The Last Trumpet

Lead Vocalist (Kelly)

Welcome & Announcements (Sterling)

Good morning family!

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Now please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart for worship.

Call to Worship (1 Corinthians 15:51-55)

Prayer of Praise (Amanda Loncar)

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

We Too Have Overcome

Prayer of Confession (Sam Hamontree), Presumption

Assurance of Pardon (Romans 5:6-8)

The Lord Is My Salvation

All Creatures of Our God and King

Scripture Reading (Revelation 11:15-19)—page 1225 in the black Bibles

Pastoral Prayer (Sterling)

Prayer for PBC—Help us to live in light of eternity

Prayer for kingdom partner—Mike & Linda Montgomery (Cru)

Prayer for US—School boards and superintendents

Prayer for the world—Niger

Pray for the sermon

SERMON

It was a crazy plan. Perhaps one of the craziest in all of military history.

As the people of God approached the massive city of Jericho, they were given a very unlikely weapon. . .

… seven trumpets?!?

Now, in the wrong hands a trumpet can be a very annoying instrument. But few would describe it as deadly.

And it’s certainly not a weapon of mass destruction.

And yet, God loves to win in ways people don’t expect.

So He commanded Joshua and the people to march around the city of Jericho for six straight days.

While they quietly marched around the city, seven priests would blow seven trumpets continuously.

Can you imagine how painful that would be? Especially if you were standing near the priests blowing those trumpets? To march quietly around an entire city with nothing but the sound of seven trumpets blasting in your ears?!?

Surely some were tempted to give up. This was the most ridiculous military strategy ever!

And yet, day after day God’s people marched on.

Until the seventh day, when they were commanded to march not once, not twice, but seven times.

And finally, as they finished the last lap around the city, the walls finally fell down.

For the people of God, the last trumpet was the sound of victory.

Turn in your Bibles, if you’re not already there, to Revelation 11:15.

This morning we come to the conclusion of the third cycle in the book of Revelation.

SHOW SEVEN CYCLES IMAGE

And much like the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho, this section features seven trumpets.

Four weeks ago we listened to the sound of the first six trumpets in Revelation 9.

These trumpets symbolize God’s warning to the world: run to Jesus before its too late!

Now finally we come to the last trumpet and heaven erupts in celebration.

Why? Because for those who belong to Jesus, this trumpet does not announce defeat. It announces that the battle is over, the King has won, and His people are finally home.

For everyone who belongs to Jesus, the last trumpet is the sound of victory.

That’s the Big idea I hope to show you from God’s Word this morning.

As we study God’s Word, I want you to notice three outcomes following the sound of the last trumpet:

Verse 15 says Our King Will Reign Forever

Verses 16-18 says Our Enemies Will Be Defeated.

And verses 18-19 says Our Faithfulness Will Be Rewarded.

Are you ready for these realities, friend? Are you ready for the Return of the King? Would you be counted among His children, or His enemies? Are you ready to stand at the final judgment? My prayer is you will leave here ready.

And if you are ready, you can leave here rejoicing because…

For everyone who belongs to Jesus, the last trumpet is the sound of victory.

When the last trumpet sounds…

1) Our King Will Reign Forever

Revelation 11:15—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 shall reign forever and ever.”

Some read this as the start of a literal thousand-year reign, but notice the text. It says “He shall reign forever and ever,” not “for a thousand years.” John had the vocabulary to say “temporary,” but He didn't.

So this kingdom isn’t a millennium reign on earth before the end, this kingdom is the end.

But for those who belong to Jesus, it’s actually just the beginning.

Every single one of you are living for a kingdom.

You’re either living for the Kingdom of this World or the Kingdom of the Lord.

You’re either laying up treasures on earth, or treasures in heaven.

You’re either serving some earthly master here, or you’re serving Jesus our heavenly Master.

Which kingdom do you belong to, friend? Before which king will you kneel?

In the gospel of Mark, Jesus begins His ministry saying…

Mark 1:15—… “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus claimed to be a King.

But He wasn’t a King the world recognized.

Like Odysseus returning to Ithaca, Jesus was a king in disguise.

He came to His own and His own did not receive Him.

But even that was part of His plan.

In His first coming, Jesus came in humility. He came to die.

Because of our sin, you and I are too filthy to enter the Kingdom of God.

Our sin must be dealt with, and that’s exactly what Jesus came to do.

He lived the life we should have lived.

He died the death we deserved to die.

Then on the third day He rose from death, proving He really is the King.

And when He returns everyone will kneel before Him.

But Jesus invites you to kneel before Him now, so that you can be welcomed into His eternal kingdom.

That’s what He means when He says “repent and believe in the gospel.”

To repent is to turn from a life of sin. To stop living for the kingdom of self.

And to believe is to trust Jesus really is the King. He really did live a sinless life, really did die a sinner’s death, and really did rise from death on the third day.

Would you repent and believe today, friend? While there’s still time?

If you’ve done that, you will inherit an eternal kingdom when Jesus returns.

When verse 15 says, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” it doesn’t mean that the world becomes increasingly Christian at the end.

It means Jesus’s eternal kingdom will take place here, on this world!

In the days of Noah, the earth was destroyed with water while Noah and his family were lifted above the chaos below. And then, when the waters subsided, Noah and his family returned to a renewed earth.

In a similar way, when Jesus returns the earth will be destroyed with fire while God’s people are lifted above the chaos below. And then, when Judgment Day is over, God’s people will return to a renewed earth.

Anthony Hoekema explains it like this: “If God would have to annihilate the present cosmos, Satan would have won a great victory. For then Satan would have succeeded in so devastatingly corrupting the present cosmos and the present earth that God could do nothing with it but to blot it totally out of existence. But Satan did not win such a victory. . . . ‘The world into which we shall enter. . . is therefore not another world; it is this world, this heaven, this earth. . . passed away and renewed. It is these forests, these fields, these cities, these streets, these people, that will be the scene of redemption.’” [1]

Christian, you don’t need to be afraid of heaven. It’s not an ethereal, disembodied, boring place where we float around on clouds and play harps. It’s like this world, but a trillion times better. Because it will be free from everything that makes this world painful.

Perhaps C.S. Lewis captures it best in the final book of his Chronicles of Narnia series when he writes… "And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

That’s what awaits you, Christian.

So don’t put your hope in the next chapter in this life bringing you heaven on earth. Marriage, kids, a new job—all these things are blessings. But they’re blessings in a broken world. And they often bring joy mixed with sorrow. So fix your eyes on the eternal kingdom of Christ.

And don’t lose heart when life hurts. Just hold on. The best is yet to come.

Because for everyone who belongs to Jesus, the last trumpet is the sound of victory.

When the last trumpet sounds, our King will reign forever.

But also…

2) Our Enemies Will Be Defeated

Revelation 11:16–18—And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

Now remember, the twenty-four elders represent all of God’s people in the Old and New Covenants.

There were 12 tribes of Israel under the Old Covenant, and 12 disciples when Jesus ushered in the New Covenant.

And, of course, twelve plus twelve equals twenty-four.

When the last trumpet sounds, all of God’s people are rejoicing because their enemies have been defeated.

They’re praising Jesus because “The nations raged, but [His] wrath came” .

They’re celebrating because when Jesus returns He “destroy[s] the destroyers of the earth” .

When Jesus returns, all God’s enemies will be defeated.

How should we respond to this? First, let me speak to the unbeliever…

You should run to the mercy of God.

Again, notice in these verses another clue that this is talking about the end.

Several times in Revelation Jesus is called the One “who is and who was and who is to come.”

But notice that last line, “who is to come” is missing in verse 17.

Why? Because these verses are describing what happens after Jesus comes.

This is not describing some future event before the end of the world. This is the end of the world!

Friend, when the last trumpet sounds, you will either be someone who fears God’s name, or you will be someone who rages against the King. You will either be counted among the saints or among the destroyers. There is no middle ground. There is no neutral third way.

Jesus Himself said…

Matthew 12:30—“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.”

Where do you stand, friend? Would you examine your life honestly? Are you truly following Jesus? If not, you can run to Him for mercy today. Cry out to Jesus right in your seat. Confess your sin. Ask Him for mercy. Trust in His grace.

But what do these verses say to the Christian? If you really believe our enemies will be defeated when the last trumpet sounds…

You can rely on the justice of God.

Most of us may never experience injustices like John’s original audience was experiencing.

The believers he’s writing to were suffering under the statewide persecutions of Emperor Domitian, who in some ways was even worse than the infamous Emperor Nero.

And yet, all of us experience injustice in this life. People hurt us, both intentionally and unintentionally.

When that happens, we’re tempted to fight back. To hurt people the way they’ve hurt us. Or at the very least to cut them out of our lives entirely.

But if you believe Jesus will pour out His wrath on evildoers, if you believe He will destroy the destroyers, you can trust in His justice.

As the Apostle Paul wrote…

Romans 12:19—Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Bitterness and revenge are simply a failure to trust in God’s justice. It’s a failure to believe He really will defeat His enemies.

Also..

You can rest in the sovereignty of God.

Notice verse 18 says, “The nations raged, but [His] wrath came” .

This world hates Jesus and His gospel. It hates you because you belong to Him.

But the world will not win.

It’s like an angry dog barking in a cage. It can make a lot of noise, but it can’t do anything to hurt those outside.

You do not have to be anxious when life hurts. Every pain comes to you through the loving hands of our sovereign God.

That does not make your pain small, and it does not mean you must pretend it doesn’t hurt. It means your suffering is never meaningless, random, or beyond your Father’s rule.

You can trust that whatever your God ordains is right.

Finally…

You can resist by the power of God.

Because our enemies will be defeated, you do not have to surrender to them now.

Perhaps you have fought the same temptation for years and have begun to wonder whether you will ever be free.

Christian, do not confuse a long battle with a lost battle. Sin may still wound you, but it will not finally rule you.

So keep resisting—not in your own strength, but by the power of God’s Spirit.

Bring your sin into the light.

Ask for help.

Cut off what feeds it.

And when you fall, run back to Christ and continue fighting. The last trumpet guarantees that this enemy’s days are numbered.

Because for everyone who belongs to Jesus, the last trumpet is the sound of victory.

When the last trumpet sounds, our King will reign forever,…

Our enemies will be defeated…

And finally,…

3) Our Faithfulness Will Be Rewarded

Perhaps you noticed a section in verse 18 that we glossed over. Let’s look at it again.

The middle of the verse says when the last trumpet sounds it will be…

Revelation 11:18b—… the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great…

This is a picture of the final judgment.

The day is coming when everyone—great and small—will stand before Jesus to be judged.

No one—not even the dead—will be able to escape that day.

Revelation 20:12 says all of us will be judged “according to what [we have] done.”

Every idle word. Every shameful thought. Every selfish motivation.

Every time we did the right thing for the wrong reason.

Every time we didn’t do the right thing because we were afraid.

Even the times we sinned in ignorance.

All of it will be brought before the Judge of All the Earth.

What verdict will you deserve, friend?

I know the verdict I deserve: guilty. A trillion times guilty.

“But I’ve done a lot of good things too!”

Yes, but there’s nothing here that suggests the Judge is putting all our good works and bad works on a scale and sentencing us based on which one weighs more.

The reality is your good works can’t pay for your sin.

Listen to what the prophet Isaiah said in…

Isaiah 64:6—We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. . . .

Did you catch that? Even your righteous deeds are like a polluted garment before the eyes of a holy God.

Expecting your good deeds to erase your sin debt is like expecting a miracle when you’re pulled over for speeding on the interstate. You can ask the officer to be merciful and not write you a ticket. You can ask the judge to be merciful and not make you pay the fine. But the fact that you drive the speed limit most of the time will not magically change the number the officer recorded on his radar. Safe driving doesn’t magically erase poor driving.

And good works cannot magically erase our sins.

Judgment Day is like a double-edged sword.

If you don’t belong to Jesus, Judgment Day is a day of great sorrow.

You’ll see just how evil you have been.

You’ll have no excuse for why you rejected Jesus’ grace.

And you’ll be sentenced to eternal separation from God in a place called hell.

But if you belong to Jesus, Judgment Day is a day of great rejoicing.

Believers can rejoice—even when our sins are exposed—because we’ll be reminded Jesus died to pay for those sins.

We cannot fully understand the beauty of the cross until we fully understand the ugliness of our sin.

If someone came up to you after service and said, “Good news! I paid your debt!” You wouldn’t really know what to feel about that unless you knew what debt they were talking about. If it was a $2.35 fine at the library, you might be grateful, but you’d be mostly unmoved. But if you had a $2 million debt and you were about to foreclose on your house and lose everything, you would be absolutely overjoyed.

The greater the debt that’s been paid, the greater the rejoicing!

The reality is, even if you’ve been walking with Jesus for decades, you haven’t fully comprehended the depths of your depravity. On Judgment Day you will, and then you’ll be overwhelmed with joy at the debt that was paid.

And believers can also rejoice on Judgment Day because our good works will be rewarded.

I know sometimes it feels like no good deed goes unpunished.

You care for aging parents, moody teenagers, or screaming infants with little to no thanks.

You resist temptation and nobody sees it or celebrates.

You give in secret and serve behind the scenes and nobody notices.

But the truth is, if you belong to Jesus, every single one of those good deeds—even things long forgotten—will be rewarded!

John Piper imagines it it like this: God has a file on every person with everything you’ve ever done or said recorded with a grade from “A” to “F”. On Judgment Day, God will open the file and lay out the tests with their grades. He will pull out all the “F’s” and put them in a pile. Then He will take all the “D’s” and “C’s” and pull the good parts out and place them with the “A’s”, then put the bad with the “F’s.” Then he will take all the “B’s” and “A’s,” pull the bad parts out and put them in the “F” pile, and put all the good parts in the “A” pile.

Then He will open another file—“the book of life.” If your name is there, He will burn the entire “F” pile, with all your failures and deficiencies. They will not condemn you because Jesus already paid the penalty in your place.

Then He will hold up the entire “A” pile and reward you accordingly. [2]

Every evil deed will be covered by the blood of Jesus. And every good deed will be rewarded.

So rejoice, Christian!

Because for everyone who belongs to Jesus, the last trumpet is the sound of victory.

But why? What makes that victory so certain?

Look at the final verse:

Revelation 11:19—Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

Do you remember where the ark was when Israel marched around Jericho?

It was right there in the middle of God’s people.

The trumpets did not knock down those walls. The marching did not knock down the walls. Israel’s strength did not knock down those walls. God knocked down the walls. The ark reminded Israel that their covenant-keeping God was with them, and He would win the victory He had promised.

Now, at the sound of the final trumpet, John sees the ark again.

God’s temple is opened, and the ark of His covenant is revealed. It is as if God is saying, “I have not forgotten a single promise. I have not abandoned My people. I have been with them through every battle, and now I have brought them safely home.”

The lightning, thunder, earthquake, and hail announce terror for God’s enemies. The walls of every kingdom raised against Christ are coming down. Every enemy that tormented God’s people will be destroyed.

But for those who belong to Jesus, the open temple and the ark mean welcome. God is bringing us into His presence, never to leave again.

Every enemy you have fought will be defeated. Satan will no longer accuse you. Sin will no longer tempt you. Pain will no longer torment you. Death will no longer separate you from the people you love.

And not one moment of faithfulness will be forgotten. Every unseen act of service, every temptation resisted, every sacrifice made, every prayer whispered through tears—your King has seen it all, and He will reward you.

Perhaps right now you feel like the Israelites marching around Jericho. You have been walking in circles for a long time, and the walls have not moved. You have prayed, resisted, obeyed, and waited, but nothing seems to be changing.

Christian, keep marching. Keep trusting. Keep obeying. Your God is with you, and He always keeps His promises. One day the final trumpet will sound, every wall will fall, and faith will become sight.

But if you do not belong to Jesus, the God who saves His people is also the God before whom His enemies cannot stand. So do not wait for the walls to fall. Run to Jesus now. Turn from your sin and trust the King who died for sinners and rose again.

Because when the last trumpet sounds, the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.

For everyone who belongs to Jesus, the last trumpet is the sound of victory.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Almost Home

Benediction (1 Thessalonians 3:13)