What is Sweet and What is Sour

Sense of taste is a fascinating sense

Salty

Sweet

Sour

Bitter

People like all kinds of foods that combine those tastes

Coffee with cream and sugar

Trail mix

Sweet & sour sauce

We use those tastes metaphorically

Napoleon Dynamite

“Sweet!”

Someone is “salty”

Provocative

Earthy or crude

If someone has “soured” on something or someone

Their feelings or thoughts have changed negatively

Bible refers to sense of taste in those ways

Mk 9:50

Mark 9:50 NKJV

50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Jb 20:12-14

Job 20:12–14 NKJV

12 “Though evil is sweet in his mouth, And he hides it under his tongue, 13 Though he spares it and does not forsake it, But still keeps it in his mouth, 14 Yet his food in his stomach turns sour; It becomes cobra venom within him.

Evil described as being “sweet in the mouth”

But “souring” in the stomach

What is sweet

Re 10:1-11

Revelation 10:1–11 NKJV

1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. 8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” 9 So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” 10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. 11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

What is Sweet

Is How God works

in us, with us, through us, and around us

We see five ways God is working in us:

1. He Shows Us He’s in Charge

Vv.1-2

Another angel

Not Jesus

More like angel in Re 5:2

Comes down from heaven

Clothed with elements created by God

Rainbow

Face like sun

Pillars of fire

Right foot on sea, left foot on land

Authority of angel spreads across entire surface of earth

Authority granted to him from God Himself

God’s authority has not changed

He is still over all of heaven and earth

Issue

Whether or not we submit or rebel against that authority

How much do you submit to His authority?

Are there still areas in your life where you still call the shots?

If there are, then that is an area of rebellion against God’s authority

2. He Shows Us He’s Powerful

Angel cries out and seven thunders sound off

V.3

Ps 29:3-9 “3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!””

seven voices of YHWH

above the waters--thunders in power in splendor

breaks the cedars

flashes flames of fire

shakes the wilderness

makes the deer give birth

and strips the woodlands bare

How has God demonstrated His power before You recently?

As He answers prayer

As He reveals His will

As He changes people’s minds and hearts

3. He Shows Us He’s Personal

John’s instruction

V.4

Do not write down what the thunders say

Why not?

For John’s ears only

A message specifically for John

God has been personal with people

With Moses

Ex 33:12

With Cyrus

Is 45:1-3

With us

Is 49:15-16

Has God been personal with you recently?

If not

It’s not because He isn’t available to you

It’s because you don’t want to

Yet God’s invitation is still open for you today

Mal 3:7 “7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’”

Return to Me, and I will return to you

4. He Reminds Us He’s Prompt

Vv.6-7

There will be no further delay

It’s going to get done now

Was God late?

No

He is never late

He’s just never in a hurry

There is not one example in Scripture where God showed up late to something

So God is not late or slow in acting with us

When we feel like He is

It’s likely because He is doing one or two things

Adjusting you to Himself

Adjusting your environment

People in your life

Events in your life

5. He Shows Us He’s Good

The mystery of God would be completed

V.7

Mystery

μυστήριον

“that which was not known before, but has been revealed to a few”

How would it be completed?

As He declared it to His servants the prophets

God already called it

But How does God see this fulfillment of the mystery?

He declared

Aorist active indicative

εὐαγγελίζω

God sees it as “good news”

We say “God is good all the time…”

How convinced are you that He really is?

Can you see His goodness in everything?

Sometimes He will show you a fresh new angle from which to see His goodness

It may mean, however, that it might be a painful journey to get to that view

6. He Shows Us that We’re Wanted

John’s instructions

Vv.8-10

Take the book from the angel

Eat it

Sweet in your mouth

Sour in your stomach

Final word

V.11

You must preach again

Against many peoples

λαός

Loosely organized people groups

Against many nations

ἔθνος

Organized nation and government

Against many tongues

Languages

Against many kings

God is pursuing you

To bring you into a closer love relationship with Himself

That’s all

He doesn’t need your help or your work

He just wants you

But He brings us there by way of something rather amazing

Him working through us

Which requires us to know what He is doing

His will

Which requires us making adjustments in our lives to get to the point where we obey Him

This is why we exist

To know Him more deeply

To then make Him known

Now What?

What is sour

What life is like apart from Jesus Christ

Not only now

A life of no

Meaning

Joy

Hope

Peace

But also later

When you think of what will happen to people who leave this world without Jesus

When you put a name and a face to that person

When you realize that You serve as an ambassador to the Lord Jesus Christ

Get back to your 5 tasks:

Know his/her name

Know his/her story

Pray regularly for him/her

Serve him/her

Share with him/her

What Will You Do?

Need to be certain you have everlasting life?

Text: “LIFE” to 858.210.0291

Need to commit/recommit to being Jesus’ Ambassador this week?

Text: “REPRESENT” to 858.210.0291

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