Anchors of Truth

The Everlasting Gospel

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: James Rafferty

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Series Code: AOT

Program Code: AOT000088


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.


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Revised 2014-12-17