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The episodes are the weekly sermons from 922 Ministries (St. Peter and The CORE) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Welcome back to our third week in our series, Revelation. We've got about halfway through our study in the book of Revelation, many of the images there, and today I'm really excited about all the things to celebrate in this message. Revelation 14 will be our topic; one through five. It's really a breath of fresh air with all the intense images that we've seen so far and that we'll see again next week.
This is how it all ends. We find God gathers his church and in this motherly protection, the middle, we see Jesus, all glory to him, the lamb that was slain and risen. He rules over all things and in that we have nothing to fear. It's all founded on his work, his life, his death, resurrection, ascension. Again, he's in control and we win no matter what we face. Before we take a look at this picture, why don't we open up with prayer?
Let's pray: Sanctify us by the truth, O Lord. Your word is truth. Amen.
Well, being that this is Mother's Day, I'd be remiss if we didn't start off really first and foremost celebrating God's love for us and the gift of moms. So again, a special welcome to our moms today.
As I think about Mother's Day too, I'm very thankful for the mom that the Lord blessed me with. She is still here today and she lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, so she'll probably be watching. So I want to thank the Lord God and win some brownie points with her if you're okay.
But as I think about it, I really am thankful for my mom and my dad as well. And just in the earthly sense, they really, truly put their three boys. I was the youngest of three, so I was the one that gave them the most struggles, I'm sure. I'm so glad that God provided. They always put me first.
They really did. But not only that, I'm thankful that my mom and dad too were the first ambassadors of Jesus to me. I was privileged, again, not worthy of such things, privileged to have them be the first to bring me to the baptismal font and connect me to Christ by the power of the spirit and that washing to share with me the gospel. They were on fire for the Lord throughout their lives and that just it overflowed into my life. And again, not worthy of that.
Now, having said that, thanking the Lord God for my mom today, she'd be the first to admit she's not perfect. And that's why I've got ten stories to prove how true that was. No I'm just kidding. I won't do that. But that's what I love about my mom and my dad.
They understood it wasn't about being the perfect parents, but modeling something greater, which makes them perfect in God's sight. And that's grace. They taught me that they needed grace first and foremost, which is why they were so readily able to give it. Something that Jesus alone could work in their heart. And I'm praying that today, as you consider your mom's, your dad's families, I'm praying that you have a similar story.
Having said that, I know it's a sin-broken world. The book of Revelation really spells that out really well. There's so much heartache and so much brokenness. And I understand that there might be many that didn't have such a mom or such a dad, maybe wondering. I wish I could have turned to them, but they weren't there.
I'm so thankful that we have a family of believers, whether we had or didn't. Today we can celebrate that we have this thing called the Church, the bride of Christ. And there's motherly protection there. And even more that we have a father above for the fatherless. And he gave us his only son.
And we have a brother who loves us unconditionally, who won our salvation, faced the greatest of fears and conquered in the fight, and did that for you and for me. And so in the family of God, and that's where you belong. That's where you're at. We lack nothing. And I'm thinking about what Jesus actually taught.
This isn't just something that I came up with for Mother's Day sermon, but Jesus actually spoke such a truth that in the family of God, in the family of the lamb, you have all that you need in every relationship, relationships that will last for eternity. One time when Jesus was teaching, Jesus was interrupted. Someone in the crowd said, you know, “Blessed is the woman who nursed you.” It was kind of like a happy Mother's day to your mom today. What a fine boy.
She raised Jesus without dismissing that thought, without disrespecting Mary. He really looked at the crowd. He said, “Here's something greater.” He said, “Here are my mother and brothers. For whoever does the will of God puts their faith in me and lives accordingly, then does the will of my father in heaven. It's my brother and sister and mother.”
Friends, today we celebrate moms, and especially the moms that we have among the body of believers. And again, in this motherly refuge that is the church, the bride of Christ. Labeled that in Galatians, even Revelation, chapter twelve. We saw last week that church is what God used to bring forth, a savior to the world. And now we're family of the greatest kind. So much to celebrate today on this Mother's day.
And one story that I'd like to share with you, the kind of love that we find in Revelation 14 and kind of love that maybe you experienced with your own earthly mothers, was when I was a five year old germaphobe. Any germaphobes out there? Maybe so. Okay, good. Yeah, because there's a lot of germs. Why aren't everyone germophobes? Right? That's maybe how we think.
So I remember when I was in kindergarten, I know today we call it 5K, but I remember growing up, it was just kindergarten. And I remember Miss court. She was a great teacher that I had. And this is one of the first things that I remember from kindergarten. She taught about germs and why?
Because every day we're going to have snacks, and I suppose we five year olds could be germy. And so I remember she was one of the first. Every day she was like, remember we wash our hands before we take and eat our snacks. And so she taught us how to wash your hands really well. And I think she taught us the Alphabet song. Right when you're washing your hands. ABCD. I'll stop. I won't do the whole Alphabet. It's pretty long.
Anyway, you wash your hands and then you're germ free. Dry them off and you're ready to eat your snacks. But as a five year old, all I could think about were these germs that she said were everywhere and they would make you sick. Of course, I had to take it to the extreme. Not only would they make you sick, but if they can make you sick, they can kill you. You will die.
That was how I understood my teacher. So I remember going home really bothered, worried, and I asked mom, I said, mom, if I touch the doorknob and I don't wash my hands and I eat my snack, am I going to get sick? Will I die? And I'm sure she's like, did your teacher tell you you die? She's probably wondering what happened at school today, but lovingly. She just smiled at me like moms do, like you do with your kids who get worked up about nothing.
And she looked at me, she said, look, you'll be okay. Yeah, wash your hands. That's good. You don't want germs, but you'll be okay. You'll be okay. And you'd think that'd be enough for most five year old kids, but not for me. I just was not sure. I just wasn't confident.
I knew I could trust my mom, but did she really know? So I asked again. I'm like, well, what if I touch the wall and, like, I get germs on my hands, I forget to wash my hands and I eat some food. Will I get sick? Will I die?
She looked at me again, thinking, poor little Billy. He's got issues, I'm sure. But I couldn't tell it from her face. She just smiled at me and said, look, you'll be okay. Wash your hands, but you'll be okay.
It wasn't enough. Like, but what if I'm playing with my toys and I put them away? Well, who am I kidding? I don't put my toys away. You do that. But then I eat my snack, didn't wash my hands. Well, I die. I literally, for days, I think maybe even weeks. That was pretty much all I asked. My mom and my brothers were tired of it.
My dad, honey, you deal with him. But again and again, with a motherly love, she would say, you're going to be okay. Yeah, wash your hands. You don't want germs. You'll be okay.
That is the picture of Revelation, chapter 14, one to five. And if you've been with us the last couple weeks, and even last week, I mean, talk about some of the unseen germs or monsters or beasts that are out there spiritually. I mean, last week, Revelation twelve, you see this dragon looking to devour Jesus. Thankfully, he fails. Jesus ascends to the throne, he rules over all things.
Then he tries to devour the Church with its motherly protection. He fails. God protects the Church for all the New Testament age, which we're living in. The only thing the devil has left, we found out, is he's targeting you and me, the individual believers. He wants to tame us and infect us, destroy us.
There's a lot to worry about, as we found at the end of Revelation twelve. He's standing on the sea and he's really conspiring. How is he going to take you down? He brings forth more beasts, more invisible entities that can really trouble us, destroy us. He brings forth wayward governments from the sea, and he brings forth wayward church is, and these beasts are powerful and strong, and governments persecute overtly or covertly, and they destroy.
They're looking to destroy in this spiritual realm who we are. And there's false teaching abounds and everybody seems to be okay as long as you don't follow the lamb that was slain and risen. And there's a lot to worry about, like that five year old germaphobe that I was. Lord, am I going to make it? What if the devil gets me? What if the governments that are persecuting the Church devour me? What if the false teaching somehow gets a hold of me? Will I make it?
I love that in the book of Revelation and throughout the rest of the scripture, God comes and says, you're washed in the blood of the Lamb. You're okay. Those baptismal waters have covered you. I've written my name on you. You're mine. Yeah, stay washed. You don't have to worry. You're going to be okay. Here, let me show you. And it's Revelation 14.
So the first truth that we want to walk away with today is that Revelation 14, one to five is that motherly picture of refuge that we all would be blessed to remember all our days. Here we see the church all gathered together. We see Jesus reigns. We win. Never mind those beasts, those unseen enemies, the spiritual germs.
And so now I want to take you through that truth, Revelation 14, and so on. A little exercise for you again, I'm not much of a note taker, but this might serve you well today. If you wanted to pull out your service folder, we can fill in these blanks about all these symbols and what they really mean for your comfort in a very practical way today. And not only is this going to be of encouragement for you today, but maybe a way to highlight if you kind of like, all this imagery revealed in the simplest of terms. We have a resource on our website for our reading plan where actually, as a church going through the book of Revelation, you can find a whole study guide that does this for the whole book, along with a lot of Pastor Jim's great resources of commentary. So have at it. Be blessed. Know that you can't lose, not in Jesus.
So here's the reading of and interpretation of Revelation 14. John again revisits this great picture that the Lord God presents to him for the encouragement of the church.
And he said, then, after all these beasts and all this chaos and all this death and all this destruction, I looked, and there before me was the lamb, Jesus. Guess where he's at? He's standing on Mount Zion, which is this Old Testament picture for a reality that is the dwelling place of God. In other words, no matter what, he still reigns. And guess who's with him.
144,000. Now, it's a symbol as far as the number goes. We've heard that earlier, but I don't think we can come back to it enough. It's all believers of all time numbering far more than 144,000. Because that's not a literalistic number that we should believe.
Kind of like the Jehovah's witnesses think it's a literal 144,000. That's not even a Christian church. And it's all confused. Or that these are somehow jewish converts later on in the days to come. No understanding all of Revelation and all the scriptures, it really is all believers.
And this is the breakdown. I've got some math. Any fans of math? Any math teachers out there? Okay, well, good, because I don't really know if I did this right. No, I'm kidding. I did. I did.
Why 144,000? Well, remember the number three. Such a beautiful number always represents God, Father, son, Holy Spirit. When he interacts with his creation, especially the crown, humanity. That's four.
Like four corners of the earth. Four horsemen, the four living creatures before the throne. It's all about his interacting with creatures. Creation, three plus four, that's seven. And when he interacts with creation, he sends his spirit.
And guess what? God's people are redeemed. Seven means salvation. Now add another three to it for good measure. It's the whole time of salvation, and it's complete.
God never fails. That's a big ten, right? Three plus four plus three. Oh. That brings us to 144,000.
Now, this time of salvation, that's completed. And God doesn't miss a beat, doesn't lose a one. Multiply that by 3. Ten times ten, times ten. So ten cubed, that's a thousand.
It's this perfect time of completion over which God is reigning and Christ reigning for over a thousand years more. It's not a literal number, right? It's a fullness, not missing a beat. And as the salvation is completed, what's the product? Well, you get twelve for the Old Testament, twelve tribes, twelve for the new, the apostles, and that's the number of the people that are rescued in this time of completion by God's saving grace.
Ten times ten, times ten, times twelve, times twelve, it's 144,000. John's thought is not one was lost. It's that easy. It's that simple. That same number is pictured in Revelation seven.
It can't even be counted. And God rescued his people. So you have this picture of Jesus who reigns no matter the beast, and you got God's people, they're all there. Not one was lost.
And they have his name on them. So again, he claims them as his own. His father's name is written on their forehead again and again and again. These are all believers. We make it. We don't have to be afraid. We're washed. We'll be okay.
And now, John, he said, I heard a sound from heaven, like the roar of rushing waters and like the loud peal of thunder. It's the sound of judgment. Whenever you come across those phrases, and they come up a number of times in Revelation, it's this loud, shocking sound, judgment.
Now, that can make us kind of fearful, except we're his. Which is why when John hears that sound, he says, the sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. It's as amazing as the praise music we heard today, even more so, that sound of judgment is sweet music to our ears as believers, that judgment equals salvation. Salvation.
It's good. It's all done, and we win. We're there. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures before all creation, these believers and the elders of the church. Again, a representation of the church. And no one could learn the song except 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It's the song of salvation. So only believers truly appreciate, truly hold to that, truly sing it. While all the rest who rejected Jesus, they want nothing of it, and God honors their choice.
These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remain virgins. Again, a spiritual image, not just fighting the immorality of sin, but idolatry of rejecting God. These are those who fought that in repentance and faith, faith covered in grace and truth. They followed the lamb wherever he goes. He's not only the lamb, but the shepherd.
They were purchased from among mankind and offered as first fruits of the best to God and the lamb. And no lie was found in their mouths. Their blameless again by grace through faith. It's not that they never lied, but upon doing so, confess to the Lord God covered in grace. And he fought that, not wanting to be like the rest of the world, that just would embrace sin.
And so there's that beautiful picture, and hopefully you got all the notes in there, and hopefully you can walk away to say, wow, that's kind of easy. In fact, sometimes the book of Revelation and understanding these pictures, it's like, oh, it's just the same message again and again and again. I love the message, but it's just so simple. Jesus wins, we win, no matter how tough it gets. And John gives us different nuances to understand the different struggles that are there, but the message is the same.
And so why don't you write that message down then? This truth, second truth. Just like we saw in week one, Jesus is still on the throne. Week one, we are his family, right? There's victory, and not one will be lost. All believers gathered, not one lost, not 139,999. 144,000.
And so what are we to do with this? Well, hopefully, we find comfort. We find. And again, filling in the next blank, are you comforted, or do you still have phobias for this life? Are you truly comforted?
Here's the truth. Jesus is on the throne. You're pictured there, even though we're not just there yet. This motherly protection, the means of grace, they will serve you well. The spirit is with you. God wins, and that's your victory.
So what are you afraid of? Is there anything in this life that you're a little nervous about still? How many of you are kind of like me, maybe worried about tomorrow? John's very clear. Look at this picture. You don't have to worry about a thing, just as Jesus said in Matthew six.
But we still have our phobias, which kind of reminds me of when I was younger. When I was younger, again, that germaphobe. I could ask my mom again and again and again, like, touch some germs, ate some food, am I going to die? And it was relentless. She could say it a million times, you're okay.You've been. You've washed your hands, you're fine. But I needed something more.
And so one day after school, I came home. I said, hey, mom, I touched that doorknob again. I got germs on my hands. I forgot to wash, ate some food. Am I going to die? You know what? Mom said, this is good, motherly, tough love. She looks at me with this compassionate face again. Oh, poor Billy. He's got lots of problems. But she looks at me, and she gave me what I needed to hear. She said, “You know what? Yeah, you're gonna die.” I was like, “What? You shouldn't tell your son that, mom.” I was, like, so confused in the moment. I was like, did she really just say that?
And then again, I asked one more question. But if I touch the wall, what am I gonna. Am I gonna die? And she says, “You know what? Yeah, you're gonna die.” But there was this comforting face from which that voice came, and I got it. I finally understood that I should not ask such a question again. She'll just keep telling me I'm going to die. It wasn't that, but I saw this comforting truth.
My mom, in the best of ways, was saying, look, as much as I love you, I can't protect you from everything, but we know someone who can. And even if you were to die, you're okay because you've been washed. It was really a spiritual truth that I learned that day. And it was great because as counterintuitive as it is for a mom to tell a kid that it's exactly what I needed to hear.
I needed to hear the truth. I needed to hear how, yeah, scary this world can be. But I don't have anything to fear because God is stronger. And I really was okay. I never needed to ask that question again.
And I realized, isn't that what John has just told us, what God told us in Revelation 13? Here's that passage before he gives us this great picture that you're going to be okay. He's honest. He says, you know, if anyone is going to go into captivity, into captivity, they'll go believe her or not. If anyone's going to be killed with a sword, with a sword, they're going to be killed right before this beautiful picture.
God smiles at us and with a loving comfort but with truth says, “You're not going to make it. You're going to die. But it's okay because I will never lose you. From my hand, that scarred hand.”
I've used that message again and again with children who've lost a parent, to be able to say, it's okay, oh, yeah, they died, but we know where they're at. They're really with Jesus. And one day soon, we'll be there, too. You'll be okay.
To be able to walk alongside someone who's ready for surgery and to be able to encourage them to say, you know, we don't know how this surgery is going to play out. It could be the simplest procedure.
It could be heart surgery. But two things I know, if you make it through, you're going to be okay. God still's with you, and we can celebrate a little longer together. But if you don't, it's better. You'll be with Jesus and it'll be okay.
I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you. I'm not going to say, no, no, no, you won't die. You don't have to worry about anything. No, we all die. None of us make it out alive.
But the beauty of the Christian faith is. So what of it? I am not afraid of death, because I follow the lamb who's been there, and he conquered. And I'm his little lamb, and I'll be okay. And so that leads us to this last truth which has been building, and now we see fulfilled in Revelation 14.
Though we'll lose, none of us make it out alive. We, God's family, can only win (all capitals). So live your life unafraid. I don't know what you came here with, but fears maybe are in the back of your head. Maybe it's health issues. Maybe it's relationship issues. Maybe it's sin issues, real temptation. You've brushed up against the devil, and you haven't fared well. Maybe you sense it at work in government persecution or false teachings of the church.
But God says to you today, so what of it? Nothing can separate you from my love. Nothing. I paid precious blood to have you. You are washed. If I would do such things, I will not lose you. For my name is written on you. You are mine.
I love such truth and grace because as messed up as this world can be, how comforting to know this motherly protection exists in the church. Jesus reigns, and you reign, too. So may God give you such confidence. Keep that picture of Jesus on the throne before you always. And do not be afraid.
And when you are afraid, like I was as a five year old boy, and get afraid today, it's okay. God still loves us. And he says, I have this. You don't need to be afraid. May God give us such faith, such a picture always before us of the end, where you win. Because he's already won. Amen.