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"Here as in Heaven."
For more information visit : garden.church
Welcome to Garden Church podcast. We're in part two of a series on the book of Revelation. We're doing a deep dive into how to read and interpret this amazing book. Enjoy.
Darren Rouanzoin:I got a couple more things to talk about before I jump into the scripture. And by the way, you should start praying right now for the talk because Lord knows you need it. Anyways, we we've been doing these videos to get you into the year end ministry year end giving. And this is a perfect example of what we are. We are a family.
Darren Rouanzoin:This is not a performance. The last service like the AC went out so you don't have it. Although it feels cooler right now. Did it turn on? AC turned on.
Darren Rouanzoin:Josh Thompson, thank you so much. Where are you at Josh? Happy Father's Day. But we we are not, we are funded by your generosity. And I just gotta tell a story because some of you joined us, most of you, like 75% of you joined us in this space.
Darren Rouanzoin:But we've been journeying for like fifteen years in Long Beach, in spaces that we rented that were not permanently ours. I remember a summer that was 83 degrees in the sanctuary. How many of you were there? You guys bought the t shirt. Yeah.
Darren Rouanzoin:We survived a Sunday where there was no AC and we were in a public school. But what I love about that journey is there were about 300 or so, 350 of us that took on the sacrifice and provided the generosity to get into this space. And as a result of a few people, it resulted in a massive harvest in two years. Like we have over a thousand people every Sunday in our services here. Easter we had over 1,500.
Darren Rouanzoin:We know that there's so many people coming online. But I wanna invite you to be a part of the story God's doing now. Not for your benefit but for the future benefit of others. Like God is doing so many things. Like the only way I can describe with these videos, these aren't compelling you to give.
Darren Rouanzoin:They're trying to show you the vast nature of Garden Church. That we've been trying to describe what God's been doing and it brings us to Ephesians chapter two where it says, Jesus fills his body and fills the whole earth through his body. That God is moving in kids ministry, in youth ministry, worship on Sundays, in the teaching, in Alpha ministries, in missions globally, locally. There's so much activity and it's, it's provided through your generosity. So anyone here enjoy good coffee on Sunday?
Darren Rouanzoin:Raise your hand. That's all free. Yeah? Yeah. You didn't pay for that.
Darren Rouanzoin:Anyone here received the communion elements this morning? Yeah. You're like, oh yeah, I did that. Anyone use the restroom? Anyone enjoy the AC being turned on right now?
Darren Rouanzoin:Anyone enjoy the pastoral leadership that you have? Anyone be be filled by the power of the Holy Spirit through our prayer team? Anyone get trained in how to study scripture this year. Anyone go through the marriage course. Anyone join a house church and find their community.
Darren Rouanzoin:It's like when when Paul says in Philippians two, if you've had any unity in the Christ, if there's anything, make my joy complete. Be a part of the family. It says in first Corinthians chapter 12, I was reading it the other day. It talked about where God placed the members of the body. It it basically talks about, when he's talking about the unity of the spirit and the gifts of the spirit, he says, God placed each member to his will.
Darren Rouanzoin:And it got me thinking about our kind of Yelp consumer mentality around the church like, if I upset you from one Sunday, if I do something, if I preach like today, something that distorts or challenges your previous theology, you can just leave. But have you ever thought God planted you here for a reason? And the only way you flourish is by being planted where God has you? And I believe you'll be blessed when you plant yourself. So ask the question, what does it mean for me to invest in the harvest and give generously?
Darren Rouanzoin:Amen? Amen. Here's some ways you can Oh, it's already up there. There you go. Blah blah blah.
Darren Rouanzoin:Okay. Another thing. Sunday nights, we have a Sunday night service. We have four services on Sunday. We have a 6PM.
Darren Rouanzoin:We're pausing the 6PM. Here's why. We believe God's doing something unique at Sunday night and we wanna take the summer off and revamp it in the future. We're discerning as a team what that means. We think it's, we're gonna explore some things.
Darren Rouanzoin:It's gonna be amazing. So for the meantime, we're gonna adjust our service time. So this summer starting in July, we have new service times, nine, eleven and 1PM. So 10:00, maybe you wanna be early, maybe you wanna be a little late. I don't care.
Darren Rouanzoin:8AM, they shouted for joy. 9AM, let's go. I think 12:00 doesn't really care. They're gonna be like, I'm in I'm in for the 01:00 anyways. Twelve was too early.
Darren Rouanzoin:But either way, in a couple of weeks we'll have more details online. You'll check it out. You good? Yeah. Alright.
Darren Rouanzoin:I'm about to start a new talk. So grab your Bibles. Let me see your Bibles of Revelation. Hold them up. Let me see.
Darren Rouanzoin:Okay. 10. You are doing better. You know who wins every week though? Am gonna say 12:00.
Darren Rouanzoin:12:00. Percentage of Bibles per capita far more than every other service. But I I wanna say this, look I I'm just glad you're bringing Bibles and reading the Bible. All playfulness you can have your phone that's fine as long as you're reading it. Let's just be people who love the word of God.
Darren Rouanzoin:Especially right now. Because I don't know about you but the news today based on the last three days is crazy. The protests that are going on in Sokal around The United States, the, war that's happening in Israel and around The Middle East right now and the assassinations that have taken place, it's chaos. And there's something around coming together as the Lord's people. Around the scriptures, this ancient document that speaks to this very moment.
Darren Rouanzoin:As you'll see, that reorients us to truth. That re centers our focus not on the fear and anxiety and chaos of the world but on what is ultimate reality. And no other book I've ever taught has done this for us than the book of Revelation. And one one more thing before I pray and jump in. Today in particular, if you've grown up in Southern California in the church in SoCal, you're gonna be challenged by what I'm teaching.
Darren Rouanzoin:It's gonna, it's probably gonna offend you. That's okay. Right? That's that's okay. So obviously, do the work yourself to study the scriptures like I grew up with a perspective of theology of revelation in particular that had me full of fear and anxiety.
Darren Rouanzoin:Not realizing that the theology of revelation is for formation and readiness and peace and a level of engagement that's about our formation and discipleship not about future events. And I am gonna talk about that today. So can we pray and ask Lord Jesus, King Jesus, our true King. Right? We we we do have a King by the way.
Darren Rouanzoin:It is not Trump and it is not an ideology of progress. It is Jesus Christ. So for those that don't want authority get used to it because it ends with the authority coming back. And those that have the wrong authority, you need to repent and get the right authority on the throne. Alright?
Darren Rouanzoin:Here we go. Jesus, we love you. Yeah. We just settle into this moment where the scriptures are opened and our hearts are opened as well. I am reminded today as I stand here as Darren that all is grace.
Darren Rouanzoin:I don't want to perform or rehearse something. I want you to be the living word today in us. So for those of us that are struggling to be here. Thank you for bringing us here. I pray you meet with us, Jesus.
Darren Rouanzoin:Those of us that have lived with such religion that we don't know life apart from performance, strip us of our performance. Ambush us with your love. Those that are, have been filled with the knowledge of God but haven't practiced it. Therefore have it confused by what life looks like. Let us see life for what it is today.
Darren Rouanzoin:In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Tears are gonna flow today. Here we go. I'm gonna read this and then I'm gonna do a long intro and then I'm gonna break it down.
Darren Rouanzoin:It will be a shorter sermon today than you think. So Revelation chapter 19, we're gonna read the rest of it. Here we go. Hey youth, I'm gonna apologize now because some of you have just moved in and you've missed the whole series. So you got here a couple weeks ago and I've been trying to figure out how do I communicate this in a way that you'll get.
Darren Rouanzoin:I wanna invite you in particular right now. I believe the Lord will speak to you. He can expand your mind to understand complex things. I'm not gonna treat you like anyone, any different than anyone else because I believe you can handle this. I believe God's preparing you uniquely for such a time as this.
Darren Rouanzoin:So open the word. Let's dive in verse 11 of chapter 19. I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called faithful and true. With justice, he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire and on his head are many crowns.
Darren Rouanzoin:He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe, dripped, dipped, sorry, in blood. And his name is the word of God. The armies of heaven were following him riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.
Darren Rouanzoin:He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in the mid air. Come gather together for the great supper of God so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals and the the mighty of horses and their riders and the flesh of all people free, slave, great and small.
Darren Rouanzoin:Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshipped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
Darren Rouanzoin:The word of the Lord. That's a tough one. People are like, yeah, the bible makes sense. Okay. Verse 21, explain this to me righteous one.
Darren Rouanzoin:Okay. Before we jump in, can I can I paint a picture of what's happening? I because I was reminded of a story that's told in the two towers in the series or saga of the Lord of the Rings. Can I get, This is for all the all the dads out there? You're welcome for this story.
Darren Rouanzoin:It's the battle of Helm's Deep. Do you remember this one? If you haven't read the Lord of the Rings, can I encourage you? Read the Lord of the Rings. They It Tolkien borrows from this epic sequence in Revelation 19.
Darren Rouanzoin:So here's the story. Imagine a kingdom on the brinks brink of collapse. The fortress known as Helm's Deep is the last stronghold stronghold carved into the mountains. It's filled with women and children and warriors who have no who have nowhere else to run. The people of Rohan have been hunted, scattered and driven into hiding by a growing darkness.
Darren Rouanzoin:The enemy, a massive, merciless army of the Uruk hai. Uruk hai, faster, stronger, bred for war, marching under the will of an evil power determined to wipe them out. As the night falls, rain pours down, thunder rolls in and the enemy arrives 10,000 strong. Inside the walls, King Theodon, Theoden, Theoden, sorry. And his armies prepare.
Darren Rouanzoin:I don't wanna insult anyone here. For what they know is a hopeless defense. Aragon, ranger and the reluctant heir to the throne stands beside him brave but burdened. Every man on the wall knows they are outnumbered, outmatched and they are out of time. And the battle begins.
Darren Rouanzoin:The army smash against the gates. The tidal wave of people of this army breach the walls. The fortresses overrun. Every inch is fought with blood and fire. It's chaos.
Darren Rouanzoin:It's desperation. Hope is flickering like a candle in the wind. Then just before all is lost, Aragon remembers the words of Gandalf. Look to my coming at the first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east.
Darren Rouanzoin:And so he does. As the sun begins to rise, Aragon and the king Theoden, Theoden ride out for the final desperate charge choosing valor over surrender. And just at that right moment on the ridge above the battlefield, light breaks through the dark. Gandalf appears on a white horse, clothed in shining white with the riders of Rohan thundering behind him as an army floods. Light pours over the valley.
Darren Rouanzoin:The enemy turns. The tide shifts. What seems like certain defeat is swallowed up in victory and it's glorious victory. Oh, isn't that such a good story? How many of you feel it?
Darren Rouanzoin:All the dads, yes? So you're like, yeah, finally a sermon I can resonate with. This beloved bridegroom stuff, give me war. We love this story because it speaks to our desire for hope in the midst of darkness. But here's the problem.
Darren Rouanzoin:Revelation 19 is not that kind of story. We read it with the wrong lens. Jesus doesn't arrive late. He doesn't rally the troops. He doesn't come at the eleventh hour to try to win.
Darren Rouanzoin:He shows up riding on a white horse but the battle is already won. His robe is dipped in the blood before the fight. The victory was secured not on Armageddon but at Calvary. There's no slow motion Calvary charge. No sword clash.
Darren Rouanzoin:No suspense. Just a single word from the mouth of who created all things and the beast is captured. Evil is overthrown. Truth prevails. Jesus rides in victory.
Darren Rouanzoin:Not to fight the final battle but to enforce the one he already won on the cross. You see, he comes from a place not far away but in a hidden realm that's now revealed. He's been with us all along. You just need to see it differently. And it says in Revelation 19 verse one, for the fourth time in the book, heaven is opened.
Darren Rouanzoin:And it's not a vision of a future event. It's not a vision of the churches. It's not a vision of the temple. It's a vision of Jesus. That someone is what we need to see.
Darren Rouanzoin:Not something in the future because it's never been about the future. This book is about the present moment now with Jesus who he already is. Jesus is not returning from far away. He pulls back the curtain of our present moment and he says, I've already been here because I've always been here. Revelation is not speculating about current events happening someplace in the East.
Darren Rouanzoin:It's pointing to Jesus now. The real Jesus. And in Revelation 19, we have the bridegroom and then we have the war the warrior who already won the battle. That's what this is about. Jesus appears on a white horse, not on a donkey.
Darren Rouanzoin:He's not coming to bring peace. He comes to wage war. Now stay with me because your idea of war is wrong. I am going to disrupt and remove the cultural nuance of your Christian faith marked by triumphalism and I want to show you the cross of Jesus in the victory of Armageddon. The battle that we are waiting for with the wrong view of scripture of Revelation has already been won on the cross.
Darren Rouanzoin:That was the final battle. Go to Colossians chapter two, I will put it on the screen. This is how Paul writes about these events. He says, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness which stood against us and condemned us. He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Darren Rouanzoin:The real battle has been past tense won. The debt you owed past tense was paid. When? The answer is the cross. Will just keep pointing to my right, your left.
Darren Rouanzoin:Theology one zero one. When you come here filled with the shame and guilt of Saturday through Monday, Monday through Saturday. When you come here and hear these songs about worthy is the lamb and you're reminded of your own worthiness, the enemy creeps in and the point of worship is to reorient your focus that it's never been about what you do. It's never been about the acts of religious activity you can perform. It's never been about how clean you can get your soul.
Darren Rouanzoin:It's always been about what has happened. Your life in Jesus is not determined about upon your capacity for work. It's determined by the work he's already done on the cross. And unless you accept that ridiculous truth, that unfair truth, that everything that's ever been done, perfect illustration. Has been wiped away because of the cross.
Darren Rouanzoin:You owed a debt. You had to pay it. It's been paid. Amen. Hallelujah.
Darren Rouanzoin:Is this good news? But it goes further because it's not just about your debt and that's what salvation is about today in Revelation 19. This is the story of salvation through apocalyptic narrative. Now stay with me. Paul is theologically working out what happened on the cross.
Darren Rouanzoin:Dealing with the old covenant, the Mosaic covenant of the law. But it's not just the power of sin. It's also, verse 15, and having disarmed the powers and the authorities. Past tense, he disarmed the powers and authorities. He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross.
Darren Rouanzoin:In other words, Jesus doesn't fight for victory in Revelation 19. He fights from victory. This is amen, hallelujah, all by myself. I got you in the back. Thank you bro.
Darren Rouanzoin:This is for you then. Alright. Here but here's what I gotta say. Paul is saying it's not just that you owed a debt for the sin and the rebellion in your life. It's also that the power that you were given, that was given to the first Adam that Adam and Eve handed over to Satan, that's been taken back as well.
Darren Rouanzoin:Satan was defeated on the cross. And Paul uses this language, he says, he disarmed the power. So he took away their power. When? Not in Armageddon, on the cross.
Darren Rouanzoin:And he made a public public spectacle of them. How is this possible? Like this is what I need you to see. The cross in first century context was the most humiliating thing you could experience as a human alive. It was the most painful public shaming event that was created in the world.
Darren Rouanzoin:It was designed to be a torture device to show the enemies of Rome what suffering looks like. What disobedience to the Roman Empire looks like. This is what it looks like to be a Messiah when there's a Roman empire. The the cross is a symbol of ultimate humiliation and defeat. You are stripped naked.
Darren Rouanzoin:And so, when Jesus is lifted up on a cross, he uses the symbol of defeat to show the powers what love and victory looks like. It doesn't look like protest with armies. It looks like self sacrificial love. And this has to be in the heart of a Christian because Christianity needs to look like Jesus right now. Christianity doesn't use weapons of this world.
Darren Rouanzoin:It uses weapons of the kingdom. And what is the weapon? Well, according to Revelation, it's truth out of the mouth of Jesus. And it's a modeling of his lifestyle to the rest of the world. So let me just say this, Jesus flips the world upside down through the cross.
Darren Rouanzoin:He wins everything. This is the greatest victory. Satan is disarmed. Sin and debt is paid for. Death is defeated all in one moment where he takes what was designed to be conquering and he flips it upside down to make it victory.
Darren Rouanzoin:I've used this illustration but the best thing I can say is the last rap battle in Eight Mile. I don't know how else to explain it. You've heard this before but let me, for those of you that haven't heard it, it's a story of b rabbit played by Eminem. This unlikely person working his way up through hardship, poverty, broken relationships, identity issues, lack of fathering to take all of that and and fight this battle on the stage and platform of rap battles. And he works his way and it's And if you've ever seen the movie, if you've seen rap battles in general, insult after insult.
Darren Rouanzoin:Who can one up each other through insulting? Only until you get to the end. And right before he's about to rap against Papa Doc, the leader of this group. His buddy who been who shot himself with a gun is is like, what are you gonna say when he comes at you? And then he lists all of the weaknesses of b rabbit.
Darren Rouanzoin:Like your girlfriend left you. You've been jumped by those guys beaten up. Your best friend shot himself in the leg. You live in a trailer park. He's It's like the worst prep for a rap battle.
Darren Rouanzoin:And he goes up against Papa Doc and this whole time he always responded. First, it was they they would go and then he would go second and just work them. He would just destroy them. But this time he goes first. And what he does is the unthinkable.
Darren Rouanzoin:He lists out all the things against himself. What does he do? He disarms the powers. So right now as you have collected the list from Satan Jesus says, give me the list because I already took care of it. So when we come to Revelation hoping that our guys are gonna win in The Middle East, you need to know you have the wrong lens on.
Darren Rouanzoin:And I'm sorry that it's been formed by a militaristic American view of end times. It's not it's not biblical. And please forgive me for being direct. It's it's distracting you from the real Armageddon. Here we go.
Darren Rouanzoin:You good? The description of Jesus that's listed out in Revelation 19 is a counter description for the worldly powers and that of Satan. And we if we read it with the lens of the first century, with the lens of apocalyptic narrative, we realize that these descriptions have been used in various times. First to describe Jesus as the one true king but also as a counter description to the Caesars, to the false gods in Greek mythology, in Roman mythology and to Satan that's described in chapter 12. So you have Jesus comes back on a white horse and it says, he is the faithful and true one.
Darren Rouanzoin:Meaning there's no lie. There's not one failure. And he comes to judge and bring judgment righteously. Why? Because his eyes are a flame of fire.
Darren Rouanzoin:In other words, brothers and sisters, he sees everything perfectly. He sees what you've hidden in your heart and he still says, you're my beloved because he sees you perfectly. He doesn't see you marked by the sins of the past whether that was Saturday or this morning. He sees you as his beloved bride where he woos you back into relationship to be marked by his love. He's many crowned one.
Darren Rouanzoin:Meaning, he's got the belts from all of his victories as a boxer. It represents sovereignty over many realms. The crowns are a counter description to Satan's counterfeit crowns that are placed on the beast. He has a name that no one knows. Actually, there's three names listed.
Darren Rouanzoin:One, nobody knows. What is this? It's that Jesus is endlessly knowable but not never exhaustible. It's meaning that you may know him deeply but there's always more depth to know him even more. Come on.
Darren Rouanzoin:Who's being drawn into this this name that no one knows? Maybe Jesus wants to woo you into intimacy to know him even greater today. A name that no one knows. His robe dipped in blood. I said dripped earlier.
Darren Rouanzoin:That was just for you guys. He's got some drip. But his robe is dipped in blood. It's his own blood shed before this epic battle. Why?
Darren Rouanzoin:Because the battle was already won on the cross. He is the word of God. Not merely scripture but Christ is the embodied message of redemption. John one one. He is the logos.
Darren Rouanzoin:He is the word. And Jesus is God's final word to the world. He embodies it. The battle is won not through swords but through his word of truth. He is the king of kings and lord of lords.
Darren Rouanzoin:There is no higher title, no higher name. Amen and hallelujah says the babes. He is the sovereign over Caesar and Rome, over every earthly power, over every technological company, over every system that's in place. He hosts an army, angelic hosts following him. He is ruling with an iron rod.
Darren Rouanzoin:This is the fulfillment of Psalm chapter two. He is the fulfillment of Isaiah 63 with the wine press of God's wrath and he treads on judgment. Come on church. The next section after Lord of Lords and King of Kings is a picture of salvation. He says, I saw an angel who cried, come gather together on the great supper, eat the flesh of kings.
Darren Rouanzoin:He saw the beasts and the armies that waged war and the signs they performed, they they deluded the people of God. They were thrown into a fiery lake of burning sulfur. Holy moly. Salvation story. Well this is the problem.
Darren Rouanzoin:We've not done the work of apocalyptic genre to understand the narrative that's being described. This is not a divinely orchestrated war that fantasizes violence. This is a pastoral encouragement for the local church. The white horse comes riding in and he and we are awakened into God's aggressive opposition to evil. This is what's gonna offend you right now.
Darren Rouanzoin:So be ready for offense or let the Holy Spirit bring conviction instead. Revelation 19 verses 17 through 21 is salvation. Salvation ends evil completely. You see Revelation nineteen twenty declares that the beast and the false prophet, the false prophet is the beast of the earth and they're thrown into the lake of fire. What it means is that salvation isn't just about saving people, it's about eradicating evil.
Darren Rouanzoin:The warrior Christ cannot exist with sin. He cannot coexist with sin and evil. He banishes it once and for all and this is the final word on the beast that have deceived and oppressed. Evil doesn't get the last word. Can I get an amen?
Darren Rouanzoin:Hallelujah. The last word though is that every form of sort or form and source of evil is banished from history. Therefore, salvation is a war story. Now this is, let me just press in here, okay? Let me read this and I'll I'll back up.
Darren Rouanzoin:Salvation is not passive. It's not just something that happens in your heart. It's a confrontation with every force that deforms and damages human life. The beasts, the dragon, the deception, injustice, idolatry, adultery, spiritual violence and war. Jesus does not come as a teacher or a healer in this vision.
Darren Rouanzoin:He comes as a warrior king and his weapon is a sword that comes from his mouth. So salvation is attacking the enemy because salvation is the action of God and it is always far more than we think it is. Salvation opposes evil, not just heals wounds. And I think today in the church, we've reduced salvation to mere inner healing or ethical behavior so we've domesticated salvation. But Saint John in Revelation refuses to let the church do that.
Darren Rouanzoin:The warrior on the white horse shatters our optimism and demands that we acknowledge the real catastrophe catastrophe in the world and in ourselves. That is we must acknowledge sin and evil. Now this may seem like over the top but I need you to see. We are not saved from inconvenience. We are not saved from discomforts.
Darren Rouanzoin:We are saved from hellish powers that distort the world and enslaves our souls. So salvation includes divine judgment, confrontation and ultimate victory. But what we've done is we've domesticated evil in our life, we rather than confront it. We have sanitized sin and compromise rather than confront it. So we want Jesus to heal us but we don't want to get rid of the sin we are holding on to because this poison is okay to drink for now.
Darren Rouanzoin:And Revelation wakes us up to the real threat in our life and I'll I'll keep playing on this in a second. What you need to see is Jesus with this last vision confronts the evil that's been whispered about all along. That was named in chapter 12, that was described through plagues, that was described through trumpets, that was described through seals and bulls. This evil that's been manifest since Genesis three is a problem and he fixes it. He confronts it.
Darren Rouanzoin:Does anyone want to have once and for all that thing in them that has them gone? For those of us that have struggled with addiction or alcohol, don't you long for the day where it is not an hourly struggle to stay sober? This is your amen, hallelujah moment. There is a time coming and it could I say is possibly right now in your midst when you recognize who is in charge and surrender to Jesus once and for all? To recognize that he is coming back to gather his bride and also to eradicate the evil that's plagued your life in the world since Genesis three?
Darren Rouanzoin:Do you see the hope here? It's just me. I got 12 of you. Let's keep going. So we sanitize sin and he confronts it and then the birds feast.
Darren Rouanzoin:Notice in this battle that John does not describe a battle. You see this? Notice that in the end, there is no description of some great battle. Pastor Bill talked about this in chapter 16 of Revelation when Armageddon is first mentioned in Revelation. There is no Armageddon battle in Revelation.
Darren Rouanzoin:Sean doesn't focus on a battle because how do you battle with the person that created you? How do you battle with the one who spoke and cosmos were created and atoms and quirks and and and systems that are so beautiful and tides and moons and stars and the human eyeball and the brain and child life, life, childbirth. All the beautiful things. Insert beautiful thing here. Whatever it is for you.
Darren Rouanzoin:Golf is my new thing. Surfing. How when the person, the being that created that is is is fighting, how do you compete against that? You can't. It's like when I wrestled my kids when they were two on the trampoline.
Darren Rouanzoin:Right? It's so play They think they're gonna knock daddy down. Like one, two, three. They think their strength is really gonna overpower me on the No way. Or playing dodgeball with with elementary school kids as an adult which by the way is very rewarding.
Darren Rouanzoin:For all of us that were maybe not in that age group, very physically strong or capable as fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. It's very redemptive as a 30, as a 20 college student to throw balls and just smack them right in the head. All those old bullies, know. My point is that there is no battle. We think there is but there is no battle.
Darren Rouanzoin:And what happens is he speaks truth and everything's done. So the beast and the kings and all the evil which we'll see in the next chapter as well where the the judgment finally happens. They end up in the lake of fire. We don't talk about this often but we're gonna talk about it now. You ready?
Darren Rouanzoin:So there is a place of grace known as hell or your understanding of hell. A place of grace. See we this is why like we want Jesus to be our life coach not judger. Not judge. We want him to be our life coach.
Darren Rouanzoin:Right? We want him to be our rabbi, not savior. We want in our culture right now, we don't wanna deal with sin. We don't want we don't like people don't believe in evil. Right?
Darren Rouanzoin:They'll be open to spirits but they don't realize you're opening yourself to evil spirits. There are no neutral spirits. Holy ones and that's it. Holy and then unholy. Clean and then impure spirits.
Darren Rouanzoin:In the same way, we want to sanitize the call on the church to proclaim the gospel. There is an end coming and there are two suppers and two destinations. One is the new Jerusalem, one is the Lake of Fire. One is the supper of the wedding, one is the supper of wrath and judgment. And you decide now, there is no other chance.
Darren Rouanzoin:That's hard to hear isn't it? When we give trophies to everyone for participation, we have a hard time in our PC culture saying you get awarded based on your confession that Jesus is Lord. That's what the bible speaks of. Am I okay? I know I've been speaking harsh truth the last couple of weeks.
Darren Rouanzoin:So just let that settle in. I know you're gonna have to adjust some theological. You thought maybe I had a different perspective. I have a as close to the bible as I can. I'm always open to change my interpretation just so you know.
Darren Rouanzoin:Like next week, I'm gonna talk about the millennial reign. When I started this series, I was certain about my perspective but since diving into 17 commentaries and discussing this with a few theologians, I have a more nuanced view than I did when I started. That might align to some of your views more specifically. So we will get there next week so we don't miss next week. But, Lake Of Fire, the word hell is used in scriptures and has multiple words to describe kind of a similar thing.
Darren Rouanzoin:The first is the word Sheol in the Old Testament which is the grave or the realm of the dead. The second in the New Testament is the phrase Hades which is a temporary holding place for the dead. And then there's Gehenna which is used by Jesus as a description of judgment and it was a literal place in the Valley Of Hinnom which was used 11 times in the gospel. So, was a trash dump outside of the walls of Jerusalem used as a description of judgment. What life looks like apart from living the way of God.
Darren Rouanzoin:There is another word and mentioned in second Peter which is a place for fallen angels. And then there's Revelation where we get the Lake Of Fire. And here's what commentators say about the definition of the Lake Of Fire. Are you guys okay? Here we go.
Darren Rouanzoin:GK Beale says, the Lake Of Fire is not a place name like Gehenna but an apocalyptic metaphor for the final judgment and irreversible separation from God. The lake symbolize, Lake Of Fire symbolizes the second death which is eternal separation from the presence of God and his people and exclusion from new creation. The Lake Of Fire is the final exclusion of all that is incompatible with the holy presence of God in the new Jerusalem. The Lake Of Fire is not God's desire for anyone. It is the end of a trajectory of dehumanization and opposition to the lamb.
Darren Rouanzoin:It is not so much a torture chamber as it is the cosmic waste dump where all that cannot be redeemed is burned away. Darrell Johnson says, it is what happens to human life when it is decisively and persistently when it decisively and persistently says no to God's love and rule. There is a place out of grace God creates for humans to reject him for the rest of eternity. How can you exist? Yeah, perfect timing.
Darren Rouanzoin:How can you exist without the breath of life from God? People think they exist without his breath. They do not. They exist with his breath. But he out of his loving kindness creates a space for you to say no to that breath for the rest of eternity.
Darren Rouanzoin:Do you know where you're going today? You know, during revival time in the great awakening, they created seats in the front and they called it the anxious seat. For those that didn't know if they were going to be with Jesus or to be in the lake of fire. And I don't get to talk about this much but I wanna talk about it when we are speaking of scriptures. The scriptures speak of destiny.
Darren Rouanzoin:That we exist for eternity. We were created in Genesis one and two to live forever with God. But when sin came into the world, if you read it, he out of his grace banished us from Eden so that we wouldn't live forever without him. And the rest, Genesis to Revelation is the story of how we get back to our first love. The way we were supposed to live.
Darren Rouanzoin:And brothers and sisters, what you need to understand, it is not a religion that gets you there. It is not a belief system that gets you there. It is not a practice or a method or a group or a cult. It is a relationship to Jesus of Nazareth who has revealed himself in history, in real time and space, through the scriptures, through the creation and now through the living word preaching to you, he is the only way for life. And the only way to get there is a relationship with him.
Darren Rouanzoin:So then, how do you have a relationship? You accept him into your life with all of the mystery that it comes with. Not knowing exactly what that means. Like any relationship that you start, you don't know how it's gonna end or where it's gonna go but you adjust along the way and when you make mistakes, you return back to that love for the rest of eternity. Are you with me?
Darren Rouanzoin:Some of you need to say yes to Jesus right now because Revelation 19 says, Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He doesn't strike down the nations with weapons other than truth. The war is won through the word of God. Jesus rides out with the name that no one knows but he is also called the word of God. His robe is dipped in blood before the battle even begins because victory was already won at the cross and he fights not with the sword in his hand but with the sword in his mouth.
Darren Rouanzoin:It is what second Corinthians says, for though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. Let me just read that one more time. For today, for today. Because I know how some of you feel. I know what you've been taught.
Darren Rouanzoin:I know that what you've been taught is actually Armageddon begins when Iran invades Israel. This has been happening for so long. Is it Armageddon? Yes. When did Armageddon begin?
Darren Rouanzoin:A long time ago. For when we engage in this war, we live in the world but we don't wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of this world. Oh believe me they are nuclear just a different kind of atoms are being used. It's the new atom.
Darren Rouanzoin:That was from him because I didn't write that. I am just going don't want to I am going let that one go. Okay. Sometimes he takes the wheel, you know. Thank you Carrie Underwood.
Darren Rouanzoin:On the contrary they have divine power. What kind of power? Human power? No. Divine power to demolish our political enemies.
Darren Rouanzoin:No. Spiritual strongholds. We demolish what? Arguments and every potential that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Our weapons are not of this world.
Darren Rouanzoin:Our battle is against spiritual forces not flesh and blood. So the war is not fought with human effort. The war that God wages against evil is happening and we are invited to participate not by slaying our enemies but by bearing witness to Christ. Remaining faithful to truth and proclaiming the gospel. The weapons he uses is the weapon we use.
Darren Rouanzoin:So if it is enough to speak and creation exists, to speak and the storm still, To speak and Lazarus gets out of the grave. It is enough for us when a culture is obsessed with power to let Jesus win through speaking truth. Do we trust his word Or do we trust human systems? Do we trust his word over our life? Or do we trust our control to manage the outcome?
Darren Rouanzoin:Do we trust his word beloved, saint, holy, forgiven, grace or do we try to work it out with our religious efforts? Do you trust his word? Couple more thoughts and I will close. In Revelation nineteen eleven through 21, we see the rider on the white horse, faithful and true, comes to judge and make war but the war is not about tanks and missiles, drones and iron domes. It is not about national armies because Armageddon is not a prediction of some future international military clash happening in The Middle East.
Darren Rouanzoin:It is a spiritual, theological showdown that is always happening according to Revelation. Armageddon is a metaphor for our daily battle with temptation, injustice, deceit, idolatry, the way the enemy invades our lives. It is not about some place else in the future. It is about our homes. It is about our lives.
Darren Rouanzoin:It is about our churches because that is where Babylon is living. It is about staying awake to this present moment rather than pushing everything into some future escape or spiritual risk where we lose spiritual responsibility. We have to engage in the war we're in now. And the only way we can dodge the pastoral intent of the vision here in Revelation is pipe is by projecting it into the future as an end of the war, world war. It is an end of the world war but it is the world of temptation and injustice and deceit in us and our communities that is coming to the end according to Revelation 19.
Darren Rouanzoin:That means, you hear me clearly, Armageddon is not just coming, it's already happening. Every time you resist evil and choose truth. Every time you pray for your enemies. Every time you expose deceit. Every time you forgive again and again and again, you engage in the battle of Armageddon.
Darren Rouanzoin:It's not a war we win through strength but through faithful participation in Christ already one victory. In other words, the battlefield is our discipleship. Armageddon is not merely historical or future, it is a present and pastoral moment. And the war isn't about tanks and troops, it's about our faithfulness in the faith face of invisible evil, deception and spiritual apathy. This vision is not just a picture of what Jesus does.
Darren Rouanzoin:It is a call to each of us. Once we see this vision of Jesus on a white horse, we cannot fight a half hearted war against a whole hearted enemy. In other words, the point is to ring the alarm. This is not a drill. Revelation 19 says, Christ comes to judge and make war.
Darren Rouanzoin:It's not permission to be combative Christians. It is a call to resist evil with truth. To live our salvation with vigilance and to follow the lamb into victory through worship, witness and obedience. Armageddon is the context of your discipleship. You were made for battle.
Darren Rouanzoin:It's just not the battle you thought. It's happening right now as we speak. Saint John raises our spiritual adrenaline level not to panic us because revelation doesn't leave us in panic but to prepare us. Not for what's coming but for what's already present. Not to focus on events of the future but to focus on who we are becoming right now which is always why the last vision, the first vision and the last vision is Jesus.
Darren Rouanzoin:Because the book of Revelation is not a story of the end events, it's a story of Jesus. It's opening our eyes to see he who is. He who was and he who is to come. He is the warrior king who already won the battle. So the call simply today and like every week is to get to Jesus.
Darren Rouanzoin:To rush to him. To not wait for next week but get your life in order. How? By being someone that's good at disciplines? No.
Darren Rouanzoin:By falling at his feet and asking for mercy and letting wave after wave of grace ambush you with love until you're overwhelmed with the power of God, until you're saturated. Baptized is the word. Thrown into the deep end to know who you really are. So as you go out here Monday through Saturday, in the battle of Armageddon, you are standing firm in truth. Not brought into the way of the world but standing firm in the way of the lamb which is triumphing over evil as we speak through self sacrifice and love.
Darren Rouanzoin:The second is to submit to truth. Stop living the lies of culture. Stop living the lies of your past. Stop living the lies of your trauma. Stop living in the lies of yesterday's sin.
Darren Rouanzoin:Live in the truth of forgiveness today. Submit to truth. Third, to remember Armageddon is the context of your discipleship. And lastly, as always, as Jesus ended every message in Mark's gospel, repent and believe the good news. Amen?
Darren Rouanzoin:Amen. Let's all stand.
Intro/Outro:You so much for listening. For more information, please visit us at garden.church.