THE LAMB WINS
Notes
Transcript
The Lamb Wins
The Lamb Wins
Revelation 14:1–20
Revelation 14:1–20
Big Idea
Big Idea
Our allegiance to Christ today determines our destiny forever.
Bottom Line
Bottom Line
Stay faithful to the Lamb because He already knows how the story ends.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Last week...
John showed us one of the darkest chapters in the entire Bible.
The Dragon.
The Beast.
The False Prophet.
A world deceived.
A mark.
Persecution.
Martyrdom.
By the time chapter 13 ends...
it almost feels hopeless.
Imagine sitting in one of those seven churches in Asia Minor.
You've already lost family members because they followed Jesus.
The Roman Empire seems unstoppable.
Culture is demanding your worship.
The Beast appears invincible.
Then the chapter ends.
What would you be thinking?
Probably exactly what we would think.
"So...does evil win?"
"Does the Beast actually succeed?"
"Is following Jesus really worth it?"
Can I show you something beautiful?
John doesn't answer those questions with a timeline.
He doesn't answer them with a chart.
He doesn't answer them with another beast.
He answers them with Jesus.
Look at verse 1.
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,
"Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb..."
Don't rush past that.
Church… that's exactly what discouraged believers needed.
Not another explanation.
A greater vision of Christ.
"The one you follow is crucial. The one you worship is decisive."
That's exactly what Revelation 13 and 14 are about.
Chapter 13 asks:
Who will you worship?
Chapter 14 answers:
Where does that worship lead?
Tonight, John takes us on one final journey before God's judgment unfolds.
He wants us to lift our eyes...
listen carefully...
and live ready.
MOVEMENT ONE
MOVEMENT ONE
Lift Your Eyes: The Lamb Is Still Standing Revelation 14:1–5
Lift Your Eyes: The Lamb Is Still Standing Revelation 14:1–5
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. 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. 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. 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. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
Don't miss the first thing John sees.
Don't miss the first thing John sees.
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.
After an entire chapter focused on the Beast...
John looks again.
And who does he see?
Not the Dragon.
Not the False Prophet.
Not Babylon.
The Lamb.
That isn't accidental.
John is intentionally redirecting our eyes.
Because where you look determines how you live.
If all you ever look at is the news...
culture...
politics...
social media...
your problems...
your fears...
eventually you'll believe the Beast is winning.
John says,
"Look again."
The Lamb is still standing.
Can I encourage somebody tonight?
Sometimes the greatest thing you need isn't more information.
It's a fresh vision of Jesus.
Notice where the Lamb is standing.
Notice where the Lamb is standing.
Mount Zion.
Throughout Scripture...
Mount Zion represents God's reign.
Psalm 2 declares,
“I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
Isaiah saw the Lord reigning from Zion.
John now sees exactly the same thing.
Whether this is understood primarily as earthly Zion or heavenly Zion, every major view arrives at the same conclusion:
Christ reigns.
The Beast may have had a chapter.
But the Lamb has the throne.
Then John notices who's standing with Him.
Then John notices who's standing with Him.
The 144,000.
Now let's address the obvious question.
Who are they?
Most of the commentators we've studied identify them as the same 144,000 first introduced in Revelation 7—those specially sealed by God during the Tribulation for His purposes.
Could we spend thirty minutes debating every interpretation?
Absolutely.
But notice...
John doesn't.
John spends almost no time explaining who they are.
He spends all his time describing whose they are.
That's the point.
Look again.
They have His name.
The Father's name.
They're standing with the Lamb.
Everything about these verses screams one truth.
They belong to Jesus.
That's the contrast with chapter 13.
Chapter 13...
the Beast marks his followers.
Chapter 14...
the Lamb marks His people.
Both kingdoms have citizens.
Both kingdoms have a king.
Both kingdoms have a mark.
The only question is:
Whose name do you bear?
Church...
your greatest identity isn't Baptist.
It's not Republican.
It's not Democrat.
It's not conservative.
It's not liberal.
It's not your career.
It's not your degree.
It's not your failures.
If you belong to Christ...
your identity has already been settled by heaven.
Then John hears something.
Then John hears something.
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.
A sound like rushing waters.
Like loud thunder.
Like harpists playing.
Think about the contrast.
Chapter 13 ended with the whole earth worshiping the Beast.
Now chapter 14 opens… with heaven worshiping the Lamb.
The world's worship was loud.
But heaven's worship is louder.
Culture can be noisy.
Babylon can be persuasive.
Sin can be attractive.
But none of it can drown out the song surrounding the throne.
Warren Wiersbe says it best here, and I couldn't improve on it.
"Better to reign with Christ forever, than to reign with Antichrist for a few years."
Exactly.
The applause of this world never lasts.
The worship of Christ never ends.
Illustration
Imagine walking into a stadium during the fourth quarter.
One crowd is screaming.
One team looks unstoppable.
But then you glance at the scoreboard.
The noise suddenly doesn't matter nearly as much.
Revelation 14 lets us see heaven's scoreboard.
The Lamb hasn't lost.
Then John tells us what these people are like.
Then John tells us what these people are like.
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. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
This is probably the most debated section in the chapter.
"They have not defiled themselves..."
"They are virgins..."
"They follow the Lamb..."
"They are firstfruits..."
"No lie was found in their mouths..."
Let's keep John's emphasis.
Several commentators note that the language points beyond mere celibacy to covenant faithfulness, spiritual purity, and unwavering loyalty to Christ, drawing on Old Testament holy war imagery and prophetic descriptions of spiritual adultery.
In other words...
John isn't primarily teaching a lesson about marriage.
He's describing people who refused to compromise.
While everyone else bowed… they stood.
While everyone else worshiped the Beast… they followed the Lamb.
Notice that phrase.
"They follow the Lamb wherever He goes."
That might be my favorite part in this entire section.
Following Jesus isn't just believing something about Him.
It's belonging to Him.
It's walking behind Him.
It's trusting Him when the road gets hard.
It's staying with Him even when the crowd walks away.
That's discipleship.
That's allegiance.
Tony Evans summarizes this beautifully when he points out that these believers are characterized by:
their moral purity, truthfulness, and continual devotion to the Lamb.
Their lives reveal that they belong to Him.
Their identity isn't merely confessed—it is displayed.
Church...
that's what Revelation is calling us to.
Not perfection.
Faithfulness.
Not sinless lives.
Loyal lives.
Not people who never struggle.
People who never stop following Jesus.
LANDING MOVEMENT ONE
LANDING MOVEMENT ONE
Let's go back to the question we asked at the beginning.
Does the Beast win?
John says,
Look again.
The Lamb is still standing.
His people are still standing.
Heaven is still singing.
The Kingdom is still advancing.
Hope is still alive.
But then...
John looks again.
Because as wonderful as this vision is...
there are still millions of people who haven't chosen their King.
And before judgment falls...
God does something that should leave every one of us amazed.
He sends the gospel one more time.
MOVEMENT TWO
MOVEMENT TWO
Listen Carefully: The World Is Still Being Warned Revelation 14:6–13
Listen Carefully: The World Is Still Being Warned Revelation 14:6–13
John has just shown us heaven.
The Lamb is standing.
His people are safe.
Heaven is singing.
You almost expect John to move immediately into judgment.
Instead...
he looks again.
Verse 6.
Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people.
"Then I saw another angel flying in midair..."
What happens next should surprise us.
After everything humanity has done… God still sends the gospel.
Church… don't miss how incredible that is.
We've already watched:
The seals opened.
The trumpets blown.
The Dragon rage.
The Beast deceive.
The False Prophet perform miracles.
The saints persecuted.
The world reject Christ.
And yet...
God still reaches out.
That tells us something about the heart of God.
God's judgment is real.
But His patience is astonishing.
Peter would later write,
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
"The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise...but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
That's exactly what Revelation 14 shows us.
Before judgment comes… God speaks one more time.
The First Angel
The First Angel
Mercy Still Speaks (vv.6–7)
Mercy Still Speaks (vv.6–7)
Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Notice what the angel carries.
Not lightning.
Not wrath.
The Gospel.
John calls it:
"The eternal gospel."
The gospel doesn't change because the age changes.
It was good news in Genesis.
It was good news at Calvary.
It's good news during the Tribulation.
It's still good news tonight.
The invitation is simple.
Fear God.
Give Him glory.
Worship your Creator.
Why?
Because...
"The hour of His judgment has come."
Notice something.
Judgment doesn't erase mercy.
Judgment proves mercy was offered.
One commentator observed that it is remarkable that even after the Beast has deceived the nations and persecution has spread across the earth, God still proclaims the gospel before bringing final judgment.
Church… that is grace.
Every warning in Scripture… is an invitation.
Every call to repentance… is evidence that God still desires sinners to come home.
Application
Maybe someone walked into church tonight believing you've gone too far.
You've sinned too much.
You've wandered too long.
Can I encourage you?
If God was still extending mercy during the darkest days of the Tribulation… He's certainly extending mercy to you tonight.
If you're breathing… God's invitation still stands.
Transition
Transition
But mercy always demands a response.
The Gospel never leaves us where it found us.
It calls us to make a decision.
John hears another voice.
The Second Angel
The Second Angel
The Kingdoms of This World Will Fall (v.8)
The Kingdoms of This World Will Fall (v.8)
A second angel followed and said, “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
The second angel speaks only one sentence.
"Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!"
Wait a minute.
Babylon hasn't fallen yet.
Why does John speak in the past tense?
Because when God declares something… its fulfillment is certain.
Prophecy sometimes speaks of future events as though they've already happened because God's promises are absolutely trustworthy.
Babylon represents far more than one city.
Throughout Revelation… Babylon becomes the symbol of humanity organized against God.
A world built on pride.
Pleasure.
Power.
Self-sufficiency.
False worship.
Babylon is every system that whispers:
"You don't need God."
Church… Babylon always looks permanent.
Rome looked permanent.
The Soviet Union looked permanent.
Every empire believes it will last forever.
Every idol promises lasting satisfaction.
Every sinful pleasure tells you it'll fulfill you.
But every Babylon eventually falls.
John wants believers to know something.
Don't build your life on what God has already declared will collapse.
Tony Evans describes Babylon as the system of false religion and rebellion against God that ultimately proves temporary despite its apparent power.
Everything built apart from Christ has an expiration date.
Everything.
Application
Don't anchor your identity to a kingdom that's already under judgment.
Build your life on the Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Transition
Transition
The first angel offered mercy.
The second angel announced Babylon's collapse.
Now… the third angel raises the warning to its highest level.
The Third Angel
The Third Angel
Every Choice Has an Eternal Destination (vv.9–11)
Every Choice Has an Eternal Destination (vv.9–11)
A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
These are some of the most sobering verses in all of Scripture.
The angel warns anyone who worships the Beast and receives his mark.
Notice what John is doing.
He's not trying to answer every question about the mark.
He's showing where that road ends.
This isn't speculation.
This is destination.
If chapter 13 asks,
"Will you worship the Beast?"
Chapter 14 asks,
"Where does that worship lead?"
The answer is terrifying.
God's wrath.
Torment.
No rest.
Church… we should never preach these verses with excitement.
We should preach them with tears.
Jesus Himself spoke more about hell than anyone else in Scripture.
Not because He delighted in judgment… but because He loved sinners enough to warn them.
We won’t linger on speculative questions.
We will let the warning remain a warning.
That's what John is doing.
Hell isn't here to satisfy curiosity. It's here to awaken repentance.
Illustration
Imagine driving through the Texas panhandle and hearing a tornado siren.
Nobody hears that siren and says,
"How rude."
The siren is an act of mercy.
It exists because danger is real.
God's warnings function the same way.
He warns because He loves.
He warns because there is still time.
Transition
Transition
If John stopped there… the church would probably leave discouraged again.
But notice what he does next.
He turns away from the world… and looks directly at believers.
John Looks at the Church
John Looks at the Church
Stay Faithful, It Will Be Worth It (vv.12–13)
Stay Faithful, It Will Be Worth It (vv.12–13)
This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Verse 12 may be the heartbeat of the entire chapter.
"This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God..."
Almost every commentator we studied identifies this verse as the hinge of the chapter.
It's as though John pauses the vision and says,
Church… this is why you keep going.
This… is why you don't compromise.
This… is why you don't bow.
This… is why you don't quit.
Because you've already seen how the story ends.
Then comes one of the sweetest promises in Revelation.
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on."
Imagine hearing those words as a first-century Christian.
Some of them would soon die for following Jesus.
John says, You're blessed.
Not because death is good.
But because death is no longer the end.
Notice the contrast John has been building all chapter.
Followers of the Beast...
have no rest.
Followers of the Lamb...
enter rest.
Eternal rest for believers stands in direct opposition to the endless unrest experienced by those who reject Christ.
Church… the world says,
"Following Jesus will cost you everything."
Revelation says,
"Following Jesus is worth everything."
"The one you follow is crucial. The one you worship is decisive."
That's the decision every person must make.
LANDING MOVEMENT TWO
LANDING MOVEMENT TWO
Let's stop and look back.
John has shown us:
The Lamb.
The Gospel.
Babylon.
Judgment.
Perseverance.
He's answering the question chapter 13 left hanging.
Is following Jesus worth it?
John's answer couldn't be clearer.
Yes.
Even if culture mocks you.
Even if following Jesus costs you friendships.
Even if obedience costs you opportunities.
Even if faithfulness costs you your life.
Stay with the Lamb.
Because Babylon falls.
The Beast falls.
But those who belong to Christ...
stand forever.
Now… John looks one final time.
The invitations have been given.
The warnings have been sounded.
History reaches its final scene.
The harvest has arrived.
MOVEMENT THREE
MOVEMENT THREE
Live Ready
Live Ready
The Harvest Finally Comes
The Harvest Finally Comes
Revelation 14:14–20
Revelation 14:14–20
John has shown us heaven.
He's shown us the gospel.
He's shown us the warning.
He's encouraged the church.
Now...
he looks one final time.
Verse 14.
I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
"I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man..."
Immediately our minds should go back to Daniel 7.
Daniel saw this same figure.
The Son of Man.
The One given everlasting dominion.
The King whose kingdom would never end.
John is telling us something profound.
The Lamb who stood on Mount Zion… is now revealed as the King who rules the nations.
The One who wore a crown of thorns… now wears a golden crown.
The One who once stretched out His hands on a cross… now holds a sickle.
The Savior has become the Judge.
Church… don't miss this.
The same Jesus who welcomes sinners today… will judge sinners one day.
That is why the gospel is so urgent.
The King Has Waited Long Enough (vv.14–16)
The King Has Waited Long Enough (vv.14–16)
I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
An angel comes from the temple and announces,
"Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
That word "ripe" is fascinating.
John MacArthur notes that the Greek carries the idea of something that has become fully ripe—even overripe—ready for harvest.
In other words… God isn't judging the world because He suddenly became angry.
He's judging because rebellion has fully matured.
Think about everything we've already seen in Revelation.
God has warned.
God has called.
God has waited.
God has sent witnesses.
God has sent prophets.
God has sent judgments meant to produce repentance.
God has even proclaimed the gospel through an angel in the heavens.
Every opportunity has been given.
Now… the harvest is ready.
God does not strike at the first hint of rebellion but waits until sin has matured into an unmistakable pattern before bringing judgment.
Church...that is both terrifying… and comforting.
Terrifying because no one escapes God's justice.
Comforting because no one will ever be judged unfairly.
Abraham asked the question thousands of years earlier:
Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
"Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
Revelation 14 answers.
Yes.
Always.
Application
Application
Sometimes we wonder why evil continues.
Why corrupt leaders prosper.
Why wicked people seem successful.
Why injustice continues.
The answer isn't that God doesn't care.
The answer is that God is patient.
Never confuse God's patience...
with God's permission.
Just because judgment hasn't come...
doesn't mean it isn't coming.
Then John Sees Another Harvest (vv.17–20)
Then John Sees Another Harvest (vv.17–20)
Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Another angel appears.
Another sickle.
Another harvest.
This time...
the imagery changes.
Now John sees a vineyard.
The grapes are gathered.
Thrown into the great winepress of God's wrath.
The imagery is shocking.
It should be.
John is borrowing language from Isaiah 63 and Joel 3, where the winepress symbolizes God's righteous judgment against evil.
Isa 63:1-6
Joel 3:13
Throughout the Old Testament, the winepress wasn't merely about crushing grapes.
It became a picture of God crushing wickedness.
Notice something important.
The emphasis isn't violence for violence's sake.
The emphasis is justice.
Every sin.
Every act of oppression.
Every lie.
Every abuse.
Every injustice.
Every rejection of Christ.
Nothing escapes the King.
Church… this is actually good news.
Because if evil is never judged… then victims never receive justice.
If wickedness is never confronted… then love never truly wins.
The cross tells us God takes sin seriously.
The winepress tells us He always will.
Don't Miss the Contrast
Don't Miss the Contrast
Think back over everything we've seen tonight.
Chapter 13...
people receive a mark.
Chapter 14...
people receive a harvest.
Everybody belongs somewhere.
Everybody ends somewhere.
There are only two kingdoms.
There are only two roads.
There are only two harvests.
One leads to life.
One leads to judgment.
There is no third option.
I love how the Faithlife Study Bible summarizes the chapter.
It continually presents two allegiances and two destinies—those who belong to the Lamb and those who belong to the Beast.
That's exactly what John has been showing us from beginning to end.
LANDING THE FINAL MOVEMENT
LANDING THE FINAL MOVEMENT
Let's go all the way back to where we started.
Chapter 13 asked one question.
Does the Beast win?
John has answered it five different ways.
No.
The Lamb still stands.
The gospel still goes out.
The saints still endure.
The King still comes.
The harvest still belongs to Jesus.
History has never been out of His hands.
Not for one moment.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Church… the longer I sat with Revelation 14… the more I realized this chapter isn't really about prophecy.
It's about allegiance.
John keeps asking the same question in different ways.
Whose name do you bear?
Whom do you worship?
Whom do you follow?
Which kingdom are you building?
Where will your road end?
Because everyone belongs to someone.
Everyone worships someone.
Everyone follows someone.
And one day… everyone will stand before the Lamb.
I want you to notice one final contrast.
Revelation 13 ends with a mark.
Revelation 14 ends with a harvest.
But between the mark… and the harvest… stands a cross.
That's where mercy and justice meet.
The Lamb who now stands victorious is the same Lamb who was slain for sinners.
The Judge of Revelation 14 is the Savior of John 3:16.
The King who will one day gather the harvest first stretched out His hands on a Roman cross so that you could belong to Him instead of facing His judgment.
"The one you follow is crucial. The one you worship is decisive."
Because your worship reveals your allegiance.
And your allegiance reveals your destiny.
So tonight… don't leave asking,
"Who are the 144,000?"
Don't leave asking,
"What exactly is Babylon?"
Don't leave asking,
"When is Armageddon?"
Leave asking the question John wants every reader to answer:
Do I belong to the Lamb?
Because when history finally reaches its last page...
Babylon falls.
The Beast falls.
The Dragon falls.
But there is One still standing.
The Lamb.
And the only thing that will matter on that day… is whether you're standing with Him.
FINAL LANDING
FINAL LANDING
Church...
let's go all the way back to where we started.
Chapter 13 left us with one enormous question.
Does the Beast win?
For twenty verses...
John has answered that question over and over again.
No.
The Lamb still stands.
The gospel still goes out.
The saints still endure.
The King still comes.
The harvest still belongs to Jesus.
History has never slipped out of His hands.
Not for one moment.
Not for one second.
Not even in the darkest chapter.
But I think there's an even bigger question.
But I think there's an even bigger question.
Not...
"Does the Beast win?"
John has already answered that.
The bigger question is...
"Who will still be standing when history is over?"
Think about the contrasts John has painted.
In chapter 13...
the Beast has a mark.
In chapter 14...
the Lamb has a people.
In chapter 13...
the Beast receives worship.
In chapter 14...
the Lamb receives worship.
In chapter 13...
the Beast threatens death.
In chapter 14...
those who die in the Lord are called blessed.
In chapter 13...
the Beast gathers followers.
In chapter 14...
the Lamb gathers His harvest.
Church...
John has been asking one question in four different ways.
Who do you belong to?
Because everybody belongs to someone.
Everybody worships someone.
Everybody follows someone.
And one day...
everybody will stand before the King.
Don't Miss the Cross
Don't Miss the Cross
I want you to notice something beautiful.
Revelation 13 ends with a mark.
Revelation 14 ends with a harvest.
But between the mark...
and the harvest...
stands a cross.
That's where mercy and justice meet.
The Lamb standing on Mount Zion is the same Lamb who was slain on Mount Calvary.
The Judge holding the sickle is the Savior who stretched out His hands.
The One who will one day judge the world first gave His life for the world.
The gospel has always been this simple.
The Judge stepped into our place so we wouldn't have to stand under His judgment.
Church...
that's why the gospel is such good news.
Jesus didn't come the first time with a sickle.
He came with a cross.
He didn't come the first time to condemn.
He came to save.
But Revelation reminds us...
He will not come the second time the same way He came the first.
Today is the day of mercy.
One day will be the day of harvest.
To the Believer
To the Believer
Maybe you've been discouraged.
Maybe you've looked around and thought,
"It feels like the world is winning."
"It feels like following Jesus is getting harder."
"It feels like compromise is easier."
Can I encourage you?
Lift your eyes.
The Lamb is still standing.
He's still on the throne.
He still knows your name.
He still holds history in His hands.
Your faithfulness is not wasted.
Your obedience is not unnoticed.
Your suffering is not forgotten.
Stay faithful.
The story has already been written.
And the Lamb wins.
To the One Who Doesn't Know Christ
To the One Who Doesn't Know Christ
Maybe you're here tonight...
and you've never truly given your life to Jesus.
You've heard about Him.
You've been around church.
But if you're honest...
you've been living for yourself.
John would lovingly ask you one question.
Whose name do you bear?
Because everyone belongs somewhere.
There is no neutral ground.
Jesus doesn't invite you to clean yourself up.
He invites you to come.
Repent.
Believe.
Follow the Lamb.
The same Savior who warns you in Revelation 14 is the Savior who welcomes you today.
Don't confuse God's patience with God's approval.
His mercy is available now.
Come while the invitation still stands.
FINAL CALL
FINAL CALL
Church...
one day every headline will disappear.
Every election.
Every nation.
Every economy.
Every empire.
Every kingdom built by man.
Babylon will fall.
The Beast will fall.
The Dragon will fall.
But there will still be One standing.
The Lamb.
And on that day...
the only question that will matter...
is whether you're standing with Him.
So until that day...
Lift your eyes.
Listen carefully.
Live ready.
Because… the Lamb wins.
