[0:00] Good morning. It's a blessing to be here. So when Brother John asked if I would share a little bit, I was a little like, yeah, I want to, but I'm not sure exactly how or what.
[0:17] So I was like, I'll just let the Lord lead it and have him speak whatever it is that he wants to speak. So when he asked me, I was kind of pondering and on contentment.
[0:30] What that means in a Christian life, in a Christian walk, and how we find that. So I was listening to a message from David Wilkerson on contentment, and I pulled some quotes that he had in his message and also some scripture verses.
[0:49] So I think we'll start maybe with Philippians 4, verse 11, 11 to 13. And I have a few other places.
[1:12] And Paul was speaking to the Philippians there, and he said in verse 11, starting in verse 11, it says, So in this state, I would believe that Paul is teaching us that it's something that we learn.
[1:32] It is a rare jewel, as David put it, that we strive for, that we want, that we need in our life. And then as I was pondering this, I was pondering, can we have true peace with God if we are not content?
[1:49] Can we, because in, well, it's in Timothy he talks about that. In Timothy, maybe I should turn to 2 Timothy. You don't have to turn there. But because he says that in 1 Timothy 6, verse 6, it says, But godliness with contentment.
[2:07] It doesn't say that just godliness and holiness or just holiness. It says godliness with contentment. And then Paul teaches us in verse 11 in Philippians, it says, For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.
[2:20] So I think it's something that we learn and that we grow in, and it's something that we cannot find from any other external source. It has to come from within that peace and contentment that we find in the center of God's will.
[2:31] He says on in verse 7, it says, For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us therewith be content. And that was in 1 Timothy 6, verse 7 and 8.
[2:46] So therefore, how many of us, I guess me, is content with food and raiment? And where do we go to find contentment or peace? I guess my question is, where do I go?
[2:59] Do I go to some external source? Do I need to go to some other place other than God's word or to God when I'm discontented or when I'm maybe at a place of unrest?
[3:11] Do I find contentment in his word? Do I find contentment when I am where he wants me? I believe that's the only place that we're going to find true contentment. And I have a note here.
[3:22] It says, Would we take joyfully to the spoiling of our goods, as did the early Christians? The early Christians had a lot of their, they had all their goods taken and stripped from them. Yet they went to their death.
[3:35] If it was burning at the stake, if it was being beheaded, if it was being imprisoned in their own feces, in whatever situation it was, yet they sang songs to the Lord. They were happy.
[3:45] They were joyous. They were content. Could I be content in those situations? I think that, oh, I need a house or I need a property. Or if I just had this, I would be content. Or if God would just take me to this point in life, then I could be content.
[4:00] Well, I think that the reason we would not be content in those situations is because it is an external source. And once I would be at that point, there would be some other sort of discontentment that I would need to be contented.
[4:12] So, therefore, to find contentment, we need to find contentment in the things that we're in with God. So I just was pondering over those things. And then David Wilkerson, he had some quotes that I put for him.
[4:27] He said, So I was just pondering over these things.
[4:38] In my past life, I have went to a lot of external things, right, to try to find peace. And it seemed to bring peace. It kind of seemed to bring peace for a time, but then the emptiness would still be there.
[4:50] And it was just, it didn't work. There was just not the peace or the, and in talking about that, talking about peace with contentment in verse 7, in Philippians 4, verse 7, it says, And the peace, Paul talks about the peace which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
[5:10] So I think we've all experienced, right, to some, if we have been born again and transformed, that we've experienced a peace that we cannot find anywhere else. We can't really explain it, or at least I can't really explain where, how it works, where it comes from, but we want more of it.
[5:24] We just know that we want it. I had to think about that message that John shared, I think, back in Michigan one time about how a strawberry tastes. If we've never had a strawberry, and that really stuck out to me, I was like, that's very interesting.
[5:38] If we've never had it, we can't really maybe explain it until we experience it. And then, by the way, I found this quote, and I thought it was interesting. In the school of contentment, I believe I'm still in kindergarten, or maybe I haven't even started kindergarten yet.
[5:53] So it's a journey. But I was just, it was on my mind, and I just thought it was something maybe God wanted me to share. And then, also in Acts, Acts 7, I had some, had some, a couple verses I wanted to share about the stoning of Stephen.
[6:14] Stephen, is it Stephen, maybe? And I had to think, so Stephen, in verse 54, in chapter 7, verse 54, it says, when Stephen had been, it says, earlier he had been accusing his accusers.
[6:29] It says, when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.
[6:42] And he said, behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. I don't believe that Stephen could have let them throw stones and things at him if he wasn't 100% contended with where God had him, and 100% at peace with what God had for him.
[7:02] So he was not letting his family, he was not letting his external sources, whatever that may be, stand in his way. He was like, if this is what it takes, he spoke the word of God boldly.
[7:12] And if this is what it takes, he was glad to go home with Christ. So I had to think, so I believe that Stephen had to be 100% content in the will of God.
[7:23] And so therefore, I picture it sometimes like this. If we can be content in the will of God, we can have the tempest whipping around us, but we will not have fear. It doesn't matter what's happening in the government.
[7:35] It doesn't matter what's happening in the world outside of us. We just know that God is in control and that he will keep us and he will, it doesn't matter if it ends up taking our physical life.
[7:46] That's not, because that's not what it's about, right? That's not why we're here. We're here to serve him and to fulfill whatever he has for us in his kingdom. So I thought that was a good example in that.
[7:58] But in 2 Corinthians, verse 11, I had to think about Paul. Again, what he talked about, what he endured.
[8:10] And in verse 24 in chapter 11, he says, Of the Jews, five times received I 40 stripes, save one. And I've been told, I didn't research this, that the reason they never gave them 40 stripes, if they whipped them 40 times, they could never beat them again.
[8:24] So if they whipped them 39 times, they could always whip them again. So he says five times he had received 40 stripes, save one. And I don't think I realize or understand the beatings that they endured, how they beat them, how they tied them to the whipping post and then would just cut up, lacerate their backs sometimes.
[8:44] I don't know if that's exactly what happened to Paul, but they were brutal beatings. And he said, Thrice was I beaten with rods. Once was I stoned. Thrice I suffered shipwreck.
[8:55] A night and a day I have been in the deep. And journeyings often in pearls of water, in pearls of robbers, in pearls of mine own countrymen, in pearls by the heathen, in pearls in the city, in pearls in the wilderness, in pearls in the sea, in pearls among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in code and nakedness.
[9:22] So I had to think, how could Paul be content unless he had this contentment inside by God that absolutely was not connected to any external sources?
[9:35] He'd done these things and he'd done them gladly. It says he didn't do them because he thought, I have to do this so I can go to heaven. He'd done them out of a love that he had for what God done for him.
[9:46] And now we've got to remember that Paul was somebody that had known a life of being, you know, named among the elite, if you might say.
[9:57] He had been of the Pharisees and of, you know, he had known that. But yet he chose to do these things gladly for the sake of Christ and also for the sake of all the churches that he went to.
[10:10] He didn't have a place to go. He would go from place to place. His heart was for the people of God. He was continuously writing and, you know, trying to urge them on, to persevere, to continue.
[10:24] And I think that's what our heart needs to be today, that our heart is to continue to seek God and to persevere and to push forward for that mark. And I think the only way that we can find that truly is if we are content in the position that he has for us.
[10:42] And I guess that's been a challenge for me. Am I content in what God has for me? We've been taken away from our home that we once knew and just kind of out here where, you know.
[10:56] But am I truly content in that? And I think I've had, you know, some things to work through and truly that I feel at peace today.
[11:07] I believe that God has us exactly where he wants us. I don't know where it's going from here, but I choose to not worry about that. I choose to let God worry about that today. And then on verse 12, I didn't finish that.
[11:19] I should have finished that in Philippians. It says, I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
[11:33] So I was just blessed at the things that Paul has done and endured. And I think sometimes in my life, I've taken and we read it, oh yeah, that was 2,000 years ago.
[11:44] And yeah, he probably suffered some. And oh, well, yeah, it was good that he did. And yeah, I'm sure he was a blessing. But I have to think, what if God would call me to that?
[11:55] Could I find myself to be contented? Could I find myself, if we were in the early Christians time, let's say persecution would come to the point where people would come into our lives and take me away from my family and throw me into a prison cell, would I be willing to be content?
[12:11] Or would I just come up with a reason that I could compromise just a little bit? You know, it's not that much. It's not that bad. Do I really need to do this? Does God really want me here? Or would I be content where God has me just praise and sing worship, you know, to him, to be worthy, to be called the children of God?
[12:32] So I just had to think, I think those people had maybe a level of contentment that I have not learned yet. Let that be my heart. Because I was thinking David Wilkerson had a thing on the concept of the American dream.
[12:48] The concept of the American dream, as we know it, is more and more, right? Because the thought is the more we have, the happier we are. But I think we've all experienced that the more we have does not bring happiness.
[13:00] Not in a physical sense, not in an external sense. It says, Being content is not by the adding of things of this world, but by winning ourselves from the things of this world, to think less and less of the things of this world, and more and more of Christ.
[13:15] A truly contented person is one that is learning to become satisfied with less and less of this world, and more and more of the heart of Jesus. So I think that's how we find that contentment, and how we learn that is to focus more on the heart of Christ, and on the walk that Paul had, and the examples that he left back, than in the external things.
[13:36] I think we need the external things, right? I mean, we all need money. We know that we can't just sit here and be a burden to somebody else, if God has given us the ability to work. But I think that those things still need to not control our lives.
[13:48] We need to not be consumed by that. And then I had a thought this morning, that we are accused by our former culture of not being content. They tell us, you know, that, well, that's why you want, okay, you know, all the external things.
[14:05] You weren't content, but it's from an external mindset. It's from a carnal mindset. And I was thinking, maybe that's one place that we should never be content, is where we are at in our flesh. We should never be content that our flesh is at a good place.
[14:19] I think maybe that's one place that we could never be content. Or never be satisfied. But then I had to think, so that's the difference that it makes in this journey of contentment, if you want to call it that, is that if we're looking at it from an external view or from a carnal mind, it does not make sense.
[14:39] They don't understand. They don't understand that the contentment that we have comes from an internal peace with Christ. And the things of this world, the rudiments of this world, are just things that we use as we pass through.
[14:53] But to them, by sacrificing their human flesh to those things is finding contentment. But I was there, and I was never content with what I had.
[15:04] I always wanted more. But now I can look back and I have these things, but I don't look at that as my contentment. But it's hard to explain that to somebody that's using that as their source of contentment.
[15:15] And so I think that's why it's very important that we understand the basis of salvation and what it says that when we pray to God, we need to, is it in John, I believe it says that we need to worship him in spirit and in truth.
[15:33] We can't worship him from our flesh. It's not going to work. We can't pray. And we have to do it from our spirit. And it has to be from a true heart. It has to be from a true motive, a motive in our heart that is bent towards serving God.
[15:46] It doesn't matter where we are. It doesn't matter where we go. And it doesn't matter what happens. I've a lot in my past life, I would worry about things when things came up, you know, about the government or, oh, the end is going to come.
[15:59] And it's just, things are waxing and waning, worse and more evil. And I would worry, oh, what if it comes? I don't know if I want to go to die now. But it doesn't matter. That's not our focus.
[16:10] Our focus is not what happens. Our focus is where are we at when it happens, right? Where am I at when this happens, when the time comes, when my time on this earth comes, when it ends, where am I at with God?
[16:24] It doesn't really matter what else happens. It doesn't matter how many bank accounts I have. It doesn't really matter how big my business is. Those things are all going to perish or some generation is going to take it on from there.
[16:36] That's not, that's, at the end, once we enter eternity, once we go from this time on this earth into eternity, none of those things are going to matter. The only thing that's going to matter is what we've done for Christ and where we've been at.
[16:48] So I was just blessed by that and thought I would share those few things. And I think that was, that was about it. So hopefully it was a blessing and that we can all journey on to find true contentment and peace with our Lord.
[17:07] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Amen. Thank you, Brother Mike. Yeah. Praise the Lord.
[17:21] Still in that school, I am too. It's still a growing thing. So, I want to just continue on where you was in 2 Corinthians, some there. Now let's go to 2 Corinthians.
[17:31] It won't be along the theme there, Mike had, but I appreciate that and the words we had too to the children this morning, Brother John.
[17:46] 2 Corinthians 4. I was here reading this into some of these things to the guys in jail. 2 Corinthians 4 at the end of the chapter.
[18:00] For this cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction was just but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
[18:15] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
[18:33] And I shared these with the men I was looking later then and thinking about the difference that he's looking at of in this life and then looking forward to the eternal and the contrast that he shows there.
[18:56] That eternal weight of glory which works something great in us. And yeah, I want to just say that it kind of led me to think about eternal things and I I spent some time yesterday reading through the book of Revelation because what do you have there?
[19:20] You have eternal things all spread throughout there and a lot of other things that I'm not going to try to explain but I just found it very very helpful to go there and read through Revelation and so forth.
[19:35] But you know, these light afflictions that are but for a moment how do we look at that? You know, do we really sometimes just feel like they're but for a moment when we're facing things that we don't get an answer for?
[19:51] you know, there's a phrase that we when does time stand still?
[20:10] When does time stand still for us here in this life? and I want to read something in the book of Revelation I'm going to be in there a few quite a bit today but I want to read go to chapter 10 in Revelation just a little scene here that shows up and the reason I was going there because I looked up the word time I wanted to see where it comes up in the book of Revelation and so the picture here in chapter 10 is there's a mighty angel that comes down from heaven and he has in his hand a little book says in it and then he he sets his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth some of the pictures and the images that are here throughout this book are just very I find it very interesting and if we could just get a picture of that but then he cries with a loud voice and it says as a lion that roareth and he cries and as he cried there were seven thunders uttered their voices and then when he these seven thunders had uttered their voices he was about to write and then I heard a voice saying seal up those things and the angel verse 5 which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven and then it says in verse 6
[21:44] I swear by him and it goes on that liveth forever and ever but I'm going to just stop there and go to the end of the verse that time should no should be no longer time that there should be time no longer I'm going to get that word right it seems like he stopped time how could that angel just with one word now he's stopping time I'm trying to get that picture but here he stopped time and so forth and then from there that little book that he's given he the angel tells him to eat that book he said it's going to be sweet to your taste but it's going to be bitter in your belly and again I don't know what all that means there but he took that book and he did eat the book and it was sweet to his taste it was bitter to his belly but anyway he seemed to at that point there as John was seeing things he saw that angel stand and seemed to stop time right there what are times in life when you know if you're waiting at a hospital
[22:59] I just had to think you're or someone is in a hospital and you're there waiting it seems like you're waiting on an answer what's going to be the outcome of this and there's times in life when time just seems to stop and it just becomes slow now for children I know they can't wait for time to go on and they want things to go faster I had a conversation with a man this week we were had about an hour of talk we just had some time we had to spend a night our job and so at a motel and there's an older man there that had a child with him newborn babe practically might have been I don't know if he was eight weeks six weeks old but I just made the comment to him that is that your grandchild or your great grandchild because he looked as old as I am and he said that's my child and so that was kind of yeah he said we've had children but later then I had a conversation with him for about an hour and he explained that he was overseas for quite a few years and when he came back and his wife wanted to have
[24:26] I think his first wife had died he had a younger wife and she wanted to have children so at his he's 66 years old and he's he's got a newborn child but in in the conversation he was he was he was just telling me the different things in life that he has done and where he's at now he's he said he was overseas quite a bit different countries lived in Israel for 10 years quite a few others he's here now lives in here in Montana he's got a ranch he's building schools clinics he's an engineer architect he's done a lot of architect work just on and on for an hour I listened to all he was saying but at the end I noticed one thing as he explained what they're doing over in Coeur d'Alene they're going to the hospital day after day and that newborn child is at a critical place there's some levels in its body that if it gets too high it's going to cause brain damage so they're keep going back to the hospital to kind of watch that level and to keep it down
[25:40] I don't understand all what's going on but I did notice and this is common you know for an hour I could listen and I was I was kind of I was very interested in all that he's been in in life and you know he's been over there in the Middle East he knows what all is going on over there and if you listen to the news you know just yesterday another big change there in the Middle East for Damascus fell and that's caused some celebration in countries because Syria has had a very let's just call him an evil dictator for many years there and he seems to have left the country anyway there was a something I noticed in him that there's something on him in his comments that in all the things he could do when that child when you can't do anything for that child I just seen there was an urgency on him there was a feeling of helplessness there because he you know there's no answer for that child yet and they keep going back and the next morning
[26:54] I saw him I told him when I left I said I'll just pray for him and then the next morning I just asked if the baby slept good and said well we was at the hospital all night so and yeah he didn't have much more to say felt he seemed a little bit nervous and so forth so I noticed you know we in life we can face a lot of things but there are those points when we are just when we're just uncertain and it takes even a man that's accomplished so much it leaves him feeling helpless and wow I think I think we can I'm just observing that and learning some lessons so going on from here what is the theme now you know if you go on in in Corinthians here we know our earthly house of this tabernacle verse chapter five it's going to be dissolved and we have a building of
[27:55] God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens a house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens and then he says we groan for that we desire to be clothed upon with our house which is in heaven and so forth and then he looks forward to verse 10 we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive of the things done in his body according that he hath done whether it be good or bad looking back to first Corinthians chapter 15 I want to read the verses that he has there at the end behold I show you a mercy 50 51 1551 in first Corinthians behold I show you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and shall be and we shall be changed for this corruptible must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortality so then this corruptible shall be shall put on incorruption this mortal shall put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory oh death where is thy sting oh grave where is thy victory the sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our
[29:33] Lord Jesus Christ I'd like to sing this last verse that we sang Jesus that cheered the dark valley of sorrow let's sing that again just a bit here but Jesus hath cheered the dark valley of sorrow and bade us in mortal to heaven ascend lift and your voices in triumph on high for Jesus hath risen and man shall not die just stood out to me this morning that verse there's a there's a reason we have hope today and Jesus hath risen and man shall not die so I'm going to look now some at the in revelation just make some comments here and try to move through as I can quickly one of the greatest things that I stands out to me is the different scenes of worship that are here and I want to
[30:45] I want to just look at them here a little later but there's many times John John here the the one that received this revelation of Jesus Christ 40 times he said I saw so he's saying he's in in the spirit and he's seeing these things 40 times he makes that statement I saw 33 times I heard so there's a lot of noise there a lot of things going on in heaven Job said do you know or I think this is God speaking to Job in Job 38 do you know the ordinances of heaven he asked that question there's there's mysteries that we do not know of when we think about heaven you know John maybe gave us a few pictures but there's still some mysteries there that are you know we're just left with with questions you know the
[31:48] Job mentions heaven 21 times the Psalms speaks about heaven or the heavens 75 times some of those verses would refer to Psalms 19 the heavens the heavens declare the glory of God that's speaking of I believe the creation and so forth of the glory of God so it's probably not all referring to the heaven of heavens but it does mention it that many times the book of Hebrews mentions heaven heavenly calling so forth 15 times you've tasted the heavenly gift the shadow of heavenly things and in chapter 11 they were seeking a better country a heavenly not a heavenly country speaks of a heavenly Jerusalem in chapter 12 of Hebrews so that word just is used often there's the contrast of heaven and earth
[32:50] I it's mentioned 57 times in the book of Revelation heaven is so it is much to say of heaven there is the contrast of the bottomless pit is brought out there often and I say that's in contrast because it comes out quite a few times there that bottomless pit the wrath of God and so forth death is mentioned as well as life and eternal life quite a few times there is a theme of the overcoming which we if we read the letters to the churches in the second chapter each at the end of the message to the church to him that overcometh to him that overcometh each church gets that word at the end to him that overcometh and that theme comes it continues through and there is a there is a theme through the the book there of of a battle of a need to contend and
[34:06] Jesus was the overcomer and gives us that example and I want to look at that a little bit more but he's referred to as the beginning and the end the alpha and omega the first and the last the one that liveth was dead and is alive forever more and the one who has the keys of hell and death that's coming from the first chapter where he is speaking now to the churches there's something that stands out here and first mentioned here in in the first in the first chapter the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawst in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks which thou sawst are the seven churches so right there in those couple verses there are there's the mention of seven stars seven golden candlesticks seven churches of course of course the next two chapters are the messages to those seven churches as as
[35:37] Jesus speaks those words to them there are some other sevens mentioned in this book there's seven elders there will be seven seals seven trumpets seven eyes which are the spirit of God and there's seven horns mentioned that word comes out many times the word seven there's another word that really stands out there and we see that sometimes in the worship there's there's there's the numbers of the great numbers that you you know two hundred thousand thousand ten thousand by times ten thousand these numbers come out so there's great multitudes here and you see there's something about that there's a greatness and the word great comes out as a great city and there's two of them the great city
[36:44] Babylon and the great city the holy Jerusalem there's a great wonder in heaven there's a great angel there's a great chain that the angel takes to bind up Satan there's a great dragon it's called the red dragon there's great power and authority there's a great voice there's great signs and there's a great throne a great white throne in heaven and and it and it that's the scene there that I want to look at just a bit here this this throne in chapter four we kind of get a picture here now after the after the messages to the church and after their his challenge to them he says it verse 21 of three to him that overcometh I will grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and I'm set down with my father in his throne and then in verse in chapter four he said after this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which
[37:45] I heard was as it were a trumpet talking with me and it said come up hither and I will show thee and immediately it was in the spirit and behold a throne was set in heaven and like jasper and sardine stone and there was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like an emerald and round about the throne were four and twenty seats he's trying to give us a picture here there's this throne it later mentioned as a great white throne but here's these twenty four seats and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting clothed in white remit they had on their heads crowns of gold and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunders and voices and lightning and thunders not is loud so I'm hearing you got to think he's hearing a loud noise and maybe he uses lightnings and thunder to kind of describe it because there's a lot of noise up there and around this stone there's noise so out of the throne proceeds lightnings and thunders and voices and then there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of
[39:03] God before the throne there was a sea of glass like under crystal and in the midst of the throne and round about the throne four beasts full of eyes before and behind and the first beast had like a lion the second like a calf the third like the and they were full of eyes and they rest not day and night saying holy holy holy lord god almighty which was and is and is to come and when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne who liveth forever and ever and the four and twenty elders fell down before him that sat upon the throne and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever thou art worthy oh lord to receive glory and honor and power for thou hast created all things for thy pleasure they are and were created it is interesting that many times in these scenes of worship the 24 elders are not sitting on their seats described here as these seats around here but many times they are bowing down before that throne and they're casting their crowns down there and there's a cry of worship coming out from them as there was here and so this is the first scene of worship there in that we're seeing in heaven and it's the four beasts and it's the 24 elders and they're giving all there thou art worthy oh lord holy holy holy holy lord god almighty you know that's what's coming out of them and we go on from here and we begin to see we begin to see another figure come through here and this chapter five is another scene now in the right hand of him that sat on the throne there's a book and there's a an angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy to open this book and to loose the seals no man in heaven nor on earth nor under the earth was able to open the book or to look thereon john says i wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book neither to look thereon and when one of the elders there's 24 hours one of the elders stands and says weep not behold the lion of the tribe of
[41:46] Judah of the root of David hath prevailed to open the book and loose the seven seals and I beheld and lo in the midst of the throne the four beasts in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth and he came and he took the book out of the right hand of him that sat up on the throne and we had taken the book the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before the lamb and having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors or incense which are the prayers of the saints the word saint comes out quite a few times in here and here's several mentions of it it's the prayers of the saints is mentioned here two times you go over to chapter eight also there's an angel who has a golden incense that has the prayers of the saints and he pours out those prayers to the before the throne so our prayers are recorded they're kept and god keeps record of them there's the patience of the saint is mentioned there's the blood of the saints is mentioned throughout and then the righteousness of the saints which is as fine linen and so the word comes out there often so you have different you have the elders you have those four beasts you have the saints the angels angels is mentioned often throughout this book michael is mentioned in chapter 12 as as in being in a battle and so forth and and now we're coming here though this picture is you know the angel first said the line of the tribe of
[43:51] Judah of the root of David prevailed but who's the one that comes and opens it it's the same who is the line of the tribe of Judah it's the lamb that was slain and here he has that lamb takes that book and opens it and they worship again they sing a new song in verse 9 here chapter 5 thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth and John says I beheld I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power riches and wisdom and strength and glory and blessing every creature which is in heaven and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb forever and ever the four beasts said amen the four and twenty elders again fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever you know
[45:10] I was reading through yesterday seeing these different scenes of worship and last evening we seen that the gate cathedral the Notre Dame cathedral was completed there was a fire five years ago and this is in Paris it's a big church a big catholic church I believe and they completed it and so yesterday was a big ceremony there and they invited all the big heads of states around the world to this big ceremony they rebuilt it and this huge thing I mean it got pictures of this way up on top you know just all the collar and so forth and all these heads of states are in there and the ceremony and so forth the big train of priests and they go up and they knock on the door a couple times and they read things and pretty soon these big doors open up and they walk in with their train everyone following them and so forth and they go through and have all their just a lot of things going on for hours and like
[46:20] I said the big heads of states are there and so forth pictures of different ones and I and I as I've read and see these scenes here I think what a difference you know they're worshipping this earthly temple that's that's going to finally be destroyed one day it will burn again they've rebuilt it but it's going to burn again and it's it's going to you know perish but the scenes in heaven of the worship of the lamb and so forth and the songs there and they're just bowing before him what a contrast and so forth so so in chapter 6 I saw the lamb who opened one of the seals and there was a noise of thunder and one of the four beasts said come and see and so forth so the seals begin to open here and I'm not going to spend a lot of time the seals begin to open there are seven seals that are open that goes through chapter 6 and 7 and so forth but at the end of chapter 7
[47:29] I want to read here there's a picture here again one of these times when there's just worship chapter 7 there's there is a seal put upon 144,000 of and it's described as 12,000 out of each of the tribes of Israel they're all named here but then there's a great multitude in chapter in verse 9 I behold I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number again that word great comes out that great multitude no man could number all nations kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands and they cried with a loud voice saying salvation to and all angels stood around about the throne and about the elders and the four beasts and fell before the throne on their faces and worship
[48:30] God saying amen blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our God forever and ever amen one of the elders answered saying what are these that are arrayed in white robes where did they come from he said sir made them white in the blood of the lamb therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them they shall hunger no more neither thirst anymore neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat for the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them under living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes beautiful picture here the lamb now that had shed his blood and now how he is going to be among his people and his care for them and so forth okay then then we go on here there's the seals that are open and the the final seal there's trumpets and now seven angels going quickly chapter eight seven angels they're prepared with seven trumpets and
[49:56] I see there's quite an order go on here as the events take place there's those seals are open one by one now there's there's seven trumpets and the first angel sounds his trumpet second angel sounds his trumpet third angel sounds his trumpet and so forth and then the fourth angel verse 12 sounds his trumpet and so forth there's each of these trumpets there's there's events there's things that happen on the earth as they sound those trumpets and then in verse the last verse says an angel I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven saying when the loud voice woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound so I think it's getting more serious here there's more things coming the fifth angel sounds his trumpet and so forth and he opens the bottom of this pit and there comes smoke out of that pit as a fire of a great furnace it darkens the sun and there's the sixth trumpet he sounds his trumpet and there's some angels four angels are loosed and they go about on the earth and so forth and then comes that time
[51:10] I read in chapter 10 already some reason that fits in there is that little book where the angel stands and he brings time to a stop there now in chapter 11 John is given a reed and he's to go and measure the temple but he's not to measure the outer temple he said that's given to the Gentiles and he spends some time here looking at the what that outer temple where the Gentiles and how witnesses to witnesses rise up and so forth and some events take place but I want to go down to verse 15 now the seventh angel sounded he's got his trumpet but there's a different thing happens here his the others were kind of there was things that happened on the earth there was judgment there was plagues there was six trumpets but now the seventh trumpet the angel sounds his seventh trumpet and there's a great voice in heaven saying the kingdom of this world are become the kingdoms of our
[52:13] Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever here again the four twenty elders which sat before God on their art and was an art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and has reigned and the nations were angry and thy wrath has come and the time of the dead they that should be judged that thou should give reward unto thy servants the prophets and to the saints that them that fear thy name small and great should destroy them which destroy the earth and the temple of God was open in heaven and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament and there were lightnings and voices and thunderings and earthquake and great hail again I mentioned there's just that sound there and so forth must have been a way that he had to describe it with all the noise up there and so
[53:22] I'm going to go quickly on there's some other events take place and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps and they sung as it were a new song before the throne and before and the four beasts and the elders and no man could learn that song but just those hundred and forty four thousand these are they which were not defiled with woman they are virgins these are they that follow the lamb with or so there ever they go these are redeemed among men being the first fruits under god and the lamb and in their mouth was found no guile and there without fault before the throne of god you have to appreciate that in their mouth was found no guile because we know how we've had to be delivered so much from our words and our guile and so forth as we heard this morning going on down here in this chapter these angels go forth but verse 12 here's the patience of the saints here are they that keep the commandments of god and the faith of jesus i heard a voice from heaven saying right blessed are the dead which die in the lord from hence forth yes saith the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works to follow them and
[55:13] I looked and behold a white cloud upon the cloud one sat like under the son of man having in his head a golden crown and a sharp sickle and another angel came out of the temple crying with a loud voice and he sat on the cloud thrust in the sickle and reap for the time has come for thee to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe and he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped and another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven also having a sharp sickle and another angel came out from the altar which had power over fire and cried with a loud voice to him that had a sharp sickle saying thrust in thy sharp sickle gather the clusters of vine on the earth press of the wrath of God and the wine press was trodden without the city and the blood came out of the wine press even at the horse's bridles by the space of a thousand six hundred furloins you know many of the prophets spoke of a day that was to come and
[56:26] I'm going to just refer to one the last book of of the prophets there Malachi chapter four the behold the day cometh and I say that many prophets refer to this day of the Lord but he says the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts that it should leave them neither root nor branch but unto you that fear my name shall the son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings and you shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall and you shall tread down the wicked for they shall be as ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I do this saith the Lord of hosts many of the prophets saw that day coming that wine press of the wrath of God being chapter 17 speaks of the doom of
[57:35] Babylon and then chapter 18 brings that message out I want somebody to hear this morning would like to read chapter 18 I want to volunteer to do that it's a very interesting chapter just as you see it go through here can I get a volunteer maybe two it's pretty long chapter but I need a volunteer Jeff you want to do that why don't you just get the mic could you just do it let's follow him as he reads through this the fall of Babylon and after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven having great power and the earth was lightened with his glory and he cried mightily with a strong voice saying Babylon the greatest fallen is fallen and has become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird for all nations have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies and I heard another voice from heaven saying come out of her my people that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues for her sins have reached them to heaven and God hath remembered her iniquities reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double how much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her for she hath saith in her heart
[59:20] I sit a queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burned with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her and the kings of the earth who have committed fornication and live deliciously with her shall bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the smoke of her burning standing afar off for the fear of her torment saying alas that great city Babylon that mighty city for in one hour is thy judgment come and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man buyeth their merchandise any more the merchandise of God of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet and all thine wood and all manner vessels of ivory and all manner vessels of most precious wood and of brass and iron and marble and cinnamon and odors and ointments and frankincense and wine and oil and fine flour and wheat and beasts and sheep and horses and chariots and slaves and souls of men and the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee and thou shalt find them no more at all the merchants of these things which were made rich by her shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment weeping and wailing and saying alas alas that great city that was clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls for in one hour so great riches is come to naught and every shipmaster and all the company and ships and sailors and as many trade as trade by sea stood afar off and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning saying what city is like unto this great city and they cast dust on their heads and cried weeping and wailing saying alas alas that great city wherein were made rich all the headships in the sea by reason of her costliness for in one hour is she made desolate rejoice over her thou heaven and ye holy apostles and prophets for God hath avenged you on her and a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea saying thus with violence shall that great city
[61:48] Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all and the voice of harpers and musicians and of pipers and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee and no craftsman of whatsoever craft he be shall be found any more in thee and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee for thy merchants were the great men of the earth for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived and in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all that were slain upon the earth thank you what about contentment brother we see the end we see the end of all these things that we can consume ourselves with here in one hour it's all over with
[62:52] I thought you know maybe I just need to read that from time to time because that's really that's the final of the things on this earth and yeah what city is like under this great city but there is another city and John is able to in chapter 21 get a picture of this city the eternal city that those in the past have looked for and there's a contrast in that city and it's that new Jerusalem that he looks for and so I want to move through here there's another scene of worship here chapter 19 after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying hallelujah salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his judgments for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath avenged the blood of his servants in her hand and they said again hallelujah and then her smoke rose up and the elders the four beasts they again fall down and they worship the God that sat upon the throne saying amen and hallelujah and then a voice comes out from the throne saying praise our God all ye servants and ye that fear him both small and great then I heard as it were a voice of a great multitude and as a voice of many waters and the voice of mighty thundering saying hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him for the marriage of the lamb is come and his wife made herself ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints and then he said write blessed are they that are called unto the marriage supper of the lamb and he said unto me these are the true sayings of God and I fell at his feet to worship him and he said see that you do it not
[65:03] I am thy fellow servant and thy brethren that hath the testimony of Jesus worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and I saw the heaven open and behold a white horse and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true and in righteousness as he that judge and make war his eyes are as a flame of fire and his head is many or many crowns and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself and he was clothed with a vest or dipped in blood and his name is called the word of God and the armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses clothed in fine linen white and clean out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword and that he that he should smite the nations and rule with the rod of iron and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God and on his vesture and on his thigh a name written king of kings and lord of lords I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven come gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great
[66:10] God that you may eat the kings of flesh and so forth then I saw a beast and the kings of the earth and the armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse and against his army chapter 20 Satan is bound for 20 years for a thousand years what I say there he's cast into a bottomless pit and one angel one angel takes a great chain and wraps up that old serpent the dragon which is the devil and Satan and binds him for a thousand years and so forth and then you have the resurrection here of the dead in chapter 20 there is the first resurrection and then the rest it says in verse 5 the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished the first resurrection holy blessed and holy is he that has part of the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall be priests of God and Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years when the thousand years are expired
[67:31] Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth Gog and Magog and gather them together for battle and I saw in verse 11 I saw a great white throne him that sat on it from whose face the earth and heaven fled away and there was no place found for them at all I saw the dead small and great stand before God books were open and another book was open which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of this which are written of the books according to their works the sea gave up their dead that were in them and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works and death and hell were cast into a lake of fire this is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire and now John sees the new heaven and the new earth and the holy city new Jerusalem and he goes on to describe that new Jerusalem he's able to measure it the twelve gates and so forth and it's a beautiful picture there that he's able to see but let me read there in chapter 21 as he sees that holy city new Jerusalem verse 3 a great voice of heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God
[69:05] God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes there will be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain the former things are passed away and he that sat on the throne said behold I make all things new and he said right for these things are words are these words are true and faithful and he said it is done I am Alpha and a Bag at the beginning and the end I give unto him that is a thirst with a fountain of water of life freely he that overcometh shall inherit all things I will be his God and he shall be my son and then those that will not be there New Jerusalem I want to go to chapter 22 and just finish up here there's several things there that he sees in chapter 22 he showed me a pure river of the water of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb and in the midst of the streets the trees of life bearing twelve manner of fruits that yielded her fruit every month the leaves of these trees were the healing of the nation no more curse but the throne of
[70:10] God and the Lamb shall be in it his servants shall serve him they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads there will be no night there no need of a candle neither light of the sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign forever and ever three things that come out here in the last year Jesus said behold I come quickly in verse 7 blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of this prophecy verse 12 behold I come quickly my reward is with me to give every man according to his work shall be blessed are they that keep his commandments and down in verse 20 he that testifies these things say as surely I come quickly amen even so Lord Jesus come even so Lord Jesus come you know as I go through here and read all these these these worships these scenes of worship what is what is our purpose here you know there's there's the picture of overcoming and that that comes out that theme comes out overcoming
[71:29] I think suggests there's a battle to be fought first John wrote to the young men he said you have overcome you face the wicked when you've overcome and he is who is he that overcomes the world but that which is born of God yeah first John four says you are of God and have overcome that which is born of God overcometh the world this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith who is he that overcometh the world he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God Jesus is that overcomer and I see him saying to us he that overcometh shall inherit yeah amen so even so Lord Jesus you know what is the chief end of men what
[72:30] I didn't realize this but the New England primer was a book used for children over a hundred years ago here in America a lot of interesting things but they have this here written here in a catechism for children what is the chief end of men and the answer man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever I see that in these scenes here of worship that they're in the presence of God and of the lamb and that's where we're to go that's that is our and as we overcome that's what's promised to us that we will one day also be there with him well let's do that now let's let's make that our goal our end thou has formed us for thyself and our hearts are restless till they find rest in thee that was a quote from augustine soon after the early church thou has formed us for thyself and our hearts are restless till they find rest in thee so we pray father
[73:53] I thank you for the pictures you've given us the promises and the blessings that await your people I ask that you would just continue to lead us guide us and may your word find place in our hearts today help us to praise you and glorify you in Jesus name amen thank you for listening this morning you me to or to