What the end holds for the sinner and the saint

Revelation chapter 14.

Revelation 14 · chapter mention

As I was working on this message all week, and by the way, several have asked me about my physical.

Thank you for praying for me.

I was had to do blood work on Wednesday, then the physical on Thursday.

And everything's good.

Are you ready for this?

My sugar's down.

I meant really down.

My cholesterol's down.

And so.

Krispy Kreme stock is also.

Yeah, Krispy Kreme stock also.

Yeah, well, I have to admit I've already had a donut.

I mean, that's the one thing I was waiting at.

My wife said, I can't believe I said, look, you gotta be rewarded for all that what lasts nine, eight, six months.

Well, especially last two months of no sugar.

So, uh, but I've been good.

I've been good.

I walked by those cookies this morning, didn't eat one, so I've been good.

I've been good.

But uh anyway, thank you for praying for me.

Uh I love you, I love our church.

But in Revelation chapter 14 this morning, we're gonna be looking at what the end holds for the sinner and the saint.

Revelation 14 · chapter mention

And then at the end of the chapter, we see really this whole chapter deals, it deals with the the beginning and the scene really of the horrible Battle of Armageddon.

And chapters 15 through 18 kind of deals with that, and to be honest with you, we dealt with a lot of that in chapters 11, looking at all the different judgments and all.

So, my plan after today, we'll finish chapter 14.

Uh in fact, last week we looked at verses 1 through 5, victory on the mountain for the uh Christians.

And uh during all this horrible, unbelievable persecution and the killing of uh Christians, the ones that get saved, they get martyred.

And uh even at the end, 144,000 and the two witnesses are even killed.

And then we look, though, at the reunion they had going on in heaven last a couple of weeks ago, uh, and it was exciting as we saw that.

And today we're gonna look at basically at the end of chapter 14, we see God brings his sickle like in harvesting wheat, and he separates the tares from the wheat.

And basically, the tares are the lost sinners, and the wheat are the saved saints.

And so that's what we're gonna be dealing with.

And then we're gonna go from at the end of this chapter.

I'm trying to get this uh whole thing finished up.

We're gonna go to chapter 19.

I'm not gonna go into the gory details of the tribulation.

We've read it, we've looked at it.

I just, I'm not interested in the gory.

Hey, I'm interested in the glory.

Amen.

Can I get an amen?

I'm gonna say that again.

Y'all didn't catch that.

That was a good time to say amen.

But uh wait, we're not, I'm not interested in the gory, I'm interested in the glory.

And so we're gonna go to chapter 19, and what happens when we come back with Jesus?

Oh, uh, chapters 19, 20, 21, and 22.

That's where we're gonna end.

It's gonna be awesome.

And then we're gonna go to Easter.

Well, it's gonna be a great, fantastic day on Easter.

And then right after Easter, we're gonna start a miniseries, and I promise you it won't be as long as Revelation has been, but uh, we're gonna put on the armor of God.

We're gonna look, that's so important that you understand that we are in a battle.

And we've been talking about the greatest battle in all the world, the tribulational battle.

So we're gonna look at how we win those battles every day with putting on the armor of God, Ephesians chapter 6, looking at those six pieces of armor.

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

But today, what the end holds for the sinner and the saint.

Again, in verses six through 13 today, we want to be looking at uh what the future uh holds for two distinct groups of people.

And they're very distinct.

In verses six through 11, it deals with the future of the lost sinner, while verses 12 and 13 deals with the future of the faithful saint.

So while these verses we know are talking about the future, we're talking about the tribulation, the future, they are also, hey, as applicable today for us, the church.

And that's what I want us to deal with.

In fact, while these verses we know talk about the future events, they're still very relevant for us today.

Every person in this room, I really believe, will reach the end of your earthly journey one day.

Billy Graham just, hey, ended his earthly journey.

What?

Tuesday.

That was it.

And let me remind you, Hebrews 9.27 says, and as it is appointed unto man once to die, and then after this the judgment.

So every one of us, unless the rapture takes place, now by the way, I I'm I'm praying for the rapture.

I'd like to be preaching and all of a sudden hear the trumpet sound, we're gone.

Wouldn't that be exciting?

I mean, that would be, and bam, you're standing right in front of Jesus.

Wow, wow, wow.

But if the God that we love so much allows this world to continue, and by the way, let me go ahead and help you.

Why does he do that?

Because he's trying to get as many people saved as he can.

Can I get an amen?

His grace is sufficient, and his grace is abounding.

So that's why.

So don't, I know if you're like me, I'm like the beloved John.

Behold, come quickly, Lord Jesus.

But remember, he's trying and he's knowing all the people that are going to be saved, and he's making sure everyone that's supposed to be saved gets saved.

So that's why he tarries.

I want you to know that.

And that's good.

But we do not like to think about our ending.

We do not like to talk about our ending.

But, ladies and gentlemen, one thing we must do, we must be prepared for our ending.

Amen.

And that's very important.

Uh in fact, when the end comes, how we leave this world.

Now, don't you miss this.

When the end comes for each of us, our earthly journey is over.

When that end comes, how we leave this earth will determine our destiny.

It really will.

It will determine how we spend eternity.

Listen to what Ecclesiastes 11:3 said.

Ecclesiastes 11:3

Solomon said it this way: if the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall be.

Wow, what truth.

The same is true about your life and my life.

However, the end finds us, whether saved or lost, that is how we will spend eternity when that day comes.

And it's very important that we understand how to be prepared for that ending.

And what the end holds for both the tribulational sinner and the tribulational saint today will give us insight on how you and I can prepare for our ending.

In fact, in these verses, if we look, and I love, I love the way he starts it out in verses six and seven.

Let's pick up the story.

And the Bible says, Then I saw, hey, I saw an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.

Now notice an angelic messenger flying above the earth.

And what is he doing?

Look what he's doing.

He's preaching the everlasting gospel.

Wow.

The angel declares the same message.

This angel is declaring the same message that Peter preached, that Paul preached, that the beloved John preached, and that the church has been preaching, the true church, the last 2,000 years.

And it's the same message that we heard Rick Gage do so boundfully last week, right here, and had five people come to know Christ as Lord and Savior.

The simple, unadulterated gospel.

In fact, the message this angel delivers is the message of salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ on that cross.

In fact, I want to share something with you.

It's so simple.

Here's the gospel.

You know, Rich, you heard Rick preach the gospel, Rick Gaze last week.

You heard Billy Graham for all those years.

And do you realize it was amazing after he died that every, every, even the liberal, now show me God's not awesome.

Even the liberal newscasters were talking about Billy Graham and him preaching the gospel all those years, and a lot of them were being interviewed and talking to different people, and they were literally presenting the gospel, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ to millions of people all over the world.

Isn't it appropriate that God, when Billy died, probably had that one day the gospel preached to more people, I believe.

Now, this is my personal opinion.

More people heard the gospel Tuesday than all the other times he preached on his death.

Now, if that doesn't tell you that your labors will follow after you, nothing does.

What an example.

And so let me just share with you.

Here it is.

Here's the gospel.

It's so pure.

First of all, what is the gospel?

1 Corinthians 15, 3 and 4.

Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

It is that simple.

But what else is it?

It is a message of power.

Romans 1:16.

Romans 1:16

He says, For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God unto everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and to the Gentile.

It is the power of God.

So what is the gospel?

Listen, it's the power of God.

It amazes me when I'm talking to a sinner or sharing my faith with a sinner or someone that's lost.

We're all sinners.

But hey, when I'm sharing my faith and I'm looking at this person and they look rough, they look tough, or maybe they're look powerful and rich, and in my soul and in my flesh, and Satan's telling me, they this is crazy.

Preacher, why in the world are you sharing with them?

They don't care about the gospel.

They don't care about you.

They don't want to hear that.

And then the next thing you know, after about five minutes, if they're really, really are listening, next thing you know, sometimes there's a tear that starts coming in their eyes or they start asking questions.

And then the next thing you know, you hey, you ask them that final question.

If you were to die today, are you sure you'd go to heaven and they say, No, I'm not, Pastor?

I said, What would you like to know?

And they say, I sure would.

And then you share the gospel, and next thing you know, they get saved and they're radically changed.

Now, what does that?

Not Danny Lovett, not the Pope, not Billy Graham, not Rick Gage, but the Holy Spirit of a living God through the presentation of the death, the barrel, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Wow.

It's the power.

The gospel is the power of God.

Listen to what else it is.

It is a simple message.

Romans 10 9 says, If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

It's a simple message.

Look what else it is.

It's an available message.

Romans 10 13 says, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And it is a message of love.

John 3 16, quote it with me.

For God soaked that he gave that whosoever should not perish.

It's a simple message.

It's an available message, but it's also a message of love.

And guess what?

It's a message of hope.

Listen to what John 6.37 says.

All that the Father gives me shall come to me, and those that come to me I will in no wise cast out.

And then look what else it is.

Hey, not only is it a message of hope, it's a message of eternal salvation.

John 10 28 says, I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

John 10 28.

And then it is a message of peace with God.

Romans 5 1.

Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

What a message.

It is the same message that was proclaimed in the Garden of Eden.

Amen.

In Genesis chapter 3, verse 21.

Genesis 3:21

It's the same gospel that was pictured in the law of God.

Jesus said in Matthew 5, 17, I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.

And it is the same gospel that was purchased on Calvary 2,000 years ago when Jesus Christ, as we will be celebrating soon, bowed his head on that cross and said, Totalest die, it is finished.

Same gospel.

It is the only message that will save the human soul from the wrath of God and an eternity from hell.

It's the only message.

And it's been preached for over 2,000 years ago.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

Which brings me to the first point.

The final proclamation.

It was the final proclamation, this gospel message.

The final proclamation.

What a love God has for each of us and for the world.

Now the church is raptured out.

We know the church is not here.

But we see God still knowingly how many people have rejected him.

And by the way, people have always rejected the gospel.

They always will reject the gospel.

And we see them rejecting the gospel in the most turbulent time of the tribulation, right now.

And it doesn't matter what kind of preacher, who's the preacher, what kind of testimony, they still reject the gospel.

But aren't you glad that God's grace never gives up on people, even though they reject it, he still presents it and he still loves them.

Can I get an amen?

God will never give up on you.

If you're watching online today and we have a lot of people watching online every Sunday, but if you're here today, let me remind you, let me encourage you.

God never gives up on you.

You may give up on him, but he doesn't give up on you.

Even here we see that tremendous, unbelievable witness.

The world here is unmoved by the love that the saints that are saved here in the tribulation.

They're unmoved by the love for Jesus, their testimony for Jesus, and even their blood for Jesus, that they willfully give their life for Christ.

Because they believe that gospel that we just saw.

We see this angel, it's a powerful proclamation by a powerful preacher, the angel.

But the salvation offered through the blood of Jesus, hey, is humanity's only hope, and they either reject it or they receive it.

One of the greatest examples of that is on the cross on that horrible Friday when Jesus hung between two thieves.

One thief received the gospel, the other thief rejected the gospel.

So we see right here in the tribulation the same thing happening.

Same thing.

I like what Hebrews 10.26 says.

It's powerful.

In fact, he's talking about when Jesus is rejected.

You know what he says?

The writer of Hebrews, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin.

Hebrews 10.26.

When the end comes, it will be too late to believe the gospel.

In other words, now is the time.

Hey, after you, hey, breathe that last breath, it's over.

That's why in 2 Corinthians 6 2, Paul says, Behold, now's the time, behold, now's the day of salvation.

Right now.

Right now.

Right now.

So we see here this final proclamation in verses 6 and 7.

But look at verse 8.

We see the second thing.

In verse 8, we see a fatal pronouncement to the sinners.

We see their final proclamation.

Isn't it great to know that God never gives up?

Listen, when people die and go to hell, they will never be able to say God didn't give them the, hey, every chance he could.

He's a just God, he's a loving God, he's a merciful God, he's a graceful God.

But there is a time that after he is rejected, there is that fatal pronouncement.

Look at verse 8.

And another angel, a second angel, followed, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen twice.

That's very important.

That great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Here we see the second angel appears and pronounces God's final judgment on Babylon.

Notice the word fallen.

It's used twice.

This indicates that Babylon's judgment is absolute certain.

There's no turning back.

It's over.

God's fixing to rain down his wrath on the city of Babylon.

And what we know about Babylon, it's not just a city.

Babylon is a philosophy.

And the philosophy of Babylon is this: Babylon represents everything the world is.

Boy, we're seeing, we're seeing that philosophy exhibited today in America.

God help us.

We're seeing hatred.

We're seeing, hey, we're seeing malicious all kinds of garbage going on.

We're seeing the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life going on.

We're seeing people tear each other apart.

Lovers of self and lovers of Satan's lies.

Babylon represents everything the world is.

Babylon represents everything that stands opposed to God and his perfect will.

That's why we preach to our teenagers here all the time.

Rick does, and I had the privilege of preaching to him a couple of weeks ago.

We preach to him all the time that, hey, the love of the world is nothing but Satan's trap to lure you away from what God has planned for you and your life.

And God's got a wonderful, beautiful plan for your life.

He's come to give you life and give it more abundantly.

But isn't it interesting in that same verse, John 10, 10, at the beginning, it says, Satan's come to kill, steal, and destroy.

And the world is Babylon's philosophy.

It's the capital of false religion.

It really is.

And adultery.

It represents everything in the world that stands opposed to God.

It speaks of the economic and religious kingdom of the Antichrist.

In this verse, Babylon is pictured as a harlot.

She is seen seducing the foolish sinners of the world.

When you and I fall to the worldly philosophies and end up doing what we want, when we want, how we want, we, what you think, you think you're really doing your will.

And you are to a certain extent.

But you know what really is happening?

You are being seduced by Babylon.

You're being seduced by the Antichrist.

You're ultimately being seduced by the false prophet.

You're ultimately being seduced by Satan.

Remember?

The unholy Trinity?

Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet.

So we see that taking place.

That's why he says in 1 John 2, 15 through 17, don't you love these verses?

It says, do not love the world.

Look at it.

Do not love the world or the things in the world.

If any man loves the world, say it with me.

Read it.

The love of the Father, what?

If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you.

Why do you think, hey, Babylon philosophy is trying to get you to love the world?

Because when you love the world, you can't love the Father.

You can't, hey, you can't ride the fence.

One leg in one side and the other leg on the other.

Won't work.

I know I tried it for years.

Anybody else like that?

I was miserable.

Miserable.

He says, for all that is of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And look at the last thing.

And the world passes away, verse 17.

And the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Is that not powerful?

Is that not powerful?

That's what we see right here.

And James 4, 4, what does he say?

You adulteress and adulteresses?

Oh man, that's powerful.

Do you hear what the language God's saying?

If you and I love the world and we don't love him, or hey, if we're trying to be a Christian and then fall back and start loving the world again, adulterers, adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with this world is enity with God?

Some of your translations, the New Living Testament, says is hostility with God.

Yes, mercy.

Thank you, deacon.

Mercy.

So we see right here.

What a powerful, powerful warning God's given us here.

Notice what else we see, the third thing for the sinner.

A final proclamation, a fatal pronouncement, but now here it is.

The last thing is verses 9 through 11.

Verses 9 through 11.

And you know what it talks about?

It talks about, and boy, is this not good.

It talks about a fearful portrayal.

A fearful portrayal.

In fact, in verse 9, he preaches a message, look at it, of judgment to all those who received the mark of the beast.

And who worship the beast.

Look at verse 9.

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand.

Wow.

Then look at what he says in verse 10.

He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation.

Now that word full strength is very, very scary.

Because here's what we're seeing.

As, hey, and I'm telling you, the angel right here reveals what will happen to all those who refuse to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Here it is, folks.

If you and I refuse to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ, you want to know what's going to happen?

Here it is.

Here it is.

It's this unbelievable.

We're told in verse 10, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.

Now, what I want to do because it's so powerful.

This one verse reveals what happens if we reject the gospel.

So let's look at each little phrase.

First of all, the wine of the wrath of God.

Now notice the word wrath.

It is translated the Greek word thumas.

Thumas.

It is a word that pictures, are you ready?

An explosion of wrath.

It's a certain outburst, a passionate display of anger.

Has anyone ever seen that?

Four of us?

We got a lot of people lying in here.

All right.

Maybe you've never been the one that's displayed it.

How many of you have been on the receiving end of that display of anger?

Amen.

Hello.

Right?

Now, yeah.

Yeah, okay.

Now I can't go any further if you're gonna be quenching the spirit.

Amen?

I mean, have have you ever done that?

Yep.

My wife knows when mine's coming on.

I have a look.

Because I try to be loving and and kind.

And so I don't I don't turn red like some people.

Some people just turn red.

Well, that's the devil.

No, I'm joking.

Or or they get, you know, you can tell they they just I I don't do that.

I have a look.

And what really gets me even more angry is when my wife says, I see that look.

And what she doesn't realize, she doesn't need to tell me that.

I know that look.

And it just kind of makes that look worse.

And sometimes it gets to a point where the look's no longer a look.

And when that happens, you don't want to be around your preacher.

In fact, I don't want to be around you.

In fact, I want to be by myself.

Because, yeah, we're both safe that way.

Amen.

Now, I know some of you looking at me, my preacher gets angry every once in a while.

No, I'm not praying.

I'm not in the right spirit to pray.

What I'm trying to do is find something to run over or to hit, or just get it out.

You know?

Used to when I was riding my motorcycle, Susan would say, I think you ought to go on a motorcycle ride.

But that just get away, say, Lord, calm me down, calm me down, calm me down.

We've all been there.

And that's exactly what he's talking about.

Now, here's the bad thing about that.

How merciful, how loving, and awesome, real God is.

And time and time again, but there's gonna be one day.

It's all over.

Satan thinks he's won, Satan's killed everybody, all his children, Satan thinks he's destroyed his church, and then all of a sudden God's gonna rise up and he's gonna tell him it's finished! And his wrath will be exploding against Satan.

I don't know about you.

But there are some verses in the Bible that kind of concerns me about that.

Which brings me to the second phrase.

He's poured, hey, it's poured without mixture.

Now you read that, you really don't understand it.

If you don't dig into what that means.

But what it really means, undiluted.

In other words, it's the real wine.

It's not mixed with water.

It's undiluted.

It's pure.

Sinners and Satan have never experienced this, but one day they will.

See, they've not experiencing it now.

They're having a heyday, they think.

Hello, they think.

And some of us looks like he's winning.

But let me remind you, I'm about to have a running spell.

I've read the last chapter, we win.

We win.

And here we see it's a fearful thing.

Hebrews 10, 31, to fall into the hands of a fearful God.

Woo!

A living God.

A God that knows no fear, a God that will not allow fear to even enter into his concept.

Wow, look at it.

And let me tell you what else he says.

Hey, in Hebrews 12, 29, for our God, our God is a consuming fire.

Wow.

Wow.

Then notice the next phrase.

The cup of his indignation.

The word indignation there, it is the word that says or gay.

And it speaks of a slow rising anger.

It's a temper.

Anybody have a temper in here?

I don't.

We all lied.

Anybody have a temper?

Would you try that again?

That's right.

Okay, you with me?

So that temper is in tech, or tack.

Hey.

But after you get agitated, that's another synonym here for the word, it begins to rise.

And next thing you know, it rises, it rises until it burst.

And that's called the wrath of God.

So notice here, it's kind of like a picture.

You know what I was trying to figure out a good illustration.

Have you ever seen a dam, the water rise up on the dam?

And if the dam does not open the gates, what happens?

They'll let the pressure off.

If it doesn't, it's going to explode, it's going to break the dam, and the water's going to go through the valley and destroy anything in its path.

Well, that's a good example of this word.

That we don't need to allow our anger to rise to that point.

But one day, it's a slow rise in anger.

And I thought about this.

How long God's anger has been slowly rising.

Think about it.

Every time a Christian's killed, every time a church is destroyed.

Every time Satan says, Ha ha got him.

What a merciful, patient God.

And I thought about Romans 12, 19, avenge not yourself, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.

Ladies and gentlemen, we don't have to worry.

We don't have to retaliate, even though that's, oh, I'd love to just say, God, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

I think, now this is me.

This is just me.

I think when we come back on our white horses, I think we're going to have the opportunity when he takes out this whole bunch.

Satan and all.

I think we're going to be able to, we may not be a part.

In fact, we somebody said, I'm going to be there fighting.

No, you're not going to have to fight.

He's going to do it with the sword of his mouth.

But bless God, I'm going to be on the horse going.

Woo! I told you.

Jesus is a moslav.

Jesus is a must love.

You think you're hollering at an Alabama Auburn football game, Brett?

You hadn't seen anything yet, baby.

That'll be the final victory.

Woo! What a day that will be.

And then we have one other phrase.

Are you ready for this?

This is so powerful.

Man, we see God just boom! He explodes on Satan.

He takes Satan, and he takes Satan, the Antichrist, and the beast, and he just takes them out.

But let me show you how strong his mercy and love and grace is.

Even though after he's destroyed them.

Look at this next phrase.

In the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb, the heavenly host and the Lamb of God right here will be standing as a constant reminder.

Are you ready for this?

This is so beautiful.

It didn't have to end this way.

You had a choice.

You had a choice.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you die today, you're either going to heaven or hell.

And if you're going to hell, it's your choice.

It doesn't have to end that way.

If you're still breathing.

Watching online.

You got a chance.

And we see the reminder right here.

But if you don't, look at verse 11.

Verse 11 is very clear.

Hell is a place of unending, unimaginable torment for the lost sinner.

Look at it.

Verse 11.

And the smoke of their torment of sins forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast in his image.

Now I'm not going to preach on hell.

I just preached about two months ago right before we started.

Well, actually, I preached on hell in chapter 4 with one of the bold judgments.

You can pull it up and watch it again.

I encourage you to do that.

But that's going to be an unending, unimaginable torment for the lost sinner forever and ever and ever.

There'll be no rest.

There'll be no, hey, no lack of, you'll be tormented for the rest of your life.

It did not have to end this way, though, for these people.

It doesn't have to end that way for us.

1 Peter 2 24 says, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes we are healed.

During that time I started thinking about the cross.

And Easter's coming up, and I can't help but start thinking about it.

During the time on the cross, I wrote this out for me.

This is good.

Are you ready?

Put a big star by it as I was researching, reading a lot of different people and their interpretations of this part.

But listen to this.

I took several things, each of them said, and listen.

During the time on the cross, God judged Jesus.

Now listen.

As if it were you and me.

He poured out his wrath upon the body of his son.

The judgment was so complete that Jesus even cried out in his anguish that he had been forsaken by the Lord.

He said in Matthew 27, 46, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

He took your sin, my sin, on himself and was crucified on that cross.

Oh, you've got to see this first.

I think it's up there.

If not, I'll quote it.

2 Corinthians 5, 21.

For he hath made him to be sin, who knew no sin.

To be sin for us.

Did you hear it?

See, he took our sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Wow.

Is that not good?

Is that not good?

Preacher, that's good.

Jesus had already experienced the undiluted wrath of God on the cross.

He suffered on that tree because you and I are sinners.

He took our place on the cross and suffered the wrath of God so that we would not have to.

Let me show you probably some scripture.

I think it's up there.

Do I have the Isaiah passage up there?

Denson?

53 verses 4.

Ooh, ooh, this will make a Methodist shout.

Watch this.

Isaiah 53, verse 4 and 6.

Isaiah 53:4

Surely he has borne our grief and carried all our sorrows.

Remember the song, chains are broken?

Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.

But then in verse 5, he was wounded for our transgressions.

We all know this, he was wounded for our transgressions.

He was bruised for our iniquities.

That's what he did on the cross.

He took the undiluted wrath of God on himself for me and you.

Can I get an amen?

Wow.

Now you understand why Jesus himself said, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

The only hope of salvation is Jesus Christ.

Those who reject him will spend eternity in hell.

Verse 11 says that plainly.

It will be their future.

It all depends on what you do with Jesus.

He that believeth in the Son is already saved, and he believeth not is already condemned.

Wow.

Wow.

If you're here today watching online or here, and you're lost.

You're walking a very dangerous path.

You're playing Russian roulette with a loaded gun.

And one day you're gonna lose everything.

Everything.

The only reason you're not in hell today, and hey, is it because of the good grace of a merciful God.

Amen.

At any moment, it could happen.

Any moment.

Proverbs 29:1 says, he who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed without remedy.

Proverbs 29:1

You know what that without remedy there in the King James means?

It means beyond recovery.

Watch.

Once you die, it's over.

No, you don't go to a purgatory where people can pray you out and light a candle and pray you out.

I'm sorry.

That's not biblical.

It's over.

Which brings me.

To the second part.

These verses show us what will happen to the saints of God when they leave this world.

And boy, isn't that awesome! After declaring God's judgment against the wicked, God now demonstrates his grace toward the righteous.

Isn't that awesome?

We've seen the wicked ones.

Now let's take a look at his children.

Verse 12.

Look at what he says.

Here is the patience of the saints.

Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Notice the word.

The first thing I see is the proclamation of their faithfulness.

Let me say something.

I'm tired of people claiming to be Christians, which that's not as much.

Let me just tell you right now people aren't claiming they're Christians like they did 20 years ago.

Twenty years ago, everybody said they were a Christian.

Now people that they don't want to be called a Christian, don't want to be a Christian.

Over 50%.

Of the United States right now, they don't even, they could care less about Christianity.

It's probably more than that.

Okay?

So it's very important to understand what we're about to look at.

So they the proclamation of their faithfulness.

But what I was going to say is, I'm tired of people that do claim to be Christians, but they're not faithful in anything God asks them to do.

I can't even get an amen, can I?

Huh?

How can you tell me you're a Christian but you do nothing that God asks you to do?

To me, you know what that is called?

Either you're misunderstood, or you're a hypocrite, or basically what you're going to see in a few moments, the word says you're a liar and the truth's not in you.

I didn't call you a liar.

Jesus said you shall know and treat by their fruits that they bear.

But now watch.

Look at the word patient.

Here's the word who pomine.

It literally means, watch this, steadfast endurance.

Steadfast endurance.

Here's what it means: it's a picture of a person who cannot be swayed from his simple faith in and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't care what you say, what you try to do to them, they're going to stand fast.

You don't know a whole lot of people like that, do you?

Teenagers, how many of you do, if I went to school, Rick and I went to school with you tomorrow?

And somebody says, Hey, Christian, you're going to cower down or you're going to say, Yes, I'm a Christian.

I'm proud to be a Christian.

I'm glad to be a Christian.

And let me show you my band.

Jesus is awesome.

And let me tell you why he's awesome.

In spite of all the horrors we see here of the tribulation period and the threats of the Antichrist, the false prophet, these believers remain faithful to the Lord.

And I want you to see what they were faithful to.

These people knew that they were part of the victorious people of God even while they suffered.

The world and the devil are always trying to get us to compromise.

Always.

I'm tempted to compromise almost every day.

Anyone else like that, am I the only one?

I really am.

I mean, I'm tempted to compromise whether memorizing and reviewing my scripture or doing my quiet time.

I just don't feel like it.

It's going to take a hard hour of memory work, and my brain's not ready for that this morning.

But I know I've, I don't, I know I have to.

If I don't, I'm scared, what do I do?

It's what keeps me intact.

It's the word of God.

Me wanting a proverb of day keeps the devil away.

Tells me what to do and what not to do every day.

There's a constant barrage designed to cause us to abandon God in the way of righteousness.

You know what?

The devil would love, I wrote this down too to me.

The devil would love nothing more for Danny Lovett to get his eyes off Jesus and his will for my life and our church.

He would love nothing more for me to relax my standards, relax my hold on my convictions, and abandon the way of righteousness in these days.

After all, it would be easier.

Just go along.

Hey, it's a lot easier.

You know what people say, Christians are weak.

Can I tell you something?

Listen to me.

It takes a lot more guts and courage to be a strong Christian, an outspoken Christian in a loving way, not a mean way, than it does, hey, to be a worldly sinner.

Or worldly person.

We're all sinners.

Amen?

It really does.

That's why I'm not ashamed.

You know why I wear that Jesus is awesome, man?

You know why I wear my Jesus' awesome belt?

You know why?

It holds me accountable.

I mean, yeah.

And please don't put a Jesus bumper sticker on your car and then act like an idiot in your car.

Amen.

How many of us have done that?

I mean, I stop at the red light, and there she is putting her makeup on, or there they are texting, and the lights green, and I'm behind her, and I'm ready to just I would if I had an old truck, I'd just bump them.

But I I wouldn't, but but but there's that there's that verse.

I mean there's that bracelet.

I'm about ready to go, ah.

This this just happened yesterday to me.

Did I not behave?

I didn't turn red.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you.

Second thing.

The proof of their faithfulness.

Look at what it says, verse twelve.

They kept his commandments and they kept their faith.

When we do as he tells us in his word, we prove that we love him unbelievably.

Listen, I wrote this to myself.

Our obedience to the Lord is irrefutable evidence.

Inrefutable evidence that we have experienced the new birth.

John 14, 15 says, if you love me, what?

Again, how can you tell me you love God and you don't keep his commandments?

You don't study his word, you don't come to church, you don't go to Bible study.

How can you do that?

Our obedience to the Lord is irrefutable evidence that we have experienced new birth.

1 John 2, 3 through 5.

I told you I was going to show you this.

1 John 2.

I hope I am.

If not, we'll turn there.

Is it up there, Denson?

Maybe it's not.

But 1 John turn there real quick.

1 John 2.

You've got to see this.

1 John chapter 2, verses 3 through 5.

1 John 2:3–5

Listen to what it says.

Now, by this we know.

That we know him if we keep his commandments.

Now, that word know there means absolutely sure.

We are absolutely sure that we are his because we keep his word.

He who says I know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth not in him.

Remember what I told you?

We're liars.

I didn't say it.

There it is.

But whosoever keeps his word, truly the love of God is perfected in him.

By this, we know that we are his.

Those are powerful verses.

Now by this we know that we know him because we keep his commandments.

By this, hey, he, we know him, and hey, but he that does not keep his commandments is alive, truth is not in him.

Then verse 5 again, but whosoever keeps his word, truly the love of God is perfected.

That means maturing in him.

You're becoming like Christ.

By this we know that we're in him.

Did you see how many times he used the word Oda?

The word no?

Absolutely sure.

Absolutely sure.

Absolutely sure.

I use this all the time when a person tells me they don't know if they're saved.

You go through 1 John, those five small chapters, underline the word no.

I think it's used 35, 38 times, and you ask yourself, are you doing what it says that you should be doing?

And if you are, you know.

And if you can't you hadn't been doing those, then I got news for you.

Hey, you're not saved.

You may have been baptized, you may have joined the church, you may even have said a prayer.

But if your life didn't change and you love God and obedient, hey, you didn't get saved.

I'm sorry, and I'm not, I'm not being hard, I love you too much.

I'm just telling you the undiluted truth.

That's what the book says.

Then the last thing.

The proclamation of their faithfulness, the proof of their faithfulness, and last the prophet of their faithfulness.

Woo, verse 13.

This verse tells us about their future.

If you're saved, it tells, hey, hey, it tells us too about our future.

First, we're told that these people who really will die and have died because of Jesus, look at what it says.

They're blessed.

This word has the idea of being happy.

It means to be supremely blessed, fortunate, well off.

The idea here is that those who die in the Lord have a harsh, unfriendly.

I mean, those, I mean, the idea, I wrote this down for I put little sticky notes, stars in my outlines when I'm working on it.

The idea here is that those who die in the Lord leave a harsh, unfriendly world behind.

But look what we gain.

We've often heard it said when a believer dies, well, they're better off.

Guess what?

That's true.

Paul said, for me to live is Christ, but what?

To die is gain.

Hey, that's what he said.

Paul said in 2 Timothy 4, 6, I am ready to be offered up.

He was ready to go.

He had finished his course.

He knew it.

And I pray that myself.

When my course is finished, I'm ready to go.

I fought a good fight.

I finished the course.

I've kept the faith.

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give to me at that day, but not only to me, but those that love his appearing.

Two things and I'm through.

There's no comparison between what we have in this world and what will be ours when we get home to glory.

Here it is.

Number one, verse 13.

We will rest from their labors.

These, hey, tribulational saints are resting from their labors.

These people have labored for Jesus in a difficult day.

Now they're going home to rest.

Now look at the word labor.

Most of you think that means work.

That's not what this word means.

Again, I'm a word study nut.

But notice, it's copas.

Now here's what it means: weariness.

It means weariness.

The word labor does not refer to the act of working, but to the weariness that comes from working.

That's what it means.

In other words, I know sometimes we get tired.

We want to give up.

Have you ever been in a church?

I'm going to help some of us because some of you, I know when you get a little frustrated.

You ever said, we just need more help.

We need other people to help us.

We need more dishwashers.

We need more people to help us put up the chairs, put up the we it's the same people doing the same work all the time.

Has anybody else felt like that?

Don't raise your hand.

The whole church would raise their hand.

Well, the ones doing the work would raise their hand, and you'd make everybody else convicted.

Hello?

You okay out there?

I got news for you.

One day.

When you stand before the Lord.

Are you listening to me?

He's not.

He doesn't forget one thing you do for him.

When you pick up a chair, and we do need some help with other people picking up chairs.

And when you get through eating, just put your chair up.

That's easy.

We need people to help us.

We need, we always need more help because we're growing.

That we're out of room.

We need to we gotta build a gym.

We're out of room.

We're gonna grow, we gotta build.

Now that's simple.

I'm telling you, we gotta go build right down there and build a gym.

Not a real expensive, but we've got to do it if you want to grow.

I mean, we're out.

We're stuck.

You say, well, let's do two services.

Well, we're only here's the problem.

One, we have to do away with our meal.

We don't want to do that.

Secondly, we got a small driveway out here.

Two people almost can't pass in there.

And you have you have a hundred cars coming out and a hundred trying to come in on to two eighty, you're gonna have somebody killed.

We're not gonna do that either.

So that's where we are.

I'm just, we're talking, we're talking, looking, we're we're praying about that.

But that's what we gotta do.

Or we'll stay at 250, 300 people.

Because that's all we can do.

But I'm okay.

I'm not, hey, I'm just your pastor's always honest with you.

But wouldn't it be great to have 500 people hearing the truth?

You say, well, we'll still feed them?

Absolutely.

They'll just come up here, all the tables will be set, it'd be a lot quicker.

You come in, get your plate, eat, and we fellowship, and then go home still.

Can I get an amen?

Have more parking?

Well, out of parking.

That's we make Benji can't move all those equipment back there, but we're out.

We have no place to go, folks, but down there.

But that's why we bought the land.

Can I get an amen?

So we just got to get prepared, start thinking that way.

Amen.

The dirt's there.

Now that's exciting to me.

And you know why?

Because we've not pushed this.

Bob, our leaders will tell you, we we we've not pushed anything.

We're not trying to push our agenda, we're trying to push God's agenda, but I do know that's where we are.

I don't like building.

You know the person that hates building worse than anybody?

The pastor.

Because Satan tries to get in building programs, plus, you have to raise a lot of money.

I don't like, well, I don't mind raising money, but it's it's just always something.

I just like to sit back and be easy and enjoy ourselves, just me and you and no more.

We'll have our lunch and we go home and love each other, kumbaya.

A lot less pressure on me.

I couldn't do that if I wanted to.

Amen.

Are you with me?

So go find somebody to give us$300,000.

Pray for that.

We can build a gym for$300,000.

Just go pray.

All right.

Let's finish.

That was a rabbit that needed the shades.

Okay.

They will rest from their labors.

Number two, they will be rewarded for their labors.

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see.

When he takes me by the hand and leads me into the promised land, what a day, glorious day that will be.

Folks, Jesus said in Matthew, even a what?

A little cup.

Where's my water?

Darren brought me that water today.

He brings me my water every day.

And if he doesn't, then I have to tell Clay, go get me some water.

Because that really helps.

Now Darren has got a choice.

He can say, I can't wait to get my preacher some water.

I know I'm helping him preach the truth.

I'm helping him teach our people.

I'm helping us grow in the lightness.

Lord, thank you for letting me take this water to my pastor.

Or he can say, Well, get it yourself, preacher.

You got a choice.

You pick up a chair today.

You got a choice.

You can be angry about it, you can be glad about it.

You got a choice today when you go back there, and let me tell you your your uh King's Ranch, the homes, your girls, thank you.

The way you go back there and wash dishes.

The boys, when they're here, the way they pick up these chairs and pick up the tables, and they do it smiling.

Just thank you.

Thank you, thank you.