Sermon

Everywhere you look people talk about being spiritual. Yoga empties us for spiritual enlightenment. Walking outdoors connects us to the Earth. Buying a hybrid car makes us feel like we are saving the planet.

Yet, none of these things are real connections to the Father in comparison to what Jesus offers.

Many churches participate in meeting spiritual needs without Jesus. They provide religious rituals and sentimental experiences. Churches seek to be relevant to impress and attract “seekers.” Worldly techniques for entertainment are used to grow the financial and congregational numbers.

But, what does Jesus think about this alliance between the World and the Church?

Jesus uses a brutal and graphic allegory to share His thoughts.

The whole book of Hosea is based on the accusation from God that the people of God had prostituted themselves for what the world had to offer.

God illustrates our sin by commanding one of His very godly men to marry a very silly girl who was in love with this world.

Hosea 1:2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.”

God does shocking things to teach us valuable lessons. This passage is provocative.

The Church that was started in the Book of Acts has now become, like Israel became, an unfaithful spouse.

How many of these harsh accusations could be applied to us?

This passage is one of the most negative chapters in the whole Bible. Let me offer a new view.

When my children disobey, as a parent I place them in crisis through discipline. I might threaten to take away their favorite toy, ground them or spank them. I bring trouble in their life to lead them to repentance.

God did this with the Egyptians. He brought Ten Plagues to upset their life and motivate them to obey His commands.

During the end times God will bring these plagues back. God will bring Humanity into a great crisis that He might lead us all toward the last great invitation for repentance.

When the 144,000 sing, it sounds like Niagara Falls multiplied by Thunder.

Heaven is more like a Monster Truck Show than a Presbyterian worship service. Cast out this idea of Heaven being quaint. Heaven will knock your socks off.

And this congregation wears the Heavenly tattoo. They are filled with moxie and bravado. Who are these 144,000?

The Jehovah Witness Church teaches that only 144,000 will be saved. Wrong answer.

Islam says that these are the 144,000 Prophets of Muhammad. No.

The Church Universal and Triumphant teaches that 144,000 souls were brought back to Earth from Venus. Not even close.

Tim LaHaye thinks that only 144,000 Jews are saved during the tribulation and that they become evangelists before the final Armageddon. Who do you think these people are?

The Beast is all the nations in opposition to all that is good. All ten nations symbolize the totality of humanity involved in this rebellion, and the seven heads remind us that the Dragon is the Puppet Master.

Which is why this Beast, through the leadership of the anti-Christ and the power of the Kingdoms of the Earth, targets their anti-Christian rage against the followers of Jesus. This is a Demonic Beast who is Hell bent on the Church’s destruction.

Have you ever wondered why the world is so unified in their hostility to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? This vision answers that question.

When Lot was in front of the people of Sodom, he weakened the message of the Bible so that the people would leave him and his family alone.

Churches do the same thing today. We have lowered our rhetoric against sin.

During the last presidential debate, one of the candidates said that our national debt was immoral. Even good Churches don’t talk about morality.

Maybe this is why there isn’t much persecution of believers in America.

We have stopped saying what God told us to say for our own comfort sake.

God’s people are Commissioned to speak the sweet and bitter words of the Unsealed Scroll of Destiny.

The World will not appreciate their words and will work hard to cleanse the culture of their Christian message. When a child of God is martyred, the world celebrates like it’s Christmas. But God has the final word and calls them to their eternal home in Heaven.

If you lived in a Muslim country, and lived your faith in the public square, you would be required to act pensive and timid when walking down the street.

You would be forced to submit, at least as reflected in your demeanor, to the superiority of Islam.

Would you do it?

Many Christians act that way in America.

Believers act weak when confronted by those arguing for evolution, abortion and same sex marriage.

This weak demeanor is the opposite of the dominant posture modeled by the angel in Revelation 10.

What happened to our confidence when holding God’s word? We should be inspired to charge the gates of Hell, not be cowering in fear.

Jesus told us to forgive 7 times 70, but we don’t think of 490, rather the spiritual lesson it symbolizes.

The Sealed 144,000 also holds symbolic truth. Do you know who they are?

Want a hint?

This group of people are protected from the wrath of God, but not the wrath of Satan.

They are protected from God’s condemnation for sin, but not the natural disasters at the end of the world.

Their eternal destiny is secure, but they will suffer in this life for Jesus’ sake.

They are not limited numerically to 144,000, yet God identifies them by that number.

There are battalions in twelve formations ready to die for the cause. They are soldiers of the Cross. They are beautiful in perfection, symbolized in the number twelve, and full in their assembly as symbolized in the number ten. Before reading further, who do you think they are?

If a huge meteor shower hits the Earth (verse 13), then we can only assume that other planets in our solar system will be hit by the same meteor shower, including the Sun.

This is why the Sun turns black. Let me explain.

Have you ever seen a bowl of melted steel. If it is pure then the contents of the bowl glow red hot. But if you drop impure metal into that white hot liquid steel, then the dross, the debris from the impure metal separates. The impurity then floats to the surface and forms a black crust over the molten steel until the dross burns away.

Imagine God throwing billions of tons of dirt into the hot liquid plasma of the Sun via a meteor shower. The dirt will separate, float to the surface and form a crust of debris until it burns off. This is why the sun will turn dark black like sackcloth.

When this happens to the sun the inhabitants of the Earth will understand that the end is upon them. They will understand that God has intervened to judge sinners. They will all know that Jesus is coming. They will all be asking, “Will I be able to stand?”

When Jesus told the disciples about the coming destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem, they asked “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” Matthew 24:3.

Jesus answers the what, not the when.

Jesus answered, But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only Matthew 24:36.

There is a soft rebuke for their carnal calendar curiosity. If we know the when, then we might procrastinate our repentance.

Like Paul Harvey, God tells us the Rest of the Story, to encourage us when we suffer for His name sake.

Are you pouring your life out on the altar of total sacrifice for Jesus? Why not?

Do you not know what happens to the souls of the martyrs?

These four horseman fan the flame of man’s depravity to cause human suffering. I believe the suffering is cyclical and increasing as we approach the end. It started with Cain killing Abel and will end with Armageddon.

God has determined to keep humanity from being at peace on Earth while they are at war with Heaven. Worldwide suffering is a foretaste of God’s displeasure that we might be brought to repentance.

And here is the real surprise, when Jesus walked this Earth, He also bore the suffering of these four Horseman.

Jesus suffered under the hands of men in government who were Hell bent on conquering the freedom and liberty found in His message. The blood of Jesus was shed. Jesus lived a life of poverty and He died.

The ARP has a slogan that “All of Life is Worship.” How is worship being defined to fit that slogan?

David Peterson defines worship in his wonderful book, Engaging with God, quote “Worship of the living and true God is essentially an engagement with him on the terms that he proposes and in the way that he alone makes possible.” I like this definition because it isn’t generic. It applies to Christian Worship specifically.

Revelation chapter 5 gives us a peek into Heavenly worship.

This chapter reveals the Key to Worship .

Worship happens when we rightly profess the identity of Jesus and then rightly respond to that profession.

Said even more succinctly: when we say, “Jesus is Lord!”, and we act accordingly, we are worshiping.

I watched a television series about the universe this last week narrated by Morgan Freeman. Did you know that at the center of every Galaxy, so science believes, is a Black Hole. As far as they can figure a black hole is billions, maybe trillions of stars, all collapsed into a mass the size of a baseball stadium. Maybe as small as the baseball. And the gravity is so intense that even light can’t escape it’s grasp. The same model holds true in miniature for an atom.

So if a black hole is at the center of every galaxy, then what’s at the center of the universe?

John tells us. and behold, a throne stood in Heaven, with one seated on the throne.

There is a throne at the center of the universe. This is the theme of chapter four as the word throne appears 13 times. The throne may not be visible by our modern telescopes, but it is the centerpiece of all that exists.

And the Bible tells us that this throne stands. It is active and empowered. No disinterested Deity sits on that singular throne. God didn’t complete the Creation and become bored. God didn’t wind it up and wait for the timer to ding.

At the center of the universe the Creator reigns supreme.

Just a short walk up the road was the famous natural spring waters of Colossae. Like the bubbly French spring water called Perrier, no water was cleaner, colder or more refreshing.

Also nearby was the famous hot spring waters of Hierapolis. Like an expensive spa, the water was enriched with natural minerals. It’s hot springs were medicinal and rejuvenating.

The city of Laodicea didn’t have their own water supply. They built aqueducts to bring the water in. By the time water arrived from Colossae it had turned salty and lukewarm. It wasn’t good for refreshing the animals. Residents who were native to the city were repelled by it’s taste.

Jesus says that this church leaves Him feeling the same way.

Why would Jesus say this about a church and might we be on His list of people that make Him sick?

Have you ever felt like you weren’t wanted? Like a fifth wheel? Has a religious crowd ever made you feel like a stranger? Like everyone else was extended brotherly love, but you?

Jesus promises never to let His people feel like outsiders.

Jesus will not withhold His friendliness, favor, brotherly love or praise for His faithful.

Jesus opens the door wide into Heaven for His people. In the New Jerusalem the faithful will never feel like a fifth wheel. With Jesus we will never feel like a stranger.

We might feel like an alien in this world, but when we approach Heaven, we will find an open door. We will be greeted by Jesus and the saints!

Abraham Kuyper said that, “There is not a square inch in heaven or on earth or under the earth in which there is peace between Christ and Satan.”

Jesus said that Satan lived in Pergamum. Does Satan dwell in your town?

You can tell be answering this question — “Do your neighbors publicly express their animosity toward God without shame?”

Is homosexuality celebrated? Are cults and witchcraft treated as acceptable religious options? Does the culture treat abortion as a morally neutral decision? Is living together without the benefit of marriage considered moral? Is pornographic material readily available?

How much animosity against God can citizens flaunt without being shunned? Can people be publically sinful and not become social outcasts?

Answering these questions will measure the level at which Satan is allowed to feel at home within your own community.

Do you help Satan feel comfortable by going along to get along? Have you lost your saltiness? Have you negotiated a ceasefire with Satan to protect your own skin? Jesus calls this the error of Balaam.

There are a quarter of a billion Christians living under intense persecution right now. 200,000 are martyred every year for their Christian witness.

Their death is heartbreaking, but from God’s perspective, it’s like graduating summa cum laude, meaning “with highest honor.”

Jesus dictated a letter through John to the Church to remind them to get ready for the trouble.

What might cause trouble for Christians in America?

Might we face persecution for not embracing Darwinism as an Educator? That already happens.

Might we be accused of committing a hate crime if we call homosexuals sinners? That already happens.

Might we be fired and told we were not “team players” for confronting lies in corporate marketing materials? That also already happens.

So what does Jesus say about our suffering? It’s like we are making deposits into our 401k account. One day Jesus will make sure we cash in.

Yesterday my wife told me she was in love with me, and my response was, “I love you too.” A few minutes later she asked me about my response. She pointed out that she loves her brothers, but she isn’t in love with her brothers.

She wanted to know if I was still in love with her. Jesus begins his conversation with the Church on this personal level.

It’s a love conversation. Awkward. Peter denied three times on the night of Jesus’ crucifixion that he even knew Jesus. So after the resurrection, Jesus asked if Peter loved Him. Peter said he was only fond of Jesus. So Jesus asked again.

Now Jesus is having the same conversation with us.
I remember when a girl told me she loved me, yet I didn’t respond with the same level of commitment and enthusiasm. Eight hours later we ended a two year dating relationship.

That’s the way Jesus starts His conversation with His Bride. Jesus says, “You’re not in love with your husband anymore.”