Mm. There's nothing like studying Revelation to make you eagerly anticipate Christ's return. But what are you supposed to do until then? Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah shares the answers that are revealed in God's Word on how Christians ought to be living in these last days.
As he completes the series, Escape the Coming Night. Here's David to conclude his message. What to do until then? We have been studying the book of Revelation now for many weeks, and it's important for us to understand. from God's perspective, what we should be doing.
as we look forward to the days that are prophesied in the Word of God. I've written down five things. Walk submissively, worship triumphantly, witness urgently, work fervently, and watch expectantly. Those things are developed in the message that we're in the middle of right now, and we're going to begin part two of that message in just a moment. Just a reminder again that we are headed toward New England and Canada this October on a very special ministry cruise.
Sailing on Holland America Zyderdam, we'll leave October the 4th and return on October the 11th. And in between, we'll visit some really incredible places. We've done this before, so I speak from experience. This is something you'll be glad you've done, and you'll look back on it with great joy and the memories it will create. Find out about it at davidjeremiah.org.
Go there today and make sure you make your reservation to be with us this October. And now let's open our Bibles again to the 22nd chapter of Revelation. Here is part two of what to do until Jesus comes back. Good.
Sometimes we get the idea we study the Bible so we can be smarter about it or we can understand more about it, but we should never read the Bible for any other purpose than to find out what God wants us to do so we can do it. Say that phrase with me. Observe to do. Observe to do. We are to read the Bible obediently.
Secondly, we are to follow it exclusively. This book of the law was not to be one among many sources which Joshua followed. It was not to be mixed together with the other information and then some kind of a hybrid philosophy comes out, but it was to be followed exclusively. God said to Joshua, turn not from the right nor to the left, but stay right straight in the middle of the road and follow God's word. That's how we keep the words of God's book.
Thirdly, we're to believe it totally. Joshua was not permitted the option to choose what sections of the Bible he was going to believe and what sections he would not believe. Many modern scholars have taken the penknife and they've cut off the book of Revelation and they've cut out the book of Daniel and they don't like the book of Isaiah and part of Genesis is obnoxious to them and they have decided that they sit in authority on the Word of God. If you ask some who are part of the cults and the churches that don't Follow the authority of the scripture. If they're caught in a buying between what the church says and what the word of God says, they will always, if they're honest, say, the church sits in authority and in interpretation over the word of God.
Don't you ever get yourself in a church like that. This church is under the authority of God's Word. We do not interpret God's Word. God's Word interprets us and dictates what we do. And Joshua was told that he was to believe the Word of God totally.
And then finally, he was to study it continually. How do you get prosperity and success? By keeping the words of the prophecy, God told Joshua, listen to this now, to meditate in it when? Day and night. That's how you get the words of the prophecy, and that's how you walk submissively.
When you get God's word into your heart and into your soul and into your being, and then every day you let that word program your life and you walk in submission to the word of God, that's the first priority for a believer while he's waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to come back. Walk. submissively.
Now let's look at the second one. It's found in verses 8 and 9 of chapter 22 of the book of Revelation. Revelation 22, verses 8 and 9. And I, John, saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things.
Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren, the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book, worship God. Priority number two, as we walk submissively, is we are to worship triumphantly. We're to worship triumphantly. You know, I love John. It's hard not to fall in love with this man who's given us such a great prophecy.
But he is an emotional person. You know, John is the apostle of what? of love. If you read his book, the book of John and the Epistles of John, you will see love everywhere. John was kind of a sentimentalist.
And when John was exposed to the outstanding things about God and the revelation of God, John just kind of came unglued. He just couldn't control himself. I just think that he was spontaneous in the way he accepted the truth that was given him by God. Back in the first chapter, do you remember as we just began this study? We painted the picture of God seated in heaven with white hair and all of the beauty of his residential.
Being. And when we got all done, John's writing about this, and the scripture says: And I, John, fell down as dead before him. What happened? Man, he just collapsed in front of God. What was that?
He was overwhelmed with who God was. Go back with me to the 19th chapter. of this same book. Back in the 19th chapter, you will see that John has the same response. Chapter 19 and verse 10.
When John is given the invitation to the marriage supper of the Lamb, he's so excited about it. He can hardly believe it. He's just overwhelmed with this truth. And the scripture says that when the angel brought this message, saying, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb, and he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I, John, fell at his feet to worship him.
And he said unto me, It's almost an exact copy of what's in chapter 22. He said unto me, See thou do it not. I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus, worship God. For this is the testimony of Jesus in the spirit of prophecy.
Now, John is doing the right thing, but he's a little mixed up about how to go about it. He confuses the messenger for the one who sent the message, but you have to admire his spontaneous and triumphant response. When he hears the message of the coming of Christ and he sees the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into this world in his second coming, and the message comes to him by the angel, John is just so overwhelmed. He just falls down, he's going to fall down in front of whatever's there. And he starts the worship.
It seems to me that when we get a hold The book of Revelation. and all that which God has planned for us in the future. It ought to promote worship in our hearts. I hope we can give John a little credit for doing the right thing, even if he twice. Twice made the same mistake in falling down before the messenger.
Now, you see, the angel was so like Christ that John mistook him for Christ. We don't have that problem, any of us today. We don't usually have that problem. There's a great distinction between who we are and who Christ is. But John was just overwhelmed, and triumphantly and spontaneously, he began to worship.
And then the angel corrected him both times in chapter 19 and in verse 22. What did he tell him? Here's the imperative: what is it? Worship God. Worship God.
And I wonder sometimes if we have even touched the hem of the garment of what it means to worship God. We're trying to learn how to do it in our own imperfect way. If you've been with us for this entire study, And have not seen the theme of worship throughout this book, then you have missed one of the core messages of the book of Revelation. To view what God has done and is doing. Is to be caught up in the wonder and the majesty of his person.
As we anticipate the coming of the Lord, we are called by this prophecy not only to walk in obedience to the word of God, but to worship triumphantly before the throne of God, for God has given us praise and worship as our vehicle of response. You say, Pastor Jeremiah, what in the world do I say? What do I say when I praise God?
Well, I'm glad you asked because I wanted to go through this one more time. Turn back in your Bibles to chapter 4 and verse 8. Have your fingers nimble so we can just move through this real quickly. Do you say, How do I worship God triumphantly?
Well, the greatest textbook on worshiping God triumphantly is right here before us, chapter 4 and verse 8. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. Verse 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Chapter 5, verses 9 and 10.
Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And has made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. Chapter 7 and verse 10. Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. Verse 12.
Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and power and might be unto our God forever and forever. Amen. Chapter 11, verse 15. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and forever.
If you don't catch the spirit of triumphant worship through the text which has been given us right here in this book, you have missed. This second priority for your life and for mine. I don't think the evangelical church is even close to understanding that today. What it means to truly worship God. To grab hold of the truth of God's word and to give it back to God with full authority, triumphantly praising His name.
We do it better here, perhaps, than it's done in some places, but we're still learning. And I want you to know that as we wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to come back, We are to be worshiping him triumphantly. You know why? Because that's what we're going to do throughout all eternity. And this is our chance to get practiced up.
This is our chance to get ready for what will occupy our attention throughout the ages to come.
So, we are to walk submissively. And we are to worship triumphantly. Priority number three: we are to witness urgently. Notice verses 10 and 11 in the 22nd chapter. John says, And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still. And he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. And he that is holy, let him be holy still. If you go back and read the book of Daniel, you'll discover at the end of Daniel's book, the Bible tells us the Spirit of God said to Daniel.
Seal up the prophecy of this book until the time of the end. That's very interesting. At the end of Daniel, that prophet is told: close the book until the time of the end. At the end of this prophecy, John has said, Don't you dare seal this book up. You let it loose.
You let it be proclaimed. You let it be preached. We are told in God's word that this is an unsealed prophecy and it's to be proclaimed everywhere. We're to witness concerning the coming again of Jesus Christ and proclaim his gospel wherever we go. You know something?
Prophecy is the driving force behind righteous living and world evangelism. You say to me, Pastor Jeremiah, why should I be urgent in my witness because I've studied the book of Revelation? Paul gives us the answer. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. If you can study the book of Revelation and understand the tribulation period and all of the suffering and judgment and pain and anguish and the terrible things that are ahead for those who do not know Jesus Christ and walk back into your life untouched by a sense of urgency in your witness and testimony.
then you have not opened your heart as God wanted your heart to be opened. John said, This is an unsealed book. And then verse 11, which has been an enigma to many people. Says, let him that is Unjust, be unjust still. Let him that is filthy be filthy still.
Let him that is righteous be righteous still. Let him that is holy be holy still. What is he saying? He is saying in essence That the word of God is the only answer to change lives. And that if an unrighteous person or an unjust person neglects the prophecy of God's word, there isn't any other answer.
He will stay in his condition as an unjust man. If a man who is filthy in his life does not come to the gospel of Jesus Christ and receive God's word as it is in truth, that man is lost. He has no hope. Let him that is filthy be filthy still. There is something about our response to God's word and our character that is fixed for all eternity.
If we do not receive Christ, if we do not respond to his gospel, we are locked in with our character and with who we are. We will be unjust forever. We will be filthy forever. And if you read back through the closing verses, you will discover that God does not allow those with those characteristics into his heaven. And yet the Bible says that we can be righteous and be righteous still, and be holy and be holy still.
What that is saying is that the Word of God is a savior of life unto life and a savor of death unto death. God's Word is the sword that cuts right through the Mass of humanity, and your response to God and His Word is going to determine what you will be for the rest of your life and throughout eternity. There is no other answer. There is no other hope. And that's why you and I need to witness.
With urgency. Priority number four is that we are to work fervently. What to do until Jesus comes back. Verse 12 says, And behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. What do you think about when you think about Jesus coming back?
Well, if you're a Christian who is rightly taught from the Word of God, the first thing that ought to come to your mind is the judgment seat of Christ. But when Christ comes back and the rapture takes place, we are going to be ushered before the Lord to give an account for what we have done in this life. And we have declawed The judgment seat of Christ, in my estimation. We have taken all of the authority out of it. We have been so careful to point out that we will not be judged for our works there.
In order that we might enter into heaven. We have forgotten. That when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, we are going to give an account of what we have done with that which God has entrusted to us by way of our testimony and our life. The Bible says God is going to wipe away all tears. At the end of the millennial period, And the reason he's going to wipe away tears is because I believe there will be tears on the part of God's people.
Who have not given themselves in totality to serve God with their talents, and it frightens me. I don't know about the rest of you, but the judgment seat of Christ. is a very frightening thing for me to think about. To stand before the X-ray eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ and have Him look not only at what I've done, but the motives for which I have done them. The things that have been involved in my doing them, why I did them, for whom they were done.
The Bible says that someday Jesus Christ is going to come back, and therefore, if I am going to be faithful in my life while I'm waiting for Him to return, I must work. fervently. I don't have but a little time to do it. My life goes by so very quickly. It seems like just yesterday I started to preach.
What has happened to the time? It goes so quickly. And I look out at some of the white hair, and it's akin to the white hair on your preacher, and yours is more significant than mine because it represents true age. while mine just represents premature age. Mm.
The Lord Jesus Christ, when he was on this earth in John chapter 9, Made a very, very important statement about the fervency of our work. He said, I must work the works of him that sent me while. There is day. The night cometh when no man can work.
Now, the Bible says that the Lord Jesus is coming back, and the Scripture says he's bringing his rewards with him. You know, there are a lot of crazy Christians who say that it's wrong to serve God for rewards. That's not a good motivation. That's mercenary. That's crass for us to do that.
Well, I want to serve God out of the love of my heart, and I want to get the rewards too. There is absolutely nothing wrong with serving for rewards. Do you know that God has built within the fabric of the universe? effort and reward. Effort and reward.
And the problem is, sometimes we don't understand that as long as a reward matches up to the nature of the effort, it's quite acceptable. I mean, you would never want to marry a woman because she gave you enough money to do it. That would be an illegitimate reward.
Now some of you might think that's all right, but that's not legitimate. You marry a woman. And she gives herself to you in marriage because of your love for her, and that's a natural and normal reward that's built into the system. I serve God because of my love for Him, and the Bible says that as I do that, He holds out to me the opportunity to earn rewards that He will bring with Him when He comes back. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to go into the kingdom empty-handed.
I don't want to walk around while everybody else is having the opportunity to take their crowns and throw them at the feet of Jesus and worship, and I go in empty-handed because I haven't served God at all. I want to serve him with my life and I want to do it fervently. He's coming back and he's bringing his rewards with him. Priority number four is to work fervently. And then priority number five.
Is found several times in this text. It's to watch expectantly. To watch expectantly. I want you to notice verse 7 of chapter 22. If you'd missed this message, you're missing it all.
Verse 7: Behold, I come quickly. Verse 12. Behold, I come quickly. Verse 20. Surely I come quickly.
Amen. The spirit and the bride say, Come. Revelation 22, 17. Four times in this one chapter, he says, I am coming again. And the word quickly is the word in the Greek, it's the word taku.
It is the word from which we get our word tachometer. It means I'm coming with great speed, with great quickness. In 1 Corinthians 15, it's in the twinkling of an eye, in a moment. He's coming back, and we're to watch for him and know that he is coming to receive us unto his own. And you know what?
Verse 11, the verse we talked about a few moments ago that says we are going to be fixed in our conduct, is a verse that reminds us that the coming of Jesus Christ is going to happen so quickly that that one who is unjust will stay unjust, that that one who is filthy will stay filthy, that that one who is righteous will be righteous, and that one who is holy will be holy. When Jesus comes back, it'll be in a moment, it'll be in a twinkling. As a thief in the night, he will come back. For his own and ultimately to set up his kingdom. One of the books As I come to the end of the book of Revelation, that has meant so much to me in studying John's writing, has been a book written by a man named Seiss.
S-C-I-S-S. It is probably the most quoted of all of the commentaries on the book of Revelation. It is the standard. Premillennial. Pre-tribulational commentary.
on the book of Revelation. As Seiss comes to the end of this book, He pictures the church as a young lady waiting for her lover to return. And I want you to hear what he says. Fiction has painted the picture of a maiden whose lover left her for a voyage to the Holy Land. promising on his return to make her his beloved bride.
Many told her that she would never see him again, But she believed his word, and evening by evening, she went down to the lonely shore and kindled there a beacon light in sight of the roaring waves. To hail and welcome the returning ship which was to bring again her betrothed. And by that watch fire she took her stand each night, praying to the winds to hasten on the sluggish sails, that he who was everything to her might come. Even so that blessed Lord, who has loved us unto death, Has gone away to the mysterious Holy Land of Heaven, promising to return to make us His happy and eternal bride.
Some say that he is gone forever, and that here we shall never see him again. but his last word was, Yea, I come quickly. And on the dark and misty beach, sloping out into the eternal sea. Each true believer stands by the love-lit fire, looking and waiting, and praying and hoping. For the fulfillment of his work, in nothing gladder than in his pledge and promise, and calling over from the shore of sacred love, even so come.
Lord Jesus, And some of these nights, while the world is busy with its gay frivolities, while the world is laughing at the maiden on the shore. A form shall rise over the surging waves. as once on Galilee, to vindicate for ever all this watching and devotion, and bring to the faithful and constant heart a joy and a glory and triumph which nevermore shall end. End of quote. We are the lovers waiting on the shore.
for our Lord to return. And what should we be doing while we wait? Walking submissively. worshiping triumphantly. Witnessing urgently.
working fervently. and watching expectantly.
Well That kind of brings us to the end of this long extended study. Yeah. And uh I just want to thank all of you for staying with us and being a part of it. actually watch our audience grow during the study of the book of Revelation. There's something special about this book that captures our attention and we don't want to miss one single day.
So if you've been with us through the whole series, thank you. And here's a way you can memorialize this for use in the future. through a series of CDs that we've created with all of the audio teaching on it, through four study guides that have been created, 120-page study guides that are there to help you follow your way through the book. And then of course there's a book called Escape the Coming Night, which was written some time ago and it was a contemporary commentary on the book of Revelation. All the stuff available from davidjeremiah.org.
Have a great weekend. We'll see you Monday. Our message today originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Dr. David Jeremiah, the senior pastor. Turning Point is also on radio and TV this weekend.
To learn where to find it, visit our website davidjeremiah.org slash radio. That's davidjeremiah.org slash radio or call 800-947-1993. Ask for your copy of David's exciting new novel, Set in the End Times, Vanished. It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible in the English Standard, New International and New King James Versions.
available in several handsome and resilient cover options. If this ministry is an encouragement to you, let us know by writing to TurningPoint PO Box 3838 San Diego, California 92163. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us Monday for a special message from Dr. David Jeremiah right here on Turning Point.
