1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,480 Ryan, I thank God so much for your gifts and talents on the trumpet, but Revelation has 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,000 completely ruined that for me. 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,000 So now every time I hear a trumpet, I think the sun is going to blow up. 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:21,560 So now as we turn into the book of Revelation, as we finish really the last three, we're 5 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,720 going to cover a lot in the last three. 6 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:29,720 I apologize for that, but I really don't, that we are doing a 10,000 foot view of Revelation. 7 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:34,600 I know that there is the BSF study that's doing like a one foot, taking 33 weeks. 8 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:39,520 I think if I would have preached Revelation for 33 weeks, you guys would have fired me. 9 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:45,520 So I went to 13 weeks, and again, re-dive into this. 10 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:51,280 Maybe you've read these, some of these sections we've actually read in our, maybe our yearly 11 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:57,080 walk with the Lord of reading the Bible, that 16 kind of toward the end, there are some 12 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:04,040 easier, maybe a little more comfort to some of this if you keep it just in those chapters. 13 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,640 We are doing this in the view of the entire book. 14 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:13,480 And so we have, we have chapter 16, we're going to do the entire chapter, and we're 15 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:15,760 going to look at a lot. 16 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:20,660 We're going to look at these seven bowls of God's wrath. 17 00:01:20,660 --> 00:01:25,320 So again, we've used that term a lot, that God seems to have a lot of wrath, and I think 18 00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:33,600 it's warranted, but the seven bowls of wrath in chapter 16 reveal the culmination of God's 19 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:35,760 final judgment. 20 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,840 Again, final judgment. 21 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,240 We are in the book of Revelation, we're in the end. 22 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,900 After this is the new heavens, the new earth, that we are raptured, right? 23 00:01:45,900 --> 00:01:55,240 We are in glory, that life is forever different for the believer and for the unbeliever. 24 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:56,600 So we're going to get there. 25 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:01,880 It's the culmination of God's final judgment upon the earth. 26 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,120 It's severe, friends. 27 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,600 Now some of you are going, well, duh, it's been severe the entire time. 28 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:14,480 And though that is true, but this is pointing to God's unwavering holiness because he is 29 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,520 fulfilling his word. 30 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,880 He is fulfilling his justice. 31 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:25,760 And again, we have our own definitions of what justice is. 32 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,520 I can sit down with each and every one of you, and what is justice in the world today? 33 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,320 And I would get a lot of different answers. 34 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,640 This is the final judgment of the divine of God. 35 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:41,960 This chapter underscores God's sovereign rule, and we love and hate that, if we're being 36 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:42,960 honest. 37 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:47,120 We love that God is sovereign, but then when bad things happen, we actually hate that God 38 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,820 is sovereign because why would a sovereign God allow for, insert whatever trial we go 39 00:02:51,820 --> 00:02:53,560 through here? 40 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:59,320 But this is also his righteous response to sin. 41 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:03,660 So we're going to look at these judgments and what implications it has for us today. 42 00:03:03,660 --> 00:03:09,920 So we see in the beginning of chapter 6, the outpouring of the first four bowls of God's 43 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:10,920 wrath. 44 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:16,120 Now, I'm not sure how often we get to wrath. 45 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:22,440 I hope and I pray that we don't get to wrath easily as people because wrath has to deal 46 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:23,800 with judgment. 47 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:29,120 That if I'm going to pour my wrath on somebody, that is like a building up. 48 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:35,520 If you get to wrath because someone cut you off, friend, let's talk. 49 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,880 That's not the right response to someone cutting you off, even if you're in a hurry with their 50 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:40,880 car. 51 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:49,160 I would say there's probably not too many things that wrath should be the response. 52 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:53,080 Even being a parent, I mean our kids make us angry. 53 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:59,760 Our kids frustrate us just as we frustrated our parents, but wrath is not necessarily 54 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,520 the response that we ought to give. 55 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,720 And I'm just going to put it out there. 56 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:10,240 If you think you grew up with maybe more of a tyrant based parenting system, my guess 57 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:14,560 is you still didn't get wrath because wrath is a big deal. 58 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:19,600 Wrath, in my opinion, as I submit to you this morning, is really something God should have 59 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:24,360 solely because you have to kind of deal with wrath. 60 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:33,080 When you give your judgment or you pour out your wrath, there's usually a wake of whatever, 61 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,440 not good things behind you. 62 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:41,400 You can't dive into wrath and then the next day just be like, everything's great. 63 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:42,920 It doesn't work that way. 64 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,680 Wrath doesn't work that way. 65 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:50,760 So the first four bowls of wrath, chapter 16, were the first nine verses. 66 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:55,200 John as his revelation writes, then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven 67 00:04:55,200 --> 00:05:01,880 angels, go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God. 68 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:07,040 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth and harmful and painful 69 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:13,120 sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. 70 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:18,120 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea and it became like the blood of a 71 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,440 corpse and every living thing died that was in the sea. 72 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:26,800 The third angel poured out his wrath into the rivers and the springs of water and they 73 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:28,840 became blood. 74 00:05:28,840 --> 00:05:35,480 And I heard the angel in charge of the water say, just are you, O Holy One, who is and 75 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:39,360 was for you brought these judgments. 76 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,880 For they have shed the blood of the saints and the prophets and you have given them blood 77 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:45,400 to drink. 78 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:47,880 It is what they deserve. 79 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:54,440 And I heard the altar saying, yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true, true and justice are your 80 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:56,440 judgments. 81 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:01,600 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun and it was allowed to scorch people with 82 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,100 fire. 83 00:06:03,100 --> 00:06:08,640 They were scorched by the fierce heat and they cursed the name of God who had power 84 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,300 over these plagues. 85 00:06:10,300 --> 00:06:15,920 They did not repent and give him glory. 86 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:22,760 Notice how I don't think we should get to wrath as humans because as God uses his wrath, 87 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:28,760 he uses it in a pretty cataclysmic way, in an epic kind of way. 88 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:33,080 The first bowl brings sores upon those who worship the beast. 89 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:39,080 Again, this is going back two weeks and one week ago of you had the mark of God and the 90 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:40,920 mark of the beast. 91 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:45,640 And there are people that even in the midst of all the things that have happened, they 92 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:47,980 still choose the beast. 93 00:06:47,980 --> 00:06:53,880 They still choose to worship the beast where really they're worshiping themselves. 94 00:06:53,880 --> 00:07:00,880 And the first bowl brings upon these sores of those who worship, signifying divine retribution 95 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:07,860 against two things, unfaithfulness and idolatry. 96 00:07:07,860 --> 00:07:12,440 One way you can unpack this is go all the way back to Genesis chapter, or sorry, Exodus 97 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:16,240 chapter 20 and read the Ten Commandments. 98 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:21,200 How do you want to know where God's going to bring his judgments and his wrath? 99 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:23,280 It's in the law that he gave. 100 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:24,400 Why? 101 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:26,880 Because he's a just God. 102 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,600 Oh, pastor, I don't know. 103 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:32,840 This seems like God's too judgy. 104 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,320 He's just maybe more judgy than I'm comfortable with. 105 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,760 All I can say to this is you're right. 106 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:42,800 He gets to be because he is God. 107 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:47,600 And if you struggle with that, it's because you want him on a more digestible level and 108 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:50,400 you probably want to be on the same level as him. 109 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:52,320 Well that's worth judgment. 110 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:56,720 That's worth the wrath of God. 111 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:01,220 Divine retribution against unfaithfulness and idolatry. 112 00:08:01,220 --> 00:08:07,700 Why do we think if we go to those commandments, the first four have to do with giving us bounds 113 00:08:07,700 --> 00:08:15,800 to the rivers, boundaries to our lives, to not have idols of anything in our world, namely 114 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:16,800 ourselves. 115 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:24,520 Money, lust, power, passion, insert whatever you may worship in your life. 116 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:31,240 God has said from the very beginning of creating his people, don't do this. 117 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:36,720 And why in the world do we give, for all the parents in the room, why do we give rules 118 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,280 for our kids? 119 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:45,560 Why do you tell your kid, right, Jim Wilcher, you had Deanna and Seth, right, why did you 120 00:08:45,560 --> 00:08:50,560 teach them to look both ways before they cross the street? 121 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:55,560 Because you want the best for them, i.e. don't get hit by cars. 122 00:08:55,560 --> 00:08:57,040 That's why we do it. 123 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:04,040 Why, hey, this pot of water is boiling, that means it's hot, don't touch it. 124 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:09,280 How many of our kids or us have touched that pot? 125 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:11,700 That's not nearly enough hands. 126 00:09:11,700 --> 00:09:15,000 But that, isn't it interesting? 127 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:16,360 Instant pain. 128 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:20,800 I don't know too many people that put their hand in boiling water and go, oh, yeah, I'm 129 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,880 going to feel that in the morning while I have my hand in said pot. 130 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:32,500 But as Jim astutely brings out, he wants the best for us because he knows what we're going 131 00:09:32,500 --> 00:09:38,840 to be capable of, that you and I are capable of worshipping idols. 132 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:42,960 You and I are capable of forgoing our first love. 133 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:50,040 You and I are capable of seeing the goodness of God and say, oh, but this is better. 134 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:51,440 He knows that about us. 135 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:53,160 That's why he's hemmed us in. 136 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:58,600 But again, we're now at the end. 137 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:04,880 For all of those that did not do that, for all of those that did not receive the grace 138 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:13,680 and mercy of the Lord, these bowls of judgment, the time for forgiveness, the time for confession, 139 00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:20,600 the time to go turn 180 and follow after God, that time is over. 140 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,160 And I know there's some of us that really don't like that. 141 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:26,720 But God is the God of second chances, Jim. 142 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,040 I'm sure you've said that from the stage. 143 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:30,040 You're right. 144 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,540 In 2024, I have said that. 145 00:10:32,540 --> 00:10:35,520 And if we're still here in 2025, I'll say it again. 146 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:36,520 And guess what? 147 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:37,520 2026, we'll see. 148 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:43,480 No, I'll probably say it too because we're not at the end yet. 149 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,160 Understand, there is an end. 150 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:47,880 It will happen. 151 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:50,360 And these bowls of wrath will be poured out. 152 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:55,980 The second bowl and third bowl are more his dominion and judgment over creation. 153 00:10:55,980 --> 00:10:58,240 Have you been tracking with this? 154 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:04,880 Not only is there judgment for people, those created in the image of God, creation is being 155 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:08,120 judged as well. 156 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:12,280 That is one thing that some of you that have either called me, texted me, or met with me 157 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:18,880 with like, you don't understand, like, why is God, why is God ruining creation? 158 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,780 Because creation has sin in it as well. 159 00:11:22,780 --> 00:11:27,720 We don't think about that because trees don't murder each other. 160 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,120 Like we don't, like, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. 161 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:32,680 But the world has sin in it. 162 00:11:32,680 --> 00:11:34,760 Genesis 3 happened. 163 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:39,600 And now this is the divine correction of that. 164 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:44,440 So the second and third bowl turn the sea and rivers into blood, evoking the plagues 165 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:49,840 of Egypt, which I think is fascinating, that it's, you know, for a lot of us, if we're 166 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:55,680 going to be around during this time, we're going to go, we've seen this before. 167 00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:57,360 We've heard about this before. 168 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:00,040 None of us was there when we were in Egypt, obviously. 169 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:04,640 But we understand, we recognize what God is doing. 170 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:11,260 This is reinforcing God's consistent and constant judgment throughout the Scriptures, emphasizing 171 00:12:11,260 --> 00:12:16,080 his power over creation. 172 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,680 Now this one's interesting. 173 00:12:18,680 --> 00:12:24,160 And for all of my pale brothers and sisters, this one probably hits a little harder. 174 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:28,000 That the fourth bowl intensifies the heat of the sun. 175 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:32,360 And it's more than just sunburn that you might get. 176 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:40,880 That this is the heat of the sun, a symbolic act representing God's unrestraining wrath 177 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,280 as the sun scorches the unrepentant. 178 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:52,640 Now for some of you, you may abhor summertime because you just burn when you go out. 179 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:53,640 I get it. 180 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:54,640 I don't. 181 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:55,920 But some of you do. 182 00:12:55,920 --> 00:13:01,880 That is not, like when you get put on sunscreen, that's not God's divine wrath. 183 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,680 That's just your pale skin. 184 00:13:04,680 --> 00:13:06,760 This is something completely different. 185 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:15,400 And what I think is fascinating is that the bowl of wrath is poured out over the sun itself. 186 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:16,960 Just think about that for a minute. 187 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:21,280 These bowls of wrath are being poured out to the entire earth. 188 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:23,000 It's not just the US. 189 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,540 It's not just Russia. 190 00:13:24,540 --> 00:13:26,200 It's not just the Caribbean. 191 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,560 It's the entire world. 192 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:34,640 This bowl of wrath is being poured out over the sun, allowing the sun to intensify and 193 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:41,280 scorch the unrepentant humanity that is still on the earth. 194 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:47,160 The plagues in Egypt serve as a historical precedent showing God's judgment, but it is 195 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:54,760 going to be the present reality, the present reality of what is to come. 196 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:59,480 Let's pause there for a minute. 197 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,120 I don't think about this a lot, but I've thought about it before. 198 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:06,800 What would it have been to be an Israelite in Egypt during that time? 199 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:11,560 And you have to remember, you can't go in it with what we know in 2024. 200 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:13,080 So again, this is way before. 201 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:14,080 This is before the law. 202 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:15,080 This is before the prophets. 203 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:18,480 This is before everything in here. 204 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,920 They were slaves. 205 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:27,560 And you see these 10 plagues take place during that span of time, the last being the death 206 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:29,400 of the firstborn son. 207 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:31,000 The angel of death comes in. 208 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:35,440 And whether you go Prince of Egypt or you go Charlton Heston Ten Commandments, it's 209 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:36,880 still freaky. 210 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:37,980 It's still scary. 211 00:14:37,980 --> 00:14:43,520 It still shows God's divine power as he's literally knocking off each of the 10 gods 212 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:47,440 and goddesses of Egyptian theology and mythology. 213 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:49,040 He's saying, nope, I'm stronger than that. 214 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:50,040 I'm stronger than that. 215 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:54,440 Dark, light, blood, life, animals, people. 216 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:56,720 He's bringing it back. 217 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:00,620 He's bringing it back for a purpose and a reason. 218 00:15:00,620 --> 00:15:07,680 It was a judgment for the Egyptians who made an idol out of everything. 219 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:18,440 But God's bringing it back, which maybe should signify for us that we may be the New Age 220 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:24,480 Egyptians, that the unrepented in the earth, one of the marks of the unrepented is that 221 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,640 they make idols out of everything. 222 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,040 No, pastor, that's not what it says. 223 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:36,400 Well, then let's go to the historical viewpoint of the Empire of Rome during this time, which 224 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:41,000 again, you can read it as John's revelation to the judgment of the church under Emperor 225 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:45,600 Nero and those emperors during that time. 226 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:47,280 Not too different. 227 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:52,080 Romans made a god and goddess out of everything. 228 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:56,000 They were the New Age Egyptians at that time. 229 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:57,840 So how does that look today? 230 00:15:57,840 --> 00:15:59,340 2024. 231 00:15:59,340 --> 00:16:01,320 Not too far from 2025. 232 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:04,400 What do the idols in our life look like? 233 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:10,600 Well, we don't worship at the altar of Mars. 234 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:15,680 We don't do Amun-Ra or all the insert Roman theology gods and goddesses. 235 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:16,680 We don't. 236 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:20,920 No, we don't worship at the altar of any of those things, pastor. 237 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:23,000 No, you're right. 238 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:24,000 I hope you don't. 239 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,080 Like, you have a statue of a god or a goddess in your house. 240 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,840 Let me come in and take it because you probably shouldn't have it. 241 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:31,840 Actually, not probably. 242 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:32,840 You shouldn't have it. 243 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:33,840 Well, it was a gift. 244 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:36,600 Throw it in the fire. 245 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:40,360 I think we make idols out of other things. 246 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:50,400 Lust, politics, money, power, authority, the internet. 247 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:54,640 I don't worship the god of the internet. 248 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:57,800 I don't have Bill Gates on a plaque in my house. 249 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:02,600 That would be super weird. 250 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,240 But I just jump on it right when I wake up. 251 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,480 I'm connected all day. 252 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:12,000 I give God a what's up, probably around meal time before I eat if I remember. 253 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:13,040 I'm pretty much on it. 254 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,400 I live tweet everything. 255 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:20,980 I usually spend a couple hours on it, make sure that the filters all look good for my 256 00:17:20,980 --> 00:17:24,560 end of the night post. 257 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:26,640 I don't worship the internet. 258 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,800 No, friend, you're right. 259 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:29,800 You don't. 260 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,800 You worship yourself and the internet. 261 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,080 Notice how the idols have changed. 262 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,200 Amen Ra was not worshiped by the Romans. 263 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:44,760 Amen Ra is not worshiped by us in 2024. 264 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:46,840 I don't know the Roman word for internet. 265 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:48,720 They didn't have one. 266 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:50,080 But insert whatever here. 267 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:52,860 I think idol worship is still going on. 268 00:17:52,860 --> 00:17:55,000 So what do we do with this? 269 00:17:55,000 --> 00:18:02,360 These first four bowls, we need to remember that God's justice is specific and it's righteous. 270 00:18:02,360 --> 00:18:09,700 The first four bowls show God's focused judgment on those who reject him. 271 00:18:09,700 --> 00:18:17,240 Even if your Instagram or your TikTok is you praying to God, lovingly I'm going to say 272 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,360 please stop. 273 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:24,040 Go in your closet, throw your phone away and pray there. 274 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:28,040 But this is very specific to those who reject God. 275 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:33,440 Each plague corresponds to human sin revealing God's justice. 276 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,960 It's not haphazard or vindicated. 277 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:37,180 It's purposeful. 278 00:18:37,180 --> 00:18:38,360 It's perfect. 279 00:18:38,360 --> 00:18:42,680 Some of you are like, wow, Revelation is just showing that God's a giant jerk. 280 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:43,680 Watch out. 281 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:45,840 One of these bowls is probably for you. 282 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,040 No, this is specific. 283 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,520 He said he was going to do this. 284 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,440 And we can even do that in our own discipline of our kids. 285 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:58,360 Okay, you just told us that you were going to punch your brother. 286 00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:03,800 If you know, if you're going to punch your brother, you're going to get your tablet taken 287 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:05,920 away for a week. 288 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,000 Five minutes later, punches his brother. 289 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:10,320 Guess what? 290 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,040 Tablet's gone for a week. 291 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:14,360 Now, Carrie keeps it to a week. 292 00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:16,440 I go, you were dumb enough to do it. 293 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:20,200 It's two weeks. 294 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:22,000 It's just something Carrie and I are working out. 295 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,880 But understand that God's justice is specific. 296 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:26,880 It's not random. 297 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,680 Man, I've heard that from some of you over the course of the last couple months. 298 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:34,680 Wow, Revelation just seems to be a lot of randomness. 299 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:35,680 Not at all. 300 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:37,860 This is all been said. 301 00:19:37,860 --> 00:19:40,520 This is how I'm going to do it. 302 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:41,520 So it's random. 303 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:42,520 Or it's not random. 304 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:43,520 It's specific. 305 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,000 It's righteous and it's authoritative over all creation. 306 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,520 Friends, we're not done. 307 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,840 We got the fifth and sixth bowl, darkness and deception. 308 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:58,560 So let's read a couple of selected verses from chapter 16. 309 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:05,400 The fifth angel poured out of his hand, poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast and 310 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,440 its kingdom was plunged into darkness. 311 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:13,480 The sixth angel gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain 312 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:14,720 and sores. 313 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,160 They did not repent of their deeds. 314 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:22,500 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and its water was dried 315 00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:26,960 up to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 316 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:31,360 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out 317 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:36,000 of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs. 318 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:42,520 For they are demonic spirits performing signs who go abroad to the kings of the whole world 319 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,900 to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 320 00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:53,320 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. 321 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:59,680 Okay, so fifth and sixth bowl. 322 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:06,760 The fifth bowl covers the kingdom of the beast in darkness reminiscent of the plague in Exodus. 323 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:09,040 These match up beautifully. 324 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:11,800 It's designed to be that way, right? 325 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,080 Reminiscent of the plagues in Exodus 10. 326 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:20,200 This judgment symbolizes a spiritual and moral darkness ascending upon those who do evil. 327 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:24,800 And here's something that as I was reading it this week, it really kind of, there was 328 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:26,400 a lot of friction in me. 329 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:32,040 And these people had sores, now they're in the dark, and they just keep cursing God. 330 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:33,200 Because guess what? 331 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:36,920 There is no time for repentance now. 332 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:38,400 We are in the end. 333 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,080 Pastor, I know you keep saying it. 334 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:42,360 We get it, we're in the end. 335 00:21:42,360 --> 00:21:44,920 But understand, it's pretty descriptive. 336 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,320 I think there's a reason why. 337 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,280 We are told about the anguish. 338 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:51,800 We're told about demonic frogs. 339 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:53,240 Why? 340 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:59,720 Because God wants you so badly to understand that his way, life in him, is better than 341 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:04,280 anything that you could do up until this time. 342 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:10,640 Sure, I'm sure all these people will eat, drinking, and being merry, or tomorrow will 343 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:11,640 die. 344 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,240 No, tomorrow you'll be tormented. 345 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,200 Tomorrow you're going to have sores. 346 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,160 Tomorrow you're going to be in darkness. 347 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:23,880 Tomorrow you're not going to be able to eat anything from the sea. 348 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:27,240 Understand that it's turmoil and it's terrorizing. 349 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:33,960 And though it may grip us, it's an understanding of this is the end game for those who follow 350 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:36,960 evil. 351 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,760 Little two minute rabbit trail. 352 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:42,960 We may know people in our life that are unrepentant. 353 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,320 We may know people in our life that don't have that relationship with Jesus. 354 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:51,240 I'm not saying this is the best way to evangelize them. 355 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,920 I'm not saying go to chapter 16 and go verse by verse. 356 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:57,120 You love your skin? 357 00:22:57,120 --> 00:22:58,560 Well, then repent. 358 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,820 Love Jesus because you're going to have boils and sores. 359 00:23:01,820 --> 00:23:04,000 You think frogs are cute creatures? 360 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:05,000 They're not. 361 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,680 For those that are unrepented, they're actually demons. 362 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:10,600 That's not a way to evangelize. 363 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,700 That's not a good way to get people to be scared straight into loving Jesus. 364 00:23:14,700 --> 00:23:18,400 But the reality of the fact is this is all going to happen. 365 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,560 Wow, pastor, I don't know. 366 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:24,600 I think this is just hyperbole from God. 367 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:31,360 Friend, if you want to go there, if you want to test God in that, everything that he has 368 00:23:31,360 --> 00:23:34,440 spoke about in his word has come true. 369 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,960 I don't think it's a good bet. 370 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,400 Because what's the harm? 371 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:44,320 I mean, you believe in God, none of this is going to happen. 372 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:47,660 You believe in Christ and walk in his ways to the glory of his name. 373 00:23:47,660 --> 00:23:51,560 You are going to be exempt from this. 374 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:56,560 You don't have to go through these tests because they're not tests. 375 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:58,220 They're judgments. 376 00:23:58,220 --> 00:24:01,280 This is it. 377 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:05,560 The six bowl dries up the Euphrates, preparing the way for the kings of the east. 378 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,040 And here's the thing. 379 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:09,040 What does this mean? 380 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:13,280 That the Armageddon is coming, the great battle, insert whatever movie you want to put in that 381 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:17,440 has that final battle scene, whether it's a medieval thing or something with hobbits 382 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:25,800 or whatever you want to do, this final battle scene is coming where the sinners of the world 383 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:29,000 are still thinking they have a chance. 384 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:33,960 The six bowl dries up the Euphrates, preparing a way for the kings of the east. 385 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:39,840 This indicates the gathering forces of the evil one for the final confrontation of Armageddon, 386 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:41,840 symbolizing a climactic. 387 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:42,840 Sure. 388 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,040 Showdown between good and evil. 389 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:47,760 It's cinematic, it seems like. 390 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:51,200 We could put this in a movie. 391 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:54,960 But understand there's history to this. 392 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,880 That we have to understand this divine judgment has been talked about not only in scripture 393 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:01,580 but other ancient books. 394 00:25:01,580 --> 00:25:03,940 Other ancient books point to this final battle. 395 00:25:03,940 --> 00:25:10,540 The Dead Sea Scrolls help us understand the evidence and the credibility of what is being 396 00:25:10,540 --> 00:25:11,540 talked about. 397 00:25:11,540 --> 00:25:17,320 In chapter three in Zechariah 12 discuss the gathering of the nations for the final judgment 398 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:21,840 which parallels the understanding of Armageddon. 399 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:23,560 So how do we turn from here as a believer? 400 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:25,440 What do we do with this? 401 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:31,920 First is that spiritual darkness reflects the hardened heart against God. 402 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:36,900 That when we live in spiritual darkness, you are hardening your heart against the love 403 00:25:36,900 --> 00:25:41,920 and mercy of God because you don't believe that God's way is the better way. 404 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:45,840 That the way of Christ is the better way. 405 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:55,280 That the gathering for Armageddon is God's ultimate plan for judgment and victory. 406 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,800 Because I mean the water is starting to boil now. 407 00:25:57,800 --> 00:25:58,960 We're in chapter 16. 408 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:01,000 This pot is about to blow up. 409 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,400 This is going and it's like wow hasn't it already? 410 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:04,400 No. 411 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:06,560 That the ultimate victory is yet to be seen. 412 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:15,120 Jesus as conqueror has yet to come and put the final period on the end of the sentence. 413 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:17,220 I was reading Warren Worsby and I was reading R.C. 414 00:26:17,220 --> 00:26:25,880 Sproul this week and they both used the term God's sovereign orchestration of his victory. 415 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,280 And I just sat with that for a minute. 416 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:35,080 God's sovereign orchestration of his victory. 417 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:39,040 Because God's going to be triumphant over all. 418 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,920 His judgments will come to be. 419 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,680 And this gathering is not by chance. 420 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,160 This gathering has been taught to us. 421 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:52,740 This gathering has an eternal purpose to both redeem but then judge. 422 00:26:52,740 --> 00:26:53,740 That's all part of it. 423 00:26:53,740 --> 00:26:58,040 Well pastor I don't like this sound so judgy. 424 00:26:58,040 --> 00:26:59,720 It is. 425 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:01,640 It's the book of revelation. 426 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,680 It's the final judgment. 427 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,480 Notice how if you go all the way back to the very first sermon which seems like years ago. 428 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,520 I know I've been there. 429 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,600 John cautioned anyone that's going to teach this book. 430 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:18,560 Because you could get to this point and say this is just hyperbole. 431 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:19,560 It's just illustration. 432 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:25,280 God's just trying to use a giant grand sermon illustration to get his point across. 433 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:30,080 I don't believe I was never convicted that that was the right way to teach this book. 434 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:36,360 Now we need to get in and through the trumpets, the bowls, the this, the that, the demonic 435 00:27:36,360 --> 00:27:43,120 frogs, all of these things to understand what God's purpose and plan is for us. 436 00:27:43,120 --> 00:27:46,720 It's for victory. 437 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,480 And so here we go. 438 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:52,600 Now we're about to leave third and head home. 439 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:54,600 The seventh bowl. 440 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:58,640 We're going to be in the end of chapter 16. 441 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:03,720 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple 442 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:08,880 from the throne saying it is done. 443 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:13,880 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, pearls of thunder, and a great earthquake 444 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,740 such as there have never been since man was on the earth. 445 00:28:17,740 --> 00:28:20,500 So great was that earthquake. 446 00:28:20,500 --> 00:28:24,980 The great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations fell. 447 00:28:24,980 --> 00:28:30,920 And God remember Babylon the great and to make her drain the cup of wine of the fury 448 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:31,920 of his wrath. 449 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:32,920 That's a sentence. 450 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:40,080 And every island fled away and no mountains were to be found and great hail stones about 451 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:46,160 100 pounds each fell from heaven on people and they cursed God for the plague of the 452 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:52,280 hail because the plague was so severe. 453 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:55,480 Give that one up. 454 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:58,680 Hundred pound hail. 455 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:00,240 Where are my insurance agents? 456 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:02,320 Do we have any insurance agents? 457 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:04,320 I don't remember. 458 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:06,640 Nope, nobody? 459 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:10,080 What kind of damage is a hundred, Randy, what kind of damage is a hundred pound hail due 460 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:11,080 to your car? 461 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:12,360 You got a big car. 462 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:13,360 Yeah. 463 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,400 Mike's little Porsche, that thing's done. 464 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:17,320 Like that's, or whatever that is. 465 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:21,040 Like I mean, this is, think of this. 466 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,760 And it all happens because of three words. 467 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,080 It is done. 468 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:29,400 Where have we heard that before? 469 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:30,800 The cross. 470 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:35,440 The cross was it is finished. 471 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:36,440 And what happened? 472 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:41,880 Jesus breathed his last and now the pathway to God was restored, righteousness imputed 473 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:47,680 onto us, the justification for our sins have been brought up, we've been found Jesus and 474 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:49,920 now we have that eternal relationship. 475 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:56,320 That temple curtain was torn and now that we have salvation because of the blood of 476 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:57,820 Jesus Christ. 477 00:29:57,820 --> 00:30:02,160 And notice now, it's not it is finished, it is done. 478 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:09,400 This is the great end scene to the world. 479 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:15,680 Earthquake has never ever have been experienced by the people of the earth. 480 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:21,520 And this is the completion of God's wrath. 481 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:25,520 So I want to put that in light of the cross. 482 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:28,000 Friend you and I should have been on that cross. 483 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:31,500 But Jesus, our death would have meant nothing. 484 00:30:31,500 --> 00:30:36,840 The perfect God, perfect man needed to be sacrificed so you and I could have eternal 485 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:37,840 life. 486 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:41,400 That God looks at each and every one of you and died for the sins you've committed, the 487 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:44,160 ones you're committing right now, the ones you will commit. 488 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:49,640 That is the gospel for those that turn to him, claim him as Lord and Savior and get 489 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:52,760 in the fight. 490 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:56,520 It's not oh I've claimed Jesus now I can do whatever I want. 491 00:30:56,520 --> 00:30:59,400 That is the wrong understanding of Christian liberty. 492 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:10,740 But understanding that I am every day in the fight because I take what God says seriously. 493 00:31:10,740 --> 00:31:15,560 This statement parallels Christ's words that we see from John 19. 494 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,880 Indicating the fulfillment of the divine judgment. 495 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:25,760 The great earthquake and the hail represent the huge, just massive judgments and bringing 496 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:32,400 it to an end demonstrated that no power on earth can stand against God's ultimate authority. 497 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:37,960 If you go back, Haggai and Isaiah speak to the divine shaking, portraying of God's control 498 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:43,040 over nature and nations. 499 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:44,920 That there's a reckoning. 500 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:47,800 That there's an understanding that God is in control. 501 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:52,080 If you didn't, if you had a question up to this point you shouldn't now. 502 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:53,080 Why? 503 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:55,760 It is done. 504 00:31:55,760 --> 00:32:04,840 Is God's judgment now complete and final? 505 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:06,400 Why do I pause there? 506 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:12,600 Because I still think some of us think after this there's still hope. 507 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:15,320 I can still come to Jesus. 508 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:16,960 No. 509 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:23,720 This is God's judgment final and now complete. 510 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:27,120 And that should mean something for us. 511 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:28,940 There's no more loopholes. 512 00:32:28,940 --> 00:32:30,840 There's no more altar calls. 513 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:32,200 There's no more preaching. 514 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,280 No one say amen. 515 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:37,120 This is it. 516 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:40,600 And we still have a couple more chapters to go. 517 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:44,920 Because what God is doing, God is showing his people through John's revelation that 518 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:49,060 he will always have the final say. 519 00:32:49,060 --> 00:32:55,400 So if you're in some sin trap or cycle of sin in your life right now, whether it's something 520 00:32:55,400 --> 00:33:00,020 on the internet, whether it's a marriage thing, whether it's a dating thing, whether it's 521 00:33:00,020 --> 00:33:04,920 a money thing, whether it's a power thing, maybe you're about to do something unethical 522 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:11,560 in your business or whatever it is, whatever sin is trying to get you to do, understand 523 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:13,480 you have the power to fight. 524 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,600 Where does that power come from? 525 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:20,440 It comes from the power of the cross and it comes from the power of the divine judgment 526 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:24,160 and the final revelation. 527 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,560 That God has that ultimate say. 528 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:31,640 But we should be assured. 529 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:38,120 I know it's hard, but this assures believers that all wrongdoings will ultimately be made 530 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:44,640 right by God who alone holds the authority. 531 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:48,320 You may think you have authority in life because you're a business owner, you're a parent, 532 00:33:48,320 --> 00:33:50,440 you're good at a sport or whatever. 533 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:51,440 You don't. 534 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:59,640 In the grand scheme of the apocalypse, we hold zero authority. 535 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:03,120 So how do we enter into the last two sermons? 536 00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:06,200 Let's walk away with some of these points. 537 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:10,280 God's judgments are just and righteous. 538 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:14,720 For all those that think God's just a heavenly jerk, at this point you're wrong. 539 00:34:14,720 --> 00:34:18,400 His judgments are just and righteous. 540 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:23,440 Recognize that God's wrath is not arbitrary, but a reflection of his justice. 541 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:31,600 That reminds us that sin has consequences and that God's holiness demands righteousness. 542 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:37,160 Reflect on God's justice and express gratitude for Christ's atoning sacrifice that shields 543 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:39,720 us from the ultimate wrath of God. 544 00:34:39,720 --> 00:34:42,480 Second, repentance is essential. 545 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:44,640 It's not suggestive. 546 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:46,640 It's not optional. 547 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:48,240 It is essential. 548 00:34:48,240 --> 00:34:54,960 The unrepentant nature of those affected by the plagues highlight the importance of repentance. 549 00:34:54,960 --> 00:35:00,760 We are called to examine our hearts continually, spend time in prayer and confession seeking 550 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:04,840 God's grace to turn away from our sin. 551 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:09,640 Third, that this should be preparing us, preparing for the final gathering. 552 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:15,520 The gathering at Armageddon points to the future moment where every soul will be aligned 553 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:19,360 either for or against God. 554 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:22,960 This should motivate us to live in faithful obedience. 555 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:26,440 So how do we do that in this life? 556 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:30,720 Friends, I've said it before, I'll keep saying it, engage in community and fellowship that 557 00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:37,860 strengthens your walk with Christ and encourages mutual accountability. 558 00:35:37,860 --> 00:35:41,720 Some of us think we've got to do this Christian life on our own and the only reason why you 559 00:35:41,720 --> 00:35:45,720 believe that is because you want to hide. 560 00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:50,080 If I get vulnerable and accountable with someone about my sin, they're going to judge me. 561 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:52,880 Not more than God will. 562 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:55,280 Their judgment means nothing. 563 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:59,360 If you don't get that, you haven't been following along. 564 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:03,240 And then finally, something that has been in since the very beginning of this sermon 565 00:36:03,240 --> 00:36:07,600 series, be a light in a world of darkness. 566 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:12,060 The fifth pole darkness can be a metaphor for our increasing moral and spiritual darkness 567 00:36:12,060 --> 00:36:13,060 of the world. 568 00:36:13,060 --> 00:36:19,440 But we have always been, those in Christ are called to be a light on a hill. 569 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:22,120 Salt of the earth, Jesus says it. 570 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:27,240 Share the hope of the gospel with those around you, demonstrating the love of Christ in both 571 00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:29,120 word and deed. 572 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,320 I'll also put in there and our thoughts. 573 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:33,320 Let's pray. 574 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:38,840 Father, as we finish up.