Battling the Beast
Battling the Beast
Text: Revelation 13
Big Idea: Pledge allegiance to Christ.
Purpose: To explain the story of Revelation and to encourage people to pledge allegiance to Christ, and avoid the mark of the beast.
Introduction:
Two Christians were driving through an area where the road was being widened. At the end of the repair zone, a sign informed travellers, “Construction Ended. Thank You for Your Patience.”
“I think that would make an appropriate epitaph for my life,” said one of the Christians.
Life requires patience
-to endure the battle described in the middle of Revelation (12-14)
We have been looking at this story – seeing God’s work to reclaim creation.
-rightfully belongs to Christ
-dispersed his troops
-7 angels blew trumpet of battle
-Satan tossed out of heaven
-and defeated – took out frustrations on God’s children
Today – see the ongoing battle
-with the central thought of the entire book of revelation.
Textual Overview:
1. The dragon sets up a beast to be worshipped.
-beast has been wounded but not killed (like the dragon)
-earlier in this text, the dragon was identified as Satan
-satan is setting up puppet “gods”
2. Beast reigns for 42 months and makes war against saints.
-familiar 42 - short time (three-and-a-half years, 1260 days)
-question to be asked at this point – is this a chronological story?
-or is this a repeated story – going back and looking at different points
-during the same time frame
-that number – three and a half years – is repetitive – suffering
-repeated short periods of suffering
-has been consistent with world history
-has been true in the lives of many here
3. Saints are called to patient endurance. – this is the central verse of the text
-Perhaps the central verse to the entire book of Revelation
-Chapter 6:10 – the saints cried out , “how long”
Beast begets "puppet beasts" to lead to deception.
4. Beasts call for all to take mark
-mark required for engaging in life
-people ostracized for holding allegiance to Christ
-without beast’s mark – you are on the outside of society
-if you have Christ’s mark – you feel a sense of loss
-not being on the inside of the happenings
-Unable to make a dent - frustrating
The number of the beast is a riddle - 666.
Sermon Body:
Movement 1: *Satan is working to draw people away from Christ
His is not a pro-active strategy, but a desire to take away from God.
-trying to destroy saints, harm Christ's Kingdom.
-he doesn’t care whether you worship him, Allah, Buddha, Confucius, Sumn-Yung Moon
-as long as you are not worshipping God
Satan will work to get us to volunteer to move away from God
-by making things look beautiful
-think of the temptations that we volunteer for
-illicit drugs – not shoved down us, we volunteer
-telling lies – rarely under compulsion – we think there is a benefit
-(especially if we don’t caught)
Let’s take a brief self assessment
-most of the sins we commit – we volunteer
-can’t blame it on anyone else
-if we are honest – we will admit
-in moments of weakness, rebellion
-the way of sin looks appealing – we struggle to refuse
-in volunteering, we come closer to taking the mark of the beast
-submitting to its ways
-and abandoning God
Movement 2: *We are called to patiently endure the battle.
The battle belongs to the Lord.
Even though Satan will battle
When desperation sets in – no longer mere volunteering
-but will use compulsion
-and if we are weak, we may give in
-some have been asked to deny Christ at gunpoint
-some have been denied friendships based on their faith
-people in Asia Minor – were often outcasts – if they honored Christ
Trials endure for a period of time
-not often comforting in the middle of struggles
-but Christ is giving us His perspective
-He will succeed.
The question we have – how do we avoid volunteering
-whether by rebellion
-or through weakness
Action Steps for endurance:
Getting ready – putting on armor – Eph. 6:10-19
Truth – confession – who you really are
-not merely who you wish to be
-a realistic self assessment
-many people believe illusions about themselves
-they are funny, smart, flaws are minimal
-truth gives true assessment
Righteousness – handle yourself according to God’s guidance
-obedience
Readiness from the gospel of peace – to move, act, follow Christ
(See also faith, salvation, word of God, prayer)
Movement 3: *Evil may seem to thrive, but it will be short-lived.
This is the hope we have – that we are looking forward to better days
Exlpain 666
The format of this book – revolves around three sets of 7
7 seals that are broken
7 trumpets – that sound the battle cry – usher in calamities – Christ comes
7 bowls of wrath – yet to come in our reading – Christ’s judgment
If you look at 666 - corresponds to the three sets of seven
-the nature of the beasts ruling is this: it’s not yet over
-if you look closely at the 6th seal, trumpet, bowl, you will see
6th Seal – Chapter 7 – brings earthquake, and then a pause
-Kings ask to be hidden
-God pauses to mark the 144,00 – (His children)
6th Trumpet – Chapter 9:13-21 – 200,000,000 troops fight
-great plague – people to not repent
-a pause before the 7th trumpet
-angel says the time is now
-witnesses are killed
-great earthquake
-and the trumpet sounds
-the 6th was a pause – followed by final victory
6th bowl of wrath – Chapter 16:12-15
-6th bowl of wrath is poured out
-demons come forward to perform miraculous signs
-rally all of God’s enemies to make one last stand
-to pave the way for God’s ultimate victory
-it is a
666 – has often been a number of fear – devilish
-Here, it is a number of comfort
-represents the final times – brief time
-real power
-but right before the victory of Christ
Similar to a light bulb – brightest before it pops and burns out
Similar to a gas engine – revs highest on fumes, before it dies
666 – high intensity – that is a signal of doom
Conclusion:
No good human rationale – why the church has endured
-no weapons, military, land
-sometimes persecuted, slandered
-yet outlasted the greatest nations, empires
Today – we may feel the battle – Satan’s attacks
-to draw us away, compel us to rebel
But his time is limited – 666, near the end, pause in movement
-But God’s plans will endure even longer
And when we come to the perfect 7 – we will reign forever.