can. 43:02 And you go to the Source. 43:03 You ask Him to deliver you and He will do that. 43:06 He will never let you down. 43:08 He will never disappoint you. 43:11 He will work through you and in you in powerful ways. 43:15 Ways that we don't even recognize sometimes. 43:19 And He will take all of it out. 43:20 All of it is going, it's going out. 43:22 Every aspect of the spirit of the dragon; 43:24 accusing, judging, force, control, criticism, pride, 43:31 arrogance, every aspect of that spirit is going out. 43:36 And Jesus is coming in. 43:38 And as Jesus comes in and fills us, we become completely 43:42 clothed with His righteousness. 43:43 And we're standing on the moon. 43:45 Now the moon is the lesser light that leads to the greater light. 43:48 I think the moon is, my understanding of it in the 43:51 context of the Bible is, it's a light unto our feet 43:54 and a lamp unto our path. 43:55 Or is it a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path? 43:57 Either way, Psalm 119:105. 44:02 It's the Word of God, friends. 44:04 The Word of God that reflects Jesus. 44:09 The Word of God that we stand upon. 44:12 We're clothed with the righteousness of Christ. 44:14 That's the sun. 44:15 We're standing on the Word of God. 44:16 That's the very foundation of our faith. 44:18 And we have these twelve stars. 44:20 These twelve stars, the number 12 is the kingdom number. 44:23 It represents God's organized people. 44:26 The twelve tribes in the Old Testament, 44:28 the twelve apostles in the New Testament. 44:29 In other words, God has an organized church on this earth, 44:33 an organized people who stand on His word 44:40 and are clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 44:42 They're filled with the love of God. 44:45 They've overcome by the blood of the Lamb. 44:46 They have a word of testimony. 44:49 Their lives are insignificant to them, in a selfish sense. 44:54 And they're ready, well as an aside, 44:58 they are keeping the commandments of God. 45:01 Because they love Jesus. 45:03 See, God has had a people in the past who 45:05 kept His commandments. 45:07 But when Jesus came, they crucified Him. 45:11 They exercised no faith in Him. 45:13 God has a lot of people today who profess 45:16 to have faith in Jesus. 45:17 "Oh, I love Jesus. Oh, I love Jesus." 45:19 You talk to them about the commandments, 45:20 "Well, that's old covenant." 45:22 I mean, at least the Sabbath one is, right? 45:25 Because they don't want you stealing, 45:26 they don't want you committing adultery. 45:27 But the Sabbath one, that's old covenant. 45:32 But this is some new manifestation that's 45:35 developing here in Revelation chapter 12. 45:37 This is different, this is out of the ordinary. 45:40 This is a people who not only keep the commandments of God 45:44 just like they did in the Old Testament, 45:45 but when Jesus comes they also put their faith in Jesus. 45:51 And even though they have their faith in Jesus, 45:52 like many Christians do today in the New Testament, 45:54 still they keep the commandments of God. 45:59 This is... 46:05 This is the fruit of the everlasting gospel. 46:07 Because when you read about it here in Revelation chapter 14, 46:10 "I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven 46:12 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell 46:15 on the earth; to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people." 46:17 You follow that down to Revelation chapter 14 verse 12, 46:21 "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that 46:23 keep the commandments of God." 46:24 And even though they keep the commandments of God, 46:25 they still keep their faith in Jesus. 46:28 But even though they keep their faith in Jesus, 46:30 that He's the only one that saves them, He's the only 46:32 way their saved, they still keep the commandments of God. 46:37 But in spite of the fact that they're keeping the 46:38 commandments of God and they are being obedient to all those 46:40 commandments, they still know there's no way they can be saved 46:43 through their obedience to those commandments. 46:44 And so they're still what? 46:45 Keeping their faith for salvation in Jesus. 46:48 There is a tension there that has never been seen 46:52 in a people on planet earth, ever. 46:56 Old Testament; yes, commandments. 46:57 No faith in Jesus. 46:59 New Testament; faith in Jesus. 47:00 No commandments, sorry. 47:02 That's old covenant. 47:03 The everlasting gospel is producing a people, 47:08 a people that we are destined to be. 47:11 You and I tonight here. 47:14 Brothers and sisters, viewers listening. 47:17 A people whose experience is a testimony to the love of God. 47:27 "If you love Me, keep My commandments." 47:29 To the power of that love to transform the heart. 47:33 So Revelation chapter 12 is our destiny. 47:37 But there's no way we can get to that destiny unless 47:39 we see Jesus first, unless we see the love of God first. 47:42 So God doesn't put His Ten Commandments in 47:44 chapter 1 or chapter 2 or chapter 3 or chapter 4 or 47:47 chapter 5 or chapter 6 or chapter 7 or chapter 8 or 47:49 chapter 9 or chapter 10 or chapter 11 of Revelation. 47:51 It's not there. 47:53 What is there? 47:54 Well what is there, number one, is this message to the 47:57 seven churches to overcome. 47:58 "To him that overcomes..." "To him that overcomes..." 48:00 That message is in code in the book of Revelation. 48:05 If you will take that one word, "to overcome," 48:08 nikaó, and follow it through the book of Revelation, 48:13 it will reveal a message of the everlasting gospel. 48:18 It begins with the insistence, and it's an insistence; 48:22 you need to overcome. 48:24 You must overcome. 48:26 Because God's law has not been done away with. 48:32 But then we scratch our heads, we look in the mirror, and 48:34 we're the same person we were yesterday that we are today. 48:37 And we wonder, how can we overcome? 48:39 It seems like there's no man in heaven that's worthy. 48:42 There's no man in heaven or earth or under 48:43 the earth that's worthy. 48:45 And that's the message of Revelation chapter 5. 48:47 But then we see that while there is no one in heaven or earth or 48:51 under the earth that is worthy, that can overcome, 48:53 we see the Lamb. 48:55 And the description that's given here in Revelation chapter 5 48:58 and verse 5 is that we should not weep, 49:02 but we should behold the Lamb. 49:04 By the way, that's more than just some good advice. 49:09 That is the very essence, the very key, the very secret of 49:11 success for the Christian. 49:13 Behold the Lamb of God. 49:14 Behold, the Lamb "of the tribe of Judah, 49:18 the Root of David, has prevailed." 49:21 Now that word "prevailed," yes, is the same word 49:24 for overcome, nikaó. 49:25 It's the same word. 49:27 We have to overcome. But we failed. 49:31 But where we failed, He has prevailed. 49:34 Okay, now you follow that word to Revelation chapter 6. 49:37 The Lamb begins to open the seals of the book. 49:40 And the first seal is opened and there's this white horse. 49:42 And of course, we know this white horse and its 49:44 rider represents Jesus. 49:45 Revelation 19 tells us this. 49:47 But here's the message of the white horse rider. 49:49 And it's a message for us today. 49:51 Verse 2 of Revelation 6, "I saw, and behold a white horse." 49:55 That's us, that's God's people. 49:58 We're told that in the book of Zechariah 10 verse 3. 50:01 We are His horse in the battle, the white horse. 50:05 "And he that sat on him," that's Jesus, "had a bow..." 50:08 Oh, powerful word. 50:09 You'll want to trace that through the book of Revelation. 50:11 "...and a crown was given unto him." 50:12 Jesus has gotten the victory crown for us. 50:14 "And he went forth..." What? 50:17 "...conquering, and to conquer." 50:19 Guess what word that is. 50:22 Nikaó, overcome. 50:25 So far here's the message. 50:26 You need to overcome. 50:28 You failed to overcome. 50:29 No one in heaven or earth or under the earth is worthy 50:31 to overcome, but Jesus has overcome. 50:33 And if you'll unite with Jesus, if you will unite with that 50:37 white horse rider, if you will give Him the reigns 50:39 of your heart, if you will let Him take control 50:41 of your life, guess what? 50:43 You're going to go forth conquering and to conquer. 50:45 You're going to overcome. 50:47 We can't overcome. 50:49 Of ourselves, we can do nothing. 50:50 But united with Jesus, in Christ all things are possible. 50:56 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 50:59 Our problem is that we disconnect from Jesus. 51:04 One minute we're walking on the water like, 51:06 "Whoa, man. This is amazing." 51:08 By the way, all through the book of Revelation, 51:10 sea means trouble, sea is bad stuff. 51:13 Revelations says, in the new earth 51:14 there's going to be no more sea. 51:16 It's not talking about literal water. 51:17 It's talking about the symbolism of the sea 51:19 from which the beast arises. 51:24 The sea that the beast uses, the dragon uses, 51:26 to throw out persecution; a flood of sea, of water, 51:29 after the woman to drown her. 51:32 And we're walking on that sea, you know. 51:33 We're rising above all of that. 51:35 We're just walking alone and then we just kind of turn around 51:37 and say, "Hey guys, look at me." 51:39 You know, like Peter did, "Hey, look at me." 51:41 And whoosh, down we go. 51:44 As soon as we take our eyes off Jesus, 51:47 we're not safe for a moment. 51:51 As soon as we take our eyes off Jesus, 51:53 our feet are going to go under that water. 51:56 And what did Peter say? 51:58 What is his life experience advice for us? 52:02 "Lord save me, or I perish." 52:05 He didn't start doggy paddling. 52:07 He didn't start, "Well, I think I can..." 52:10 No he just, "Save me." 52:12 And Jesus was there. 52:15 And He'll be there for us too. 52:17 Don't think that you can doggy paddle, that you can 52:20 float in the sea that we're involved in. 52:22 We need Jesus every moment. 52:24 And so the book of Revelation is giving us this message. 52:26 Now as you move through, you come to 52:28 Revelation chapter 12. 52:31 Revelation 12 and verse 11. 52:34 "And they overcame him," the accuser, 52:38 "by the blood of the Lamb..." 52:39 That word "overcome" is the same word, nikaó. 52:41 It's the same word "prevailed" in Revelation chapter 5. 52:44 It's the same word "conquer" in Revelation chapter 6. 52:47 How did they do it? By the blood of the Lamb. 52:48 What specifically were they needing to overcome? 52:52 In the context of this verse right here, the final issue, 52:57 the final sin, the nitty-gritty that we need to overcome, 53:04 you and I and every person listening 53:07 to this message, is accusation. 53:11 They overcame the accuser of the brethren. 53:14 That's the context of Revelation 12:11. 53:16 Revelation 12:10 says that "the accuser of our brethren 53:19 is cast down, which accused them before God day and night." 53:23 Jesus cast out the accuser. 53:25 And we overcame the accuser. 53:28 I mean, we may be going to church on the right day, 53:30 we may be paying tithes of all that we possess, 53:32 we may be eating our veggie dogs and drinking our soy milk. 53:34 I like rice milk myself. 53:36 We may be doing all the right things, who knows. 53:39 But there's one thing we're not doing, 53:40 there is one area we're slipping, there is one 53:43 sin that grabed a hold of us from the very inception of 53:46 our fall back in the garden of Eden. 53:48 It was that time when God said, "Adam, what did you do?" 53:50 And Adam said, "It was the woman." 53:54 And God said to the woman, "Well, what did you do?" 53:58 And the woman said, "It was the..." 54:00 And we've been pointing the finger ever since. 54:02 It's just natural, it just makes us feel better. 54:04 To know there are people out there; 54:06 there are child molesters out there, 54:07 there are people out there that are alcoholics, 54:11 that are rapists, that are doing terrible things. 54:13 To know that those terrible people are out there 54:15 just makes us feel better. 54:18 That's why we watch the news. 54:19 "Oh, those terrible things that are going on. 54:21 At least I'm not doing that." 54:24 But the truth of the matter is, that the ground 54:26 is level at the foot of the cross. 54:28 The worst sinners, the ones who are the most repugnant 54:33 in God's sight... 54:35 Laodiceans. 54:36 "I'd rather you were hot or cold. 54:39 I can reach you when you're out there in the..." 54:41 I could tell you stories of people who have been 54:42 reached in prison, people who have been reached on death row, 54:44 people who have been reached on the streets. 54:46 But these guys, these Laodiceans? 54:48 Us? 54:49 Oh man, that's hard. 54:52 It makes God want to throw up. 54:54 Primarily because we're so hard to reach. 54:56 We're so smug, we're so righteous, 54:57 we're so full of ourselves. 55:01 I know I am. 55:04 Seriously. 55:07 And yet, God loves us. 55:08 And that's our only hope, really. 55:10 We talked about this already, there's only two churches 55:12 that God specifically directly says He loves. 55:14 It's the church of Philadelphia, which is 55:16 the church of brotherly love. 55:17 And it's us, the Laodicean church. 55:20 I love information, I love the truth, I love the Bible. 55:24 I love the message that God has given us in the Bible. 55:27 But I'm scared to death, and I think God is sometimes too, 55:29 to learn more and more and more of the head knowledge 55:35 and lack the heart experience, lack the practical demonstration 55:38 in the life of the truth that God has given us. 55:44 I think the more we know, the more we need to pray. 55:50 This preacher once said, that great preacher once said, 55:52 "We need to pray more than we preach." 55:54 Pray more than we preach. 55:56 Oh, I preach a lot. I preach a lot. 55:57 Pray more than we preach? 55:58 For me, that would be a real challenge. 56:00 But I'm starting to realize the truth of his words. 56:05 Because it's when I pray, it's when I'm connecting with God, 56:09 talking to Him like a friend, that He begins to communicate 56:12 to me, not just truth, but the reality of who He is, 56:17 His friendship, His love. 56:19 It's then that I begin to awaken in a different way 56:23 in my relationship with Him. 56:26 A way that takes that knowledge down to the heart. 56:28 The kind of experience that Nebuchadnezzar went through 56:30 in Daniel chapter 4. 56:33 He knew about prophecy. 56:34 He was the first one to attend a Daniel seminar. 56:37 He sat on the front row. 56:39 And when the whole thing was over, he said, 56:41 "I want to join your church, Daniel. 56:42 I want to be there." 56:44 But just a short while later, he was out the back door. 56:47 We'll talk about that more tomorrow. 56:50 The truth of the matter is, we need a connection 56:54 with Jesus Christ. 56:55 And we can have it. 56:57 The book of Revelation shows us how 56:59 we can have that connection. 57:01 Is that your desire tonight to have that connection with Jesus? 57:04 Praise God. Praise God. 57:06 Let's pray. 57:07 Father, thank You so much this evening 57:09 for the everlasting gospel. 57:10 Thank You for putting it where it is, when it is, 57:13 and for showing us why it is. 57:15 Thank You that it is a summary of everything You've been 57:19 teaching us in the book of Revelation. 57:20 That it is calling us to the incarnation, 57:23 to the death, and to the resurrection of Jesus. 57:25 To His mediation in behalf of us and the entire world, 57:29 to bring us to the place where we're clothed 57:32 with the righteousness of Jesus. 57:34 Standing on the world of God, crowned with those twelve stars, 57:39 organized as a body of believers. |
Revised 2014-12-17