The Bible makes sense. It's making a point. It is all put together. It is not put together by one man sitting in a tent somewhere. On one hot summer day, It's a collection of people.
Over centuries. Contributing, God being the author, they being the scribes. It's not authored by men. God has every right to take this course. And so, as you listen to these things, it's not what you don't understand that God is trying to say to you at this point, it is the things that you will understand.
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 19 as he begins a brand new message called Heaven Rejoices.
We are in Revelation chapter 19 for the reading of the word. Verse 1: After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying, Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong. to the Lord our God, For true and righteous are his judgments, because He has judged the great harlot. who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants shed by her.
Again they said, Alleluia Her smoke rises up forever and ever.
So, you want to hear about the Revelation. I love a study on Revelation until you start getting into it, maybe. You've become fatigued. with all of the judgments and the seriousness that belongs to This vision that John was given. Heaven rejoices, that's the title.
I had to be careful there. I didn't want to give the impression of rejoicing in heaven because, oh, this is going to be a happy message. Not that it's not going to be, but this has to do With The citizens of heaven Those who are saved from the Old Testament and New Testament and other created beings. Delighting in God's judgment, in contrast to all the junk that's been going on. in the world.
So my question to you before we start is, does watered down Christianity disturb you? The kind that never tells all of God's word because. is going to offend those who are guilty. of offending God's Word. of going against God.
So the alternative would be withhold the truth.
So we can win them.
Well, that's Satan's line. Ignorance of truth helps no one. Jesus made it very clear: the truth sets you free. Where else are you going to get the truth?
Well, from Scripture. But God has ordained preaching. He has ordained the assembly of the saints. And the pastor is to hold fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able to, by sound doctrine, both to exhort to rebuke And to convict.
So as we move through the Revelation we Don't look to Be rude. abrasive intentionally, but The truth, if you're guilty, you know, you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the dog that yelps is the one that got hit. Many pastors are more afraid of the people not coming back to church. Then they are. of standing before God.
So hopefully, as we move through this chapter, You'll understand that it is God who draws the soul to the church to hear the truth. That's why he draws The truth encourages, it strengthens, it defends. There's a military line. A good defense is more offense. Attack harder.
That's not always the case with everything, but. Uh it is when it comes to truth. To be reminded again, God draws souls to churches to hear the truth. regardless of preference, That's why Jeremiah said, God speaking through him, Is not my word like fire, says Yahweh, like a hammer that breaks? The rock in pieces.
You might be saying, well, what do you got coming? What are you going to say to us? You'll find out false Christianity. showcases its heresy in our face Puts it right up in our face. You give another $100 to the church, God can bless you back.
and make you rich. That's heresy. And it's right in your face. I'm a Christian. I belong to a group that prays to Mary, but I'm a Christian.
You can't rebuke us. You're not a Christian. It's against Christianity. And you cringe when you hear the pastor hammers. Those things.
Is not my word like fire, says Yahweh, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? You will not be allowed to put a gag order on the pulpit. Nor should one be put on you when you share the gospel in truth. And in love.
So We now look at the first verse and we'll return to these things, not because I want to. I like preaching, you know, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Do I walk through the valley of shadows? I want to preach those things too. But there are other things that are as important that must not be bypassed or overlooked, and we're going to get some of that here this morning.
Verse 1, Revelation 19: After these things I heard a loud voice. Of a great multitude in heaven saying, Alleluia, salvation, and glory and honor and power. Belong. to the Lord our God. They're not ashamed of any of this.
They're very upfront about it. It's very loud. It's it's deliberate. It's unapologetic. Explicitly This is said after the destruction of apocalyptic Babylon that we covered in 17 and 18, the chapters in Revelation.
We had Again, religious Babylon, mystery Babylon, destroyed in chapter seventeen by. Secular Babylon, Antichrist political, military machine. We covered that in chapter 18. The Holy Spirit felt this was so important that he's going to circle back around to it again in verse 2. And we're not there yet.
But this is heaven's response to these judgments. in a loud voice. Hallelujah. Which is The Transliteration of hallelujah. From the Hebrew into the Greek, not a translation.
But a transliteration. And they are praising the Lord for his judgments. Later, we get more information on how Christ destroys wickedness on earth, and they are totally in rhythm with Him. Knowing what's coming, the angels rejoice to see the end. of evil, who wouldn't rejoice?
And the systems of the world that hate the Christ. Looking back at Revelation chapter one. John was told, write, the things which you have seen and the things which are. And the things which will take place after this. And all that he's been seeing since chapter 4.
Four is really future, though chapter four kind of merges with the present and the future. And John was shown the world at war. Against Christ. And now further details are going to be shown to him that Christ wins. and judgment is a consequence.
To warring against Christ. And so he says, I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven here in verse 1 saying, Alleluia. Exclamation. of praise. It means Praise Yahweh.
Well, it does mean, but it does not say, praise the Lord. Unless you understand Lord linked to the Old Testament Yahweh and Here we find this applied in the New Testament to Christ. Christ is. Yahweh of the Old Testament is Jesus of the New Testament. King David is the first one to give us.
This hallelujah in Scripture. And it of course continues after that.
So there are five reasons in this beginning part. And if you are a new believer or an unbeliever, Maybe, if nothing else, you're getting out of this, the Bible makes sense. It's making a point. It is all put together. It is not put together by one man sitting in a tent somewhere.
On one hot summer day, It's a collection of people over centuries. Contributing, God being the author, they being the scribes. It's not authored by men. God has every right to take this course. And so, as you listen to these things, it's not what you don't understand that God is trying to say to you at this point, it is the things that you will understand.
that he wants to highlight. Five reasons of their praise, God's salvation. His glory, his honor, and his power in verse one. In verse two, his judgments on false Christianity. In verse 3, the permanent destruction of false Christianity.
In verse 6, the sovereignty of God, which would terrify me without the love of God.
Well, you already mentioned the salvation. There's no salvation without love. God doesn't save us because it's the right thing to do. He saves us because He's love. It's grace, it's a gift.
offered to us. A man has a chance to respond to that in the positive or the negative. It's up to them. And then the seventh verse, We have communion with this people. That means agreement.
The people are ultimately in agreement with their God.
So back to verse 1: Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God. The Yah of Alleluia. or hallelujah in the Hebrew. Because again, salvation of the soul is a big deal with God, should be a big deal with you. I know it's a big deal with many Christians, and that's why they think: well, if we water down things, we can reach them.
With what? Lies? Falsities? Fear? What are we reaching people who are dead?
The world needs us to tell them the truth about themselves and about God. And it's always a take it or leave it. Hopefully, it's presented kindly. But firmly. Luke 15:10, Jesus speaking, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents, on one sinner who turns and says, You know, I want to be right with God.
I don't care what anybody thinks. I want to be right with God.
Sovereignty of God. is against me. If there is not love, but there is love from him. And if it weren't for that love, His sovereignty wouldn't save me. His sovereignty would just be something he possessed.
And that is who he is. But there must be love, and that's why, again, I've been saying this a few times, as Paul taught in Corinthians: if I have not love, I am nothing. And that is agape love. And of the four types of love that we talk about coming from the Greek language in the Bible: the philo, the stroge, the eros. Only one of them is spiritual.
The others are natural. It's natural to love something to the point that you want to master it. and get a doctorate in philosophy, which is the lover of that particular discipline. Eros, that just uh the romantic love, that's a natural love. Stroge, the love for family, it's a natural love.
But agape. That's got God's fingerprints on it. And if you don't have that one, you're not born again. And that's why the Christians sing and they pour their heart out in passion to God because they love Him back.
Now some of us are just not very emotional. And it doesn't show up that way.
So it doesn't mean if you're not clapping or singing along real, you know, zealously, it doesn't mean you don't love the Lord. This means we got our eye on you. Joke. Joking. Verse 2: Now it heats up.
Now we're going to find out. That stuff about the hammer of the Word of God. Which side of it are you on? For truth and righteousness are his judgments, because he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants shed by her.
Somebody has killed a lot of Christians. We've covered this in 17. We've hit it again in 18.
Now we come back again in 19, not because the pastor likes doing this, but because that's where God goes with it. God says, you know what? I don't know if you got this. Mystery Babylon. Do not be deceived.
Roman Catholicisms. doctrine is false Christianity. You cannot hitch your wagon to praying to the dead and still say, I'm a Christian, when the Bible forbids that kind of stuff. And that is one out of many things they do wrong. And Christians cringe when their pastor says it.
Put the hammer down, pastor. Pick up a feather. We want you to water down your Christianity. How are you going to win them if you're offending them with the truth? Make them feel comfortable with the lies, suppress the truth.
I will not. But I don't take any pleasure in this either. And sometimes I get, you know, my stomach turns when I say, you know, I have to deliver this. This is what God's calling me to do. My choice is to look the other way, I will not.
So, I'm supposed to do my duty, you're supposed to do yours. He said, But I invited my Catholic friend to church. You should have done your duty and prepped them. You should have said, This guy can be a tiger on certain topics. And don't Think he's going to keep the clause in when it comes to lies about God, and the text is demanding.
him make a comment on it.
So at this point, I'm supposed to shut my mouth about apostate Christianity and who's leading the pact. It's not only Roman Catholicism. I don't judge them. The Bible judges them unapologetically. It cannot be reformed.
And that's why it is ultimately trampled in chapter 17. There has been A Boast And a boost An increased And Christianity supposedly. In Washington, With pundits. Bloggers and People with podcasts and some of the politicians. They're becoming champions.
of Roman Catholicism. That's watering down the faith. I like our Vice President. I admire him as men go. Same with our Secretary of State.
I would vote for either one of those two for President. But I cannot agree with their religion. I do not agree. I do not think it's okay to raise my children in a home where they have an option. Between Paganism or heresy.
And that's what we have with our Vice President. The Christian is supposed to see these things. And be ready. to share the truth about this as to where God sits. Concerning these circumstances.
What is God's opinion about this?
Well Mystery Babylon. They may be anti-abortion, but they're also anti-Bible. And you gotta make a choice there. 1 Timothy 2, chapter 5. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus.
How does Mary become a mediator without violating that verse? You see the things that you're faced with as Christians? Oh, give me a story or give me a teaching on Revelation and tell me how God's going to end the world, but don't touch the heresies. within Christianity. We'll get back to some of the other ones like Olstein and Joyce Myers and Kenneth Copelands.
They too are raging heretics. Not because I say so. Because they say so. Because they go against the scripture. It is one thing to love.
a person that is caught up in a heresy. It is another thing. to go ahead and defend that heresy that they're caught up in. And our beloved Christians tend to do that. And usually they turn on the pastor who has the nerve to preach what the scripture says about such behavior.
And so, not only does life itself bring grief and wicked people. It brings a message. of doom by necessity. Or salvation, and we're to preach that. We're supposed to be very serious about our faith.
It's not a hobby. It's not something, well, I just love commentaries.
Okay, that's not bad. But if that's all you got, there's a problem.
Well, I just love studying the Bible. I just don't care to love people. There's a problem there, big problem. It says here, because he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication. This is the woman who rides a beast from Revelation 17.
Now I quote Proverbs 14:25. A true witness delivers souls. But a deceitful witness speaks lies. That's what an apostate does. They've fallen from the faith, and many times they stay in the faith.
to water it down. You have a fifth column now. It's been infiltrated, it's been leavened, it's been corrupted from the inside. And your only defense is that hammer. The scripture, what God has said.
If you like the world, what are you doing in church?
Well, I'll tell you what you're doing in church. The very God of creation, the one that in the beginning God created from nothing the heavens and earth, that same person has reached out to you. To bring you into the house of God, around the people of God, to hear the word of God, which is the mind and the voice and the will of God. That you do something with it. You're either going to turn against him.
But you're gonna love 'em. You can't serve two masters. You're going to have to make a choice. is going to call for courage and that will call for prayer. And prayer should show up somewhere in your life.
It should somewhere in your life People should see that person. Praise That person stays in contact. with the God of Genesis 1. He has avenged on her the blood of his saints shed by her.
Well, historically, Roman Catholicism is responsible for the slaughter of thousands of Bible-believing Christians over the centuries. That's history. You don't have to take my word, you can look it up. You can Google it after church. No one else in history.
Has committed the spiritual and the physical violence against true Christianity. In the name of Christ. Except them. But now that's all changing a little bit. You know, they have the apostate.
Protestants joining them. What they practice, what they teach, what they spread, what they say and who they say they are. Contradicts the Lord, separates them from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by their choice. I mean, some of them are ignorant. They don't know any better.
And God will, in His mercy, deal with them. But the ones that have heard the scripture and turned away in favor of the church, what mercy remains? It's a question mark that you don't want to live with over your head.
So, once again, in case you don't know, what's the difference between fundamental Christianity and Roman Catholicism? an apostate Christianity. Or Roman Catholicism says we believe the popes and the cardinals, what they say about the Bible. They're the final authority.
Well, the fundamental Christian says, no, the Bible is the final authority. That's the biggest difference. And the apostates have come along and said, well, we don't believe in any of it, but we're going to stay in the club anyway. And we'll confuse everybody. People won't know what Christianity is because we've so watered it down, you can't tell.
What's true and not true unless you know the Word of God. That's your defense.
So That makes it false Christianity when you go against what Christ said. And the so-called Protestants They have their Apostate battalions also. I mentioned Olstein, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Myers, TD Fakes, Jakes. Their doctrine and their behavior condemn them. I don't.
I agree with the scripture's condemnation. of telling people to give money to the church so I can be rich. The Bible calls us to deny the flesh, to deny the self. Not to enrich oneself. By lying to people, telling them God is now obligated to give you money back.
Because you gave him money first. This kind of stuff is recorded and available online. You can watch it at any time after church. That you want. Just go online, Google those names, and you'll see the things that they're saying, and you'll scratch your head, and you'll say, If that's Christianity, I don't want it.
But it's not Christianity. The true Christianity makes you want it. Blasphemers in the name of Jesus. They drag once Bible-believing Christians down through unholy alliances. And that's another problem.
The Jews were warned: listen, when you go into the promised land, don't be chummying up and making buddies with all these pagans. They're going to drag you down.
Well, the Jews went into the promised land and they buddied up. And they lost their kingdom twice, well actually more than that. Unholy alliances. Parents fret over their children meeting the wrong people. The influences that the other people will make on their children.
They worry about that. Will it be drug addiction that my child ends up with because they met the wrong person? Will the person molest them? Will a person make them a heretic? And on the list goes.
Well, Christians should have the same. Vigil approach. to their scripture. The only defense against them is loyalty to Jesus Christ through. the word of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 6.17, therefore come out from them. And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. Luke 14:26 intensifies the separation. It's in Luke 14:26, God is saying, if you put a relationship with another human being.
Above the relationship or on the same level as me. We're going to have a problem, a big one. If anyone comes to me and does not hate, Father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, in his own life also. He cannot be my disciple.
Now, he's not saying you just. unprovoked hatred. You know what? God said I can hate you and that's it. We're done.
That's not at all what's being said. It is in the contrast of a love for Christ compared to anybody else that gets in the way of that love. regardless of the relationship. Because Eternity is more real. than what you have right now.
What are you gonna live maybe a hundred and some years at best? How long is eternity compared to that? And I think 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 crossreference radio.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. Hello. I didn't know it's a good idea.
