Living in Light of the King's Reign

James-Henry Christian

Sermon • Submitted 6 months ago • Presented 6 months ago

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Churches in Trouble

To the church in Ephesus:

Revelation 2:3 NET 2nd ed.

I am also aware that you have persisted steadfastly, endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary.

Revelation 2:4–5 NET 2nd ed.

But I have this against you: You have departed from your first love! Therefore, remember from what high state you have fallen and repent! Do the deeds you did at the first; if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place—that is, if you do not repent.

To the church in Smyrna:

Revelation 1:9 NET 2nd ed.

I, John, your brother and the one who shares with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus.

Revelation 1:10 NET 2nd ed.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day when I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

To the church in Pergamum:

Revelation 2:15–16 NET 2nd ed.

In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore, repent! If not, I will come against you quickly and make war against those people with the sword of my mouth.

To the church in Thyatira:

Revelation 2:20 NET 2nd ed.

But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

Revelation 2:25 NET 2nd ed.

However, hold on to what you have until I come.

To the church in Sardis:

Revelation 3:3 NET 2nd ed.

Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.

To the church in Philadelphia:

Revelation 3:8 NET 2nd ed.

‘I know your deeds. (Look! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut.) I know that you have little strength, but you have obeyed my word and have not denied my name.

Revelation 3:10 NET 2nd ed.

Because you have kept my admonition to endure steadfastly, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

Revelation 3:11 NET 2nd ed.

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away your crown.

To the church in Laodicea:

Revelation 3:19 NET 2nd ed.

All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent!

If I could sum up John’s letter’s to the churches, I would say:

Wake up…and hold on!

There are two primary struggles in the Christian life:

Temptation

sin

false teaching

Suffering

And what do you give to a people suffering with temptations and persecutions?

Encouragement and hope!

Bridge

Our church seems to be in trouble. In spite of great encouragement by virtue of our acquisition of property, an election looms over our heads. And, as we prepare for an election, we lived based off a principle:

A Change in Leadership dictates a Change in Living

Therefore, we must make a certain decision.

Living in Light of the King’s Reign

Anybody’s favorite number seven?

If it is, your go-to book ought to be Revelation! Or at the very least the writings of the apostle John. John arranges the book of Revelation to reflect patterns of seven.

There are seven churches to whom this letter (the book of Revelation) is addressed. There are seven seals and trumpets which, when they are broken and sounded give way to a series of judgments yet anticipate a final judgment at the end of the series. There are seven angels with seven final plagues that are placed in seven bowls that indicate the judgments poured out on the earth culminating in the seventh bowl indicating the end and the anticipated judgment of the nations. There are even other examples that you can find in the book of Revelation.

Specifically, we will point our attention today to the seventh trumpet sounding. But first, let us recap.

After issuing the letters to the churches, John sees a grand vision of the throne room worship of the Lamb (i.e., Jesus). There is this moment when a scroll is to be unbounded, yet no one can break the seals. Jesus comes, though, and he breaks the seals, unleashing judgments that come to the earth and its people, threatening the people of God. Yet, as martyrs watch, God assures them of his imminent victory, where he seals his people for worship. This seems like the end. And after the seventh seal....silence.

And the beginning of the seven trumpets, which act to do the same as the seals, unleashing judgments.

Revelation 10:7 NET 2nd ed.

But in the days when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God is completed, just as he has proclaimed to his servants the prophets.”

His people are threatened, yet encouraged, even amidst three woes.

Revelation 11:14 NET 2nd ed.

The second woe has come and gone; the third is coming quickly.

Bible Passage: Revelation 11:15–19

1. Proclaiming The Trumpet Call

Revelation 11:15 NET 2nd ed.

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.”

Instead of silence....singing!

Instead of separation…complete sovereignty!

Instead of temporality…eternality!

2. Praising The Sovereign King

Revelation 11:16–17 NET 2nd ed.

Then the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and worshiped God with these words: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun to reign.

The reign of the Lord and his Christ leads to humble worship.

The elders are ‘who are seated’ aren’t seated at all, but have thrown themselves to the ground.

We see the familiar formula:

“who was and is…but not who is to come.”

Rather, we see the fullness of his coming: “you have taken power and begun to reign.”

3. Participating In His Justice

Revelation 11:18 NET 2nd ed.

The nations were enraged, but your wrath has come, and the time has come for the dead to be judged, and the time has come to give to your servants, the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints and to those who revere your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

It is time. Time for judgment.

The nations have always historically rejected the God of Israel.

Psalm 2:1 NET 2nd ed.

Why do the nations rebel? Why are the countries devising plots that will fail?

So, the people of God anticipate judgment for those who hate them and their God. But the people of God are not exempt from this judgment.

All saints, small and great, prophet and saint, will be rewarded.

Yet, those who destroy the earth will be destroyed.

Consider the self-destructiveness of evil:

sexual sin destroys marriages

anger destroys relationship

covetousness destroys relationships

pride destroys the person

sin destroys the most beneficial relationship.

4. Previewing his Presence

Revelation 11:19 NET 2nd ed.

Then the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, roaring, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

You might say, well, this can’t be the end, because God isn’t even present with his people!

Yet, he is!

The ark of the covenant in the Old Testament was one of the most clear identifiers of God’s presence. It was thought that he dwelled above the mercy seat, where the priest made atonement for sins on the day of atonement. Yet, here, as he reigns, no priest is here to make atonement. It has now been done, and John can see the ark of the covenant in the temple of God. Additionally, there are flashes, indicators of God’s presence.

God now dwells with his people and people with their God.