Choose: Responding to God's Judgment
Notes
Transcript
Slow
Slow
Tschetter 70th anniversary
Seals - Trumpets - Bowls
1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.
2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.
3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!
4 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
5 After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened,
6 and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests.
7 And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever,
8 and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
34 “ ‘Is not this laid up in store with me, sealed up in my treasuries?
35 Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’
36 For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free.
Sanctuary
Plagues and Bowls
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!”
7 And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire.
9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish
11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)
16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.
19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.
21 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
Similarities to Exodus
There are two opposing responses to God’s Judgment. Choose correctly.
There are two opposing responses to God’s Judgment. Choose correctly.
Praise vs. Cursing
Praise vs. Cursing
The acknowledgement of appropriate judgment
The refusal to repent
80th anniversary of D-Day
Does God have the right to punish? Creator, Redeemer, Protector, Rewarder
They don’t want the truth.
Parental: Told, Unnegotiable, Seeking power (governments)
Stay awake to Christ vs. Sleepy Self-Righteousness
Stay awake to Christ vs. Sleepy Self-Righteousness
18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
Do I compare myself to others? Parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee
Spouse, Co-workers, Family,
Do I focus on what I am avoiding? Parable of the 2 Brothers
I don’t do...
Christians fall into this trap
Teens, to steer clear of self-righteousness when interacting with your family, focus on active listening during conversations and avoid dismissing their opinions. Acknowledging the perspectives of others, even if you disagree, can help you grow in humility.
In your workplace, guard against self-righteousness by intentionally finding common ground with colleagues who hold different views. Engaging in respectful dialogue and showing empathy can prevent pride from taking root.
When engaging in public life, be mindful of your motives and attitudes. Focus on serving others selflessly without seeking praise or validation. By practicing anonymous acts of kindness, you can combat any tendencies towards self-righteousness.
Do I fixate on being vindicated?
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Do I see my need for Christ? Do I love Christ? Parable of the Pearl
Will you keep awake in this deceptive culture? Will you be found in Christ?
Community Group questions
What are some ways the text claims God is just in His judgment of the beast’s kingdom?
What in your own life makes you hope for God’s justice?
How can you praise God this week for His holiness and mercy?
Where do you get tempted to be self-righteous?
What are ways you can encourage living by Christ’s righteousness?