Marked!

Intro.

Wrapping up our series on the end times.

Theme verse:

1 Peter 4:7

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.

The end is near, so be ready.

It’s not for us to be scared, but to be prepared.

We’ve said it, but no one knows the exact hour or time it will will all take place.

But we can tell the season.

We may not be at the End of the world, but I believer we are in a world of the end.

We are to live like it matters, prepared.

(Christy passport story, wouldn’t scan, went to desk, called for help, panic!!)

For traveling, a valid passport is important.

It is my ID. It declares my citizenship and it gives me passage to other places but it shows my home and allegiance.

It’s the Identification marker to show who I am and where I belong.

The book of revelation is a vision (revelation) given to John who was one of Jesus disciples of the unfolding of end times events.

In that vision he sees the rising up of one called the Anti-Christ and another called the False Prophet.

The antichrist will be a powerful leader, impressive, great speaker, uniter of people, also blasphemous.

The false prophet will be more religious. Calling the world to serve, show allegiance to and worship the anti christ.

Both are empowered by Satan (the dragon).

An unholy shadow of God.

A trinity of Satan, Anti-Christ, False Prophet meant to replace the worship of the true God.

Our triune God The father, the son, and the holy spirit.

Satan can’t create, only God does that.

Everything satan ever does corrupt, confuse and counterfeit.

The false prophet will create a system of allegiance to the Anti-Christ and his world system.

This is a part of the bible that gets more speculation and is more known than almost any part of the bible.

The anti-christ is referred to as a beast, so this form of allegiance is something called the Mark of the Beast.

Revelation 13:16-18

It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

We’ve all heard crazy theories on this one...

Ronald Wilson Reagan is the anti christ because the letters total 666.

We all freak out if 666 is on a license, we’ll pay more at a store if our total matches...

The church trailer had 666 in the original plate number, it fell off....

The invent of microchips, that must be it.

Coronavirus vaccine.... Thats it, that’s the mark.

So what is it?

It is a mark that will align you with the Anti-christ.

will not be an over 666 branding. too obvious.

666 is the number of the beast.

6 represents man. 6 is tripled as it comes to the beast (the anti-christ) to show that he will the be epitome of man.

This mark will give access to buy and sell and make any financial transaction.

This does not mean that microchips, cryptocurrency, and going cashless is evil and taking the mark.

But these things do point to the fact that we live in a time that has made this prophecy possible.

Something foresaw over 2000 years ago.

We don’t know exactly what it will be.

I don’t think it will be something overtly physical and visible.

But it won’t be taken by accident.

It will be deliberate choosing against God.

the greek word used for mark is charagma. The same word used for the Roman seal of the emperor.

it will be something that shows intentional loyalty.

A conscious choice will have to be made.

But this mark is just another counterfeit. Another knock off. (buying a watch off the street from a guy in a trenchcoat)

Revelation 7:2-3

Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

Revelation 9:4

They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

Revelation 14:1

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

Revelation 22:3-4

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

There is another mark. A seal. Placed on the people of God.

(A vision given to a prophet in the old testament)

Ezekiel 9:1-4

Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar. Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.””

On those who have grieve and turned from the sin.

hebrew word for Mark - single letter - Taw

Last letter of the hebrew alphabet.

It is a seal of completion.

It is the symbol for saying it is finished.

here is how you write the letter taw - t (show pics)

God’s people are literally marked with the cross!

At the cross of Jesus everything if finished, it is done!!!

We talk way too much about the mark of the beast. Wondering, speculating, theorizing and we don’t spend enough time talking about the mark of God!

When you have the mark of God you won’t have to worry about the mark of the beast.

The mark is a sign of identity, of ownership, of loyalty, of trust and commitment.

Which mark are you positioned to take??

It really all boils down to one word - WORSHIP.

Since the beginning of creation satan has been trying to rob Gods worship.

We will worship something.

Is worshipping God worth it when it costs you something??

I would say real worship always costs something.

How about if it costs you everything?

Have you ever met a procrastinator??

Umm yeah.

(show meme’s)

Taking a mark isn’t something I decide later.

It isn’t an end of times decision.

I decide right now. Today.

Deciding what we will be identified by, committed to, aligned with, trust in, WORSHIP is a now choice.

If he’s not worth your worship now, he won’t be then.

Jesus sacrificed it all on the cross so you could be his. labeled with his name.

Signed, sealed and delivered.

and when you're his, no matter what happens, what life brings, you are never alone or abandoned or lost, or helpless.

It may feel like the end for you today.

The end of some things, end of hope etc.

But its not.

2 Corinthians 1:21–22 (NIV)

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

When you belong to Christ, his seal is the Holy Spirit who lives in you, guides you, empowers you, leads you, equips you.

John 14:16-18

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Revelation 1:8

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 22:13

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

It’s not the end, he is.

He is the beginning and the end and everything in between. Jesus is everything.

666 is the number of the beast. what his mark represents humanity. The best of human effort.

7 is the number that number represents God’s perfection.

Nothing of this world and life can every be complete.

No matter what you’re facing, if your marked as his choose worship.

He is with you. He is for you. You are his. WORSHIP.

Choose worship now.

let’s get our eyes on him

he’s where I get my significance and security

he’s who I trust and look too

When you don’t know what else to do. WORSHIP.

when you think you know the answer. WORSHIP.

let him be the beginning and end Your marked

It’s not over until he says so.

The marked of God will be worshippers of God.