WEBVTT 00:00:04.139 --> 00:00:07.219 And we have entitled this series, The Revelation 00:00:07.219 --> 00:00:11.080 of Jesus Christ. Those are the first five words 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:14.660 of this book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:18.539 The book of Revelation is not primarily a book 00:00:18.539 --> 00:00:22.420 about beasts or judgments or timelines. First 00:00:22.420 --> 00:00:25.379 and foremost, this book is the revelation of 00:00:25.379 --> 00:00:28.239 Jesus Christ. It is all about Jesus Christ. It 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:32.359 reveals Jesus Christ to us. It reveals who he 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:35.320 is, but not only that, it reveals what he has 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:38.759 done. It reveals to us how we must remain faithful 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:42.429 to him in the days to come. Verse 1 continues, 00:00:42.670 --> 00:00:45.829 it tells us that it is to show unto his servants 00:00:45.829 --> 00:00:49.520 things which must shortly... come to pass. This 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:52.439 book of Revelation is not intended to scare us. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:55.700 This book is intended to strengthen us. It's 00:00:55.700 --> 00:00:58.500 intended to give us hope. It's intended to give 00:00:58.500 --> 00:01:01.600 us peace and comfort. Even when the world around 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:04.319 us might be shaking, God's word stands forever 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:06.879 firm. And that is the point of the book of Revelation, 00:01:07.099 --> 00:01:10.319 to strengthen us, to fortify us, to give us faith 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:13.219 and hope. And so we are splitting up the book 00:01:13.219 --> 00:01:15.959 of Revelation into three parts that we are calling 00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:20.700 prepare, persevere and prevail. And so last week... 00:01:21.180 --> 00:01:24.879 We study chapters 1 through 5 to know how to 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:27.579 prepare and how to be ready for the last days. 00:01:27.719 --> 00:01:30.299 Revelation 1 and 3 tells us, Blessed is he that 00:01:30.299 --> 00:01:33.459 readeth and they that hear the words of this 00:01:33.459 --> 00:01:36.680 prophecy and keep those things which are written 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:40.120 therein. Why? It says, For the time is at hand. 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:43.939 The time is near. You will be blessed if you 00:01:43.939 --> 00:01:47.500 will read, hear, and keep the words of Jesus 00:01:47.500 --> 00:01:52.000 Christ. So that's how we prepare. First, we must 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:56.019 see Jesus for who he truly is. We must hear what 00:01:56.019 --> 00:01:59.299 he is saying to his church. And lastly, we must 00:01:59.299 --> 00:02:03.719 obey his word and commandments. To see means 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:07.159 that we would gain revelation. To hear means 00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:10.340 that we would receive instruction. And then to 00:02:10.340 --> 00:02:13.099 obey means that we would surrender completely 00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:16.479 to God. And this verse promises us that we will 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:18.439 be blessed if we would do all three of those 00:02:18.439 --> 00:02:21.900 things, if we will see, if we will hear, and 00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:25.780 if we will obey. Revelation 3 and 20, Jesus says, 00:02:25.860 --> 00:02:29.120 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:32.159 man hear my voice and open the door, I will come 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:35.900 into him and I will sup with him and he with 00:02:35.900 --> 00:02:39.080 me. It is not enough to see Jesus for who he 00:02:39.080 --> 00:02:41.419 is and to know that he's the one knocking on 00:02:41.419 --> 00:02:43.680 the door. And it's not enough to hear that he's 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:46.300 the one knocking and to hear his voice asking 00:02:46.300 --> 00:02:49.000 to come in. But no, we have to obey. We have 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:51.479 to open that door. That's how we're blessed. 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:55.560 That's how we prepare. So tonight, we'll be studying 00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:59.039 Revelation chapter 6 through 18, and we will 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:02.199 learn how we must persevere and endure through 00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:05.479 tribulation and judgment. And then next week, 00:03:05.479 --> 00:03:08.979 we'll wrap it up in Revelation chapters 19 through 00:03:08.979 --> 00:03:11.280 22, and we will celebrate that we are on the 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:14.000 winning side. Because of Jesus and his love for 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:17.819 us, we are promised that we will prevail. Prepare, 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:22.030 persevere, prevail. But these are not separate 00:03:22.030 --> 00:03:24.849 ideas. These all are connected one to another. 00:03:25.090 --> 00:03:28.550 The book of Revelation tells us a story in order. 00:03:28.629 --> 00:03:31.229 It's intentional. It's on purpose. And this is 00:03:31.229 --> 00:03:34.569 the main point. If you do not prepare, you will 00:03:34.569 --> 00:03:38.110 not persevere. And likewise, if you do not persevere, 00:03:38.289 --> 00:03:43.050 you will not prevail. Prepare, persevere, prevail. 00:03:43.409 --> 00:03:45.830 Back to that main point. If you do not prepare, 00:03:46.169 --> 00:03:49.590 you will not persevere. That's why Ephesians 00:03:49.590 --> 00:03:52.569 chapter 6 verse 13 tells us that we need to put 00:03:52.569 --> 00:03:55.750 on the whole armor of God that we may be able 00:03:55.750 --> 00:03:58.810 to withstand in the evil day. We have to prepare 00:03:58.810 --> 00:04:02.409 if we are going to persevere. We need what the 00:04:02.409 --> 00:04:05.009 Bible calls the belt of truth, the breastplate 00:04:05.009 --> 00:04:07.849 of righteousness. We need our feet shod with 00:04:07.849 --> 00:04:10.849 the preparation of the gospel of peace. We need 00:04:10.849 --> 00:04:13.389 the shield of faith. We need the helmet of salvation 00:04:13.389 --> 00:04:15.909 and the sword of the spirit, which is the word 00:04:15.909 --> 00:04:18.029 of God, if we're going to make it. it. It's a 00:04:18.029 --> 00:04:20.550 battle. It's a struggle that we're living in, 00:04:20.649 --> 00:04:24.089 but preparation through the armor of God is what 00:04:24.089 --> 00:04:27.430 makes perseverance possible. But that's not it. 00:04:27.509 --> 00:04:30.529 There's one more step. If you do not persevere, 00:04:30.649 --> 00:04:33.889 you will not prevail. Let's look at James 1 and 00:04:33.889 --> 00:04:37.670 12. It tells us so plainly, blessed is the man 00:04:37.670 --> 00:04:40.910 that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, 00:04:41.110 --> 00:04:45.399 he shall receive the crown of life. Perseverance 00:04:45.399 --> 00:04:49.860 leads to prevailing. The crown follows the trial. 00:04:50.139 --> 00:04:53.959 No perseverance, no victory. And so tonight we're 00:04:53.959 --> 00:04:57.540 going to discuss that second step. We are prepared, 00:04:57.819 --> 00:05:01.420 but now we must persevere. We're going to anchor 00:05:01.420 --> 00:05:03.839 our lesson tonight on a familiar passage of Scripture. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:08.079 This is Revelation 12, verse 11. It tells us 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:11.680 they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:14.800 by the word of their testimony. and they love 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:18.779 not their lives unto the death. And so tonight, 00:05:18.920 --> 00:05:22.439 that is how we persevere. We must be cleansed 00:05:22.439 --> 00:05:25.660 by his blood. We must confess that he is Lord, 00:05:25.800 --> 00:05:29.279 and we must be committed in our sacrifice to 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:31.839 please him and him alone. That's what it takes 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:35.160 to persevere. The blood of the lamb is that first 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:39.040 step. Jesus Christ was slain for us, and Jesus 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:42.720 Christ, his sacrifice is what empowers us to 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:46.100 endure. And this is how every believer in every 00:05:46.100 --> 00:05:49.639 age overcomes. We do not endure by strength. 00:05:49.860 --> 00:05:53.300 We do not persevere by willpower. We do not survive 00:05:53.300 --> 00:05:56.620 because of our human ability. No, we persevere 00:05:56.620 --> 00:05:59.439 because we have been redeemed by the precious 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:03.100 blood of Jesus Christ. It also says that we overcome 00:06:03.100 --> 00:06:06.629 by the word of our testimony. That means that 00:06:06.629 --> 00:06:09.810 we boldly declare who Jesus is, but not only 00:06:09.810 --> 00:06:12.850 that, also what he has done for us in our lives. 00:06:13.029 --> 00:06:15.689 I want you to know today that what you say, what 00:06:15.689 --> 00:06:19.089 you do, who you are, that is a witness to this 00:06:19.089 --> 00:06:22.350 world of the power of the Holy Ghost. And that 00:06:22.350 --> 00:06:25.149 last point is, if we're going to persevere, we 00:06:25.149 --> 00:06:29.129 must love God more than we love ourselves. That 00:06:29.129 --> 00:06:31.569 means that we need to choose faithfulness over 00:06:31.569 --> 00:06:35.550 self -preservation, even to death. If that's 00:06:35.550 --> 00:06:39.449 what is required of us, even to death, we must 00:06:39.449 --> 00:06:42.050 exalt the name of Jesus and not bow the knee 00:06:42.050 --> 00:06:46.110 to any God of this world. We must refuse to turn 00:06:46.110 --> 00:06:48.829 back even if it costs us our life. We have to 00:06:48.829 --> 00:06:52.829 be completely devoted to the cause of Jesus Christ. 00:06:53.500 --> 00:06:55.959 And so let's take some time tonight to walk through 00:06:55.959 --> 00:06:59.459 chapter by chapter, Revelation chapter 6 through 00:06:59.459 --> 00:07:02.319 18, and we're going to see how every scene, every 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:05.279 judgment, every chapter points us back to Jesus 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:09.029 Christ and tells us how we can persevere. The 00:07:09.029 --> 00:07:11.870 judgments of Revelation do not begin with chaos. 00:07:11.970 --> 00:07:14.670 That's a very important point here. That's not 00:07:14.670 --> 00:07:17.610 even the intention of the judgments. It's not 00:07:17.610 --> 00:07:21.129 for chaos. It's not out of cruelty. It does not 00:07:21.129 --> 00:07:23.790 begin with Satan. It does not begin with evil 00:07:23.790 --> 00:07:27.319 being on the throne of this world. The judgments 00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:30.879 of Revelation begin with the Lamb, Jesus Christ. 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:34.060 This is Revelation 6 and 1. John says, and I 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:38.480 saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals. I 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:40.500 think that's an important thing to note. The 00:07:40.500 --> 00:07:44.240 same Jesus who died to redeem us is the same 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:47.829 Jesus who controls history. There is not one 00:07:47.829 --> 00:07:50.810 God that's redeeming and another God that's judging. 00:07:50.949 --> 00:07:54.069 There is one throne, and there is one Lamb, and 00:07:54.069 --> 00:07:57.790 that is Jesus Christ. Revelation is not presenting 00:07:57.790 --> 00:08:00.970 competing persons at all. It is presenting the 00:08:00.970 --> 00:08:05.509 same Jesus as Savior and Judge. And so we read 00:08:05.509 --> 00:08:08.529 here that when judgment begins, it is Jesus who 00:08:08.529 --> 00:08:12.649 initiates it. History, we read, does not spiral 00:08:12.649 --> 00:08:15.589 out of control. It unfolds under the authority 00:08:15.589 --> 00:08:17.860 of judgment. Jesus Christ. This book is the revelation 00:08:17.860 --> 00:08:22.360 of Jesus Christ. And so in Revelation chapter 00:08:22.360 --> 00:08:26.000 6, this is where we read about what are called 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:29.660 the seven seals. The seven seals are one of a 00:08:29.660 --> 00:08:32.840 series of end time judgments from God. They are 00:08:32.840 --> 00:08:36.639 from God. A scroll in heaven, John reports, is 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:40.360 held closed by seven seals and a new judgment 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:43.399 is unleashed on the earth every time one of those 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:47.059 seals are open or broken. We read about the first 00:08:47.059 --> 00:08:51.620 seal in Revelation 6, verse 2. Here, John reports 00:08:51.620 --> 00:08:55.179 he saw a white horse with a rider. This rider 00:08:55.179 --> 00:08:59.200 is holding a bow and wearing a crown. That symbolizes, 00:08:59.259 --> 00:09:02.519 as this scripture explains, conquest and conquering. 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:06.559 This seal here represents the rise of earthly 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:09.779 power. But no matter what rises in the earth, 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:14.220 we recognize that Jesus Christ is king. The second 00:09:14.220 --> 00:09:17.779 seal, we find that in verse 4. Here, John sees 00:09:17.779 --> 00:09:21.360 a fiery red horse and rider. This represents 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:26.000 war and the taking of peace from the earth. Violence 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:29.399 spreads, but note, Jesus is still the one on 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:31.559 the throne. And Jesus is still the one, by the 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:34.500 way, breaking these seals that unleash these 00:09:34.500 --> 00:09:38.059 judgments. Verse 5 tells us about the third seal. 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:42.799 Here John sees a black horse and a rider with 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:46.340 a pair of scales. And this symbolizes famine 00:09:46.340 --> 00:09:50.019 and it also symbolizes economic hardship throughout 00:09:50.019 --> 00:09:52.960 the earth. The fourth seal, this is verse 8. 00:09:53.450 --> 00:09:56.570 John sees here a pale horse and a rider named 00:09:56.570 --> 00:09:59.909 Death. He also reports that Hades is following 00:09:59.909 --> 00:10:03.330 him, and this represents widespread death all 00:10:03.330 --> 00:10:05.789 over the world. There's famine and there's death, 00:10:05.950 --> 00:10:09.070 but don't be confused. Jesus is still in control, 00:10:09.230 --> 00:10:12.750 and Jesus is the one opening these seals that 00:10:12.750 --> 00:10:16.700 bring judgment but redemption to the world. So 00:10:16.700 --> 00:10:19.539 the first four seals are called the four horsemen 00:10:19.539 --> 00:10:22.940 of the apocalypse, but the fifth seal is different. 00:10:23.019 --> 00:10:26.860 We find this in verse 9. This seal is the souls 00:10:26.860 --> 00:10:29.379 of martyrs who have been killed for their faith. 00:10:29.580 --> 00:10:32.620 And here John sees that they are crying out from 00:10:32.620 --> 00:10:35.320 under the altar, and they are crying out for 00:10:35.320 --> 00:10:38.320 God's judgment and God's vengeance. Verse 10, 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:40.720 those that were killed because they confessed 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:45.220 Jesus, they are asking, how long, O Lord? These 00:10:45.220 --> 00:10:47.960 are the people that persevered, but how did they 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:51.100 persevere? They too, they persevered by the blood 00:10:51.100 --> 00:10:53.620 of Jesus. They persevered by the word of their 00:10:53.620 --> 00:10:56.440 testimony, and they persevered by their devotion 00:10:56.440 --> 00:11:01.399 to Jesus Christ above all else. Down to verse 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:04.340 12, this is where we read about the sixth seal. 00:11:05.179 --> 00:11:08.519 The sixth seal is a great earthquake. John also 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:11.179 tells us that the sun turns black. He says that 00:11:11.179 --> 00:11:14.019 the moon turns into red, the color of blood. 00:11:14.139 --> 00:11:17.460 He says that stars fall from the sky. In this 00:11:17.460 --> 00:11:20.399 period here, there's more devastation. There 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:24.200 is more destruction. But what is it here that 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:26.980 humanity is finally recognizing? We read this 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:30.649 in verse 12. Excuse me, verse 17. For the great 00:11:30.649 --> 00:11:34.590 day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able 00:11:34.590 --> 00:11:37.269 to stand, they ask. Well, who shall stand? The 00:11:37.269 --> 00:11:40.830 answer is chapter 7, verse 14. It says, these 00:11:40.830 --> 00:11:44.490 are they which came out of great tribulation 00:11:44.490 --> 00:11:47.889 and have washed their robes and made them white 00:11:47.889 --> 00:11:51.789 in the blood of the Lamb. So how do we persevere? 00:11:51.889 --> 00:11:55.299 It's not by perfection. It's not by never making 00:11:55.299 --> 00:11:57.960 a mistake. It's not by our own human strength. 00:11:58.120 --> 00:12:00.500 No, it's by the blood of the Lamb. It's by our 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:03.139 testimony. It's by our witness. It's by our complete 00:12:03.139 --> 00:12:07.139 surrender to Jesus Christ and his will on this 00:12:07.139 --> 00:12:11.139 earth. And so next we go to chapter 8. It begins 00:12:11.139 --> 00:12:15.730 with that seventh seal. And once that seventh 00:12:15.730 --> 00:12:18.909 seal is broken, there is silence in heaven for 00:12:18.909 --> 00:12:21.950 about half an hour, about 30 minutes. And this, 00:12:21.970 --> 00:12:25.870 we're soon to find out, it preludes the seven 00:12:25.870 --> 00:12:30.009 trumpet judgments. So those were the seven seal 00:12:30.009 --> 00:12:32.990 judgments. And immediately following that are 00:12:32.990 --> 00:12:36.559 the seven trumpet judgments. But I want you to 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:39.700 know that the seven trumpet judgments were, just 00:12:39.700 --> 00:12:42.460 like the seal judgments, not random acts of destruction. 00:12:42.820 --> 00:12:45.620 Everything is in order. Everything is on purpose. 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:48.779 And everything has a purpose. They are warnings. 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:51.740 They are God calling the world to repentance 00:12:51.740 --> 00:12:55.919 before final wrath is poured out. And so every 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:59.240 trumpet, just like we would recognize here in 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:02.360 our world, every... trumpet in this day as well. 00:13:02.580 --> 00:13:05.940 It's calling out. It's a warning, if you will. 00:13:06.019 --> 00:13:08.799 It's an alarm, if you will, telling people, turn 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:11.840 to Jesus while there is still time. There is 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:14.899 a method to the badness, if you will. The wrath 00:13:14.899 --> 00:13:19.460 of God in these judgments, it's not because he 00:13:19.460 --> 00:13:21.620 doesn't love his creation. It's not because he's 00:13:21.620 --> 00:13:24.799 an evil God. Not at all. This is God giving people 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:28.620 another chance by his mercy to come to know him 00:13:28.620 --> 00:13:32.220 and to have relationship. Relationship and communion 00:13:32.220 --> 00:13:35.659 to him. He says turn to Jesus while there is 00:13:35.659 --> 00:13:39.100 still time. Because Jesus is the way. Jesus is 00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:42.320 God. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:13:43.460 --> 00:13:46.820 And so beginning in verse 7 of this chapter we 00:13:46.820 --> 00:13:50.120 read about the seven trumpets. The first trumpet. 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:53.940 John tells us is hell and it's fire mixed with 00:13:53.940 --> 00:13:56.879 blood. And because of that, vegetation is burned, 00:13:56.980 --> 00:14:00.139 the grass, the trees. Verse 8 tells us about 00:14:00.139 --> 00:14:02.980 the second trumpet. This is a burning mountain 00:14:02.980 --> 00:14:06.580 that falls into the sea. Verse 11, the third 00:14:06.580 --> 00:14:09.860 trumpet is wormwood. And because of that, all 00:14:09.860 --> 00:14:12.360 the water is poisoned and the people that drink 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:15.789 it die. When the fourth trumpet sounds, this 00:14:15.789 --> 00:14:19.190 is in verse 12, the sun, the moon, and the stars 00:14:19.190 --> 00:14:22.090 are dimmed. A third of the light is gone immediately. 00:14:22.710 --> 00:14:25.710 And so you may recognize that these judgments 00:14:25.710 --> 00:14:28.669 actually mirror some of the plagues that happened 00:14:28.669 --> 00:14:31.990 in Egypt. And we can read that to understand 00:14:31.990 --> 00:14:35.509 that God is forming a new exodus. He is calling 00:14:35.509 --> 00:14:38.250 the world to repent, and he is calling his people 00:14:38.250 --> 00:14:40.990 to persevere. This world is not our home. We 00:14:40.990 --> 00:14:44.379 are just passing through. God's got a great future 00:14:44.379 --> 00:14:46.620 for us. He's got a great promise for us. This 00:14:46.620 --> 00:14:50.190 is just a season and we have to persevere. But 00:14:50.190 --> 00:14:52.750 notice, in the middle of all this chaos, the 00:14:52.750 --> 00:14:56.509 church is told explicitly not to panic. We are 00:14:56.509 --> 00:14:59.850 told to endure. We are told to witness. We are 00:14:59.850 --> 00:15:02.889 told to stand. We are told to hold fast. Well, 00:15:02.909 --> 00:15:04.549 how do you persevere? You do it through the blood 00:15:04.549 --> 00:15:06.509 of the Lamb. You do it through the word of your 00:15:06.509 --> 00:15:09.230 testimony. You do it because you love Jesus and 00:15:09.230 --> 00:15:11.570 the things of God more than what your flesh wants. 00:15:11.750 --> 00:15:16.679 You love not your lives, even unto death. And 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.279 so the next two trumpets reveal spiritual warfare 00:15:20.279 --> 00:15:24.700 more clearly. Chapter 9, verse 3, when the fifth 00:15:24.700 --> 00:15:28.279 trumpet sounds, this is when demonic torment 00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:31.759 is released, but it's very limited for now. There's 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:33.799 a whole lot more demonic torment in the future, 00:15:33.860 --> 00:15:38.200 but this is a very... by comparison, muted unleashing 00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:41.720 of demonic torment. Verse 15, this is the sixth 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:44.940 trumpet, and that unleashes a vast cavalry of 00:15:44.940 --> 00:15:48.419 destruction. Innumerable people are killed. A 00:15:48.419 --> 00:15:51.759 third of the world is killed just in that one 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:54.200 judgment. That's the sixth trumpet judgment. 00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:58.159 Yet somehow, after all of this, and this is sad, 00:15:58.220 --> 00:16:01.179 but this is verse 20, it tells us that the rest 00:16:01.179 --> 00:16:02.899 of the men, a third of them were killed just 00:16:02.899 --> 00:16:06.600 like that. Yet... The rest of the men that are 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:09.799 on earth, they still refuse to repent. And they 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:13.440 still refuse to turn to Jesus. Even in judgment, 00:16:13.559 --> 00:16:16.360 even in devastation and chaos and destruction, 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:20.039 many harden their hearts instead of opening their 00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:24.399 hearts to Jesus Christ. Going to Revelation chapter 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:27.320 10, this is verse 1. John reports to us that 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:31.100 he sees a mighty angel. This angel is clothed 00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:33.990 with a cloud. He has a rainbow on his head. He 00:16:33.990 --> 00:16:36.710 says that his face shines. His feet are pillars 00:16:36.710 --> 00:16:40.870 of fire. This angel has one foot on the sea or 00:16:40.870 --> 00:16:43.429 the water. He has one foot on the ground or the 00:16:43.429 --> 00:16:46.789 land. And he declares in verse 6, there should 00:16:46.789 --> 00:16:51.250 be time no longer, meaning that time is running 00:16:51.250 --> 00:16:54.509 out. And John is told this. I find this interesting. 00:16:54.690 --> 00:16:57.190 This is verse 9. John is actually told in this 00:16:57.190 --> 00:17:00.450 vision to eat the scroll, to literally eat the 00:17:00.450 --> 00:17:03.870 scroll. And he reports, as we can read in this 00:17:03.870 --> 00:17:07.670 verse here, that it is sweet in his mouth. And 00:17:07.670 --> 00:17:10.529 that's because truth is glorious. Truth is a 00:17:10.529 --> 00:17:13.309 beautiful thing, but it's bitter in his belly 00:17:13.309 --> 00:17:17.970 because judgment, judgment is heavy. And I would 00:17:17.970 --> 00:17:20.230 say that this represents the burden that the 00:17:20.230 --> 00:17:23.710 church has even today in the year 2025 and all 00:17:23.710 --> 00:17:26.690 throughout the last days. We carry a message 00:17:26.690 --> 00:17:29.769 that is beautiful. Salvation is real. But at 00:17:29.769 --> 00:17:31.789 the same time, that message we have to share 00:17:31.789 --> 00:17:33.890 with the world around us is very sobering because 00:17:33.890 --> 00:17:38.269 judgment as well is just as real. Yet, in joy 00:17:38.269 --> 00:17:40.789 and in heaviness, we are called to persevere. 00:17:40.869 --> 00:17:43.049 And how do we do that? It's because of the blood 00:17:43.049 --> 00:17:45.240 of the Lamb. It's because the word of our testimony. 00:17:45.299 --> 00:17:48.339 And it's because we love Jesus more than anything 00:17:48.339 --> 00:17:53.660 else. We are completely devoted to him. Now we 00:17:53.660 --> 00:17:57.160 go to Revelation 11. And Revelation 11 introduces 00:17:57.160 --> 00:18:01.200 to us two witnesses. And these witnesses are 00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:04.420 a prophetic picture of the church. We read in 00:18:04.420 --> 00:18:07.559 verse 3 here that they prophesy with power, it 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:10.799 says. They stand in boldness. They cannot be 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:14.109 stopped until... Their testimony is complete, 00:18:14.210 --> 00:18:16.809 and that's what takes us to verse 11. They only 00:18:16.809 --> 00:18:19.609 had four verses here. They are killed, but it's 00:18:19.609 --> 00:18:23.069 only when their assignment is finished. We go 00:18:23.069 --> 00:18:25.730 to verse 11 and it tells us that the spirit of 00:18:25.730 --> 00:18:29.109 life from God entered into them and they stood 00:18:29.109 --> 00:18:32.650 upon their feet. Biblical scholars tell us that 00:18:32.650 --> 00:18:35.769 this is a picture of the resurrection power of 00:18:35.769 --> 00:18:39.190 Jesus Christ in his church. The world may strike 00:18:39.190 --> 00:18:41.809 at us. We know what that's like. Panic all around 00:18:41.809 --> 00:18:44.630 the world might increase. Pressure might increase. 00:18:44.950 --> 00:18:48.630 Opposition is heavier against us now than ever. 00:18:48.849 --> 00:18:51.730 Faith, having a belief in Jesus Christ, standing 00:18:51.730 --> 00:18:53.049 up for the world. the truth. There's a higher 00:18:53.049 --> 00:18:55.410 cost to that now than there has been before. 00:18:55.569 --> 00:18:59.029 But the church, Jesus is encouraging us, cannot 00:18:59.029 --> 00:19:03.150 die until her testimony is complete because the 00:19:03.150 --> 00:19:06.170 church is the body of Christ and Jesus will never 00:19:06.170 --> 00:19:09.299 die. be defeated. We are here today for a purpose. 00:19:09.420 --> 00:19:11.859 We have a mission. We have an assignment from 00:19:11.859 --> 00:19:14.259 God and the gates of hell will never prevail 00:19:14.259 --> 00:19:17.380 against the church. That's not God's plan. God's 00:19:17.380 --> 00:19:19.839 plan is that we will be here until our assignment 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:22.259 is complete. Jesus said he's not coming back 00:19:22.259 --> 00:19:24.799 until the whole world hears. So why don't you 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:27.799 and I listen to the call of God and not only 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:30.420 overcome because of the blood of the lamb, but 00:19:30.420 --> 00:19:33.299 also the word of our testimony, also a life of 00:19:33.299 --> 00:19:39.190 surrender and devotion to Jesus. So how do the 00:19:39.190 --> 00:19:42.029 witnesses persevere through tribulation? It's 00:19:42.029 --> 00:19:45.130 the same way we persevere. The blood, testimony, 00:19:45.430 --> 00:19:47.269 loving not their own lives, even unto death, 00:19:47.490 --> 00:19:49.690 whatever the cost, whatever the price, whatever 00:19:49.690 --> 00:19:53.170 the sacrifice, it's worth it to follow the call 00:19:53.170 --> 00:19:55.509 of God. That's not just how you survive. No, 00:19:55.589 --> 00:19:58.529 it says that's how you overcome. That's how you 00:19:58.529 --> 00:20:02.279 overcome. And so we had a little bit of a gap 00:20:02.279 --> 00:20:05.220 between verses there before we get to that seventh 00:20:05.220 --> 00:20:09.000 trumpet. This is all the way in verse 15. And 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:11.859 here we read that all of heaven proclaims a tune 00:20:11.859 --> 00:20:14.079 that is familiar to us thanks to our Christmas 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:17.519 concerts. This is verbatim, by the way. The kingdoms 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:20.319 of this world are become the kingdoms of our 00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:24.240 Lord and of his Christ. And he shall reign forever 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:28.400 and ever. Jesus Christ reigns forevermore. Jesus 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:31.680 Christ is the king. Jesus Christ is victorious. 00:20:33.549 --> 00:20:36.549 And so the seventh trumpet signals to us the 00:20:36.549 --> 00:20:39.529 end of judgment. And it signals the establishment 00:20:39.529 --> 00:20:43.740 of God's eternal kingdom. And so now we are at 00:20:43.740 --> 00:20:46.220 the center point of the book of Revelation. Not 00:20:46.220 --> 00:20:48.960 just this series now, but the center point of 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:51.140 the entire book of Revelation. This is chapter 00:20:51.140 --> 00:20:54.619 12. This chapter takes it a little further. It 00:20:54.619 --> 00:20:57.420 starts to explain something to us. Not just why 00:20:57.420 --> 00:21:00.839 tribulation is happening, but chapter 12 begins 00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:04.200 to tell us how the church can overcome it. So 00:21:04.200 --> 00:21:06.920 far we've read about seals. They show that Jesus 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:10.000 is in control. And the trumpet judgments, they 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:12.819 were Jesus calling his church to repent. The 00:21:12.819 --> 00:21:15.859 witnesses show that Jesus is still speaking through 00:21:15.859 --> 00:21:19.019 his church. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:21:19.710 --> 00:21:22.869 And now here in Revelation 12, it shows the true 00:21:22.869 --> 00:21:25.809 conflict, not just the things you can see with 00:21:25.809 --> 00:21:27.890 your earthly eyes or hear with your earthly ears 00:21:27.890 --> 00:21:30.509 or understand with your earthly brain, but there's 00:21:30.509 --> 00:21:33.609 a true conflict that's underlying all of this, 00:21:33.690 --> 00:21:36.849 and that is spiritual warfare. We start to read 00:21:36.849 --> 00:21:40.369 about this in Revelation 12. Revelation 12, it 00:21:40.369 --> 00:21:42.710 begins to pull back the curtain on the spiritual 00:21:42.710 --> 00:21:46.589 conflict behind all persecution, tribulation, 00:21:46.690 --> 00:21:50.309 and pressure. This is where John sees a woman 00:21:50.309 --> 00:21:54.309 and he sees a child and he sees a dragon. In 00:21:54.309 --> 00:21:57.430 this vision, the woman represents the people 00:21:57.430 --> 00:22:01.089 of God or Israel or the church across history. 00:22:01.150 --> 00:22:03.529 Not just now, but across history, the church 00:22:03.529 --> 00:22:06.650 of the living God. The child we recognize is 00:22:06.650 --> 00:22:08.829 Jesus Christ. And then, of course, that would 00:22:08.829 --> 00:22:12.450 leave the dragon to be Satan. He is the adversary. 00:22:12.630 --> 00:22:16.289 He is the accuser, the Bible says. This is chapter 00:22:16.289 --> 00:22:20.240 12, verse 5. It says that the child was caught 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:23.140 up unto God and to his throne. So, of course, 00:22:23.220 --> 00:22:25.380 this not only represents the resurrection of 00:22:25.380 --> 00:22:28.200 Jesus Christ, but it represents his ascension 00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:31.779 back into heaven. Going down to verse 7, it tells 00:22:31.779 --> 00:22:35.539 us that there was a war in heaven. And I'm happy 00:22:35.539 --> 00:22:38.200 to report to you that Michael and his angels, 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:41.660 the Bible says, cast the dragon down. Satan, 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:44.579 who the Bible calls the accuser of the brethren, 00:22:44.680 --> 00:22:47.740 he is defeated. And that takes us to our key 00:22:47.740 --> 00:22:51.079 verse, verse 11. They overcame him, not by their 00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:53.259 own might and not by their own strength and not 00:22:53.259 --> 00:22:55.099 because they had a good plan, not because they 00:22:55.099 --> 00:22:57.660 figured it out. It's not like that. They overcame 00:22:57.660 --> 00:23:00.000 him because of the blood of the lamb. Because 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:02.880 of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They overcame 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:05.460 him because of the word of their testimony. A 00:23:05.460 --> 00:23:09.140 true confession about who Jesus is. A true surrender 00:23:09.140 --> 00:23:12.099 to God. Loving not their own lives, but loving 00:23:12.099 --> 00:23:14.660 God more than anything. Being willing to pay 00:23:14.660 --> 00:23:17.819 any price there is to pay to follow the call 00:23:17.819 --> 00:23:20.640 of God. That's how they overcome. And that's 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:23.480 how we overcome. That's how we persevere in the 00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:26.140 last days. That's how we persevere through tribulation 00:23:26.140 --> 00:23:29.299 and judgment. The blood of the Lamb. the word 00:23:29.299 --> 00:23:32.579 of our testimony, and loving not our lives, even 00:23:32.579 --> 00:23:35.839 unto death. That is the pattern of perseverance. 00:23:36.299 --> 00:23:39.759 The blood is our identity and our righteousness. 00:23:39.859 --> 00:23:43.599 That comes from Jesus Christ alone. Our testimony 00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:47.119 is when we speak about who God is, but not just 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:50.059 that, also what he has done, and in our surrender 00:23:50.059 --> 00:23:52.880 as well. That means that we value eternal life 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:56.180 more than our earthly temporal gains and comfort. 00:23:56.779 --> 00:23:59.180 Today, that's how we persevere. That's how we 00:23:59.180 --> 00:24:01.819 overcome. That's not a suggestion. That is the 00:24:01.819 --> 00:24:06.400 command of perseverance. Thankfully, here in 00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:09.640 verse 17, we read that Satan knows that he is 00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:14.880 defeated. And so at this point, he redirects 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:18.160 his anger, if you will, and he focuses his ire 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:21.970 on the church, on the saints. And the message 00:24:21.970 --> 00:24:25.509 is simple and direct. I believe that tells us 00:24:25.509 --> 00:24:28.730 that this battle is not political and it's not 00:24:28.730 --> 00:24:32.410 cultural. This battle is spiritual. And the church 00:24:32.410 --> 00:24:35.390 is the target. But it's not because Satan thinks 00:24:35.390 --> 00:24:37.170 he can defeat the church. He knows better than 00:24:37.170 --> 00:24:40.009 that. It's because Satan hates who we serve. 00:24:40.750 --> 00:24:43.869 This verse says we keep the commandments of God. 00:24:44.029 --> 00:24:47.430 We have the testimony of Jesus. He is the one 00:24:47.430 --> 00:24:49.910 true and living God. We know that. This is the 00:24:49.910 --> 00:24:53.990 revelation of Jesus Christ. And so in chapter 00:24:53.990 --> 00:24:57.410 13, we're going here. We see this is verse 1, 00:24:57.589 --> 00:25:01.630 a beast from the sea. When you study this, this 00:25:01.630 --> 00:25:05.309 is very clearly representing worldly power systems 00:25:05.309 --> 00:25:09.670 or political domination in our world today. But 00:25:09.670 --> 00:25:13.069 then verse 11 tells us about another beast coming 00:25:13.069 --> 00:25:16.109 up out of the earth. And this beast represents 00:25:16.109 --> 00:25:20.170 false religion or deception or propaganda. This 00:25:20.170 --> 00:25:25.170 beast references religious manipulation. And 00:25:25.170 --> 00:25:27.930 it's these two beasts, these two forces together 00:25:27.930 --> 00:25:32.150 that create the spirit of Antichrist. And so 00:25:32.150 --> 00:25:35.109 we recognize this because we've already experienced 00:25:35.109 --> 00:25:38.930 it, that the world will say there are other ways 00:25:38.930 --> 00:25:41.609 to salvation. That's the spirit of the Antichrist. 00:25:41.710 --> 00:25:44.549 But the church replies, no, Jesus Christ is Lord. 00:25:44.690 --> 00:25:47.950 We cannot do this by ourselves. We overcome by 00:25:47.950 --> 00:25:50.829 the blood of the Lamb. But then also the world 00:25:50.829 --> 00:25:53.650 tells us, be silent, fit in, go along to get 00:25:53.650 --> 00:25:56.769 along. But no, we stand and we confess that Jesus 00:25:56.769 --> 00:25:59.650 Christ is Lord because we overcome by the word 00:25:59.650 --> 00:26:02.730 of our testimony. The world tells us, take it 00:26:02.730 --> 00:26:05.509 easy. You can feed your flesh. The world tells 00:26:05.509 --> 00:26:07.910 us it doesn't take all that. But no, we give 00:26:07.910 --> 00:26:10.910 ourselves completely to God because we overcome 00:26:10.910 --> 00:26:14.470 by complete devotion to Jesus. Not loving our 00:26:14.470 --> 00:26:17.970 lives, even unto the death, making any sacrifice 00:26:17.970 --> 00:26:21.390 necessary to be pleasing and acceptable in the 00:26:21.390 --> 00:26:24.309 sight of God. That's how we endure. That is how 00:26:24.309 --> 00:26:28.829 we persevere. Continuing on now, we're in chapter 00:26:28.829 --> 00:26:32.450 14, Revelation chapter 14. Let's look at verse 00:26:32.450 --> 00:26:36.710 1. John tells us that when the beast rises, something 00:26:36.710 --> 00:26:39.190 else is happening. It's not just evil, but no, 00:26:39.230 --> 00:26:42.769 look at what he sees. He looks, and lo, a lamb 00:26:42.769 --> 00:26:47.430 stood on Mount Zion. The lamb stands. Jesus remains 00:26:47.430 --> 00:26:50.609 sovereign. Satan rages, but that doesn't change 00:26:50.609 --> 00:26:54.460 the fact that Jesus... And the church, this is 00:26:54.460 --> 00:26:58.059 verse 6, still preaches what this verse calls 00:26:58.059 --> 00:27:01.740 the everlasting gospel to everyone who dwells 00:27:01.740 --> 00:27:04.099 on the earth. Every nation, every kindred, every 00:27:04.099 --> 00:27:06.420 tongue, every people. That is the mission of 00:27:06.420 --> 00:27:08.599 the church. And no matter what the devil does, 00:27:08.799 --> 00:27:12.079 he cannot get in the way of the everlasting gospel 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:15.319 being shared to those that are hungry for more 00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:18.460 of God. Even in tribulation, the gospel does 00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:22.059 not stop. Why? It's because the testimony must 00:27:22.059 --> 00:27:24.839 be proclaimed. That's how we overcome. Through 00:27:24.839 --> 00:27:26.920 the blood of the Lamb, the word of the testimony, 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:31.140 and complete devotion to Jesus Christ. We persevere 00:27:31.140 --> 00:27:33.480 because we are willing to sacrifice anything 00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:37.339 for Jesus. And so when we come to Revelation, 00:27:37.619 --> 00:27:40.740 this is chapter 15, verse 3. It tells us that 00:27:40.740 --> 00:27:44.359 heaven burst into worship. And John hears a song 00:27:44.359 --> 00:27:47.599 echoing throughout eternity. They are singing, 00:27:47.700 --> 00:27:51.339 Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty. 00:27:51.579 --> 00:27:55.819 Thou alone art holy. Notice that title. He's 00:27:55.819 --> 00:27:59.299 called Lord God Almighty. That's singular. Not 00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:02.599 persons, not parts of God. There is one almighty 00:28:02.599 --> 00:28:06.579 and his name is Jesus. And so when heaven worships, 00:28:06.579 --> 00:28:09.900 it does not divide him up. It magnifies him as 00:28:09.900 --> 00:28:13.519 one. He alone is holy. He alone is worthy. His 00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:16.819 name is Jesus. This is the revelation of Jesus 00:28:16.819 --> 00:28:22.460 Christ. Going to Revelation 16, this describes 00:28:22.460 --> 00:28:25.079 another series of judgments. These are called 00:28:25.079 --> 00:28:29.299 the vile judgments. It describes the seven vials 00:28:29.299 --> 00:28:32.920 of God's wrath being poured out. And these are 00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:36.700 the final judgments upon a rebellious world system. 00:28:37.460 --> 00:28:41.400 In verse 2, we read of that first vial. Here 00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:45.180 it says that loathsome, uncomfortable sores on 00:28:45.180 --> 00:28:48.880 those who have the mark of the beast. The second 00:28:48.880 --> 00:28:52.099 vow, this is in verse 3, it tells us that the 00:28:52.099 --> 00:28:55.039 sea turns to blood and everything in it dies. 00:28:55.420 --> 00:28:58.440 The third vow is the very next verse, verse 4. 00:28:58.660 --> 00:29:01.660 It tells us that all rivers and all springs as 00:29:01.660 --> 00:29:05.599 well turn to blood. Verse 8 is where we find 00:29:05.599 --> 00:29:08.240 that fourth vow. When that is poured out, the 00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:12.180 sun scorches people with fire. Verse 10 is the 00:29:12.180 --> 00:29:16.819 fifth vow. Here we read that darkness covers 00:29:16.819 --> 00:29:19.920 the throne of the beast. All the way down to 00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:22.759 verse 12 is where we read that sixth vial. And 00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:25.200 that tells us that the Euphrates River dries 00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:29.700 up and armies gather for battle. And that takes 00:29:29.700 --> 00:29:32.359 us to verse 17. This is the seventh and final 00:29:32.359 --> 00:29:36.880 vial. And here a final voice declares, it is 00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:40.119 done. And so in verse 18 we read that the world 00:29:40.119 --> 00:29:43.839 is shaken by a massive earthquake. Every vow 00:29:43.839 --> 00:29:47.839 I want you to know reveals both the justice but 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:52.039 also the holiness of our God. God is very patient, 00:29:52.099 --> 00:29:56.019 but he's also righteous. God is merciful, absolutely, 00:29:56.359 --> 00:29:59.819 but God cannot deny his own nature. God is holy. 00:29:59.980 --> 00:30:03.920 This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. And yet, 00:30:03.940 --> 00:30:07.380 even as the wrath of God is poured out, the church, 00:30:07.380 --> 00:30:10.509 again, is told not to panic. We are not told 00:30:10.509 --> 00:30:13.309 to hide somewhere in fear. We are told to endure. 00:30:13.509 --> 00:30:16.750 Because our endurance is not rooted in our strength. 00:30:16.950 --> 00:30:19.329 It's rooted in the blood of the Lamb and the 00:30:19.329 --> 00:30:21.730 word of our testimony. It's rooted in a complete 00:30:21.730 --> 00:30:25.390 surrender and devotion to Jesus Christ. That 00:30:25.390 --> 00:30:28.789 is how we persevere. Even when the world is trembling. 00:30:29.230 --> 00:30:32.710 We trust in God. When everything shakes, we stand 00:30:32.710 --> 00:30:35.789 firm on the promises of God. When others curse 00:30:35.789 --> 00:30:38.829 God and deny Him and take the easy way out, no, 00:30:38.890 --> 00:30:41.529 we keep on worshiping Him because He is holy. 00:30:42.769 --> 00:30:44.950 That's what we're called to do. That is how we 00:30:44.950 --> 00:30:48.750 persevere. We're going now to chapter 17. This 00:30:48.750 --> 00:30:52.380 is verse 5. And this is where John sees Babylon. 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:56.400 Babylon here in this verse, but also really throughout 00:30:56.400 --> 00:31:00.319 the Bible, it is a symbol. It represents human 00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:03.400 pride. It represents rebellion. It represents 00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:06.579 everything that man can do apart from God. So 00:31:06.579 --> 00:31:08.660 not with God, not according to his will, but 00:31:08.660 --> 00:31:12.099 everything man does their own way, their own 00:31:12.099 --> 00:31:14.279 ability, following their own lust and desires. 00:31:15.019 --> 00:31:18.200 Babylon stands for human pride and human rebellion. 00:31:18.299 --> 00:31:22.420 It stands for human self -exaltation. Verse 6, 00:31:22.579 --> 00:31:25.420 this is the spirit that says we don't need God. 00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:29.079 This is the spirit that literally rejoices in 00:31:29.079 --> 00:31:31.420 evil. This is the spirit that not only mocks 00:31:31.420 --> 00:31:34.440 but also persecutes the church. But then we're 00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:36.859 still in chapter 17. Let's go down to verse 14. 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:39.759 It tells us the final outcome of all of this. 00:31:40.250 --> 00:31:42.890 It says, These shall make war with the Lamb, 00:31:43.049 --> 00:31:46.849 and the Lamb shall overcome them. For He is Lord 00:31:46.849 --> 00:31:49.750 of lords and King of kings. And they that are 00:31:49.750 --> 00:31:53.150 with Him are called and chosen and faithful. 00:31:53.410 --> 00:31:56.450 To that I say hallelujah. To that I say all glory 00:31:56.450 --> 00:32:00.569 to God. Jesus overcomes. Jesus is on the throne. 00:32:00.890 --> 00:32:04.630 Jesus is victorious. This is the revelation of 00:32:04.630 --> 00:32:09.460 Jesus Christ. But I love this part because when 00:32:09.460 --> 00:32:11.420 you read this verse, it does not say that Jesus 00:32:11.420 --> 00:32:14.799 alone overcame. It says when he overcome also 00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:18.640 those that are with him, they are called and 00:32:18.640 --> 00:32:22.059 chosen and faithful. They are victorious. That 00:32:22.059 --> 00:32:24.599 is what perseverance looks like. It's not just 00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:27.160 believing for a moment. It's not just starting 00:32:27.160 --> 00:32:29.220 the race. No, it's finishing the race. It is 00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:31.940 enduring until the end. That's how we overcome 00:32:31.940 --> 00:32:35.019 the blood of the lamb. The word of our testimony 00:32:35.019 --> 00:32:38.059 and not loving our lives even unto the death. 00:32:38.839 --> 00:32:41.759 And so the last chapter of Revelation that we 00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:44.599 will look at tonight is Revelation chapter 18. 00:32:45.019 --> 00:32:49.619 Verse 2 tells us that Babylon falls completely. 00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:53.380 And finally Babylon falls. The system of man 00:32:53.380 --> 00:32:57.099 collapses under the weight of its own sin. Effectively 00:32:57.099 --> 00:33:00.220 is what happens. Everything that the world trusts 00:33:00.220 --> 00:33:03.900 in, it collapses in that moment. Everything that 00:33:03.900 --> 00:33:06.980 the world glorifies, it burns. It turns to dust 00:33:06.980 --> 00:33:10.480 and ash immediately. Everything built apart from 00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:13.220 Christ falls because he's the only firm foundation. 00:33:13.539 --> 00:33:15.819 He's the only thing you can depend on. He's the 00:33:15.819 --> 00:33:18.319 only thing you can build your life on. Everything 00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:21.900 else falls when Babylon the great is fallen. 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:24.799 Verse 20 tells us that the sinner mourns, but 00:33:24.799 --> 00:33:28.779 the church rejoices. The world system crumbles, 00:33:28.859 --> 00:33:31.420 but the saints, they endure. Why do they endure? 00:33:31.880 --> 00:33:34.740 It's because our hope was never in Babylon. Our 00:33:34.740 --> 00:33:36.720 trust was never in the things of this world. 00:33:36.900 --> 00:33:39.539 Our treasure is not here in this world. The Bible 00:33:39.539 --> 00:33:42.220 says to not set up for yourself treasures here 00:33:42.220 --> 00:33:45.019 on earth where moth and rust do corrupt. But 00:33:45.019 --> 00:33:48.799 no, set your affections on heaven. Set your sights 00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:51.980 on things above. Store up for yourself treasures 00:33:51.980 --> 00:33:54.960 in heaven. We're not trusting in Babylon. We're 00:33:54.960 --> 00:33:57.500 trusting in Jesus Christ. And so when the systems 00:33:57.500 --> 00:33:59.440 of this world fall, we're going to be victorious. 00:33:59.819 --> 00:34:02.079 We're going to be all right. We're going to prevail 00:34:02.079 --> 00:34:06.200 because Jesus is our king. Jesus is our Lord. 00:34:06.299 --> 00:34:09.739 He is our savior. This is the revelation of Jesus 00:34:09.739 --> 00:34:13.760 Christ. We persevere because this is Hebrews 00:34:13.760 --> 00:34:17.199 12 and 28. It tells us that we belong to a kingdom 00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:21.260 that cannot be shaken. We endure. We persevere. 00:34:21.260 --> 00:34:24.400 We overcome. How do we do that? It's the blood 00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:26.519 of the Lamb. It's the word of our testimony. 00:34:26.719 --> 00:34:30.420 It's because we love not our lives even unto 00:34:30.420 --> 00:34:33.800 the death. I ask you to stand all across this 00:34:33.800 --> 00:34:37.280 room with me. Coming to a close this evening. 00:34:37.420 --> 00:34:40.219 I want to go back to Revelation 14. I skipped 00:34:40.219 --> 00:34:42.780 over this verse earlier because I wanted to use 00:34:42.780 --> 00:34:45.159 it to lead us in prayer this evening. Revelation 00:34:45.159 --> 00:34:49.199 14, this is verse 12. It says, here is the patience, 00:34:49.480 --> 00:34:53.619 the endurance. The perseverance of the saints. 00:34:53.820 --> 00:34:57.219 Here are they that keep the commandments of God 00:34:57.219 --> 00:35:01.719 and the faith of Jesus. The obedience of the 00:35:01.719 --> 00:35:05.380 saints is seen in our obedience, our patience, 00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:08.380 our faith, our endurance. And the next verse, 00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:11.840 verse 13, tells us, Blessed are the dead which 00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:14.519 die in the Lord from henceforth. From now on. 00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:18.780 Yea, saith the Spirit, they that may rest from 00:35:18.780 --> 00:35:21.739 their labors and their works do follow them. 00:35:22.099 --> 00:35:24.619 I want you to know tonight that nothing that 00:35:24.619 --> 00:35:28.199 you do for Jesus is wasted. Nothing you do for 00:35:28.199 --> 00:35:31.440 the kingdom of God is in vain. Every tear you 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:34.880 cry will be remembered. Every sacrifice you make, 00:35:34.920 --> 00:35:38.480 God keeps good books. Every moment of faithfulness 00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:42.340 counts. That is perseverance with eternity in 00:35:42.340 --> 00:35:44.099 view, not just the world we're living in now, 00:35:44.199 --> 00:35:46.539 not just the things that affect us day to day, 00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:48.980 but that's how we persevere with heaven on our 00:35:48.980 --> 00:35:52.340 mind, with the kingdom of heaven and God's eternal 00:35:52.340 --> 00:35:56.500 reign in mind. That's how we respond to his everlasting 00:35:56.500 --> 00:36:00.480 goodness. And so here we are. I would say that 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:04.949 here in America, the year 2025. and many other 00:36:04.949 --> 00:36:07.429 places in the world, and it will only get worse 00:36:07.429 --> 00:36:10.030 and worse. We are standing, I would say, in a 00:36:10.030 --> 00:36:12.849 world that looks a lot like Revelation. We really 00:36:12.849 --> 00:36:15.590 are. These things that we're reading about, I've 00:36:15.590 --> 00:36:17.929 gone out of my way not to speculate. I don't 00:36:17.929 --> 00:36:19.530 know enough about current events in the world 00:36:19.530 --> 00:36:21.690 to even try to draw a line, so I didn't even 00:36:21.690 --> 00:36:23.869 go there. I've only said what the Bible says, 00:36:24.050 --> 00:36:26.210 and I've only told you what things represent. 00:36:26.409 --> 00:36:28.769 I'm not trying to speculate. But you don't have 00:36:28.769 --> 00:36:32.110 to do a whole doctoral dissertation to know. 00:36:32.780 --> 00:36:34.880 That the world that we're in is waxing worse 00:36:34.880 --> 00:36:38.119 and worse. Evil men and seducers are not only 00:36:38.119 --> 00:36:39.840 deceiving their self, they're deceiving other 00:36:39.840 --> 00:36:43.360 people. And as bad as you think it is now, it's 00:36:43.360 --> 00:36:45.559 just very obvious. It's only going to get worse. 00:36:45.880 --> 00:36:48.280 But we're called to persevere. We have a hope 00:36:48.280 --> 00:36:51.559 today. We can persevere. In our world today, 00:36:51.639 --> 00:36:55.280 systems are shaking, nations are crumbling and 00:36:55.280 --> 00:36:58.239 trembling, and truth is under attack. In our 00:36:58.239 --> 00:37:00.360 world today, I would say quite literally that 00:37:00.360 --> 00:37:04.079 Babylon's influence is everywhere. But in this 00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:07.219 moment, I believe with all of my heart that God 00:37:07.219 --> 00:37:11.039 is raising up a people who will not bow to King 00:37:11.039 --> 00:37:14.760 Nebuchadnezzar. I believe that in this place, 00:37:14.780 --> 00:37:17.739 even right now, God is building up, raising up 00:37:17.739 --> 00:37:21.000 a people who will not blend in. God is raising 00:37:21.000 --> 00:37:24.860 up a people who will overcome by the blood of 00:37:24.860 --> 00:37:28.079 the lamb and by the word of their testimony and 00:37:28.079 --> 00:37:31.659 by not loving their lives even unto the death. 00:37:32.280 --> 00:37:35.800 That is how we persevere. It's not our strength. 00:37:35.820 --> 00:37:38.550 No, it's the blood of the lamb. It's not our 00:37:38.550 --> 00:37:41.530 fame and fortune. No, it's the testimony of Jesus 00:37:41.530 --> 00:37:44.670 Christ. It's not through our comfort. No, it's 00:37:44.670 --> 00:37:47.329 through our surrender. And so tonight I'm inviting 00:37:47.329 --> 00:37:50.309 you to come and to pray and to surrender to God 00:37:50.309 --> 00:37:54.150 completely and wholly today. Would you come up 00:37:54.150 --> 00:37:56.469 to the front today and spend some time in prayer? 00:37:56.710 --> 00:37:59.329 And from the bottom of your heart, would you 00:37:59.329 --> 00:38:02.449 do everything you can do to completely surrender 00:38:02.449 --> 00:38:06.570 and devote yourself to God and His plans and 00:38:06.570 --> 00:38:11.489 His will and His desire? Jesus, I thank you today 00:38:11.489 --> 00:38:13.809 for your blood. I thank you for your...