Heavenly Responsibilities

Hey, this is Jim Graham from the Masculine Journey Podcast, where we explore relationship instead of religion every week. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the Truth Podcast Network. In the culture and marketplace of ideas, using the Bible as a sacred trust of truth and sharing the message of Jesus.

Learn more about the ministry of the Truth Project at www.ProjectTruthMatters.com. Let's join this week's extended edition. Here's Dr. Davis discussing what we are expected to do when we get to heaven and a lot more on earth. Our job is the Great Commission, but in heaven, we'll be praising him continually and serving him around his throne.

There will also be sharing. Heaven will be the greatest experience of fellowship you've ever had. The Father, Son, and the Spirit continually together, all in one accord in unity. Also, we are in our resurrection body, so it is fellowship that is pure. It's worship that is pure and not tainted. Because everything that we know right now is tainted by sin, so we'll be in a pure state.

We'll be in an eternal state of pure righteousness, which is very different than how we live today. I know that some of you have sat through this entire lesson. Some of you have sat through all the lessons of Daniel.

And really, I like to make things practical. So why do we even need to read this? Why do we even need to know what the Holy City is going to look like if we're going to be there?

Why not just wait until we get there to figure out what it's going to be like? Knowledge is power because knowing what is to come allows us to live better today. It allows us to be more obedient to God today. And it builds our faith and it gives us greater hope knowing that every promise in this Bible is true. So just as sure as the prophecies within Daniel came to pass, the prophecies of Revelation will come to pass. So we know that the God of the past is the same God of the present, is the same God of the future. And we know that by knowing these words, knowing this information, it can help us live better.

So I hope that this knowledge and these lessons and these sessions and this time that we've spent together has given you knowledge to make better decisions. So really, we're going to get into this right now. You know, what do we do until then?

Knowing the earth is going to be regenerated, knowing Christ is coming back. Really, and we find that in chapter 22. The rest of chapter 22 is like a summary of the book. It's very similar to chapter 1 of Revelation.

We see similar themes in both chapters. In both chapters, we are told that the prophecy is from God. So I'm just going to read verses 6 through 16 and then we'll get into that. The angel said to me, these words are trustworthy in tree. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place. Look, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll. I think that's a very key verse and it's written in red and I'm just going to say it one more time.

I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.

And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, don't do that. I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of the scroll. You need to worship God.

Don't worship me. Then he told me, do not seal up the words of the prophecy of the scroll because the time is near. Notice he told Daniel at the end he needs to seal up what he saw.

But John, he says very differently. Do not seal up the words of the scroll because the time is near. That is why it is important right now to go over revelation and to learn and teach revelation. Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong.

Let the vile person continue to be vile. Let the one who does right continue to be right and let the holy one continue to be holy. Look, I am coming soon. Notice Christ says this a second time. My reward is with me. I will give to each person according to what they have done. So we're going to be rewarded according to our deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes. They may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

Outside are the dogs. Those who practice magic arts. Here's that list again that we talked about a couple times ago. Those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David and the bright and morning star. This is some very powerful verses, so we're going to spend a good deal of time here. Chapter one and chapter twenty two are similar. In both chapters we are told that this prophecy is from God. So in verse one of chapter one of Revelation, the revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.

And twenty two verse six. The angel said to me, these words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place. So this is evidence that this prophecy is from God. Second, in both chapters, the message is validated by an angel. Chapter one, verse 11.

Write on the scroll what you said and send it to the seven churches to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Verse one. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. So we know that this was validated by an angel in verse one to the specific churches, but validated by sending his angel to his servant John. In chapter twenty two, verse six, the angel said to me, these words are trustworthy and true. The Lord and the God who inspires the prophets sent his angel to show his servants the things which must soon take place. So we know that this prophecy is from God.

We know that the message was validated by an angel. And we know that John is mentioned as the human agent in writing. Verse one says, sending his angel to his servant John. John is mentioned. John is again mentioned in verse eight of chapter twenty two. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. In both chapters, there is a blessing upon those who give attention to the prophecy.

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy. And I have seen in going through Revelation, even at our church, how the Lord began working in the body of Christ. I've seen blessings come that were unexpected.

I've seen prayers answered that had that we have been praying for for a long time, just knowing and talking with the members of our church. There were you know, there was a change. There was a spiritual change in the atmosphere. But blessed is those who reads aloud the words of this prophecy. And in verse seven, look, I'm coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in the scroll.

I almost feel like a watchman on the wall. I feel like this is a strong portion of what my role is in ministry is to be sounding the alarm that Jesus Christ is coming soon. I'm very comfortable in Revelation. I believe that's a God given comfort related to what, you know, what the calling is for myself and for the Truth Project.

So I'm glad that you are sharing in that same interest. And I pray that we are all blessed for keeping the words of this prophecy. In both chapters, imminency is the prevailing tone.

And what I mean by imminency is there's an urgency. There's a sense of urgency in the book of Revelation in verse one. It says, make it known by sending his angel to a servant, John, who testifies to everything that he saw.

That is the word of God. It says to show his servants what must soon take place. And so that word soon in verse one is the same as verse six soon.

It says the same thing. This must soon take place. There are things that are to soon take place. What I'm trying to tell you is that the coming of Christ is imminent at the time of recording this. And what's going on right now is, you know, as you know, Russia has invaded Ukraine. And I'm not saying that the end is here.

What I'm saying is that the end is closer. You know, the Bible talks about that there'll be wars and rumors of wars. But it is clear that for Jesus Christ to come, that the earth is going to experience growth pains and birth pains that are going to come. And we're going to see those more frequently come in succession.

But I believe Russia's invasion of Ukraine is one of those. In both chapters, we're given titles for Jesus Christ that we are to remember. In chapter one, verse five, it talks about how Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. He's the first born from the dead and the rulers of the kings of the earth.

And in chapter twenty two, he's the root and the offspring of David and the bright and morning star. The reason to study Revelation one is to be informed as to what the Bible says will happen in the future. But also it's how are we going to live until the rapture of the church takes place?

I think getting a glimpse of heaven or even heaven itself is not a destination, but it should be a motivation for us to be more obedient. Knowing this, knowing all this, you know, the Bible says, knowing all this, what manner of conduct should you be? And knowing all this, what manner of conduct should we live? What does our obedience look like?

Knowing that Christ is coming back and actually believing that, how should we live accordingly? You know, if you've got to remember, I have told you before that our works are evidence of our faith. So let's read six through seven again. The angel said to me, these words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophet, sent his angel to show his servants the things which must soon take place.

Look, I'm coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll. Blessed is he who keeps, I want you to underline that word keeps, keeps the word of the prophecy of this book. Very few Christians, very few churches take a full year to study Revelation.

We have been in this a year. God places a high value on his prophetic words and expects every believer to know them and keep them. It's clear. Blessed is he who keeps the words of this prophecy. God issues a dire warning in 18 through 19. I warn everyone who hears the words of this prophecy of this scroll, if anyone adds anything to them, God will add that person the plagues described in the scroll. And if anyone takes words away from the scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in the scroll.

I don't know about you, but that is pretty, that's pretty blunt and pretty clear. The value that God places on his prophetic words, the value that he places on keeping them, as well as not distorting them, not polluting them. So I hope that our efforts here in our study have been found worthy by God and I thank you for your faithfulness. But I want to focus on the word keeps here when it says blessed is he who keeps. It's that Greek word terreiro, to adhere to, to follow, to be submissive to, and to walk under the authority of. This is consistent with other ways that John uses this word in the Gospel of John.

So let's turn to chapter 14. So John chapter 14 verse 15 says, If you love me, keep my commandments. Again, if you love me, keep my commandments. What he's saying by being obedient, by keeping my commandments is evidence that you love me. That should be your proof, but to keep is to be submissive and to be obedient to me. In chapter 15 verse 10, If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my father's command, and remain in his love.

Again, it's that word keep. It's to surrender, to submit, to walk submissively. In 1 John chapter 5 verses 2 through 3, This is how we know that we love the children of God, by loving God and carrying out his commandments. In fact, this is love for God, to keep his commandments.

And his commands are not burdensome. So this is our call to obedience, really, to walk submissively, to be obedient. Knowing all this, knowing what's going to take place, having a knowledge of the book of Revelation, and believing all of it to be true, we should be obedient all the more than we ever have been. We are to discover God's will and to obey it. If you've got any question about what you should be doing as a Christian and a follower of Christ, one is to seek to desire to know him, and two is to keep his commandments. And by knowing him, you will keep his commandments.

And by keeping his commandments is proof that you know him. But let's get into the warning that comes next. There's a warning here that Christ mentions.

I warn everyone who hears this prophecy, if you add to it or take away, there's going to be consequences. You're probably asking in your mind, how do I know if I'm being obedient? How do I know if I'm doing God's will? And this is the way that you know. The way that you know that you are walking in step with God is that you are out of step with the prevailing culture.

I'm going to say that one more time. The way that you know that you are walking in step with God is that you are out of step with the prevailing culture, that you don't blend into the world, that you do not look like the world. You are in the world but not of the world. And you are at a step with the prevailing culture.

And we know what the prevailing culture of today is, that whenever people look at us, look at how we live, they know that we are not of the world. And you should know you're not of the world because you're paying a price. There is a price to be paid in the modern era for walking obediently to the Word of God. There is a price to be paid in the modern era for walking obediently to the Word of God. The law of the land is opposite to the commandments of God.

The law of the land is opposite to the commandments of God. We are going to pay a price for standing up for the Word of God, for living the Word of God, for keeping His commandments. But this is a temporary price and is far less than the eternal price we're going to pay if we do not.

You can keep His commandments and pay a temporary price, but eternally live in peace, or not pay a price now, but eternally live in damnation. You've been listening to the weekend edition of Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis. Truth Matters is a ministry of The Truth Project, a North Carolina-based ministry dedicated to teaching biblical truth and sound theology to those inside and outside of the church. If you'd like to listen to these messages on demand, go to projecttruthmatters.com and click on the podcast link. Dr. Davis is also available to speak to your ministry group or church function. She can be reached by email at cheryldavisatprojecttruthmatters.com, or if you'd like to send a letter, the address is Project Truth Matters, Post Office Box 159, St. Paul's, North Carolina, 28384. You can hear Truth Matters devotionals on weekdays at 8.20 a.m. and 5.20 p.m. Until next time, let's all work together to teach of biblical truth to assist, equip, edify, and encourage one another and bring the gospel to the world. Because truth matters. This is the Truth Network.