2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation


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2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation Good morning. [Congregation: "Good morning!"] Big week this week. I wanted to invite you to come back on Friday night this week; 6-8 o'clock in the Loft which is the room right behind us. We're going to have a Good Friday service. I believe one of the things that's really important this time of year is just take a few moments. Sunday we're going to rejoice in His Resurrection, but to take a few moments and just become overwhelmed what it meant for Him to sacrifice His life for us. Would you just take time out of your Friday night and come here this Friday just to focus in on Jesus? It's from 6-8 but you can come any time during that time. It's just a drop-in/ drop-out, so you can come for ten minutes or you can come for the whole time, whenever you want to come just come. Our pastors are going to be sharing from The Word. We're going to be singing. We're going to be taking Communion; you can take Communion anytime, but 6-8 it'll be in the Loft. Just come into this lobby over here [points to his left] and come right up the steps where the Loft is at. Also, on Sunday morning during the 9:30 and 11:00 services we're going to be also having a service in there [Loft]. So there's going to be more an intimate environment; a place where some people like that a lot better where it's just a little bit closer, a little bit tighter as a group of people, and it'll actually have a choir over there. Going to be doing all the same music as we're doing here but it'll be led with a choir, but I'll be preaching in both places. We'll figure out how we do that, but I think they're going to beam me over there somehow, so that'll be Sunday. Now, listen, we're going to be doing an 8 o'clock service. I know probably most of you aren't interested in an 8 o'clock service next week, you had trouble getting here for the 11 o'clock service this morning but that's okay, we forgive you for that. But seriously, if you're an early bird and would like to come to that, that'd be awesome. It'll allow more people to be able to sit into these services because of Easter. We're going to have bagels and coffee and all that kind of stuff next week, so we want you to be at that. Also, you'll notice that in the chairs in front of you are those cards and we would love to know that you're part of us. If you haven't filled out one of those cards in the last couple weeks, would you fill it out? We want to get to know you and it's really helping us to get all of your right information, so if you would fill that out for us and put it in the bucket in a little bit when it comes around that would be awesome. If you still haven't signed up for a small group, there's a place on the back to do that. Now, this is our last week of going through the Bible one book at a time, the book of Revelation. I hope you've enjoyed it and I hope that this isn't the end. I hope that you have started a lifelong habit of reading your Bible and, in fact, the book of Revelation starts out in verse 3 of the Revelation saying you're going to get a blessing for reading it and hearing it. And so we're going to share it with you again this morning and every one of you is going to walk out of here all blessed. Anyone in for a blessing this morning? All right. So open up your Bibles to the book of the Revelation, we're going to just teach our way through it here this morning. First verse says this: 1

The revelation of Jesus Christ,

How many revelations? One. Who's it of? Jesus. So, when you talk about this book just call it Revelation, just one; and the revelation is of Jesus. All right. You've got it. Look down at verse 3: 3

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. — REVELATION 1:1, 3

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2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation Now look down to chapter 1, verse 10: 10

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

11

— REVELATION 1:10-11

You've got to get the background for this for just a moment. John, last living disciple of Jesus, was under incredible, intense persecution by the Emperor Domitian. Domitian wanted him to recant that Jesus was God, wanted him to recant that He was who He said He was and that He rose from the dead and John wouldn't do it. John saw Jesus alive. He knew He had come from the grave and he wouldn't do it, so Domitian in order to try to bring this out of him we're told boiled him in a cauldron of hot oil and he refused to die. Domitian was so frustrated by that that he exiled him to the island of Patmos, and that's where Jesus comes to him in a vision and says I want you to write down what you're about to see. And as he writes this down he paints a picture for us in language and in words and in symbols that we could understand to help us to know what is coming. And he begins by writing some letters to churches that existed, seven churches that existed in modern-day Turkey at that time. And in those letters Jesus writes to these people and He writes to them things that they did well and things that they weren't doing well and giving them some promises on what takes place if they overcome and they follow Jesus and what He says. What you'll find is as we open up this book it's all about Jesus. In fact, I asked that we put this in our program today [pulls card out of his Bible and holds it up] and if you have one of these with you, you'll notice on the back is a little card. You've got to tear that off and keep that. Find someone to give that to this week; it's a little postcard inviting them to next week's Easter service. And on the back is a little note about our series that we're going to begin next week. Next week we're going to be talking about the Resurrection, but we're starting a series in the book of 1st Peter called DOES IT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY? You've probably asked that question: Does it have to be this way? Why would we ask that question? Because life, death: Hard. For the people in those seven churches that Jesus tells John to write to, life had gotten hard under Domitian, under the persecution that was coming upon Christians for them standing up and saying, "I'm a Christ-follower." And for Jesus, He wanted to tell John, "I want you to write down what you are about ready to see and I want you to send it back to the churches so The Church can see that I am alive. So they can see what is going on here in Heaven so that they can be sure that they can be sure that they can know that what they believe is true and to stay on course with it." So let's keep on reading, chapter 1, verse 12. So Jesus says write these things down. It says: 12

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. And here it's speaking of Jesus. Verse 17: 17

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. — REVELATION 1:12-13, 17-18

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2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation That's what this whole next week is all about. Remember that He died, but he didn't stay dead. He rose and that He has the keys of Death and Hell; two things that are overwhelming and frustrating to us in this world. So, this morning inside of your program in the place where you take notes, I know a lot of you have been using this, right here in the middle of it you'll see the notes for the book of The Revelation. If you're following along with notes today, I put down in there today four words that I have found to be extremely helpful in just building a framework for understanding this book. So I'm going to show you four words that are going to help you, and here in a couple minutes I'm going to show you one verse that John uses to help you, to give you a bit of an outline of the book. The first word is the word "Jesus." Again, Jesus writes to the churches and He wants the churches to hear from Him specifically. You'll remember The Church began at Pentecost after Jesus left this earth, and The Church begins and Jesus now has some words to say to those local churches at that time. Each of those churches He has some things to say; hey, you're doing this well, some things you're not doing well, and to say hey, here's what happens when you overcome. The church of Laodicea was the only church of those churches that He had no commendation for. All of the churches were given a rebuke except for Smyrna and Philadelphia. Now, of those churches the church at Philadelphia was a historical church there in Asia at that time, but one of the things someone wrote to me during the time right after the roof fell here at the church, they said, "Look at the church of Philadelphia here in Revelation chapter 3, it says in verse 10 they had patient endurance." Isn't that cool? So anyhow, these traits of these churches and the things that they were doing well and the things that they were struggling with and the things that they could do to overcome were all things that I believe that we need to look at and say where am I at? Remember, one of the churches, the church at Ephesus, He said they'd lost their first love. And so these are the things that we want to be things that we're looking at as a church going, "How are we doing in this area? How are we doing at following Jesus?" And each of these churches is given grace if they obey. In chapters 1 through 3 The Church is mentioned nineteen times and then we don't hear about The Church thereafter. That's why in chapter 4, verse 1, it starts out with these words and if you're one who writes in your Bible, underline the first two words, "After this." So my question is this: After what? I believe that John gave the outline of the book back in chapter 1, verse 19, when he says—when Jesus says—okay, so Jesus is telling him what to write down. Jesus says this: 19

Write therefore the things that you have seen,

When He's entered into Heaven there, what's he see? He sees Jesus. Write down what you've seen, then He says write down: those that are Remember, He said in those first three chapters about The Church, write down about The Church. We live in the Church Age right now. God is working through the local church. And then He says: and those that are to take place after this. — REVELATION 1:19

What are the last two words? "After this." After what? The Church. First two words of chapter 4, "After this." After The Church. What happens to The Church? First Thessalonians chapter 4 says this in verse 16:

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2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation 16

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. — and then He says this— 18

Therefore encourage one another with these words. — 1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-18

We believe that this is the next thing that's going to happen on God's prophetic calendar. That God is going to send Jesus and He's going to come in the clouds; He's not going to touch down here on earth. And He's going to call up first those who have died who have put their faith and trust in Jesus, they're going to come out of the graves; then those of us who have put our faith and trust in Jesus are going to be lifted up into the clouds with Jesus. Amazing sight that's going to be that day. It could happen yet before we leave this room today. This is why you want to, you need to know that you have put your faith and trust in Jesus, that you're a Christ-follower. Unbelievable, the thought of every believer being taken out of this world. Can you imagine how things are going to be changing at that moment? I would think that there would be pure chaos on the face of the earth. You would think that would be enough to cause everyone to go, "We've heard about this. We want you, God, to be our God." But they don't do that. But it says here write the things that take place after this, after we've been removed. By the way, those words there in 1st Thessalonians say comfort each other with these words because we're going to read some stuff here in the next couple minutes that are, quite truthfully, it's hard and I just can't even imagine having to go through these horrible things that we're going to read here about it in a moment. I believe we are told by the Apostle Paul, "You don't have to worry about this because you're not going to be here for that; be comforted over this." So chapter 4 and verse 1: 1

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, You remember a moment ago there in 1st Thessalonians 4, "the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God," there's that phraseology again. like a trumpet, said, “Come up here . . . And the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain (1st Thessalonians 4) will be caught up to be with the Lord in the air. 2

At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. — REVELATION 4:1-2

Forty-six times in this book we are going to be taken to the center of the universe to the throne of God, and what we're going to see when we see that and what Jesus wanted the churches including us to see today, those who are being persecuted, those who were under the difficult hand of sin to see, is that there's a God on the throne. That He sits on that throne and that He's in control, that He's in power, and that no matter what's going on this morning, whatever's going on tonight, whatever happens tomorrow, He's on the throne ruling supreme and He's in charge and it's okay. And you can depend on Him. Write this, write this down, send it back to the churches. Let them know there's a throne and there's a God on that throne.

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2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation The scene continues that John is getting the opportunity to see in Heaven and if you can read this book, if you're a visual person it makes this a lot easier. Chapter 5, verse 1: 1

Then I saw

— this is what he's seeing, he's seeing this vision — in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. — and all of a sudden you see this commotion in Heaven, and he says: 2

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” There's this scrambling around; we have this scroll and it's sealed, who can open this? And the question may be: So what is this scroll? We believe it's the Title Deed to the earth and it is a step-by-step process of God cleansing this earth from sin once and for all. You see, this place isn't what it was made to be. I don't know about you, but when I go outside in the morning I step out on my porch, I look out over the woods and the trees and I just go, "This is beautiful. I love this!" It is just gorgeous. I know some places around here where I drive around to and it's just breathtaking. It's like, "Wow!" When I get to travel to some places I'm overwhelmed by the beauty of His creation. Please hear me: It is not how it was made. It was way, way, way, way, way more beautiful! It is a fraction of how beautiful God made it to be. It has been destroyed, messed up, marred by sin. It's a mess. And this scroll contains on it the plan that God has had from eternity past to cleanse this earth from that sin. Well, they're scrambling around looking for the One who can open it because no one there was able to open it, and verse 5 says: 5

And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah,

—Jesus — the Root of David, has conquered, He rose from the grave; you just see this all over. In Heaven there is a realization that He has won over sin; that He came out of the grave alive and victorious over sin. He has conquered so He can open the scroll and its seven seals. so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” — REVELATION 5:1-2, 5

So here's what's going to happen next. You're going to see that Jesus opens up this scroll and in the course of this process, each one of these seals are opened, then there are trumpets that are blown, and then there are bowls that are poured out and each time it is the wrath of God being poured out onto humanity as He begins step-by-step cleansing the sins on this earth and dealing with it. As you begin to open up the seals you'll see in chapter 6 you begin to see these seven seals. It opens up with the Antichrist being revealed and the Tribulation, a seven-year period of time of intense, awful times begins here on the face of the earth. And then the second seal's opened up which is war. The third seal is famine. The fourth seal, a fourth of humanity is killed. It goes on, a sixth seal there's a great earthquake, the sun becomes black, the moon like blood, stars fall to the earth.

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2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation You'll find in-between the sixth and the seventh seal, between the sixth and the seventh trumpet, between the sixth and the seventh bowl, there is a pause and the opportunity for mankind to repent and that happens here. You'll read about 144,000; 12,000 from every tribe and they go out and proclaim God's Word. God loves—even in the midst of Him dealing with the sin on earth—He continues to call people to Himself. He keeps on, keeps on doing that. And then the seventh seal opens up the first trumpet. I told you the seven seals and then we go to the trumpets. Best way to remember the trumpets is basically, the easiest way I can remember is with through a fraction. The fraction is one-third. You want basically a simple way of saying it is one-third of everything's ruined, messed up, or destroyed. We'll just glance through those in chapter 8. The first angel blows his trumpet and there's hail, fire, mixed with blood; a third of the earth is burned up, a third of the trees are burned up. Second angel blows his trumpet and a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, a third of the sea became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships destroyed. We've already blown through seven of these, now we're in the second seven and in the trumpets. If we had a longer time to unpack these, I think you'd begin to just capture the hugeness of this. We're talking about any individual one of these things happening today would throw our world into chaos, would be overwhelming. You would think that everyone would say, "Yes, I come back to you, God." As you're going to keep on seeing here, no, it's not the case. The fourth angel blows his trumpet and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, a third of the stars, so a third of their light was darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining. You just keep on reading through these. The sixth angel blows his trumpet and a third of mankind is killed. So just as before, between the sixth and seventh of each of these, the sixth and seventh trumpet, there's another opportunity for mankind to repent. Chapter 9, verse 20, says this: 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, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. — REVELATION 9:20-21

The judgments continue to get worse and worse and worse. So we get to chapter 16 and He begins to pour out the bowls of wrath. So, we've gone through seals, gone through trumpets, now we go through bowls. Chapter 16, verse 2: 2

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. You'll remember the beast will require those to follow him and in order to buy or sell they'll need the mark of the beast on their right hand or on their forehead the number "666." 3

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. 4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 8

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. — REVELATION 16:2-4, 8

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2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation A moment ago, you remember when we were back in the third of the trumpets the sun was darkened, now it just becomes blazing hot. Hotter than it's ever been and it begins to scorch the people with fire. Listen to verse 9: 9

They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. — REVELATION 16:9

Fifth angel pours out his bowl and there's darkness. Sixth angel pours out his bowl and the river Euphrates dries up. Again, between the sixth bowl and the seventh bowl the people have the opportunity to repent. Jesus says in verse 15 of chapter 16: 15

(“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) — and listen to this — 16

And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. — REVELATION 16:15-16

Jesus says, "I'm going to give you the opportunity to repent; I give you an opportunity to get it right." They don't want to hear it and they assemble in this place called Armageddon where the armies of the world surround Jerusalem and they gather there to fight God's people. I mentioned a moment ago, I just want to keep on saying it, God continues to give an opportunity for the people to repent even in the midst of His harshest of judgments. One of the things I think is crazy interesting about the book of Revelation, you and I run across people every day that know nothing about spiritual things. We mentioned Jesus, we mentioned the Holy Spirit, we've mentioned the cross, and it seems like more and more all the time less and less people even have any connection to that, know anything about that, but when you mention words like this—the Antichrist, the beast, 666, the 144,000, the mark of the beast—have you noticed people have heard of that. Can you imagine if all of a sudden that actually starts happening here on the face of this earth? You would think that there would be a natural response of going, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Someone got a Bible around here? I've got to read what God said." And, in fact, there will be some who will respond. These 144,000 and these two prophets go out and they preach the gospel of God and many come to Jesus in that time. God always cares about people and wants to continue to call you back to Himself. And yet, in the midst of calling you back to Himself there's a given point when many of mankind say, "No." And that verse is so stark to me when He says, "…they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory." And there finally comes a time where God says, "That's it. It's enough." And we just read that the armies of the world gather around Jerusalem. It appears that God's people, His holy city, is down for the final count about to be wiped off the planet as so many even in our time seethe against this tiny, little nation. When it looks like it is all over, when it looks like the darkest moment, Revelation 19 happens and I'd love for you to see it. Turn to Revelation chapter 19 and verse 11. I picture this desperate moment, the armies of the world are gathered, it looks like it's all over, 19:11: 11

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!

— you gotta get visual now with me —

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2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, — this is Jesus — and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, — that's us, those of us who have been caught up to be with the Lord in the air — arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. — you're going to get to do this someday, this is you! — 15

From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Hey, folks, things are starting to begin to change at this place in Revelation. That is hard to slog through those seals and those trumpets and those bowls, but now things are changing. Jesus is coming back. He's going to reign and He's going to be ruling. Verse 17: 17

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. — REVELATION 19:11-21

Chapter 20. 1

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. — be visual; picture this all in your head — 2

And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan,

— would you like to see him beat? — and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. REVELATION 20:1-3

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2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation Here's what I want you to hear this morning: For any of you who have struggled with temptation, just nod if you've ever struggled with temptation; for any of you who have ever struggled with sin, who are struggling with sin, whoever among us here has been impacted by someone else's sin, here's what I want you to know: That one, Satan, the devil himself, is a defeated foe. He's over, he's done, he's finished. [applause] He loses. Who among us wants to follow a loser? So the next time you feel tempted and the next time you feel sin beating up against you, you just look out and say, "No. You're a loser. You're defeated. I will not give in. I'm done with this. I know what your end is." He hates that being preached. He hates that being mentioned. He wants to look like he's winning. He wants to look like he's up in the polls. He wants to look like he's undefeatable. The fact of the matter is his end is already written. He has read this. He knows this and this is why he is so furious even in our time and so active at worse. His time is limited. Don't give in. Don't give in. Keep on reading, chapter 20, verse 7; God does it better than I can say it: 7

And when the thousand years are ended,

Okay, so at the end there of the Battle of Armageddon, we move into a thousand years of peace where Jesus reigns and rules here on earth. He reigns with an iron fist. Everyone follows Jesus because He makes them follow Him. Keep on reading: Satan will be released from his prison Remember we just read that a moment ago he was put in that prison for a thousand years, during this thousand years of peace, but that he would be let out for just a little bit. 8

and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth,

Now, you would think at this moment after having lived under a thousand years of peace at the hand of God Almighty, Jesus Christ, His Son, that everyone would say, "Who are you? Get out of here!" And yet it says that he deceives the nations that are at the four corners of the earth: Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. — UN-believable! — 9

And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven — see, we're not messing around any longer — and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. — verse 14 of chapter 20, this is a hard verse — 14

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. REVELATION 20:7-10, 14-15

This should be enough to cause each one of us a moment of personal introspection. There is a real Hell. It's a literal place. It is a horrible, awful place and the only way to make sure that you're not going to be –9–

2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation there is to make sure your name is written in the book of life; that is, to trust in the resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ, as your Savior alone for your salvation. I just beg you if you're not sure that you have done that, if you just want someone to walk you through that, see myself, see Pastor Mike, see one of the other pastors. Don't leave this place until you know for sure. This is a horrible thing. And if you know for certain that you know Jesus, here's what I beg you: Find someone that doesn't; you know a mom, dad, brother, or sister that doesn't. Don't let everyone tell you, "Oh, they'll be good enough. It'll be okay. They'll be cool. God will get over it." Listen, He's very clear and He tells us to read these words and He tells us to follow these words. Chapter 21. By the way, the last two chapters of the Bible and the first two chapters of the Bible have some things in common. The last two chapters of the Bible there is no Satan. The first two chapters of the Bible there is no Satan. Listen to chapter 21, verse 3: 3

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Remember, this is what got messed up in the Garden. Man was walking with God, talking with God, had perfect relationship with God when mankind fell. It is now restored and that's what we all long for. That's the thing that we're all searching for and staring out beyond wanting to see, it's what all creation groans for—this day when we are redeemed, when things are made right. Verse 5 of 21: 5

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. — REVELATION 21:3-6

Chapter 22, verse 2: 2

through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life

— remember the Bible starts out in Genesis with a tree, now we're back to a tree — with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, — here's the climax of the Bible everything has led up to — but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. — REVELATION 22:2-4

Here's how it wraps up and I think he says this enough times that what I'm about ready to share with you ought to just be the thing that we leave here with it stuck in our brain. Verse 7 of chapter 22 He says: 7

“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

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2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation Behold, I am coming soon. He says it again in verse 12: 12

“Behold, I am coming soon, — REVELATION 22:7, 12

Verse 20: 20

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

Oh, I want to read those last words. Then he says: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! REVELATION 22:20

"I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" Now all the stuff going on in the world right now it seems so big and it seems so important, it seems so overwhelming and it is at times, but today when we get to the end we can write the little words at the end of our book: We win. Because He has conquered everything, the battle has been won, the story has been written. I love it because we know how the book ends. And Jesus says I am coming, I am coming soon. I am coming soon. And we're told that the churches that were in persecution, those seven churches, this changed them as they began to go through their life and they were in the persecution these were the words that they called out, "Jesus is coming soon. Jesus is coming soon." And they would call it out to each other and it would be the very thing that would give them everything they needed to keep on going. It's going to be okay, Church. Jesus is coming soon and we respond as he responds here at the end, oh, come quickly, Lord Jesus. [Prayer] Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Lord God, for each of my brothers and sisters in this room who are at their wit's end, who think they can't handle it another day, thank you that You give us these words You're coming soon and we just say, "Jesus, come soon. Come, come quickly, Lord Jesus." We love You and we want to respond to You. We want to obey You. Jesus, come quickly. Let your reign and your rule begin. We love You. Thank You for your Book. Thanks for letting us walk through this entire thing. Thanks for each person that has read it. Thanks for each person that has memorized it. Thanks for each person that has meditated upon it and thought it through and discussed it. Lord God, we love You and we want to follow You. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. We love You. It's in Your Name we pray. Amen. You know, I was thinking about, you know, we give an offering at this point in our service. He's coming soon. He might come today and take us out of this world and there's just this reminder, you know, the things of this earth, what are they worth to us? How, I mean, you saw what He was saying, they wouldn't give up their idols, the things that were more important than God. It's time to say, "I'm getting rid of those idols and nothing's going to be more important than God. This money's not going to do anything for me in eternity, I'm going to give it so people come to know Jesus today." And I want to thank you as you begin to think eternally, that last word that we have there; towards something that is bigger and better coming and we're excited about that. God bless you as you give. At the end of the rows over here [points to his right], this row right here, and that row [points to his left] right here there's a bucket at the bottom of your seat. Would you just grab that and pass it across and give your gifts back to the Lord? I pray that this search through the Bible has been powerful in your life. And even as we – 11 –

2016-0320. {The Book} | The Coming King | Revelation come to this powerful conclusion, just remember Jesus is coming, Jesus is coming. God bless you as you give. [Offering Break] I'm oftentimes humbled when many of you are so kind to ask me how you can pray for me and in those moments I feel overwhelmed by that question because I feel like the things going on in my life are so minimal compared to the things that are going on in your lives, and so I struggle answering that question. Sometimes I feel tongue-tied in that moment. I just want to ask you this morning, would you pray for me and my family this week? My wife left last week to go be with her father who has been in intensive care for the last week and in two different hospitals and my wife is helping lead that time of difficult sickness and that time of high stress and pressure, and so if you'd be in prayer for her and for her dad and her family in this difficult time it would mean the world to us. Pray for me; I'm trying to be mom and dad and pastor at the same time and I'm not sure if I'm doing good at any of them. Yeah, the son slept all day yesterday. It didn't seem to me that that was odd until he came up to me at the end of yesterday and said, "Dad, I don't think I'm doing well." "Yeah, well, if you sleep all day, you're not going to. "Thirteen hours straight. No, it wasn't. It was twenty-fours straight, twenty-four hours straight. I should have known something was up. [laughter] I texted my wife, "Why does this happen?" She goes, "I don't know. Is he sick?" I said, "Well, he says he is. I think he's making it up though. I didn't know that it could be real." She goes, "So take his temperature." I said, "How do you do that?" [laughter] "It says 102. Is that bad?" She goes, "YES!" She goes, "Did you give him anything?" I said, "No, what do I give him?" [laughter] I ended up at Urgent Care and he's got bronchitis, so I'm sure he'll be fine. [laughter] The doctor gave me a prescription. I said it's going to have to wait until after service, so this afternoon I'll run to Target. Hey, I'm late. I'm sorry. Thanks for praying for us. We love you and love being with you. Grab these cards [holds card up], you have one with you, an invitation to Easter and the next series, why does it have to be this way and studying 1st Peter. There's whole stacks of these out in the lobby. Think about your friends. Invite them. Invite them to church. If there's ever a time they'll come—next week. God, be blessed, be honored, be glorified through our time here together. So I'm going to read these words: 20

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

— The Church said — Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! — REVELATION 21:20

Can you say it? Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Have a great week. God bless you. You're dismissed. Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/159707278 SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS ARE FROM THE HOLY BIBLE, ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION (ESV). COPYRIGHT © 2001 BY CROSSWAY BIBLES, A DIVISION OF GOOD NEWS PUBLISHERS COPYRIGHT © 2016 – LEE WIGGINS – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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