A Tested and Triumphant Church (2)

Good Morning. I am glad that we can be here together. This morning we are going to dive right into the second part of this topic of the church.

There is a question on the slide that we have to deal with as a church.

Who are we?

Have you ever really thought about this.

Who are we as a church?

This question can really be looked at from two perspectives.

The first is from the view of Who we are as a church universal. In essence who is the Christian church supposed to be.

The second is the idea of Who are we as a Sylvania Wesleyan Church?

These questions had me thinking about life in Middle school.

I feel for that Preteen to early teen years of 6 through 8 grade. IT is a rough time.

I don’t know many people who look back on those years fondly. Probably because most of us were really awkward and asking ourselves the question.

Who am I?

I know I was. I Still was playing football at the time so there was a part of me that was a little bit jock. Yet, I had given up other sports by that point so that only filled part of my life. Band hadn’t really taken over. Church was a part of my life but only in the beginning stages of importance. I spent many of those years lost not really knowing who I was.

I got older and I thought I had a better grasp. High school would surely solve a lot of this right?

No, Stopped playing football after freshmen year. Bounced from friend group to friend group. Never really figuring out who I want to be.

I think I changed my style, look, attitude so many times I don’t know if i would recognize myself now.

This was life. I couldn’t stop asking and trying to figure out who I was.

There are times I think the church is stuck in that pubescent cycle of figuring out who we are.

We like to think we have it figured out but every time we think we do something challenges us and we well… try something new.

Let’s Ask the question then and see what revelation has to tell us about it.

Revelation 7:1–4 NIV

1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 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: 3 “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.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

Revelation 14:1–5 NIV

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. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

Sealed and Redeemed

John paints this picture of the people as the 144,000 who belong to God.

We can’t escape the reference to the tribes of Israel. However, most agree that this is more of a symbolic reference than a literal.

One of the more interesting parts of Revelation is also the dealing with numbers.

Math time

12 tribes and 12,000 people which leads us to the 144,000 is a number that is to signify completeness or fullness. There is a lot of interesting theory and views here but I have to confess. This is a little bit of a distraction.

I included this not because we shouldn’t examine it but it is the kind of thing that we can get into the weeds real easy when we read this book.

There is interesting thoughts and views behind this math but it can hinder the larger picture we are looking at first.

John still paints the picture though of the 144,000 and they belong to God. This is the most important aspect. These are a people who are...

Sealed and Redeemed

The People of God bare the mark of god the seal of God on their foreheads.

This is an interesting idea. In those times it wasn’t uncommon for slave owners to brand their seal on their slaves. To mark them so that everyone knew who they belonged to.

In fact, the word for servants is Doulous which can be translated as both servant and slave.

Not only does God mark his servants though he does it in a place that there is no hiding it. Right on your forehead.

Not only can’t we hide who we are but we cant forget we are redeemed

Revelation 14:3–4 NIV

3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.

The church should be the ones who have been marked and purchased from among mankind. The church is to follow after him and live as his servants.

Who are We?

back to this question then. Is the Big church Marked by God?

Do we recognize that the church can be seen as his marked servants?

Is the church Redeemed?

Now let’s ask that of ourselves here in our local context.

Are we marked by God here?

Do those outside our doors see us as marked by God?

Do we recognize that we are only redeemed because we belong to him?

These questions shouldn’t be instilling doubt in us but should be a reminder of how dependent we are on Him.

Let’s talk some more about who we are though.

Revelation 7:9–17 NIV

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” 13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

When we read this passage we are in danger of getting captured by one particular line.

Revelation 7:14 NIV

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The Great Tribulation.

We want to know what is going to happen.

It’s like that classic question.

Do you want to know how and when you are going to die?

See the challenge with this is you might change your life to try and prevent it. Yet, it doesn’t change. Or you live your life in a way knowing its all going to end so I am going to live my best life.

We are captivated but the truth is we don’t know exactly when or how it is going to happen. WE can speculate and we can make estimations, and predictions but we have no idea how or when it is going to happen. Similar to the fact that we don’t know how or when the end is going to come but man do we get distracted by it.

When we get distracted by this one line we miss the glorious imagery around it.

Revelation 7:9 NIV

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

Uncountable and Multicultural

The Church is bigger than us here in the building.

Now That is an easy statement to make and even to agree with it, but do you know it?

Do you really believe that the church is bigger than us here in this room?

We have to deal with the fact that we live in a world that is teeming with ethnic, religious, cultural and racial divisions.

Revelation calls us to embody a consciously multinational, multicultural, multiracial identity as God’s People.

In short, we want to share the love of God with all people no matter who they are.

When we capture this we realize that church becomes a much bigger place than we can imagine.

It is here in the multitude that we can have hope.

The Church is made up of every tribe and we need to maintain this attitude. No one is excluded if they come to Christ.

WE can’t escape that what binds us together is Him. The Lamb who was slain. It is in that unification that we celebrate the diversity that is the church.

We are also called to be...

Holy and Blameless

Holiness is a gift and a calling.

in the Book of Revelation John describes the people of God as “saints” 12 times.

When we hear that term saints we often get this image in our head of someone who we could never be. Yet, what if I told you that Saints or “Holy ones” are not just a select group of people or martyrs.

Saints, Holy people are the whole church.

Yes we are called to be saints. You are called to pursue being a saint. A Holy one.

This is not only what we are called to but it is the gift of Christ to all of us.

Revelation 7:13–14 NIV

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The elders ask John. Who are these people.

John’s response is kinda snarky. Like that moment of Common man you know.

These are the people who have washed their robes clean. You know this.

Laundry Detergent

These glorious white robes. White as can be. Holy and unblemished.

Can you imagine keeping those clean?

Break out the bleach on the regular right. Yet, what does the scripture tell us is the best laundry detergent.

The Blood of the Lamb

Red Blood makes them white.

The Only cleansing agent that is going to make our robes pure is his blood.

It helps us realize that the only way we can be viewed as blameless and holy is through him.

It is only through him that we are able to get our robes clean.

and we can’t forget that the robes are required dress code for heaven.

because...

Character Matters

As a church we are called to pursue a life of holiness and constantly recognizing it is his holiness that makes us clean.

We are to live as the marked and sealed church.

The Bride of the Lamb.

That is it isn’t it.

That is who we are. We are the Bride of Christ.

We are the body of believers that are broken and imperfect but we are called to perfectly pursue him and only through him can we obtain this.

WE are called as the church to be more.

A tested and Triumphant Church

It is in this calling it is in this holiness it is in his grace and mercy that we see that we have the victory.

We aren’t to be consumed with the worlds challenges and struggles but we are to look to the throne and praise God and serve him Daily.

Church we have to get to a place that there is no doubt about who we are. We are to be more. We are to be marked with him. We are called to be his servants with out a doubt it is branded on our foreheads.

That way no matter what comes our way. Great tribulation or normal days we can recognize that he is God and we are his followers.

Let’s Pray.