You are to them. as a very lovely song. of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument. for they hear your words. but they do not do them.
It goes back to it's not enough to know Genesis 1.1 or John 3.16. Is the pursuit of righteousness costing you something? That's what's part of what's take up your cross and follow the Lord.
So this preaching they felt was soothing. It was inspiring. But there was no action after that. Mm. Hmm.
This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Revelation. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically, how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Revelation chapter 11 with today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio.
the book of Revelation. And if you have your Bibles, chapter 11 is where we are going to be this morning. And we will take verses. Fifteen and seventeen in our reading. We'll take verses 15 and 7.
We should finish the chapter, Revelation 11, beginning in verse 15. Then the seventh angel sounded, and And there were loud voices in heaven saying The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms Of our Lord. and of His Christ, And he shall reign for ever and ever. And the twenty four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshipped God. saying, We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The one who is And who was and who is to come, because you have taken your great power and reigned.
We stopped Midway up there. expression of faith, which is passion. If You depend on passion in your faith. to come from your feelings, I think you're making a big mistake. Passion should be born from truth.
Truth creates its own passion. Its own system of feelings and emotions. And that's what we're seeing here. This outburst of praise and worship to God is based on truth, not on a mood. If you depend on the pastor, to get you into the presence of the Holy Spirit.
You're doing the wrong thing. You should depend on the Holy Spirit. to get you into the Holy Spirit. And what Christian would say, No, I object You, pastor, are responsible Forgetting me. stirred up in my faith, Well Uh no, it's it's a it belongs to us.
The individual and God. And it is that partnership, that fellowship that is very special. And a flock, a congregation, can grow stale. When it begins to Sort of overlook truth and the power of God's truth. Intellectually we can have it, that's not enough.
Since we have only a few verses, And they're almost self-explanatory. It gives me a little time to sort of go back and Cover some things about the book of Revelation that we might bypass. When we come to church What do we think we want to hear? That's I think a question we should ask ourselves. What do I think I want to hear?
Well, what do you think you need to hear?
Well, I can't answer those questions for myself all the time. I certainly cannot answer them for a congregation. And then it boils down a little bit more. What will we choose to hear? How receptive are we to the Spirit of God Or do we have these preconceived notions and preset Views that we want everything around us to conform to?
Are we open to what God has to say according to His Word? Because that's where freshness comes from. The fresh experiences in the old truths. The old truths are so powerful, God said through Jeremiah. Stand in the old ways and see.
So, what will we hear? How will we land? We will land on our feet. It's an ongoing thing. If you feel resistance coming from within, from your life, from your circumstances, those are excuses.
To stop the pursuit Of God's truth and God's word. All of one Psalm 119 is a struggle and a declaration at the same time. It is a passionate expression of, I love God's word, and no matter what's happening to me, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here with this truth. The Bible is not A history of the world.
It is not even a complete history of Jesus Christ and his incarnation. It constantly omits What Uninspired historians would have put in Yeah. Leaves out uh things that they would have put in. I think I said that right. I know I'm thinking it in my brain.
The great purpose of the Bible is not to give a complete history of humanity, nor even of the spiritual world, but to reveal God in Christ. This is your God. And as you see Christ, you know, if you look at the Son, you see the Son Jesus Christ. You see the Father. Jesus said that.
He who has seen me has seen the Father. You want to know what God is like? Look at Jesus Christ.
Now, I know I've said that a lot of times over the years, but it never grows stale to me, so why would I think it would grow stale to you? The Bible Without Christ remains a book about the God of the Jews. In fact, that is the very perspective that put Christ on the cross. and persecuted his disciples. But the Bible does have Christ.
and everything is coloured in by what Happens in the New Testament. The Old Testament comes to life unlike ever before.
So, the Bible is more than a book of unknown facts about God, man, and the universe. I think this is very important at this point, or else I wouldn't be saying it. It is a book of exhortation because it is a book of fact that comes from God. And that ought to be inspiring. To be able to say, this is God's word to me.
to mankind. And the facts back it up. I think that's one of the draws between something like the Creation Museum, the facts, the scientific facts that surround. The scripture. And that's certainly not the only place.
Thus says the Lord. When we know it's the Lord, there's authority with that, there's delight in that. And this is the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation of Jesus Christ is, thus says the Lord. And here.
is where the future is determined for every individual. Their response to the Bible being God's word. directly to man. Of course the devil injects doubt into this. He won't leave you alone or give you there may be times You go pretty uh long without direct assaults, but They're going to come back.
Genesis 3, he said, to the woman. Has God indeed said? You shall not eat of every tree in the garden. Did God really say that? Did you really understand?
What was being said was Well, she heard God. She should have said yes. and walked away. Or just said nothing. The devil does not deserve a response.
The Bible is devoted to moving people into a peaceful relationship with God, which Adam and Eve had at the beginning, and of course, we know what happened there. Satan is devoted to ruining that peaceful relationship. And so people come to church oftentimes and they've made up their mind what they want to hear. And if they don't hear that, They go looking for another place so they can hear what they want to hear. And by doing that, Do they ever get to hear what God is saying to them?
If you read your scripture and you're not appealing to you, you're not getting anything out of it, it's not on God's side. And those types of seasons in your life, you just keep plowing forward, just keep going forward. You'll catch up. It'll work out. You'll find out.
And then you'll be one of those sages and those older saints, those matured saints that can tell the younger ones: keep swinging. Don't think God's word has failed you. Romans 5, having been justified by faith, what goes into that?
Well, the crucifixion is a big part of it, and the belief about. Everything the prophets have said about the crucifixion, and all the other prophecies that go with it go into that. Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Wow, this calls For people to change their ways, to line up with God, to have trust in Him. What do those who suffer God's wrath and the revelation all have in common?
All of them. They refused the Bible. They refuse the truth. They weren't passionate about truth, they were passionate about something else. And that was the whole story.
There was no fight, there was no effort. to line up with God. They refuse the Bible. It doesn't say what they want to hear. They're not in life.
for these kinds of things.
However, The Bible's facts. are not enough to have peace with God. Even for the believer. No man is any closer to God just for hearing in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. No one is ever closer for hearing God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son.
If it were so, then everybody would hear these verses and come to Christ and line up with Him, it would transform them.
Now those are critical parts. But it takes more. Than just hearing the scripture. The devil knows Genesis 1:1, Judas knew. John 3:16, look what happened to them.
In hell, there are millions who knew those verses. Before they got to hell. But are they listening? Are people listening? I saw a sticker yesterday.
It said something to the effect of. Um hell was full, so I came back, or some nonsense like that. The Proverbs, Proverbs 27, 20 says, Hell and destruction are never full. Says just that's a quote. That person's wrong.
But yet they're dancing through life thinking they're getting away with something. thinking that somehow that is making them Safe. And they pass right by the truth of God's Word because there's no passion in their heart for the truth. Bible truth is no benefit until the author of the Bible is surrendered to and the pursuit to obey him begins. And the purpose behind all teaching is to bring us into moral action.
To learn something from Scripture, to do something. on behalf of God. Which is actually a bargain for us. It's a small thing for God to ask. John points that out in one of his letters.
Truth is set forth in the Christian Scripture is the behaviour matter. And because we cannot reach that perfect that perfection of Christ, we are susceptible to Discouragement. But God doesn't give up on us, and so we're to keep on going. Yes, the scripture holds us responsible to what we think. Rather than being intimidated by that, how about embracing the fact that you have a Savior that promises to never leave you?
to never forsake you. that He will take care of all the sin. That's his department. Ours is to be as Christ-like as possible, which is Being obedient, holding to what we claim we believe. And so what we do and what we think.
They are to line up with God all the time. Scriptures, truths. creates a spiritual passion. It excites us. The total man, Mark chapter 12.
Again, what does all this have to do with the seventh trumpet?
Well, we who believe are passionate about truth, we believe all these things that are coming. This is not just a little Bible study on the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is to be passionate disciples of Jesus Christ, listening to what He is saying, trying to find out what He wants us to do with our lives. And then carry it out. The total man.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. This is the first commandment. Mark chapter thirty ver twelve verse thirty.
So, it is only when the sinner is made to understand that truth is in conflict with their life. That they become convicted of sin. and begin to do something about it But it's for a long It's a long haul. And, you know, to make a disciple to convert to Christ is difficult enough. But then to take that convert and to and have them develop To mature in Christ is another part of the equation that is just as important.
To have a Chance friendship with God should be the paramount, the most important thing. Most important concern about us.
Now, there are things that compete for that. We understand that. But what if you go through this life and You just aren't Moved by anything God has said.
Well, these are the people in the Revelation under the The judgments of the trumpets that, especially the woe trumpets, that we've been considering. And so a lot that passes for Christianity is hearsay. People just making things up that really not does not belong to them. And a lot of churches, unfortunately, are standing away from God's Word because many people and assemblies can't handle it long term. Because the passion for that truth is just not there.
A pastor should never have his first question, it should be, Lord. Show me how to get more people to church. It shouldn't simply be What do you want me to do? What am I to say? Where do I stand?
to sweeten this experience with songs and render church into religious entertainment is a disaster.
Well, that's not my opinion. That's what God says. He said this to Ezekiel in Ezekiel chapter 33, verse 32, because the people were coming to have their ears tickled by what the prophet had to say, but they really weren't in it. He said, Indeed, you are to them. as a very lovely song.
of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument, for they hear your words. But they do not do them. It goes back to it's not enough to know Genesis 1.1 or John 3.16. Is the pursuit of righteousness costing you something? That's what's part of what's take up your cross and follow the Lord.
So this preaching they felt was soothing. It was inspiring. But there was no action after that. It died right there in the in the sanctuary. It never made it to the parking lot.
And that will kill a congregation. You can you then have a crowd. versus a flock. What makes a flock a flock as they are the sheep of his pasture. And a pasture is where the pastor leads the flock.
to graze. To eat. to be fed. The revelation of Jesus Christ targets everyone's soul in all humanity because of where it comes from. It's not the revelation.
of Martin Luther It's not the revelation of Charles Spurgeon. It's the revelation of God Almighty Himself, Jesus Christ. And so, coming through this book, we can't lose sight of that. Jeremiah said this to the people. They have forsaken me.
the fountain of living waters. the source, the source of life. You you can go you can live without water, but not very long. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns. Broken cisterns.
They can hold no water. This is carried out often by many church goers. And so the onus is on us. The responsibility is, we have a responsibility as Christians. Christ, He's done the dying part for our sins.
We have to do the living part. and service. We have to put these things into action. And it's not, if it were easy, everybody would be doing it. If it were easy, then Satan would be marginalized.
He wouldn't be a problem, wouldn't be a threat. But he is a threat. The Bible is distinct. From everything else. Any other writing?
And the facts validate it.
Well, if we look at Isaiah fifty-three which talks about what Christ is going to suffer. 700 years before Christ's Cain. And then Christ does come and He fulfills it all.
Well, that's revelation now is to us what Isaiah 53 was to the audience of Isaiah the prophet. We've had two thousand years to examine these things, and we're watching so much of it. Just for example, an army of two hundred million, how could you even get them to the battlefield? How could you sustain them?
Well, you could do it with robots. Very easily. We now live at a time the Only time in history. Where we can do this. We can put robots on the field as troops.
And climate won't have anything to do with them. Russia. Napoleon's disaster and going to Russia and fighting there in winter, as well as Nazi Germany.
Well, that won't be a factor with robots.
So, we're getting to see these things happening.
So, as we go to the seventh trumpet, we approach it with this: this is going to happen. And the people that suffer the wrath of God suffer it because they did not think God's word was all of that. And hopefully That creates or reinvigorates us to appreciate the truths that come off these pages. I was just reading in my own devotional time, Psalm 119. I started last year.
It's a long Psalm, and I didn't start it last year. But I've been reading it. It's just, here's just the author who I believe is David, just giving scenarios, you know, by your word and your affliction, you know, you set me right. I got it together, and I'm going through this hardship, and they've tried to move me from you, but I'm not going anywhere. And that's what he's saying.
And so now we look at this seventh trumpet. Verse 15, then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.
Well, that's a fact that's going to happen. And for good reason, this seventh trumpet has this dramatic introduction. In fact, so dramatic that it doesn't begin to pour out. It's wrath until chapter 16. There's this parenthesis that belongs to it that we've been covering.
This is the third of them. that sort of builds up to it. It is a promise of doom to all the nations of the world that presently scoff at this kind of stuff. The seventh trumpet concludes with the return of Jesus Christ, and the armies of heaven will be with him. Revelation 19.
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses.
Now, whether that's going to be partially literal, fully, or symbolic, the fact remains. He returns. with the disciples and he rules on earth. That fit that is a fact. And there's nothing metaphoric.
About that. He will forever dwell with His creation and rule. And there were loud voices in heaven. Yes, they're serious, they're solemn. These are glad voices.
They're involved. When Jesus ascended, In Acts chapter 1, they asked him, saying, Lord, Will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel? Of course he He said, It's not for you right now.
Well, here we are seeing he is restoring the kingdom of heaven, and for us, it's still future. But to God it's not. saying the kingdom of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord. and of his Christ.
Well, Jesus is Lord, and he is Christ. Mankind had United around the Tower of Babel as one kingdom. That was their kingdom in Shinar. And God needed to disperse them. because they had one language, one culture.
One common city. And All of this contrary to God.
So he confused their language. God does confuse his enemies. He tells us several times in Scripture. In fact, those living at this time in the history of Revelation 11. Or the Revelation, the Greek tribulation period, God says, I will send strong delusion because you did not love the truth.
Well, when we think of love, we often think of passion. Do we think that about truth? I think some of us do. I think some of us get emotional. We can feel.
Our love for God's truth. It has not been reduced down to just some sort of a historical setting.
So here The world will be one kingdom under Christ. And mankind, apart from God, has been trying to rebuild this tower of Babel. and he has had some success in this theolog in this technological age. The Internet is man's greatest building block in his effort to rebuild Babel. You can type in something, or you can go to a page to read comments, and if someone has made them in a foreign language, you just click translate.
And very accurately you have the translation. Man does want to rebuild his Tower of Babel, but it won't work. In the end, he shall reign forever and ever. That is something that echoes Luke chapter 1, verse 33, and Ephesians 3, verse 21.
Now for the Bible student Those verses always are a big part of any sermon. Where'd you get that from?
Well, there's where it comes from. You can look it up yourself, you can enjoy it yourself. But to the carnal churchgoer, In one ear, out the other. Boring. When do we get to the part about how special I am?
Well maybe if you look at the cross of Christ that question can begin begin to be answered. In verse 16, he continues. John didn't doubt what he was writing, by the way. And he didn't say, if I write this, they're going to think I'm out of my mind. That wasn't his concern.
His concern was to tell what God told him. In verse 16, and the 24 elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, the passion in that. It's not to be missed. It's not there. It's just, let's just fill it in because we've got to get to 22 chapters.
These do represent the Old Testament and New Testament saints. In heaven, from Adam to the rapture. There's no reason to think otherwise. There's nothing in scripture that would give a hint it means anything else. I've stopped that because say that because there are.
Some commentators that scratch their head, who can these be? Luke chapter twenty two, verse twenty nine. Jesus speaking. to his disciples. I bestow upon you a kingdom.
Just as my Father bestowed One upon me. That you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Well, I think that delegated authority matches what is being said here in verse 16. And Paul also rings in 1 Corinthians. He says, Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to life? And Paul is saying, get it together.
This has been Cross-Reference Radio with Pastor Rick Gaston. This program is a radio outreach of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick has been teaching through the book of Revelation, but if you're interested in learning about a different book of the Bible, we have hundreds of past episodes available to listen to on demand. Just visit us online at crossreferenceradio.com and you'll find an archive of Pastor Rick's past teachings. While you're there, you can also find links to follow our program on your favorite podcast app, as well as links to get connected with us on Facebook and YouTube.
There's also an interviews tab where you can learn more about Pastor Rick's heart for ministry.
Well, we hope you'll join us next time here on Cross Reference Radio. Uh
