Martin Luther once said,
00:00:19.78\00:00:24.30
"If I declare
with the loudest voice
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and clearest exposition
every portion of God's word
00:00:28.58\00:00:34.31
except for that one little bit
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which the world and the devil
are at that moment attacking,
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I would not be
confessing Christ."
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Interesting
isn't it? Listen again.
00:00:47.31\00:00:51.93
If I declare
with the loudest voice
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and the clearest exposition,
every portion of God's truth
00:00:53.82\00:00:58.44
except for that one little bit
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which the world and the devil
are attacking at the moment,
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I am not confessing
Christ, and he is right.
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Either we're with
Him or against Him.
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Either we're all the
way with Him or against Him,
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so the real question for
us in these days is what is,
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what is that one
little portion of truth
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that the devil is
attacking in the last days?
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What is he attacking now?
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Let's step back and see
the big picture once again.
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Genesis 3, we discover
God had just created the world
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and he put Adam
and Eve in the garden.
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He told them they
could eat the fruit
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from any of the
trees in the garden,
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except that one
tree in the middle.
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If you eat from it God
said you are going to die.
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Well, you know, the
story, they ate from it.
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Now God had a
dilemma how can He save them.
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He doesn't want them to die
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but they choose to
step outside of that circle,
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according to the
way God made them
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and the consequences if
you step outside of that circle
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you are going to
die, they did it.
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He doesn't want them
to die, He loves them.
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So what could He do?
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How could He unfold a
plan that would enable Him
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to be telling the
truth and at the same time
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save those whom He loves?
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And then we
discover the first prophecy
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right there in
the Garden of Eden.
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God said to the
serpent Genesis 3:15.
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"I will put enmity between
you the serpent and the woman
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and between your
offspring and hers,
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he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."
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Now we know that the
offspring of the serpent
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the serpent being
the devil, his offspring,
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those who choose to follow him.
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The offspring of the
woman symbolizing God's people
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is Jesus Christ and
those who are in Him.
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The Bible says that He would
receive a wound on the heel,
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He did when He died on the cross
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but praise the Lord
three days later He rose again,
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ascended to heaven.
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One of these days He
is going to come back
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and crush the
head of the serpent.
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All the rest of the Bible
is unfolding this prophecy.
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How is God going to
finally and ultimately
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crush the head of the serpent?
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How is it going to happen?
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Well, we come to climax of
that prophecy in Revelation 12,
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in Revelation 12 another
bit of background verse 7.
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"There was war in heaven,
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Michael and his angels
fought against the dragon,
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and the dragon and
his angels fought back.
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But he was not strong enough,
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and they lost
their place in heaven.
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Ancient serpent
called the devil, or Satan,
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who leads the whole world
astray was hurled to the earth,
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and his angels with him."
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Bad news for
earth, bad news for us.
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What's he doing?
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When he was
hurled down to the earth,
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he pursued the woman who had
given birth to the male child.
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Now, the woman
symbolizes God's people.
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So he peruses the woman who had
given birth to the male child.
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Then in verse 13,
"When the dragon saw
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he had been hurled to the earth,
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he perused the woman who had
given birth to the male child."
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And then verse 17,
"The dragon was angry
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at the woman went off to
make war against the rest,
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as the King James
says, the remnant,
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the last of her offspring--those
who obey God's commandments
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and hold to the
testimony of Jesus."
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So now we see the
climax of that battle,
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that climax of this
conflict where the dragon,
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the devil is at
war against those
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who are the last of
God's people on this earth.
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This is it, this is
just before the end,
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so what is the point of attack?
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What is that one little
bit of truth as Luther said,
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that if we were
not preaching it,
00:05:06.11\00:05:08.03
we would not be preaching
Christ at all, what is it?
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And he tells us right here.
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Chapter 13:1, "I saw the dragon
stood on the shore of the sea.
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And I saw a beast
coming up out of the sea.
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So here is the dragon
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and he is standing
looking out over the sea
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and he sees a beast
coming up out of the sea.
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What is the point of attack?
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The dragon is
angry at the woman,
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went to make war against
the remnant of her offspring,
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those who obey
God's commandments
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and hold to the
testimony of Jesus.
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The point of
attack is the law of God
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and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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That is the whole issue
in the Book of Revelation.
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That's the issue that's been
at the center of this conflict
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ever since it began
in the Garden of Eden.
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The commands of God
and the grace of God,
00:06:08.69\00:06:12.44
that's the issue,
that's the point of attack.
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And he stands on the shore.
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How does this battle unfolds?
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He sees this beast
come up out of the water.
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At the end of two, "The
dragon gave the beast his power,
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his throne and great authority.
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The dragon is the devil,
but he never works as the devil,
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he works through
human instruments
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and in
Revelation 12 we discovered
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he was the pagan Roman Empire.
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He was working
through the Roman Empire
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and it was Rome who gave
his authority to the beast
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when Constantine gave
the bishop of Rome his power,
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his throne, his great authority.
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We discover that
Rome became a nation
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but not just a
nation, it was a church,
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joining together of
the church and state
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to enforce her doctrines,
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to enforce her
particular brand of worship.
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How effective was it in verse 8,
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"All of the inhabitants of the
earth will worship the beast,
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except for those
whose names are written
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in the Book of Life
belonging to the Lamb."
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That's all powerful.
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All most every person on earth
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is going to be
willing to worship the beast.
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How, how does it happen?
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Verse 11, "Another
beast, comes out of the earth.
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Now this one is the
false prophet we know that.
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We haven't identifying it,
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that's coming up here
quicker than you think,
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but we still don't need to know
who he is to see what he does.
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He has two horns like a lamb,
but he spoke like a dragon.
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So he looks like a
lamb, a Christian power.
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Remember a beast is a nation,
so here is a Christian nation,
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a Christian power
that looks like the lamb
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but he speaks like the
dragon and he made the earth
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and its inhabitance
worship the first beast.
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How does he do it?
00:08:03.97\00:08:05.00
Verse 13 two weapons, verse 13,
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"He performed great
and miraculous signs,
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and by the power of the miracles
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he deceived the
inhabitance of the earth.
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The second
weapon and he cause all
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who refused to worship
the image to be killed."
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So the false prophet uses
deception and he uses force.
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He uses force to try to
force with the death decree
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the world into
worshiping the beast,
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he is so
successful that practically
00:08:30.75\00:08:33.80
the whole world is going to
acknowledge Rome's authority
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and demonstrate that
by the way they worshiped.
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The whole world except for
those whose names are written
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in the Book of Life
belonging to the lamb.
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We need our names
written in that book. Amen.
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And then in Revelation 14,
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we discover the
answer to the question
00:09:04.28\00:09:09.57
that was raised in
verse 4 of chapter 13.
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This beast this power,
this church state nation
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is so powerful that
men worship the beast
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asking in verse 4
who is like the beast,
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who can make war against him?
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Who can stand against him?
00:09:35.23\00:09:38.77
The answer to that
question is surprising.
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The beast is portrait as a beast
with seven heads, ten horns,
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horrible looking monster.
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Who can stand against
him? He is so powerful.
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Who can stand against him?
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The answer Revelation 14:1,
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"I looked in there
before me was the Lamb
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standing on Mount Zion,
00:10:03.60\00:10:05.87
and with him
144,000 who had his name
00:10:05.90\00:10:09.13
and his Father's name
written on their foreheads."
00:10:09.16\00:10:11.18
Who can stand against the beast?
00:10:11.21\00:10:15.78
The lamb. Don't
you loved it, the lamb.
00:10:15.81\00:10:23.76
And he is standing on
Mount Zion and with him 144,000.
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Anyone who has ever
read the Book of Revelation
00:10:28.02\00:10:29.80
has wondered at
one point or another,
00:10:29.83\00:10:31.97
who are the
144,000, what does that mean?
00:10:32.00\00:10:35.81
One person asked
me, well, does mean that
00:10:35.84\00:10:37.83
only 144,000 people
are going to be saved?
00:10:37.86\00:10:40.42
I'm afraid that leaves me out.
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Not very many
will notice one thing.
00:10:43.35\00:10:47.59
Remember our principles,
00:10:47.62\00:10:48.65
our guiding principles
interpreting Revelation,
00:10:48.68\00:10:50.99
it has to be centered upon
Jesus, no private prophecy,
00:10:51.02\00:10:54.10
we need to let the
scripture interpret itself.
00:10:54.13\00:10:56.35
Are you with me now? Amen.
00:10:56.38\00:10:57.97
By comparing
scripture with scripture.
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And then the third
thing, the Book of Revelation
00:10:59.97\00:11:02.25
quotes the Old
Testament over how many times?
00:11:02.28\00:11:05.38
Over good, over 600 times.
00:11:05.41\00:11:07.92
We have to put
all these together.
00:11:07.95\00:11:09.23
Number four, that Book of
Revelation is a symbolic book.
00:11:09.26\00:11:12.50
He symbolized what is
going to happen in the future,
00:11:12.53\00:11:15.74
so we have to
interpret the symbols and assume
00:11:15.77\00:11:18.88
that Revelation is symbolic
unless it's obviously that,
00:11:18.91\00:11:22.37
obviously clear that it isn't.
00:11:22.40\00:11:24.04
So here is the 144,000
00:11:24.07\00:11:26.15
the lamb standing on
Mount Zion with 144,000.
00:11:26.18\00:11:29.91
We know that the lamb
is the symbol, isn't it?
00:11:29.94\00:11:35.09
I mean he is not
concerned about the real lambs
00:11:35.12\00:11:38.03
standing on the mountain.
00:11:38.06\00:11:39.59
The lamb is Jesus
Christ. So the lamb is a symbol.
00:11:39.62\00:11:45.50
Mount Zion, what is mount Zion?
00:11:45.53\00:11:48.47
In the Old Testament and
this is very important to see.
00:11:48.50\00:11:52.84
In the Old Testament Mount
Zion was the temple mountain,
00:11:52.87\00:11:57.72
that's the place
where it was the focal point
00:11:57.75\00:12:02.22
of Israel's worship,
00:12:02.25\00:12:04.60
that's where the
sanctuary, the temple was,
00:12:04.63\00:12:08.99
that's where they offer
the sacrifices of the lambs.
00:12:09.02\00:12:13.60
So Mount Zion was the
center of Israel's worship,
00:12:13.63\00:12:16.50
that's where the temple was.
00:12:16.53\00:12:20.13
But in the New Testament
that temple was destroyed,
00:12:20.16\00:12:23.11
the sacrifices are ended.
00:12:23.14\00:12:25.55
Jesus is our
Passover, Jesus is our lamb.
00:12:25.58\00:12:30.17
So what is Mount Zion now?
00:12:30.20\00:12:32.65
Hold your place in Revelation.
00:12:32.68\00:12:34.39
Turn to an
awesome verse in Hebrews,
00:12:34.42\00:12:37.72
Hebrews 12, Hebrews 12:18,
00:12:37.75\00:12:43.47
"You have not come to a
mountain that can be touched.
00:12:43.50\00:12:47.62
Moses went up on the mountain
00:12:47.65\00:12:49.33
that could be real
mountain that could be touched,
00:12:49.36\00:12:51.57
it was shaking
and lightning strike.
00:12:51.60\00:12:54.14
No, you haven't come to
that kind of a mountain.
00:12:54.17\00:12:57.19
What have we come to?
00:12:57.22\00:12:59.03
Verse 22, "You
have come to Mount Zion,
00:12:59.06\00:13:04.61
to the heavenly Jerusalem,
to the city of the living God.
00:13:04.64\00:13:12.27
You have come to the church
verse 23 of the firstborn,
00:13:12.30\00:13:17.73
whose names are
written in heaven.
00:13:17.76\00:13:20.84
You have come to God,
you have come to Jesus.
00:13:20.87\00:13:24.37
Now notice, he is writing
to the church and he is saying,
00:13:24.40\00:13:28.89
you don't go to a mountain that
can be touched, a real mountain.
00:13:28.92\00:13:33.63
No, you come to Mount
Zion the heavenly mount Zion,
00:13:33.66\00:13:38.64
the heavenly Jerusalem,
the city of the living God.
00:13:38.67\00:13:42.49
You have come to the
church of Jesus Christ,
00:13:42.52\00:13:44.99
you have come to Jesus.
00:13:45.02\00:13:46.40
So all of those in the
New Testament times that's us,
00:13:46.43\00:13:51.11
who have come
to Jesus, all of us
00:13:51.14\00:13:54.31
who have come to Jesus
have come to Mount Zion.
00:13:54.34\00:13:59.32
Mount Zion then is a
symbol in the New Testament
00:13:59.35\00:14:03.53
for the church of Jesus Christ.
00:14:03.56\00:14:06.27
You have come to Mount Zion,
00:14:06.30\00:14:08.21
you have come to the
church of the firstborn,
00:14:08.24\00:14:11.18
so those who come to
Christ are on Mount Zion now.
00:14:11.21\00:14:17.01
You say, well, I don't feel like
I am on Mount Zion right now?
00:14:17.04\00:14:21.19
No, but you are citizens
of Mount Zion right now.
00:14:21.22\00:14:26.36
You are citizens of the
New Jerusalem right now.
00:14:26.39\00:14:30.90
One of these
days when Jesus comes,
00:14:30.93\00:14:33.38
He is going to take us and we
are going to be there physically
00:14:33.41\00:14:38.71
but in the mean
time we are legally
00:14:38.74\00:14:41.64
citizens of the New Jerusalem
and we are on Mount Zion,
00:14:41.67\00:14:46.84
because it's a symbol for
the church of Jesus Christ.
00:14:46.87\00:14:49.91
It's like adopting a baby,
00:14:49.94\00:14:53.17
you can go through
all the paper work,
00:14:53.20\00:14:54.37
you can pay all the fees.
00:14:54.40\00:14:55.60
You can sign on the bottom line
00:14:55.63\00:14:57.46
after months and months of work
00:14:57.49\00:14:59.35
and that baby is
yours... already.
00:14:59.38\00:15:07.17
But not until you go to where
he is and pick him or her up
00:15:07.20\00:15:14.51
and bring her back into your
home and put her in her bed.
00:15:14.54\00:15:21.15
Now, she is, she
is finally yours.
00:15:21.18\00:15:28.54
You see, you singed the papers,
00:15:28.57\00:15:30.56
she is there
already yours, but not yet.
00:15:30.59\00:15:36.10
Not until you
put her in the bed.
00:15:36.13\00:15:38.40
Now you know,
she is really yours.
00:15:38.43\00:15:40.57
Well, we come to Christ,
we are citizens right now,
00:15:40.60\00:15:44.43
legally we are
citizens in the New Jerusalem,
00:15:44.46\00:15:47.45
that is your
home, you have the deed,
00:15:47.48\00:15:49.80
you belong there, not yet
because not until He comes
00:15:49.83\00:15:53.21
and we are walking
on those golden streets.
00:15:53.24\00:15:55.28
Now, we will really be there.
00:15:55.31\00:15:58.90
So Mount Zion then it's
a symbol for the church.
00:15:58.93\00:16:02.44
Let's go back to Revelation 14.
00:16:02.47\00:16:04.61
The Lamb is
standing on Mount Zion,
00:16:04.64\00:16:06.95
that's Jesus in the
center of His church.
00:16:06.98\00:16:09.61
Right exactly where you
were expecting to be, isn't it?
00:16:09.64\00:16:14.10
144,000 who are they?
00:16:14.13\00:16:17.51
If Jesus, the Lamb
is a symbol for Jesus,
00:16:17.54\00:16:20.87
Mount Zion, a
symbol for the church,
00:16:20.90\00:16:24.36
then the 144,000
must be a symbol too.
00:16:24.39\00:16:29.36
You want to know what it
symbolizes, we'll keep coming.
00:16:29.39\00:16:35.30
Those you're
watching on TV keep watching
00:16:35.33\00:16:37.30
don't have time
to do all that now.
00:16:37.33\00:16:40.69
Lamb is a symbol, Mount
Zion is a symbol for the church,
00:16:40.72\00:16:43.74
the 144,000 are
with him on Mount Zion.
00:16:43.77\00:16:49.07
What else does it
say about them? Verse 4.
00:16:49.10\00:16:53.06
Well, actually at
the end of verse 3,
00:16:53.09\00:16:55.25
they are singing a song.
00:16:55.28\00:16:56.98
No one could learn
that song except the 144,000
00:16:57.01\00:17:01.30
who had been
redeemed from the earth.
00:17:01.33\00:17:05.97
So they have already
been redeemed form the earth.
00:17:06.00\00:17:09.43
Here is a picture,
a snapshot of those
00:17:09.46\00:17:13.51
who are going to be
redeemed from the earth
00:17:13.54\00:17:16.36
but it's a picture
in advance of them,
00:17:16.39\00:17:20.10
they had been redeemed.
00:17:20.13\00:17:21.70
So John is looking way into
the future to the end of time
00:17:21.73\00:17:26.20
and he sees those
who have been redeemed
00:17:26.23\00:17:28.84
from the earth standing
on Mount Zion with Jesus.
00:17:28.87\00:17:36.81
These are those who did not
defile themselves with women,
00:17:36.84\00:17:40.70
for they kept themselves pure.
00:17:40.73\00:17:43.23
Now, that's an interesting one
and then they, here is the best.
00:17:43.26\00:17:48.48
Do you want to know
who the 144,000 are?
00:17:48.51\00:17:50.75
These is really
all you need to know.
00:17:50.78\00:17:53.12
They follow the
Lamb where ever He goes.
00:17:53.15\00:17:59.98
They follow the
Lamb wherever He goes.
00:18:00.01\00:18:03.36
They were
purchased from among men
00:18:03.39\00:18:05.02
and offered as first
fruits to God and the Lamb.
00:18:05.05\00:18:09.13
No lie was found in their
mouths they are blameless.
00:18:09.16\00:18:13.43
So who are they?
00:18:13.46\00:18:15.05
They are the ones who are
ultimately going to be redeemed,
00:18:15.08\00:18:18.67
then John is seeing them
in advance on Mount Zion.
00:18:18.70\00:18:22.51
They are the ones who follow
the Lamb wherever He goes,
00:18:22.54\00:18:25.65
they are first
fruits of the harvest.
00:18:25.68\00:18:27.94
Now in the Old
Testament every harvest they had
00:18:27.97\00:18:31.47
they would take the first fruit,
the first cutting of grain,
00:18:31.50\00:18:35.38
the cream of the crop the best
00:18:35.41\00:18:37.25
and they would
offer that to God,
00:18:37.28\00:18:39.07
where Jesus was the first fruit.
00:18:39.10\00:18:44.21
Now, those who are in Christ
are shown as being with Him.
00:18:44.24\00:18:49.57
The first fruit
of the final harvest
00:18:49.60\00:18:53.67
when Jesus come
to take His people.
00:18:53.70\00:18:56.36
Watch, the end of chapter 14:14,
00:18:56.39\00:19:01.29
"I looked, and there
before me was a white cloud,
00:19:01.32\00:19:03.47
and seated on the cloud
was one like a son of man."
00:19:03.50\00:19:06.17
Who is that?
Right, that's Jesus.
00:19:06.20\00:19:09.52
"And then he had a
sharp sickle in his hand.
00:19:09.55\00:19:11.49
An angel came out of the temple
00:19:11.52\00:19:12.79
and said the time to reap
has come put in your sickle
00:19:12.82\00:19:15.34
and reap for the
harvest of the earth is ripe,
00:19:15.37\00:19:17.26
so he swung his
sickle on the earth
00:19:17.29\00:19:19.92
and he harvested the
earth, the grain is ripe."
00:19:19.95\00:19:23.60
Jesus said in Mathew 13,
00:19:23.63\00:19:25.33
"The harvest of the wheat,
00:19:25.36\00:19:26.79
the harvest is
the end of the world,
00:19:26.82\00:19:28.89
the grain is ripe.
00:19:28.92\00:19:30.77
Jesus comes to take his harvest,
00:19:30.80\00:19:34.38
that's what we are
looking forward to, amen.
00:19:34.41\00:19:38.15
And so the 144,000
offered its first fruit to God,
00:19:38.18\00:19:43.45
they are part of the harvest.
00:19:43.48\00:19:46.04
But there is another
harvest in Revelation 14:17.
00:19:46.07\00:19:52.54
"Another angel came out
of the temple in heaven,
00:19:52.57\00:19:55.35
and he too had a sharp sickle,
00:19:55.38\00:19:58.37
and another voice called in,
00:19:58.40\00:19:59.97
a loud voice called out
to him with the sharp sickle,
00:20:00.00\00:20:02.21
Take your sharp sickle,
00:20:02.24\00:20:03.27
gather the clusters
of grapes from the earth,
00:20:03.30\00:20:07.48
because the grapes are ripe.
00:20:07.51\00:20:10.53
And verse 19, "The angel
swung his sickle on the earth,
00:20:10.56\00:20:13.16
and he gathered the grapes
00:20:13.19\00:20:15.31
and he threw them in
the winepress of God's wrath
00:20:15.34\00:20:19.27
and they were trampled in
the winepress outside the city,
00:20:19.30\00:20:23.74
so we have two
harvests, don't we?
00:20:23.77\00:20:25.60
A harvest of grain
and the harvest of grapes.
00:20:25.63\00:20:29.54
The grain is the harvest
of those who follow the Lamb,
00:20:29.57\00:20:33.49
Jesus Christ where ever He goes.
00:20:33.52\00:20:36.62
The grapes are those
who don't follow the Lamb,
00:20:36.65\00:20:41.22
that righteous, the
wicked, the good, the bad,
00:20:41.25\00:20:43.36
however you want to call them.
00:20:43.39\00:20:44.85
God's people,
the devil's people,
00:20:44.88\00:20:46.79
those who follow the
devil, those who follow Jesus,
00:20:46.82\00:20:49.74
two distinct groups
at the harvest time,
00:20:49.77\00:20:52.78
so the harvest is
good news for the grain
00:20:52.81\00:20:56.37
and bad news for the grapes.
00:20:56.40\00:20:58.51
I don't want to be a grape,
00:20:58.54\00:21:01.89
I want to be grain, don't you?
00:21:01.92\00:21:06.26
The grain is ripe,
the grapes are ripe,
00:21:06.29\00:21:12.97
the harvest time has come.
00:21:13.00\00:21:18.96
Notice the
picture when Jesus comes,
00:21:18.99\00:21:24.40
the whole world is
divided into two groups,
00:21:24.43\00:21:30.13
the grain and the grapes,
the righteous and the wicked.
00:21:30.16\00:21:37.24
There is nothing in between.
00:21:37.27\00:21:41.69
But if Jesus would
have come right now,
00:21:47.21\00:21:51.77
He would discover three groups,
00:21:51.80\00:21:57.36
grain, the grapes
00:21:57.39\00:22:01.32
and a massive sea of humanity
00:22:01.35\00:22:07.22
who never even
heard anything about God.
00:22:07.25\00:22:13.85
They didn't know
the truth about God,
00:22:13.88\00:22:18.14
so if Jesus would have
come right now at this instant,
00:22:18.17\00:22:22.09
there would be people
who could legitimately say,
00:22:22.12\00:22:26.62
Lord we never heard of you.
00:22:26.65\00:22:29.93
Help us, what we gonna do?
00:22:29.96\00:22:31.71
We never heard of you Lord.
00:22:31.74\00:22:35.94
But it isn't going to be
that way when Jesus comes.
00:22:35.97\00:22:40.55
There will be grapes
and there will be grain.
00:22:40.58\00:22:46.22
Something has
to happen to dry up
00:22:46.25\00:22:49.48
this massive sea of humanity.
00:22:49.51\00:22:56.65
Remember, we learned
from the very beginning,
00:22:56.68\00:23:00.89
if there was only
one thing preventing God
00:23:00.92\00:23:04.92
or Jesus from coming right now.
00:23:04.95\00:23:08.23
And it was the same
thing that prevented him
00:23:08.26\00:23:11.29
from destroying Adam and Eve
00:23:11.32\00:23:12.94
and starting over
in the Garden of Eden
00:23:12.97\00:23:15.72
and it was the same
thing that prevented Him
00:23:15.75\00:23:18.05
from destroying
that serpent in heaven
00:23:18.08\00:23:20.31
when he first rebelled
against God, same thing.
00:23:20.34\00:23:25.61
And that was if
Jesus would have destroyed
00:23:25.64\00:23:27.45
that serpent right then,
00:23:27.48\00:23:30.23
then all the rest of
the angels and other beings
00:23:30.26\00:23:33.71
would be
worshiping or obeying God
00:23:33.74\00:23:35.70
out of fear instead of love,
00:23:35.73\00:23:39.06
so God couldn't do that.
00:23:39.09\00:23:40.34
Remember we learned that
he had to give Lucifer time
00:23:40.37\00:23:44.27
to demonstrate
what it would really be
00:23:44.30\00:23:47.18
like if he was on the
throne, if he had his way
00:23:47.21\00:23:51.10
and so God send him
down to planet earth.
00:23:51.13\00:23:53.31
We happen to be the
stage for this drama
00:23:53.34\00:23:56.62
to unfold and you
could say not fair,
00:23:56.65\00:23:58.83
I don't want to
be in that drama.
00:23:58.86\00:24:00.48
No, we don't have any choice.
00:24:00.51\00:24:02.24
No, it isn't fair, there
is nothing fair about sin
00:24:02.27\00:24:05.49
but the cross more than
makes up for the short time
00:24:05.52\00:24:09.10
that we have to go through here
00:24:09.13\00:24:10.62
in order to be a
part of God's plan
00:24:10.65\00:24:12.74
to finally and ultimately
deliver that death blow
00:24:12.77\00:24:16.54
to the head of the serpent
and when it's all over with
00:24:16.57\00:24:19.96
and we look back through
what we have been through,
00:24:19.99\00:24:22.72
we will sing hallelujah,
we will sing praise God
00:24:22.75\00:24:26.05
just and true are your
ways because we will have
00:24:26.08\00:24:28.99
an experience that no
other beings in the universe
00:24:29.02\00:24:33.01
will have ever been through.
00:24:33.04\00:24:34.76
I think we will understand
and have a love for God
00:24:34.79\00:24:37.95
that no one else
can fully understand.
00:24:37.98\00:24:42.52
But in the mean time
00:24:42.55\00:24:46.30
Satan has time to demonstrate
00:24:46.33\00:24:51.95
what his kingdom is like.
00:24:51.98\00:24:54.56
Now the grapes are
ripe, Revelation 14.
00:24:54.59\00:24:59.13
Now he has shown
at that point in time,
00:24:59.16\00:25:01.93
he will have shown
what his kingdom is like.
00:25:01.96\00:25:06.21
What is it that
ripens the grapes?
00:25:06.24\00:25:10.98
It's the grain.
00:25:11.01\00:25:14.68
You see the more
the grain matures,
00:25:14.71\00:25:19.46
the more God's
people follow the Lamb
00:25:19.49\00:25:23.96
and demonstrate what is
like to follow the Lamb,
00:25:23.99\00:25:29.86
demonstrate what
is like to trust God.
00:25:29.89\00:25:34.45
The more they do that,
00:25:34.48\00:25:36.27
the more it arouses
the wrath of the wicked
00:25:36.30\00:25:41.75
and they turned
against them demonstrating
00:25:41.78\00:25:44.58
what it's like
when you don't have God.
00:25:44.61\00:25:49.03
So now we see in Revelation 14
00:25:49.06\00:25:51.73
the world has come to a point
00:25:51.76\00:25:53.25
where God finally has the people
00:25:53.28\00:25:55.58
that can demonstrate
to a sufficient degree
00:25:55.61\00:25:59.06
what it's like
to follow the Lamb
00:25:59.09\00:26:01.41
and it bring out the wrath
of those who reject the Lamb,
00:26:01.44\00:26:05.10
so that the grapes are
ripe, the grain is ripe.
00:26:05.13\00:26:08.09
It doesn't mean that we are
no longer in need of a Savior.
00:26:08.12\00:26:12.02
It was so perfect,
we never make mistakes.
00:26:12.05\00:26:14.71
It means that we
are so close to God
00:26:14.74\00:26:17.41
that we've shown
the world that there is
00:26:17.44\00:26:19.67
once and for all
shown there is a better way,
00:26:19.70\00:26:22.60
follow the Lamb,
it's so much better
00:26:22.63\00:26:24.99
and the wicked are showing out,
00:26:25.02\00:26:26.84
here is what
happens if you don't.
00:26:26.87\00:26:32.20
So what is it that
brings this point about?
00:26:32.23\00:26:36.61
How do we ultimately get there
and that's our topic finally.
00:26:36.64\00:26:44.60
The three angels of Revelation,
00:26:44.63\00:26:46.25
I've gone all
around it like a sandwich,
00:26:46.28\00:26:48.45
144,000 and then
the harvest scene.
00:26:48.48\00:26:51.84
Now we are at the
middle of the two.
00:26:51.87\00:26:56.04
We have to understand this,
00:26:56.07\00:26:57.52
the Book of Revelation is not
written in chronological order.
00:26:57.55\00:27:03.23
The Book of
Revelation is written by Jews,
00:27:03.26\00:27:06.54
even tough they
use Greek to write,
00:27:06.57\00:27:08.52
they were Jews and
they thought like Jews,
00:27:08.55\00:27:10.52
and the Jews think in what
we call parallel principles
00:27:10.55\00:27:13.98
but in the parallel
principles what they will do,
00:27:14.01\00:27:16.23
they will give you the
big picture of what happens
00:27:16.26\00:27:18.67
and then they go back
00:27:18.70\00:27:20.64
and fill in the
details of how it got there.
00:27:20.67\00:27:24.44
The 144,000 on
Mount Zion with the Lamb,
00:27:24.47\00:27:27.37
that's the big picture.
00:27:27.40\00:27:28.81
They are redeem,
they have been redeem,
00:27:28.84\00:27:31.11
they are there,
that's what John sees
00:27:31.14\00:27:32.89
it's going to be in the
future. How do they get there?
00:27:32.92\00:27:35.10
Now he comes back
and shows how it happens.
00:27:35.13\00:27:39.32
It's like if I can use
the worldly illustration,
00:27:39.35\00:27:44.25
it's like watching a
football game on television.
00:27:44.28\00:27:47.51
I mean some of you
have done that right?
00:27:47.54\00:27:50.96
So let suppose the
quarter back steps back
00:27:50.99\00:27:53.64
and throws a
long touch down pass,
00:27:53.67\00:27:56.83
what is the next
thing you see on the screen,
00:27:56.86\00:28:01.42
I heard it, instant replay.
00:28:01.45\00:28:04.56
Instantly the cameras go
back and show you what happened.
00:28:04.59\00:28:08.32
Usually it's not exactly
the same thing you just saw.
00:28:08.35\00:28:12.61
Usually they will go back
00:28:12.64\00:28:13.88
and show you from a
different angle or perspective,
00:28:13.91\00:28:16.87
may be they will
show the line man blocking
00:28:16.90\00:28:19.40
or the receiver
running his route
00:28:19.43\00:28:21.95
or the
quarterback getting clobbered
00:28:21.98\00:28:23.87
before he has a
chance to finish.
00:28:23.90\00:28:28.16
And when you put all of
these instant replays together,
00:28:28.19\00:28:31.64
then you can see
the whole picture
00:28:31.67\00:28:34.02
of what happened on that play.
00:28:34.05\00:28:36.56
Well that's the
way Revelation is.
00:28:36.59\00:28:38.45
He gives you the big picture,
00:28:38.48\00:28:40.11
the broad sweep
and then he comes back
00:28:40.14\00:28:42.31
and saying here
is how it happened.
00:28:42.34\00:28:44.10
The Lamb, 144,000 on Mount Zion,
00:28:44.13\00:28:46.35
how did they get there?
00:28:46.38\00:28:47.65
Well, there was a
Three Angels' Messages
00:28:47.68\00:28:49.90
and then the harvests scene,
00:28:49.93\00:28:51.46
then they are on Mount Zion.
00:28:51.49\00:28:53.35
See he comes back to fill
in the details, so here we are.
00:28:53.38\00:28:58.07
How to they get there?
00:28:58.10\00:29:00.23
In chapter 14:6, "I saw
another angel flying in midair,
00:29:00.26\00:29:08.22
and he had the eternal
gospel to proclaim to those
00:29:08.25\00:29:10.98
who live on the
earth to every nation,
00:29:11.01\00:29:13.43
tribe, language and people."
00:29:13.46\00:29:15.33
Now here's another
point that we need to make.
00:29:15.36\00:29:17.69
Revelation is a symbolic
book. Remember its symbols.
00:29:17.72\00:29:24.21
Here he shows an angel
00:29:24.24\00:29:25.89
flying through the
air preaching the gospel.
00:29:25.92\00:29:30.18
Jesus never commissioned
angels to preach the gospel.
00:29:30.21\00:29:36.58
He told the church, you.
00:29:36.61\00:29:40.60
He said, go and preach
the gospel to the whole world,
00:29:40.63\00:29:43.32
teach them all
things, baptize them
00:29:43.35\00:29:46.72
and so angel
the Greek word angel
00:29:46.75\00:29:49.55
aggelos really means messenger.
00:29:49.58\00:29:52.76
The angel is God's
messenger to the world.
00:29:52.79\00:29:58.60
In the last days God's
messenger is his church.
00:29:58.63\00:30:03.24
He shows it as an angel flying
through heavens to demonstrate,
00:30:03.27\00:30:08.08
to symbolize the importance
00:30:08.11\00:30:10.69
and the urgency
of this last message
00:30:10.72\00:30:15.72
that God has entrusted to
the church before Jesus comes.
00:30:15.75\00:30:23.09
So let's look at
it. What is the message?
00:30:23.12\00:30:26.80
The everlasting
gospel to proclaim to those
00:30:26.83\00:30:29.95
who live on the
earth. What is the gospel?
00:30:29.98\00:30:32.39
The good news, we
are saved by grace
00:30:32.42\00:30:34.12
through faith in Jesus Christ.
00:30:34.15\00:30:36.43
And this message
goes to the whole world.
00:30:36.46\00:30:38.79
The fact that God demands
perfect obedience to His law
00:30:38.82\00:30:42.41
because if we break the law
and step outside of that circle,
00:30:42.44\00:30:45.31
we are going to
die, but the problem is
00:30:45.34\00:30:47.15
we can't keep the law Jesus did.
00:30:47.18\00:30:49.76
He lived His whole
life inside the circle,
00:30:49.79\00:30:52.19
He died on the
cross in your place
00:30:52.22\00:30:54.44
and He rose from the
death, He ascended to heaven,
00:30:54.47\00:30:57.53
He is going to come
back if we confess our sins,
00:30:57.56\00:31:00.68
if we repent of our sins.
00:31:00.71\00:31:02.41
Jesus forgives
us and looks at us
00:31:02.44\00:31:05.15
as though we had never sinned
00:31:05.18\00:31:07.67
and then he gives
us the perfect life
00:31:07.70\00:31:09.58
that he lived while
he was here on this earth
00:31:09.61\00:31:12.11
and that's our title to
heaven, that's the gospel.
00:31:12.14\00:31:18.75
So this angle has a
good news about Jesus,
00:31:18.78\00:31:21.00
the everlasting gospel,
00:31:21.03\00:31:22.61
same gospel that was
preached in the Old testament.
00:31:22.64\00:31:27.22
It's that gospel
that we preach today.
00:31:27.25\00:31:29.09
But there is something unique
00:31:29.12\00:31:30.74
about this
gospel not the message,
00:31:30.77\00:31:33.47
the message of the
gospel never changes
00:31:33.50\00:31:36.85
and that is that
you are saved by grace
00:31:36.88\00:31:39.17
through faith in Jesus Christ,
00:31:39.20\00:31:40.55
that will never change but
there is something different
00:31:40.58\00:31:44.30
about this proclamation of
the gospel of the first angel,
00:31:44.33\00:31:49.57
what is it? Listen.
00:31:49.60\00:31:51.63
He had eternal
gospel to proclaim
00:31:51.66\00:31:53.10
to those who live on the earth,
00:31:53.13\00:31:54.25
who does He
preaches to, every nation,
00:31:54.28\00:31:55.73
tribe, language and people.
00:31:55.76\00:31:57.35
Who does that leaves out?
00:31:57.38\00:31:59.50
Every living being on this earth
is going to have the opportunity
00:31:59.53\00:32:02.49
to hear the truth of
our God before Jesus comes.
00:32:02.52\00:32:05.87
Every living being, no
one will be able to say
00:32:05.90\00:32:09.43
God I didn't know,
I never heard before.
00:32:09.46\00:32:13.29
No one because every nation,
tribe, language and people
00:32:13.32\00:32:17.42
are going to
have the opportunity
00:32:17.45\00:32:19.24
to hear the
good news about Jesus
00:32:19.27\00:32:21.10
before He comes, no excuses.
00:32:21.13\00:32:25.16
Not everyone is going to listen
00:32:25.19\00:32:27.82
but they will have
an opportunity to hear.
00:32:27.85\00:32:33.65
What is the
difference about this gospel
00:32:33.68\00:32:35.52
and all the others before,
no difference in the gospel.
00:32:35.55\00:32:39.69
Here comes the point
that I was trying to make.
00:32:39.72\00:32:43.50
He said in a loud
voice did you hear that,
00:32:43.53\00:32:48.46
he said in a loud
voice sometimes people ask me
00:32:48.49\00:32:51.78
preacher, why do
you preach so loud?
00:32:51.81\00:32:57.74
Well, I don't know
if you noticed it or not
00:32:57.77\00:33:00.46
but every place in Revelation
00:33:00.49\00:33:01.85
where God has
something important to say,
00:33:01.88\00:33:04.16
He says it in a loud voice.
00:33:04.19\00:33:06.91
Oh, I have
something important to say,
00:33:06.94\00:33:09.44
so I have a loud voice.
00:33:09.47\00:33:13.66
He said in a loud voice,
Fear God and give Him glory,
00:33:13.69\00:33:19.02
because the hour of
His judgment has come,
00:33:19.05\00:33:23.09
that's it, the hour
of His judgment has come.
00:33:23.12\00:33:27.50
Up until this time,
00:33:27.53\00:33:29.06
no one could say
here is the gospel
00:33:29.09\00:33:31.58
because the hour of
God's judgment has come
00:33:31.61\00:33:35.55
but now we are looking at a time
00:33:35.58\00:33:38.23
when those preaching the gospel
00:33:38.26\00:33:39.74
can say the hour of
God's judgment has come.
00:33:39.77\00:33:42.80
James in James 2 said,
00:33:42.83\00:33:45.12
"Speak and act as
those who are going
00:33:45.15\00:33:47.36
to be judged in
the future by the law."
00:33:47.39\00:33:51.09
But John sees the time
when the gospel is preached
00:33:51.12\00:33:54.18
in the setting of the hour
of God's judgment has come,
00:33:54.21\00:33:58.23
so something
happened between what John saw
00:33:58.26\00:34:01.12
and what James wrote
00:34:01.15\00:34:03.62
and that is that it
is now the judgment hour.
00:34:03.65\00:34:07.04
So we are looking ahead
from John's point of view
00:34:07.07\00:34:10.60
to the judgment hour
and I'm going to show you
00:34:10.63\00:34:13.58
we are living in the
judgment hour right now.
00:34:13.61\00:34:16.82
So we are
looking to our own time
00:34:16.85\00:34:18.58
and the gospel is being preached
00:34:18.61\00:34:20.38
for the hour of
God's judgment has come.
00:34:20.41\00:34:22.98
If there was ever a time
00:34:23.01\00:34:24.38
that we need the
gospel of Jesus Christ,
00:34:24.41\00:34:26.49
that time is during
the judgment hour, amen.
00:34:26.52\00:34:31.83
So if you are God,
remember this is the same time
00:34:31.86\00:34:36.05
that the beast is doing his work
00:34:36.08\00:34:40.16
and the whole world
is scared of the beast,
00:34:40.19\00:34:42.17
saying who can stand
against him so God has a voice,
00:34:42.20\00:34:45.59
God as a people, it
says fear God, not the beast.
00:34:45.62\00:34:50.28
May be he can take
your life on earth,
00:34:50.31\00:34:54.82
but there is
more, there is more.
00:34:54.85\00:34:58.46
Second angel follow and he said,
00:34:58.49\00:35:01.66
well, I'm about to skip
the most important part here,
00:35:01.69\00:35:03.78
I don't want to do that.
00:35:03.81\00:35:05.76
He said, he said,
"Fear God, give Him glory
00:35:05.79\00:35:08.51
the hour of His
judgment has come,
00:35:08.54\00:35:10.34
worship Him who
made heaven and earth,
00:35:10.37\00:35:13.03
the sea and springs of water."
00:35:13.06\00:35:14.79
So just at this right time
00:35:14.82\00:35:17.85
and I'm going to
show you coming up here,
00:35:17.88\00:35:19.33
it started about the
time Darwin published his book
00:35:19.36\00:35:21.82
the Origin of Species,
00:35:21.85\00:35:23.24
God would have a people
that would go to the whole world
00:35:23.27\00:35:26.88
and say the everlasting gospel
00:35:26.91\00:35:29.26
announce the hour of
Gods judgment has come,
00:35:29.29\00:35:31.73
a sense of urgency worship God,
00:35:31.76\00:35:34.55
the Creator of the
heavens and the earth.
00:35:34.58\00:35:38.06
Worship the Creator. The
beast is just a creature.
00:35:38.09\00:35:42.97
Don't be afraid of the beast
worship the Creator, fear God.
00:35:43.00\00:35:47.55
Now the fear of the Lord is
not like, I'm scared of God.
00:35:47.58\00:35:53.32
Fear of the Lord is
to stand in awe of God.
00:35:53.35\00:35:58.88
A God who is just
who can't allow people,
00:35:58.91\00:36:02.74
who don't trust him to live
their lives in a certain way
00:36:02.77\00:36:06.04
that hurts other people,
00:36:06.07\00:36:07.42
He can't allow that
to go on and on for ever.
00:36:07.45\00:36:09.88
He is just, He
will put an end to sin,
00:36:09.91\00:36:13.44
but He is a God
who has demonstrated
00:36:13.47\00:36:15.58
by sending His own
Son to die on the cross
00:36:15.61\00:36:17.79
that He loves you and
no one needs to be lost.
00:36:17.82\00:36:21.80
We stand in awe of a God
like that, not to be afraid.
00:36:21.83\00:36:27.84
But the Bible says
that's His strange act,
00:36:27.87\00:36:31.21
when He finally
destroys the wicked.
00:36:31.24\00:36:32.96
One day I was
visiting out with the pastor,
00:36:32.99\00:36:36.83
he came to pick me up
that we gonna visit some people
00:36:36.86\00:36:39.40
and when we are
getting in the car,
00:36:39.43\00:36:41.45
I saw my neighbor's dog
and he was shaking you know,
00:36:41.48\00:36:44.45
how dogs get
something in their mouth
00:36:44.48\00:36:46.07
and they shake their heads hard.
00:36:46.10\00:36:48.43
Here is this black
fluffy thing in his mouth
00:36:48.46\00:36:50.73
and he was shaking
his head like that,
00:36:50.76\00:36:52.95
so I went over to
take a look and it was just
00:36:52.98\00:36:55.68
a tiny little black baby kitty
00:36:55.71\00:37:01.61
and I got angry.
00:37:01.64\00:37:04.78
I had a stick, I
grabbed that dog,
00:37:04.81\00:37:09.69
I began betting with the stick,
00:37:09.72\00:37:14.08
and want to beat
him until he dropped it.
00:37:14.11\00:37:18.34
If you wouldn't
let that kitty go.
00:37:18.37\00:37:24.54
See sometimes God looks down
00:37:24.57\00:37:29.67
and he sees the
devil beating up on you.
00:37:29.70\00:37:33.96
He sees him doing everything
he can to get you discouraged,
00:37:33.99\00:37:39.62
to give up, to hurt you.
00:37:39.65\00:37:44.47
One of these days God's going
to say, devil that's enough.
00:37:44.50\00:37:49.37
I did all that I can do.
00:37:49.40\00:37:51.93
The grain is ripe, the
grapes are ripe, I'm coming.
00:37:51.96\00:37:57.18
It isn't because he
wants to destroy any one,
00:37:57.21\00:38:00.86
but true love can't allow
the suffering to go on for ever.
00:38:00.89\00:38:07.27
Praise God for out,
amen. So God is a God of love.
00:38:07.30\00:38:13.94
And then the second
angel followed and said,
00:38:13.97\00:38:16.65
"'Fallen! Fallen
is Babylon the Great,'
00:38:16.68\00:38:18.61
which made all the nations drink
00:38:18.64\00:38:19.87
the maddening wine
of her adulteries."
00:38:19.90\00:38:21.76
Babylon has
fallen, that on Mount Zion
00:38:21.79\00:38:27.59
men worship the creator
of the heavens and the earth.
00:38:27.62\00:38:31.72
Babylon, since
Babylon has fallen,
00:38:31.75\00:38:34.53
in Babylon men worship the
creature, who is the beast.
00:38:34.56\00:38:41.50
And that's why
the third angel says,
00:38:41.53\00:38:44.12
"If anyone worships
the beast and his image
00:38:44.15\00:38:46.31
and receives his mark on
the forehead or on the hand,
00:38:46.34\00:38:48.40
he will also drink
the wine of God's fury,
00:38:48.43\00:38:50.93
poured full strength
into the cup of his wrath.
00:38:50.96\00:38:53.16
He will be
tormented with burning sulfur
00:38:53.19\00:38:54.98
in the presence of
the angels and the Lamb.
00:38:55.01\00:38:56.92
Smoker of their torment
rises for ever and ever.
00:38:56.95\00:38:59.06
There is no rest day or night
00:38:59.09\00:39:01.18
for those who
worship the beast."
00:39:01.21\00:39:02.43
Interesting, those who
worship the beast, no rest.
00:39:02.46\00:39:07.05
Those who worship God, rest.
00:39:07.08\00:39:11.23
Wonder why He said it that way,
00:39:11.26\00:39:14.28
but now we can see
that it isn't enough
00:39:14.31\00:39:17.11
to just proclaim the truth,
00:39:17.14\00:39:20.32
isn't enough to say
the gospel Jesus loves you,
00:39:20.35\00:39:22.86
He died for you, it's not enough
00:39:22.89\00:39:24.71
because John and God
knew the time was coming,
00:39:24.74\00:39:28.74
the God knew it
was going to happen
00:39:28.77\00:39:30.23
when there would be
so many false prophets
00:39:30.26\00:39:32.25
proclaiming a false
gospel that he needed someone
00:39:32.28\00:39:35.04
to point out the difference
between truth and error.
00:39:35.07\00:39:38.73
And it isn't a coincidence
that it's happening at a time
00:39:38.76\00:39:41.78
when practically
everyone now is saying
00:39:41.81\00:39:44.31
that if you teach
that someone is wrong
00:39:44.34\00:39:46.71
especially their
religion, their faith,
00:39:46.74\00:39:48.88
then you are hateful.
00:39:48.91\00:39:53.98
But I would
rather let somebody know
00:39:54.01\00:39:55.64
that they are being
led down the wrong path
00:39:55.67\00:39:57.50
and be called hateful
than to just let them go.
00:39:57.53\00:40:02.65
And that's why God said,
00:40:02.68\00:40:04.27
He has three
messages and then a warning.
00:40:04.30\00:40:07.22
If you don't listen, if
you do worship the beast,
00:40:07.25\00:40:11.36
some bad things
are going to happen
00:40:11.39\00:40:13.01
that you really don't want.
00:40:13.04\00:40:14.83
Please worship the Creator,
00:40:14.86\00:40:19.58
because God
pouring his heart out.
00:40:19.61\00:40:22.30
You see the Three Angels'
Messages force the whole world
00:40:22.33\00:40:26.59
to either one side
or the other, follow me.
00:40:26.62\00:40:32.36
The beast is doing
miracles, deceiving people
00:40:32.39\00:40:35.19
into acknowledging
his authority over God's
00:40:35.22\00:40:41.03
and the whole
world is going for it.
00:40:41.06\00:40:45.90
Not just with deceptions but
with a death decree we learn.
00:40:45.93\00:40:49.90
Worship the
beast or you will die.
00:40:49.93\00:40:55.30
So you see there can be
no straddling the fence.
00:40:55.33\00:40:59.87
No, sometimes people say to me,
00:40:59.90\00:41:01.88
pastor, I don't know what to do,
00:41:01.91\00:41:03.34
you know, I have
been studying the Bible.
00:41:03.37\00:41:04.72
She is so much
different from everything
00:41:04.75\00:41:06.25
that I have been
taught and yet it's true,
00:41:06.28\00:41:08.24
I can read it in
there but I can't change,
00:41:08.27\00:41:11.06
I have been doing this too long,
00:41:11.09\00:41:13.33
I can't make up my
mind, I can't decide,
00:41:13.36\00:41:15.19
can you help me
bless your heart.
00:41:15.22\00:41:16.59
If you can't decide, somebody
else is going to do it for you
00:41:16.62\00:41:19.47
and it won't be God
because He doesn't force,
00:41:19.50\00:41:21.34
only the beast forces.
00:41:21.37\00:41:25.76
So worship the
beast or you will die,
00:41:25.79\00:41:28.41
that's going to go
to the whole world,
00:41:28.44\00:41:30.07
there will be no
straddling the fence anymore.
00:41:30.10\00:41:32.85
Oh, well, I
don't know what to do?
00:41:32.88\00:41:34.28
Bang, you are gone.
00:41:34.31\00:41:36.55
Worship the
beast or you will die.
00:41:36.58\00:41:39.18
But at the same
time third angel says
00:41:39.21\00:41:42.16
but if you worship the beast,
00:41:42.19\00:41:46.00
you are separating yourself
forever from the love of God.
00:41:46.03\00:41:50.87
Now they make take our
lives here on this earth
00:41:50.90\00:41:54.32
but they can't
take our place up there,
00:41:54.35\00:41:58.15
but folks you have to
believe that by faith,
00:41:58.18\00:42:00.22
the time is coming
when you may see people die
00:42:00.25\00:42:02.47
because of their faith.
00:42:02.50\00:42:06.70
And the only way
we can know that,
00:42:06.73\00:42:08.21
hey, if I die here I
have a place up there,
00:42:08.24\00:42:10.97
is by faith in Jesus Christ.
00:42:11.00\00:42:13.92
That's why we have to
spend time in this book.
00:42:13.95\00:42:17.21
The whole battle is
over faith and trust in God.
00:42:17.24\00:42:23.42
And so this is God's way
00:42:23.45\00:42:25.18
of forcing the
whole world to decide,
00:42:25.21\00:42:27.98
He will never
force you to love Him.
00:42:28.01\00:42:30.67
He will never
force you to worship Him,
00:42:30.70\00:42:32.84
but you will be forced to choose
00:42:32.87\00:42:35.82
and that's what the mark
of the beast is all about.
00:42:35.85\00:42:38.67
It's all about those who
try to straddle the fence.
00:42:38.70\00:42:43.62
Now it's time to, like they
say either fish or cut bait.
00:42:43.65\00:42:50.72
It's decision time.
00:42:50.75\00:42:53.10
I just want to
go back for a moment
00:42:53.13\00:42:56.10
and review the
gospel of Jesus Christ
00:42:56.13\00:42:58.74
because we've talked
about some hard things
00:42:58.77\00:43:01.09
and I like to
leave on a positive note.
00:43:01.12\00:43:03.62
My favorite place, my
favorite text that talks
00:43:03.65\00:43:06.30
about the gospel that's
a first angel's message,
00:43:06.33\00:43:08.51
it is by grace, Ephesians 2,
00:43:08.54\00:43:10.80
you know that one verse 8,
00:43:10.83\00:43:12.56
"It's by grace
you have been saved,
00:43:12.59\00:43:14.18
through faith
not from yourselves,
00:43:14.21\00:43:15.87
it is the gift of
God, not by works."
00:43:15.90\00:43:18.39
Praise the Lord,
hallelujah, amen.
00:43:18.42\00:43:20.70
You can't be good enough
00:43:20.73\00:43:22.13
that's why it's by
grace through faith in Jesus.
00:43:22.16\00:43:26.49
So that no one can boast
00:43:26.52\00:43:28.33
because we are God's workmanship
00:43:28.36\00:43:31.43
created in Christ
Jesus to do good works
00:43:31.46\00:43:35.60
which God prepared
in advance for us to do.
00:43:35.63\00:43:38.21
We are saved by
grace through faith
00:43:38.24\00:43:39.83
everybody knows that
verse but what about verse 10.
00:43:39.86\00:43:43.14
You are saved by grace
in order to do good works.
00:43:43.17\00:43:47.40
We are not saved
because of good works,
00:43:47.43\00:43:49.39
we are saved by grace,
00:43:49.42\00:43:50.80
but we are saved by grace
in order to do good works.
00:43:50.83\00:43:54.97
You see in Hebrews 8, he says
about it as plainly as he can,
00:43:55.00\00:43:58.81
when he is talking about
that temple and the sanctuary.
00:43:58.84\00:44:02.64
He said in Chapter 8:8, God
found fault with the people,
00:44:02.67\00:44:06.69
the fault
wasn't with the promise
00:44:06.72\00:44:08.27
or the covenant God
made in the Old Testament.
00:44:08.30\00:44:10.20
No, the fault
was with the people.
00:44:10.23\00:44:13.27
And he said,
"The time is coming,
00:44:13.30\00:44:14.70
declares the
Lord, when I will make
00:44:14.73\00:44:15.91
a new covenant with
the house of Israel."
00:44:15.94\00:44:18.13
Now we know the house of Israel
00:44:18.16\00:44:19.97
is the church of Jesus Christ
00:44:20.00\00:44:22.12
and so he says now in
the New Testament times
00:44:22.15\00:44:25.02
so the new
covenant is with the church
00:44:25.05\00:44:27.15
is with the house of
Israel. That's the church.
00:44:27.18\00:44:31.06
You're beginning to see
how all these pieces fit.
00:44:31.09\00:44:33.40
This is the covenant verse 10
00:44:33.43\00:44:34.73
that I will make
with the house of Israel
00:44:34.76\00:44:36.28
after that time says the Lord.
00:44:36.31\00:44:38.15
I will put my
laws in their minds,
00:44:38.18\00:44:39.79
I'll write them on their hearts.
00:44:39.82\00:44:41.22
In the Old Testament they
had them written on stone.
00:44:41.25\00:44:43.58
Now in the New
Testament when we come to Christ
00:44:43.61\00:44:45.94
in the New
Testament on Mount Zion,
00:44:45.97\00:44:47.57
He puts them in our heart.
00:44:47.60\00:44:49.00
The same law that
was written on stone,
00:44:49.03\00:44:51.13
He writes in our heart.
00:44:51.16\00:44:53.55
That means He creates within us
00:44:53.58\00:44:55.29
a new desire to follow the Lamb.
00:44:55.32\00:44:58.83
Then we are saved
by grace through faith
00:44:58.86\00:45:00.86
in order to live a
life that trusts God
00:45:00.89\00:45:04.33
and stays within the circle.
00:45:04.36\00:45:07.93
We're not saved
because we stay in the circle,
00:45:07.96\00:45:10.88
we can't stay and
we are already outside.
00:45:10.91\00:45:13.85
He puts us in and we stay in
00:45:13.88\00:45:16.31
because we trust
Him because we love Him
00:45:16.34\00:45:19.43
by grace through
faith in Jesus Christ.
00:45:19.46\00:45:25.10
So we keep the Sabbath
not in order to get saved,
00:45:25.13\00:45:29.39
because it's
written in our heart.
00:45:29.42\00:45:31.86
It was on stone,
now it's in our heart
00:45:31.89\00:45:34.34
and we have a
desire to rest in God
00:45:34.37\00:45:40.04
and enter into His rest.
00:45:40.07\00:45:42.35
Those who worship the
beast never get that, we do.
00:45:42.38\00:45:50.33
But the gospel I
think is more than that.
00:45:50.36\00:45:52.62
We have learned that the gospel
00:45:52.65\00:45:55.52
when God writes
His law in our hearts,
00:45:55.55\00:45:57.73
it's not just the
letter of the law,
00:45:57.76\00:46:00.41
the gospel embraces
the spirit of the law.
00:46:00.44\00:46:04.69
A person who follows
the letter of the law
00:46:04.72\00:46:06.74
thinks they are obedient,
they never murdered anyone
00:46:06.77\00:46:08.82
Jesus said, I got news for you.
00:46:08.85\00:46:10.11
If you get
angry, you've murdered,
00:46:10.14\00:46:12.89
so that's the spirit of the law.
00:46:12.92\00:46:16.58
And the sprit of
the law is far more
00:46:16.61\00:46:19.42
and far more far reaching
than the letter of the law.
00:46:19.45\00:46:22.30
Look at Titus and the
reason I'm going to do this now
00:46:22.33\00:46:25.78
is because we are
looking ahead to a time
00:46:25.81\00:46:28.18
when the
deceptions and the force
00:46:28.21\00:46:30.43
will be overwhelming
00:46:30.46\00:46:32.13
for those on this
earth to worship the beast,
00:46:32.16\00:46:34.66
the whole world is going
to after him except for a few.
00:46:34.69\00:46:37.43
We want to be
among the few whose names
00:46:37.46\00:46:39.65
are written in the
Book of Life. Amen.
00:46:39.68\00:46:42.19
And so now, I want to talk about
00:46:42.22\00:46:44.12
what it is going to be like
00:46:44.15\00:46:45.49
those who follow the
Three Angels' Message,
00:46:45.52\00:46:47.62
what they are going to be like?
00:46:47.65\00:46:48.68
What can they be to
strengthen themselves
00:46:48.71\00:46:50.87
and let God strengthen
them to be strong enough
00:46:50.90\00:46:53.26
to stand against the beast?
00:46:53.29\00:46:55.93
In verse 11 in the
little book of Titus 2:11,
00:46:55.96\00:46:59.49
"For the grace of
God that brings salvation
00:46:59.52\00:47:03.20
has appeared to
all men." That's Jesus.
00:47:03.23\00:47:06.70
But watch this.
00:47:06.73\00:47:08.50
Here is the gospel,
the grace of God verse 12,
00:47:08.53\00:47:12.38
"It teaches us to
say no to ungodliness
00:47:12.41\00:47:16.14
and worldly passions,
and live self-controlled,
00:47:16.17\00:47:18.16
upright and godly
lives in this present age
00:47:18.19\00:47:21.32
while we wait for the blessed
hope that is the glorious
00:47:21.35\00:47:23.97
appearing of our great
God and Savior, Jesus Christ
00:47:24.00\00:47:27.02
who has give
himself for us to redeem us
00:47:27.05\00:47:30.48
from all
wickedness purify for himself
00:47:30.51\00:47:33.67
a people that are his very
own, eager to do what is good.
00:47:33.70\00:47:37.80
These, then, are the
words you should teach encourage
00:47:37.83\00:47:40.32
and rebuke with all authority
00:47:40.35\00:47:42.14
and don't let
anyone despise you."
00:47:42.17\00:47:45.47
So the gospel is more than just
a little tickly good feeling
00:47:45.50\00:47:49.36
we get when we accept Jesus.
00:47:49.39\00:47:53.30
The gospel teaches us
to say no to ungodliness
00:47:53.33\00:47:59.23
and worldly passion
to live upright lives now
00:47:59.26\00:48:03.65
in this present age while
we wait for the blessed hope.
00:48:03.68\00:48:07.32
What is the
blessed hope of the church?
00:48:07.35\00:48:09.37
He tells us the
glorious appearing
00:48:09.40\00:48:11.88
of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ.
00:48:11.91\00:48:14.16
So while we the
church are waiting
00:48:14.19\00:48:16.87
for the glorious
appearing of Jesus,
00:48:16.90\00:48:19.23
the gospel teaches us
to say no to ungodliness
00:48:19.26\00:48:22.66
and worldly passion
and living upright life.
00:48:22.69\00:48:24.58
What is the ungodliness?
What is the worldly passion?
00:48:24.61\00:48:27.35
The gospel
teaches us to say no to.
00:48:27.38\00:48:29.90
Well, you don't have to go far,
00:48:29.93\00:48:31.63
just look at the Marquis
at the neighborhood theater
00:48:31.66\00:48:34.24
or don't look at them,
you don't really need to,
00:48:34.27\00:48:36.01
you know what's there.
00:48:36.04\00:48:37.95
The filth, the immorality,
00:48:37.98\00:48:41.70
the godlessness is portrayed
on the movie screens today
00:48:41.73\00:48:47.33
are the things that the Bible
is teaching us to say no to.
00:48:47.36\00:48:53.58
The movies portray
drugs, crime, violence,
00:48:53.61\00:49:01.32
immorality,
homosexuality, unfaithfulness
00:49:01.35\00:49:07.43
as something
that's normal, natural.
00:49:07.46\00:49:12.94
And God says flee from it all,
00:49:12.97\00:49:17.02
I want you to know that
the Hollywood script writers
00:49:17.05\00:49:21.80
do not have your
spiritual wellbeing in mind
00:49:21.83\00:49:24.04
when they plan a movie.
00:49:24.07\00:49:28.08
And I believe that
as Christians its time
00:49:28.11\00:49:29.98
that we stand on our guard
00:49:30.01\00:49:32.20
and watch what we
put into our minds
00:49:32.23\00:49:35.44
because the devil is trying
to do everything that he can
00:49:35.47\00:49:39.60
in order to
deceive you into thinking
00:49:39.63\00:49:42.77
that wrong is
right and right is wrong.
00:49:42.80\00:49:50.75
Modern music again songs about
demons and immorality, cheating.
00:49:50.78\00:49:57.70
Now let me show you,
00:50:02.94\00:50:05.22
I found this news
paper article years ago.
00:50:05.25\00:50:09.21
Boy I can image what
the guy would be saying now.
00:50:09.24\00:50:12.90
This was about Madonna,
you heard of her, right?
00:50:12.93\00:50:17.46
The material girl
going to far is the title,
00:50:17.49\00:50:21.10
she just put out a new DVD
00:50:21.13\00:50:24.30
and there was a
lot of controversy
00:50:24.33\00:50:26.30
about in fact even
MTV wouldn't show it.
00:50:26.33\00:50:28.66
That must have really been bad.
00:50:28.69\00:50:31.14
So it says how far will she go?
00:50:31.17\00:50:33.75
Well, this
particular Hollywood critic said
00:50:33.78\00:50:37.89
after talking
about the news the TV,
00:50:37.92\00:50:41.71
prime time TV
programs going more and more
00:50:41.74\00:50:44.09
towards nudity
even in prime time.
00:50:44.12\00:50:47.82
Now he says
comparing this to Madonna.
00:50:47.85\00:50:52.82
What is happening on the fringe
is influencing the centre,
00:50:52.85\00:50:59.05
this is profound you
really need to get this.
00:50:59.08\00:51:02.48
While the public might
not want Madonna's antiques
00:51:02.51\00:51:05.26
on prime time television it
changes the overall paradigm
00:51:05.29\00:51:12.45
and it paves the way.
00:51:12.48\00:51:15.77
In other words the worse
it gets out on the fringe,
00:51:15.80\00:51:20.28
the more acceptable things seen
00:51:20.31\00:51:24.12
that were not seen
as acceptable before.
00:51:24.15\00:51:29.19
This is a movie critic writing
and this was 15 years ago.
00:51:29.22\00:51:35.76
What would he say today?
00:51:35.79\00:51:38.76
And yet I see Christians going
to watch these same movies,
00:51:38.79\00:51:42.51
listening to the
same kind of music
00:51:42.54\00:51:44.69
even here sometimes
at Christian socials.
00:51:44.72\00:51:50.15
It reminds me of a
poem I heard one time,
00:51:50.18\00:51:55.71
"Vice is a monster of so
frightful and mean to be hated,
00:51:55.74\00:52:02.53
it need only be
seen but seen too often,
00:52:02.56\00:52:08.11
we become
familiar with its face,
00:52:08.14\00:52:11.47
first we abhor, then we endure,
00:52:11.50\00:52:15.54
then we embrace.
And it's so true.
00:52:15.57\00:52:22.72
Ask yourself you are
watching things today
00:52:22.75\00:52:24.63
you never would have
watched five years ago.
00:52:24.66\00:52:27.76
I think it's time that
we start paying attention
00:52:27.79\00:52:29.60
what we put into our minds.
00:52:29.63\00:52:32.50
What else can we do?
How can we be prepared?
00:52:32.53\00:52:35.34
Turn to 1 Corinthians
00:52:35.37\00:52:36.80
and remember keep
it in the context.
00:52:36.83\00:52:38.55
We are not trying to
figure out what we can do
00:52:38.58\00:52:40.35
to make ourselves
acceptable to God,
00:52:40.38\00:52:41.88
that's a done deal,
Jesus already did it.
00:52:41.91\00:52:44.76
What we want to know,
00:52:44.79\00:52:45.86
we want to know
what can we do to enhance
00:52:45.89\00:52:49.21
and strengthen our walk with God
00:52:49.24\00:52:51.15
to be able to
distinguish the difference
00:52:51.18\00:52:52.65
between the
counterfeit and the truth?
00:52:52.68\00:52:58.12
In 1 Corinthians
3:16, "Don't you know
00:52:58.15\00:53:01.89
that you
yourselves are God's temple
00:53:01.92\00:53:03.32
and that God's
Spirit lives in you?
00:53:03.35\00:53:04.66
If anyone destroys God's temple,
00:53:04.69\00:53:06.10
God will destroy him
because God's temple is sacred,
00:53:06.13\00:53:08.62
and you are that temple."
00:53:08.65\00:53:10.23
God wants us to watch
what we put into our bodies
00:53:10.26\00:53:13.57
because our bodies
are the temple of God.
00:53:13.60\00:53:16.02
Here is another
one in 1 Corinthians 6
00:53:16.05\00:53:19.67
this time in the last
verse of the Chapter 20.
00:53:19.70\00:53:22.98
He says, "You are not your
own, you were bought at a price,
00:53:23.01\00:53:25.05
therefore honor
God with your bodies."
00:53:25.08\00:53:27.23
Take care of your
bodies you are not your own,
00:53:27.26\00:53:30.01
Jesus paid for you.
00:53:30.04\00:53:32.20
And then in Chapter 10:31,
00:53:32.23\00:53:33.95
"Whatever you eat or drink
do it all for the glory of God."
00:53:33.98\00:53:36.73
Three times here in this
letter he is letting us know
00:53:36.76\00:53:39.12
that our bodies are important,
00:53:39.15\00:53:40.91
they are important
part of who we are.
00:53:40.94\00:53:42.55
God made us with the body
00:53:42.58\00:53:44.19
and everything He
made was very good.
00:53:44.22\00:53:46.09
One lady said, wow,
this isn't anything,
00:53:46.12\00:53:47.70
it's just a sack
that holds my soul.
00:53:47.73\00:53:50.83
So what verse is that?
00:53:50.86\00:53:53.24
In Genesis it
says that God created
00:53:53.27\00:53:55.50
the man and woman with the
body and God said everything
00:53:55.53\00:53:57.92
that He made was very good
00:53:57.95\00:54:01.22
and He wants us to
take care of our bodies
00:54:01.25\00:54:02.80
because our body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit
00:54:02.83\00:54:05.04
and that means that what we put
into our bodies matters to God
00:54:05.07\00:54:10.08
because what we put
into our bodies determines
00:54:10.11\00:54:12.40
how much we can
understand and commune with God.
00:54:12.43\00:54:15.59
The Holy Spirit lives
in me, Jesus lives in me,
00:54:15.62\00:54:17.86
he doesn't want
to smoke cigarettes
00:54:17.89\00:54:19.23
so why do I force him to do it.
00:54:19.26\00:54:21.98
He doesn't want to
get stoned on drugs
00:54:22.01\00:54:23.82
in marijuana and other
so why do I make him do it?
00:54:23.85\00:54:26.44
He lives in me. You
see what I'm saying.
00:54:26.47\00:54:30.18
He doesn't want to
get boozed up on alcohol
00:54:30.21\00:54:33.14
and pickle his brain and
why do you want to do it?
00:54:33.17\00:54:38.14
The time is
coming the Bible says
00:54:38.17\00:54:39.84
when we are going
to need to determine
00:54:39.87\00:54:41.06
difference
between truth and error,
00:54:41.09\00:54:42.15
it's going to take
every brain that we have.
00:54:42.18\00:54:44.10
Why do we want to destroy them
00:54:44.13\00:54:45.80
with few fleeting
moments of pleasure?
00:54:45.83\00:54:51.30
One day a man
roughly came home and said
00:54:51.33\00:54:56.09
Lord I don't
want to do anything,
00:54:56.12\00:54:57.31
I just want to go home
and sit in my big easy chair,
00:54:57.34\00:55:00.38
put my feet up in the fireplace
and read the paper, relax
00:55:00.41\00:55:05.85
but he had two little kids,
00:55:05.88\00:55:08.03
he knew that
wasn't going to happen.
00:55:08.06\00:55:10.27
So he got the bright
idea on the way home,
00:55:10.30\00:55:13.15
he would stop in at
his Wal-Mart or Kmart
00:55:13.18\00:55:18.14
or whatever kind
of mart you live in
00:55:18.17\00:55:19.80
wherever you are
in the world watching,
00:55:19.83\00:55:22.55
and he bought a puzzle
but he checked the age,
00:55:22.58\00:55:28.58
you know every puzzle
has a age limit on it.
00:55:28.61\00:55:31.46
So he checked the
age group to make sure
00:55:31.49\00:55:33.79
that it was older than his kids.
00:55:33.82\00:55:37.86
So feeling smug he comes home
00:55:37.89\00:55:40.49
and they sure off
come running at the door
00:55:40.52\00:55:41.84
daddy, daddy let's
play, he said oh, yeah
00:55:41.87\00:55:43.62
fine we are going to play
00:55:43.65\00:55:44.70
but here I brought you a present
00:55:44.73\00:55:46.10
what is it? What is it?
00:55:46.13\00:55:47.16
Here it's a puzzle
map of the United States,
00:55:47.19\00:55:49.89
now go upstairs
and put it together
00:55:49.92\00:55:51.42
when you finish you
come down and we will play.
00:55:51.45\00:55:54.37
So they ran upstairs,
he sits in his easy chair
00:55:54.40\00:55:56.91
in front of the fire
place, puts his feet up
00:55:56.94\00:55:59.70
and reads the paper all relaxed
ready for relaxed evening,
00:55:59.73\00:56:02.65
when just a few minutes later
00:56:02.68\00:56:04.49
they come
running down the steps,
00:56:04.52\00:56:05.97
daddy, daddy, daddy we are done.
00:56:06.00\00:56:08.40
Feeling sabotage he said
who helped you, your mother?
00:56:08.43\00:56:11.30
No, no, no we did it all by
ourselves we did it, we did it.
00:56:11.33\00:56:14.14
Well how did you do it?
00:56:14.17\00:56:16.04
They said well we got that
puzzle out and it was a map
00:56:16.07\00:56:19.06
and we don't know
where all those pieces went,
00:56:19.09\00:56:22.09
we don't know the states
but one of the piece turned over
00:56:22.12\00:56:26.95
and it was a man's ear
and we turned another one over
00:56:26.98\00:56:31.05
and it was a nose and another
one was a eye and a mouth
00:56:31.08\00:56:35.77
and we kept
turning the pieces over
00:56:35.80\00:56:37.78
and putting the
man's face together
00:56:37.81\00:56:39.58
when we got that all done,
00:56:39.61\00:56:41.09
turned the puzzle
over and it was finished.
00:56:41.12\00:56:45.42
See some people focus
on this piece or that piece
00:56:45.45\00:56:48.22
and what they
eat, what they drink,
00:56:48.25\00:56:49.58
what they wear, what
day they go to church
00:56:49.61\00:56:51.34
and they think that if
they do all these things
00:56:51.37\00:56:53.27
that makes them holy
and righteous and good
00:56:53.30\00:56:57.27
and then the others
say, no, no it doesn't matter
00:56:57.30\00:56:59.86
about those
things, eat what you want,
00:56:59.89\00:57:01.01
drink what you
want, go where you want,
00:57:01.04\00:57:02.07
do what you want,
and any old day would do.
00:57:02.10\00:57:09.46
But those who
focus on the man's face
00:57:09.49\00:57:13.00
spend their time
thinking about Jesus.
00:57:13.03\00:57:16.38
We'll discover what
to do and what not to do
00:57:16.41\00:57:22.73
because they love
Him, they trust Him.
00:57:22.76\00:57:26.79
See the whole idea is
00:57:26.82\00:57:32.68
to turn your eyes upon Jesus.
00:57:32.71\00:57:38.85
Look full in His wonderful face
00:57:38.88\00:57:42.25
and the things of
earth will grow strangely dim
00:57:42.28\00:57:47.15
in the light of
His glory and grace.
00:57:47.18\00:57:53.47
Follow the Lamb.
00:57:53.50\00:57:55.73