Revelation and Personal Holiness #2

Welcome to the Truth Pulpit with Don Green, Founding Pastor of Truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Hello again, I'm Bill Wright. It is our joy to continue our commitment to teaching God's people God's Word. Today Don is continuing with the second part of a message we started last time. So let's get right to it.

Open your Bible as we join Don now in the Truth Pulpit. Secondly, a second theme. All of these themes related.

They orbit around each other. They orbit around the glory of Christ, I should say. Secondly, I want you to see that the fear of God is one of the critical themes in Revelation. The fear of God. And Revelation is a book that speaks much about the coming wrath of God to be poured out on our wicked world. And throughout the declarations of this wrath to come is a call to men to fear God. And frequently in that call to fear God is the refusal of men to repent, even in the face of the outpouring of His wrath upon them. And so Revelation warns of God's wrath so that men would fear Him.

And for that I would just I'll take you to four texts, I guess. Look at Revelation Chapter 11. We see a couple of them there. In the context of the ministry of the two witnesses. Who are central end times figures. But in Revelation Chapter 11, verse... Oh, let's start at verse 7. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them. The them is the two witnesses that have been testifying to to God and to his testimony during the course of their brief ministry. Verse 8, their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days, some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. They did not like the ministry of the of the two witnesses. They were glad when they died.

They were happy to see them disgraced, laying dead in the street and no one collecting their body to bury them. But watch what happens in verse 11. But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them and they stood up on their feet and great fear fell on those who saw them. Great fear fell on them as they saw the power of God in resurrecting these two witnesses who had been dead and are now alive. Later on in Chapter 11, verse 18, we read this, the nations raged, but your wrath came and the time for the dead to be judged and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name. The focus of final judgment, the judging of the dead, the rewarding of the saints is going to center around the fear of the name of God. The fear of God central theme is as we contemplate future wrath, future judgment, we see that there is to be an element of fear.

This is beloved. This contemplation of judgment is not at all something to be, you know, viewed in a in a remote, distant, speculative kind of way. Not it's not at all something to be a matter of of banter, theological banter or whatever. It should be informed by a sense of fear that every one of us is going to stand before Christ in one manner or another and give an account to him. And we will be standing before the one who is the first born from the dead, the beginning, the beginning and the end, the the Lord of the church, the the savior on the cross, the the one who is sovereign over kings and nations, and we're going to have to personally appear before him.

This is not a matter for for contentious discussion. This is a matter for each one of you to step back, to draw back and to humble yourselves before God afresh and say, Oh, God, this is this is consequential. Oh, God, help me to fear your name and to live rightly in light of coming eschatological events. I'm going to stand before God and give an account. I'm going to stand before Christ and give an account. Lord, I fear your name. I I tremble at the thought of that.

I love you. I trust Christ. I know my sins are forgiven, but there is a sobriety to this that needs to inform the way I think about everything else. The way I think about all of life, the way that I think about studying the book of Revelation, the fear of God, the glory of Christ, the fear of God. Revelation, Chapter 14, verse seven will start in verse six. Revelation, Chapter 14, verse six, and I realize I'm not giving you the context for all of these things.

We're just seeing themes right now. Revelation 14, verse six. Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

The application of this is universal. This is another indication that truth is absolute, objective and not tied to the subjective feelings of people. There's truth outside that applies to every nation, tribe and tongue. OK, verse seven, this angel flying directly overhead said with a loud voice, Fear God and give him glory because the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. You see, this can't possibly, a right study of Revelation can't possibly be something that focuses on contentious details in light of present theological studies or anything like that. This expands out to the fullness of who God is, the creator of heaven and earth, the fullness of the requirement to worship him, the fullness of the coming hour of his judgment and calls upon the hearts of everyone to fear him and give him glory. One more in Revelation 19. Revelation 19. As we see the final triumph of Christ. He's conquered his enemies, we read in verse.

19, let's say verse one will read a little longer section here. After this, I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven. Crying out, Hallelujah, salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just, for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.

Once more, they cried out, Hallelujah, the smoke from her goes up forever and ever. And the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, Amen, Hallelujah. And from the throne came a voice saying, Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great. The outcome of the fall of Babylon is going to be the servants of God ascribing worship and fear to him.

Small people, great people, all points in between. And so, beloved, if I could draw upon a familiar text from Proverbs, Proverbs tells us repeatedly that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Well, when it comes to studying the book of Revelation, the fear of God is also the beginning of wisdom to study this book.

We seek the glory of Christ. We realize that we're reading about sober matters of universal judgment and matters of salvation and the wrath and judgment of God. And we realize that this is something to be taken seriously, not to be trifled with.

That's just so that's just so very, very important. And we'll move on to point number three. As we look at this and we'll see that Revelation.

And again, these points kind of flow into one another. Revelation is a book that calls us to the worship of God, the worship of God, a loving reverential response to this God who makes himself known in this final book of the Bible. This third point could and should be a message all of its own. Revelation calls us repeatedly to worship God. As it were, it transports us into the throne room of heaven, and we are allowed to witness the the worship of God taking place there.

And for this, I want you there. There are three key texts on this in the book of Revelation. And for this, I want you to turn back to Revelation, chapter four. Revelation, chapter four.

After Jesus has addressed the seven churches, the book obviously pivots away from the church and into other other realms, other matters. And in Revelation, chapter four, verse one. John says this, after this, I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, come up here and I will show you what must take place after this. At once, I was in the spirit and behold, a throne stood in heaven with with one seated on the throne and the vision that he saw that being there in heaven was just too beautiful for words.

He does the best that he can to describe it in language we can understand. He who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and Carnelian and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. And around the throne were 24 thrones and seated on the thrones were 24 elders clothed in white garments and golden crowns on their head. And from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder. And before the throne were seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne, there was, as it were, a sea of glass like crystal.

And what's happening there? In that magnificent setting. Verse eight, the four living creatures, each of them with six wings are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and they worship Him who lives forever and ever.

They cast their crowns before the throne. So you see, there's just this there is just this magnificent display of of glorious, sober worship at the throne of God. Here in Chapter four, the theme of the worship is God's position as creator. Verse 11, Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power.

Why? For you created all things and by your will, they existed and were created. The worship given to God in His position as the creator of heaven and earth. And it's it's stunning, compelling worship.

Resounding worship, because God is the creator of heaven and earth. Well, you read on in Chapter five and you find another aspect of worship taking place in verse eight. When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, a reference to Christ. Once again, we see the glory of Christ on display and being a preeminent aspect of that to which we are to respond. They fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

And they sang a new song saying, worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals. Now, watch why they ascribe worship, the reason, the ground for their worship. You are worthy, for you were slain and by your blood, you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have made them a kingdom and priest to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. In Chapter four, God's being worshiped as the creator. In Chapter five, Christ is being worshiped in his role as the redeemer of his people.

And so we read in verse 11, I can't skip over this. Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever. And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshiped.

See how profound this is? God worshiped his creator, Christ worshiped as the redeemer. And later in the book of Revelation, Revelation 16, you can turn there with me. We see God worshiped as the final judge, creator, redeemer and judge. Revelation 16, verse five, I heard the angel in charge of the water, say, Just are you, O holy one, who is and who was for you brought these judgments for they, meaning the wicked, have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink.

It is what they deserve. And I heard the altar saying, Yes, Lord God, the almighty, true and just are your judgments. The worship of God, God worshiped his creator, Christ worshiped as redeemer. God worshiped as judge, even as the wicked are are suffering the just effects of their wickedness at the hands of the wrath of God out poured. Now, beloved. You know.

I don't. I just want us as a church body to approach the Book of Revelation in the spirit with which the Book of Revelation ascribes glory to Christ. As it calls men to fear God as it calls us to worship God and to recognize the different grounds upon which we worship him. We are here tonight because God created us and has sustained our breath since the moment of our birth. If you are in Christ, you are here because a glorious redeemer loved you and and shed his blood to wash away your sins. We worship God in fear and reverence, in the knowledge that he is the judge of every nation, every every aspect of of mankind. I have no interest in a study of revelation whatsoever that neglects these things for the sake of satisfying the carnal curiosity of people who do not have these affections in their hearts.

I don't have any interest in that at all. The glory of Christ, the fear of God, the worship of God. There's a final aspect to this.

And the let me give you the fourth point here. Revelation brings an emphasis on repentance from sin. Repentance from sin, and it could be no other way. You know, there's such a glorious vertical focus to the first few things that we've seen the glory of Christ vertical, the fear of God vertical, the worship of God vertical. Well, anyone who think about it this way, think about it this way, that the what we have seen just in very what we have seen just in very, very quick and and and hurried form here. We have seen the multifaceted glory of God on display already here this evening. Just in forty five minutes, give or take. It reminds me of how in a much more limited context of what of the Apostle Peter, you remember when Peter was with the Lord, they'd been fishing all night.

They didn't find anything. Lord said, cast your net on the other side of the boat. You'll have a great haul of fish. Peter said, Lord, we've been fishing all night.

We're professional fishermen here, but at your bidding, we'll do this. And there was such a great haul of fish that Peter recognized that he was in the presence of deity. And it frightened him so much so that that he said, depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. Well, how much more not not seeing a a haul of fish out of the water, but being transported by the word of God, enlightened in our minds by the Holy Spirit, how much more to see the glory of Christ, the fear of God, the worship of God as creator, as redeemer, as judge, then how much more if we get any understanding of those themes at all, must it be necessary for us to reflect on our our cold indifference to our creator, redeemer and judge and pour ourselves out in a spirit of repentance before him that says, these glories are so magnificent that there must be a profound repentance from sin in my life as a response.

We're going to see this in just a moment. But beloved, one of the things that's just really, really important to rightly understanding the Bible is to see the big picture, to see great, big general principles before you get to the details. And in the book of Revelation, like no other, people want to run to the details, satisfy their curiosity and walk away unchanged.

In the language of James, they look at the mirror and they walk away and they immediately forgotten what they saw because it's not driven by the glory of Christ, the fear of God and the worship of God. In a broad way, what Revelation teaches us is that the church and the world fall short of what God requires, fall short of his glory. And as you read, especially in Revelation two and three, what we're going to see, and I can't wait to get there. I'm just going to have to not rush through the introductory messages in chapter one out of my my hurry to get to Revelation two and three. But what we're going to see as we study those initial chapters is this, is that the repentance that the book of Revelation calls the Church of Christ to is is not simply for behavior. It's not simply a matter of some casual, superficial matters of, you know, you did a little bit wrong for a little while.

But, you know, this is it's not that not that serious. No, the repentance that Revelation calls the Church of Christ to, in particular, is repentance from. It's false doctrine. Repentance from its lack of love for Christ. It's toleration of false teachers and other matters that we will see as we as we go along. And again, we're going to look at this in just a moment here. I'm just giving you the outline so you can recognize it when you see it, that it's not simply about matters of outward immorality.

That's true. And there's certainly plenty of that going around for us to repent of as the Church of Christ. But Christ makes it clear that that matters of truth and doctrine are to be matters of highest preeminent priority to the church.

And, you know, the church is cold on these things. And in love for the Savior, we should look at this. We see the call to repentance given to the church itself, given to the church itself, and beloved, I'm glad I'm not a strong man because I would pick up this 500 pound pulpit and shake it in order to make my point here. There are seven churches addressed in Revelation two and three.

Can't wait to tell you about it. In five of those churches, Christ makes a call to repentance. In one of the other churches, it's a little church of inconsequential power from an earthly perspective.

In another church, it's a church going through tribulation and difficulty, and he commends them, he loves them, he doesn't call them to repentance. There is no place for affirmation of mega churches devoid of doctrine oriented toward men, having no love for Christ. There's no way that they can get through the seven churches and what Christ says to the seven churches without a searing call to repentance upon them. It's impossible when you see what Christ says to the seven churches.

We'll cover that in due time, I guess. If the Lord gives me life and strength, but all I want you to see for this evening is that in five of the seven churches, Christ calls them, commands them, counsels them to repent of various aspects of error in doctrine, failure in ethics, and a lack of love for him. So we read in the first church that he addresses, the church in Ephesus, he commends them for a few things that, you know, there's some of these churches are mixed, they get some commendation, some rebuke. Christ says in Revelation 2, verse four to the church in Ephesus, I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first.

If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. He calls them to repent. He calls a church of Jesus Christ to repentance. In verse 16, the church at Pergamum. He says in verse 14, I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam.

Look at that. He rebukes them for their teaching. In our day and age, when doctrine is diminished and people have so little interest in teaching and churches are more than happy to cater to their lack of interest in biblical doctrine. Please understand that this rebuke over doctrine applies to the modern church today, without a doubt.

Christ says, I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food, sacrifice to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. The teaching, beloved. They had to repent of their teaching, because he says in verse 16, therefore, repent.

If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He calls the church to repent. In the church. In Thyatira, verses 18 through 29. We read in verse 20, I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food, sacrifice to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her. I will throw into great tribulation unless they repent of her works. Repentance, repentance, repentance.

Doesn't stop there. Revelation, chapter three, verse three, the church at Sardis. He says at the end of verse one, I know your works, you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die. For I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard, keep it and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. And then famously in the final church that's addressed, Laodicea, we read. Read what Christ says in verse 15.

He says, I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot.

So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. This is in the Bible, beloved. And when do churches say things like this? To the to the tears that are gathered in front of them.

When do you hear things like this? It's in the Bible. It's Christ speaking to the churches. It seems to me like that might be kind of important to let people know.

As a theme. Verse 17, you say, I'm rich, I've prospered, I need nothing, not realizing. Look at the self satisfaction in them. I've prospered, I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.

You assess yourself as as being in a good position. And Christ says, I assess you as being in a poor, pitiable, wretched, naked, blind condition. This church completely misunderstood itself, completely failed its self examination. And Christ brings an inerrant, accurate view from his omniscience and rebukes them and calls them. Says in verse 18, I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so you may be rich, white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen. Sav to anoint your eyes so that you may see those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and. Repent.

Five of the seven churches, literal churches that existed there in the first century when this was. Was written. And we see the call in the world to repent.

I'm just going to read one text, I've got three in my notes, but for the sake of time, we'll get to all of this eventually. Revelation, chapter nine, verse 20. The church is called to repent in the Book of Revelation. The world is called to repent in the Book of Revelation. And as the judgments of God are being poured out in Revelation nine, we read this in verse 20, the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

Nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. And beloved. I trust that you see from the consideration of these four themes. One, just how magnificent this book is. And we're just we've just bounced on a couple of high point waves here.

We haven't even gotten into anything yet. How magnificent this book is. How transcendent and glorious its themes are. And that you will understand why I issue this caution and even warning. This is not a book for self-satisfied, self-righteous people, it's not. Self-righteous, self-satisfied people. Wanting to argue debatable points. And and with keeping in mind, passing over the glory of Christ, passing over the fear of God, passing over the worship of God, passing over repentance from sin in order to discuss and debate these little interesting issues that articles get written about, you know, what about the mark of the beast and things like that. People like that, that pass over these issues without regard to the condition of their own soul, they have much greater, much higher, much more urgent issues to address than to shore up their personal views on eschatology through a study of revelation. These things are primary. These things are primary, what happens with eschatology flows from that, but is not apart from it, and it is not prior to it. It is not more important to it.

More important than those themes that we've discussed here tonight. If repentance is so important and so central, what does it mean? If you want to think about it this way and think about the spirit of repentance in your own life, beloved, I ask you gently, softly, despite the animated nature of my demeanor and tone of voice here as I speak here.

Is the spirit of repentance an active part of your life, of your heart? When did you last spend any time confessing sin to God whatsoever? When when did you last say, Lord, those desires in my heart were wrong? Those words that I said were sinful. My what I did was contrary to what you would have had me to do. Jesus, Jesus said, you know that in the Lord's prayer that, you know, we're to confess our sins.

Is that a part of your life? Do you realize that if it's not, that there's a prior issue of dealing with repentance before we ever get to the text of Revelation for you to deal with? Martin Lloyd-Jones defines repentance in this way.

And I quote, Repentance means you realize you are a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath of God, and that you are hell bound. You begin to realize this thing called sin is in you and you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world, whatever the cost.

The world in its mind and outlook, as well as its practice. And you deny yourself and take up the cross and go after Christ. Your nearest and dearest and the whole world may say you have religious mania.

You may have to suffer financially, but it makes no difference to you. That is repentance. So, my dear friends, the glory of Christ, the fear of God, the worship of God, repentance from sin. Will you study Revelation for the sake of those themes Revelation for the sake of those themes, and to repent of all known sin in your life in order to take seriously the coming return of Christ, the coming judgment of God, the certain coming appointment you have to give an account before your holy creator, your holy redeemer, the holy judge?

My friends, I'll say it this one last time tonight, and then I'll probably say it five thousand times before we get through Revelation. You cannot bypass these primary themes for the sake of carnal curiosity about incidental details that tend to occupy much greater time in discussions about the book of Revelation. So here at Truth Community Church, God helping us, we begin this study in Revelation for the glory of God, and for the pursuit of personal holiness. Let each one examine himself accordingly, and may God send his blessing through his Spirit upon us as we do. Let us pray. Father, may your Spirit search us as it says seven times in Revelation 2 and 3, let him who has an ear hear what the Spirit has to say to the churches. Father, give Truth Community Church an ear to hear.

Give member and attender alike an ear to hear. Give us this Spirit of love and worship and fear of the great triune God that would preoccupy our minds and set the proper context in our hearts for whatever details we may encounter along the way. And Father, I pray that you would grant us great discernment to discern truth from error, to discern our own hearts. I pray, Father, that during the course of this exposition in the coming of months that you would expose to people that they have been self-deceived, never born again at all, and that you would use this study to convict men and women like that and bring them to true repentance. I pray that you would strengthen us and protect us and help us as we undertake this work. And I pray that it would all be to the glory of God, to the glory of the Son, with the help of the Spirit. May we study the book of Revelation and grow greatly in our personal holiness. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Amen. Well, my friends, before we go for today, I just wanted to let you know about a companion resource to this series that we're doing on the book of Revelation. There is a perennial interest in the end times from a biblical perspective, and there's so many different opinions about things that are out there. There's amillennialism and premillennialism and postmillennialism and various views of the rapture, and it's hard to sort all of that out.

I get it. Well, I wrote a brief book that functions both as an introduction to end times and also examines an aspect of end times that you're going to want to get. The book is titled When Christ Shall Come, and it gives you an overview of biblical end times deals with matters like Israel today and the question about dispensationalism and also has an expanded study on the topic of preterism, if you're familiar with that term. And so you can go to our website, thetruthpulpit.com, and look for the link to my books. And when you click on that, you'll find a link that would allow you to purchase a copy of When Christ Shall Come. It is a resource that will help you. So go to our website, thetruthpulpit.com, and look for the link titled Books. We'll see you next time. That's Don Green, founding pastor of Truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Thank you so much for listening to The Truth Pulpit. Join us next time for more as we continue teaching God's people God's Word.