WEBVTT 00:00:00.140 --> 00:00:04.600 Hey, I'm going to invite you to Revelation chapter 14 is where we're at together today. 00:00:04.900 --> 00:00:10.680 We started Revelation last week and or chapter 14, not the book, chapter 14. 00:00:10.680 --> 00:00:15.220 We started last week, and we're going to look at the very tail end of a few verses that I did not get to. 00:00:15.360 --> 00:00:22.440 As we then dive into chapter 15 and look in the book of Revelation, and when we get ready to as we get ready to read this chapter, one 00:00:22.440 --> 00:00:29.580 thing I want you to recognize with me, one thing that I, I am very aware of, I'm a little bit of a history nerd, and 00:00:29.580 --> 00:00:31.140 especially church history. 00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:38.500 I appreciate and looking at Revelation 14, I am mindful of how this particular section we're going to look at, specifically 00:00:38.500 --> 00:00:44.640 verse 17 to 20 was a very instrumental section of Scripture for our nation. 00:00:45.380 --> 00:00:52.580 And what I mean by that is in the 1700s, before we were even founded as a country, before 1776 and the 1730s, 00:00:52.580 --> 00:00:59.600 1740s, there was a Christian theologian, many described as the greatest American Christian theologian in 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:02.710 American history known by the name of Jonathan Edwards. 00:01:03.720 --> 00:01:10.420 And Jonathan Edwards was called upon to speak a share a message at a particular church, sort of as a last minute. 00:01:10.420 --> 00:01:11.350 He was not the planned speaker. 00:01:11.860 --> 00:01:15.180 He was asked to fill in and he goes back to his file. 00:01:15.240 --> 00:01:15.780 He was a minister. 00:01:15.960 --> 00:01:20.340 He goes back through a file cabinet and pulls out an old sermon, and he brings it before the congregation. 00:01:20.820 --> 00:01:26.890 And Jonathan Edwards was a very influential leader, but I would not necessarily say he was a dynamic speaker. 00:01:27.460 --> 00:01:30.880 In fact, when he was preaching, he was known to be pretty dry. 00:01:31.320 --> 00:01:34.830 And he would script out his messages and he would just read them. 00:01:35.160 --> 00:01:42.440 And one of the one of the things that he preached on was Revelation chapter 14, verses 17 00:01:42.440 --> 00:01:43.160 to 20. 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:48.340 And he brought this message to this congregation, which he was asked to speak last minute. 00:01:48.880 --> 00:01:55.960 And when he reads this message, thus began what we refer to today as the Great Awakening in American history and 00:01:55.960 --> 00:02:01.650 the Great Awakening was this revival that swept across our country, and many people came to know the Lord during this time. 00:02:01.800 --> 00:02:09.100 Some say the percentage of the church increased by about 25% during this time period, many people putting their faith in Christ. 00:02:09.300 --> 00:02:16.480 The text he was reading was this passage and the title of the sermon, "Sinners in the Hand of the Angry God" gives you an indicator of 00:02:16.480 --> 00:02:17.320 where we're going to go today. 00:02:17.940 --> 00:02:21.000 This is a very heavy section of the Bible. 00:02:21.020 --> 00:02:26.960 I get to be the pastor that talks about the sinners in the hand of the angry God passage today, right? 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:28.920 And so what does this mean for you and for me? 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:35.530 I think a lot of times when we think about the wrath of God, the anger of God, we immediately extrapolate it to our human experience. 00:02:36.640 --> 00:02:43.960 And when we think about what the wrath of God is, the anger of God, it is far different than than what we typically express as human beings. 00:02:43.980 --> 00:02:46.580 Usually when we talk about our anger, it kind of works like this. 00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:48.320 Things frustrate us, frustrate us. 00:02:48.420 --> 00:02:53.400 We bottle up, we bottle up till we blow up, and then we feel so bad about the way that we conduct ourselves. 00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:55.680 We've got to do a lot of apology and cleaning up later. 00:02:56.320 --> 00:02:59.920 Like we ruin our character through our anger, right? 00:02:59.920 --> 00:03:03.460 When it comes to the idea of God, God is not that way, right? 00:03:03.480 --> 00:03:08.900 God is a holy and just God, and God is very patient and gracious with us. 00:03:08.940 --> 00:03:12.540 And he continues to warn us in the Bible that one day his judgment is coming. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:20.300 And so because of that judgment, it leads us to this place where we can should consider where is our heart in light of that? 00:03:20.340 --> 00:03:27.340 In fact, when it comes to the judgment of God, you'll find in the book of Revelation that many of God's people look at the judgment of 00:03:27.340 --> 00:03:34.030 God as a very liberating opportunity, meaning, because God is holy, because God is just his. 00:03:34.420 --> 00:03:41.660 When we're on the side of God's grace, when he brings his justice, when he brings his judgment for God's people, 00:03:41.660 --> 00:03:48.800 it becomes a place of freedom, not because we're looking at getting back at people, but because we want to walk in 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:50.770 the peace of God's presence forever. 00:03:51.380 --> 00:03:54.610 That we understand that this world is not the way God intended the world to be. 00:03:55.040 --> 00:03:58.960 But God has promised he's going to restore all things in his presence forever. 00:03:59.500 --> 00:04:05.150 And he gives us the opportunity to find ourselves on the side of his grace, being liberated because of what Christ has done. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:09.060 And so in Revelation chapter six, verse ten, it says of God's people. 00:04:09.060 --> 00:04:16.500 They cried out with a loud voice, O sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:21.279 These are these are martyrs of God's people. 00:04:21.339 --> 00:04:24.480 They were following after the Lord, and they were persecuted and martyred because of that. 00:04:24.680 --> 00:04:26.680 And they're asking the question, God, when are you going to bring your justice? 00:04:27.660 --> 00:04:29.470 When are you going to heal the brokenness of this world? 00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:35.170 And when you read the book of Revelation, the first three chapters we saw together is written to the church in the here and now. 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:38.430 It was it was very much a in that moment written. 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:41.560 And then verse, verses four and five, it pulls back the curtain of heaven. 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:43.060 It shows God ruling on his throne. 00:04:43.900 --> 00:04:48.660 And so then, in light of that, God's people ask the question, okay, God, when are you going to reconcile the broken things of this world? 00:04:48.820 --> 00:04:51.550 When are you going to bring your justice against sinfulness? 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:56.080 And then the rest of Revelation starts to unfold that story. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:00.940 And then we get to the section that it gets starts to get intense, which is where we find ourselves together today. 00:05:02.080 --> 00:05:09.380 And when we come to a section of Scripture like this, I think it's important for all of us to not necessarily point and look at other people and anything 00:05:09.380 --> 00:05:14.560 like that, but really just look at ourselves and ask, where am I in my own relationship with the Lord? 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:19.420 And in Galatians chapter six verse seven says this do not be deceived. 00:05:19.500 --> 00:05:20.380 God is not mocked. 00:05:20.520 --> 00:05:23.400 For whatever one sows that he will also reap. 00:05:24.320 --> 00:05:31.260 And so what he's acknowledging is that you're giving your life to something, and the fruit of that will be made known. 00:05:31.700 --> 00:05:35.580 Maybe not immediately now, but one day the fruit of that will be made known. 00:05:36.200 --> 00:05:43.340 And for us as human beings, it's important to understand that the purpose for which you were created is only found in 00:05:43.340 --> 00:05:48.200 the Lord, and that we as human beings, we walk in rebellion against God. 00:05:48.280 --> 00:05:51.340 We often war against the very one who created us for his purposes. 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:59.220 And we as people are not free until we truly align our lives for the reason for which we were designed. 00:05:59.900 --> 00:06:06.290 Which means you don't find your purpose by looking within you because you didn't make you, but rather you've got to look beyond you. 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:14.120 Sometimes I'll compare it like this, that if I were to take a fish and throw it on land, or I were to take a monkey and throw it in the sea, and 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:15.620 the monkey could look at us. 00:06:15.660 --> 00:06:17.270 If a monkey could talk and say, you know what? 00:06:17.460 --> 00:06:18.800 I just want to do whatever I want. 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:20.720 You can't tell me what to do, right? 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:21.510 I'm going swimming. 00:06:21.840 --> 00:06:24.320 And this monkey jumps in the sea and the same thing for the fish. 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:27.340 And then you would look if you could talk back to animals. 00:06:27.340 --> 00:06:33.140 I know I'm getting weird here, but if you could talk back to animals, you would say, you silly fish, you foolish monkey. 00:06:33.200 --> 00:06:33.380 Right? 00:06:33.380 --> 00:06:34.700 Like that is not freedom. 00:06:34.700 --> 00:06:38.380 You weren't made to be on the land, fish, and you were made to be in the sea monkey. 00:06:38.540 --> 00:06:43.210 It's not until you put the fish in the water and the monkey in the tree that you truly see the freedom for which you were designed. 00:06:43.690 --> 00:06:45.010 That's how you were crafted. 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:46.300 You belong there. 00:06:46.680 --> 00:06:53.960 And it's the same thing for you and for me that we tend to shake our fist at God sometimes, whether we know that we do it intentionally 00:06:53.960 --> 00:07:01.460 or unintentionally, that we try to live life as if we're the kings of our own world, fighting for the throne of our heart, not realizing 00:07:01.460 --> 00:07:06.360 our freedom was only truly found when it when it's discovered in God. 00:07:07.740 --> 00:07:09.200 Because he's the one that made us. 00:07:10.180 --> 00:07:13.430 So I'm not truly free until my life is given over to him. 00:07:14.400 --> 00:07:21.540 In Revelation chapter 14 and 15 is one of those chapters that reminds us of how critical this is, that we all 00:07:21.540 --> 00:07:23.910 need to have that defining moment of answering what? 00:07:24.460 --> 00:07:25.230 What are you about? 00:07:25.420 --> 00:07:26.700 What makes you? 00:07:27.500 --> 00:07:28.780 Why do you do what you do? 00:07:28.780 --> 00:07:29.860 What drives you? 00:07:30.740 --> 00:07:33.360 And what is your heart ultimately given over to? 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:41.280 And as we look at this chapter, really, we want to talk about really I thought about talking about this section as 00:07:41.280 --> 00:07:43.380 finding your defining moment. 00:07:43.400 --> 00:07:43.500 Right? 00:07:43.560 --> 00:07:48.350 What is what is what's going to define who you are, what's going to determine because you're going to you're going to reap what you sow. 00:07:48.980 --> 00:07:49.140 Right. 00:07:49.140 --> 00:07:55.640 But rather than than just get the that specific, I want to get to the end today and talk about communion with God. 00:07:55.820 --> 00:07:59.200 We're going to see why I gave it this title instead as we work through this passage. 00:07:59.300 --> 00:08:02.200 But what does it look like for me to have communion with God? 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:08.400 Point number one in your notes is this remember who is in charge. 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:12.140 Remember who is in charge. 00:08:14.460 --> 00:08:20.960 You're not truly free until your life is given over to the one who created you for his purposes. 00:08:22.340 --> 00:08:27.920 You don't find your freedom by looking deeper within you, but rather beyond you to your God. 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:31.620 In revelation chapter 14, verse 14, it starts off by reminding us of this. 00:08:31.660 --> 00:08:38.880 It says, then I looked, John says, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud, one like a son 00:08:38.880 --> 00:08:43.980 of man, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 00:08:44.620 --> 00:08:51.640 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, put your sickle and reap, for the hour to 00:08:51.640 --> 00:08:55.460 reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe. 00:08:56.840 --> 00:09:00.060 So here comes this picture of the Son of Man who is about to reap the harvest of the earth. 00:09:00.160 --> 00:09:02.680 This is all the people that we've been discussing. 00:09:02.820 --> 00:09:05.400 We've seen this laid out in Revelation 12, 13 and 14. 00:09:05.400 --> 00:09:05.920 Right. 00:09:05.920 --> 00:09:13.260 12 we talked about the dragon in chapter 13, the two beasts that follow the dragon, which is really represented by political 00:09:13.260 --> 00:09:19.540 power and false religion and that people were bowing down to this beast in worship. 00:09:19.540 --> 00:09:24.180 And so that's the fallen, broken Babylonian world that will pass away. 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:30.680 But then there's the kingdom of God, represented in chapter 14, the very beginning by the 144,000, which is a picture of all of God's people. 00:09:31.280 --> 00:09:31.420 Right? 00:09:31.420 --> 00:09:33.360 So you have all these people groups talked about. 00:09:33.380 --> 00:09:35.380 And now finally, the harvest is happening. 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:43.140 But as John talks about this harvest, this judgment that's to take place, he starts with the recognition of the authority of God. 00:09:43.380 --> 00:09:50.680 And when he paints this picture for us, he describes him really in a way that we've seen very similar throughout the Bible over and over again. 00:09:50.740 --> 00:09:58.150 This started started in Daniel chapter seven, verse 13, where Jesus is described as the Son of man, 00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:01.880 the Son of Man, who will be the Messiah, the Redeemer, the rescuer. 00:10:01.880 --> 00:10:08.880 And it describes him as one coming on the clouds, which is a picture of deity, that God is the one who comes on 00:10:08.880 --> 00:10:15.940 the cloud, that goes all the way back to the book of Exodus, when God directed the children of Israel by fire at night, by cloud 00:10:15.940 --> 00:10:16.760 by day. 00:10:16.860 --> 00:10:21.060 The cloud is symbolic of the presence of God even in the temple of God. 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:23.520 It said that the glory of God was made known. 00:10:23.520 --> 00:10:25.610 The cloud of God hovered over the temple. 00:10:26.600 --> 00:10:30.100 And so here you see the glory of God made known as God. 00:10:30.100 --> 00:10:33.160 He comes into this world for judgment. 00:10:33.160 --> 00:10:38.020 And you see his authority as he sits on his throne with a golden crown on his head. 00:10:38.540 --> 00:10:41.400 And so Daniel, chapter seven, verse 13 paints this picture. 00:10:41.400 --> 00:10:49.240 And then even when you get into the Gospels, Jesus told his disciples in Matthew chapter 24 that he would return in this way. 00:10:49.400 --> 00:10:56.560 Or when you get to Matthew chapter 26, when Jesus is put on trial by the religious leaders and they begin to accuse Jesus and mock 00:10:56.560 --> 00:10:59.980 Jesus, and they kept asking Jesus, tell us who you are. 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:01.350 And Jesus was silent. 00:11:01.660 --> 00:11:05.780 And finally the high priest requests, he tells of Christ, declare to us who you are. 00:11:06.160 --> 00:11:09.980 And Jesus says to him, you shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds. 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:13.460 And this is where the high priest tore his robe, cries out, blasphemy! 00:11:13.460 --> 00:11:17.540 And they begin to spit and beat, and Jesus, and then take him to the cross. 00:11:18.340 --> 00:11:25.440 They understood that this was a claim of deity and what Christ was saying, that he ultimately is declaring 00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:26.220 deity. 00:11:26.220 --> 00:11:28.020 And then and he has the authority. 00:11:28.060 --> 00:11:32.920 And here in John, John or excuse me, Revelation John is repeating this idea to us. 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:39.760 The one of ultimate authority is coming, and he will judge, and he is a good judge. 00:11:41.580 --> 00:11:42.450 He is a holy judge. 00:11:44.900 --> 00:11:46.410 He is a righteous judge. 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:53.000 So the thought of God's judgment is a very sobering idea for us. 00:11:53.040 --> 00:11:57.880 Maybe leading us to ask the question, what will you do before a holy God? 00:11:59.980 --> 00:12:01.460 Where is your heart before him? 00:12:03.640 --> 00:12:05.220 What are you currently sowing? 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:09.280 What will you reap on this day? 00:12:11.040 --> 00:12:12.440 It's not something to take lightly. 00:12:13.660 --> 00:12:18.500 I mean, you see why Jonathan Edwards is looking at a passage like this would call it sinners in the hands of an angry God. 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:23.180 One day we will meet God face to face. 00:12:24.400 --> 00:12:28.860 It tells you in Hebrews chapter nine, verse 27, it's appointed a man once to die. 00:12:28.860 --> 00:12:30.110 After that comes the judgment. 00:12:31.500 --> 00:12:32.370 And what will you do? 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:36.740 Let me ask you theological question. 00:12:36.920 --> 00:12:38.140 You don't have to answer this out loud. 00:12:38.140 --> 00:12:40.630 In fact, I'll just encourage you not to because you might get it wrong. 00:12:40.760 --> 00:12:46.880 So is it possible to disappoint God? 00:12:49.660 --> 00:12:50.960 You talk about the judgment of God. 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:51.120 It's. 00:12:51.140 --> 00:12:52.640 I think it's an important thing to consider. 00:12:53.040 --> 00:12:55.640 Is it is it possible to disappoint God? 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:02.620 And theologians, biblical theologians would answer that. 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:05.240 Different than I think most people would answer that. 00:13:06.700 --> 00:13:09.740 I think the typical person would probably answer that. 00:13:09.740 --> 00:13:10.240 Yes. 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:13.580 And then the motive of their life would be. 00:13:13.580 --> 00:13:15.320 But that's why I came today, right? 00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:20.800 Because, like, I got to do enough good things so that God overlooks my bad things and I hope I've done enough. 00:13:20.800 --> 00:13:22.060 So he's not disappointed in me. 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:24.300 But let me just kind of squeak into heaven, right? 00:13:24.300 --> 00:13:25.640 Like we might think of it like that. 00:13:26.920 --> 00:13:33.980 But I want you to know, from a biblical worldview, it is impossible to 00:13:33.980 --> 00:13:34.740 disappoint God. 00:13:36.280 --> 00:13:39.160 And the reason for that is also what makes the gospel incredible. 00:13:39.160 --> 00:13:45.860 Credible because the idea of disappointing God is saying that I will do something in my behavior that will surprise God. 00:13:45.940 --> 00:13:49.160 Now, it is true that people will disappoint you and you will disappoint people. 00:13:49.280 --> 00:13:52.720 Because we have these expectations of each other, we don't always faithfully fulfill those. 00:13:53.320 --> 00:14:00.360 But I want you to know, when it comes to your life, there is nothing that you're going to do that's going to disappoint God, because God already knows everything you're going 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:01.230 to do before you do it anyway. 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:09.200 But that's what makes the gospel so incredible that knowing all the terrible things you may have done in your life, knowing the things you might even have 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:10.900 done, getting to church this morning. 00:14:10.980 --> 00:14:11.420 Right? 00:14:11.420 --> 00:14:16.820 Like how your family handled getting ready today or what might happen from here when we leave. 00:14:19.180 --> 00:14:22.360 God knew it all and he still chose to love you. 00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:24.680 That's what Romans five eight says. 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:25.880 He demonstrates his love towards us. 00:14:25.880 --> 00:14:32.940 And while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, that he pursued us and still gave everything for us by giving his 00:14:32.940 --> 00:14:35.820 life on our behalf, that we can find freedom in him. 00:14:36.680 --> 00:14:39.540 So it's impossible to disappoint God. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:44.120 But it's also important that we just ask the question, who's really in charge of my life? 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:45.830 Where is my where is my heart surrendered? 00:14:45.980 --> 00:14:51.540 Do I really find freedom in him so that we can get to point number two so we can remember what he will do? 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:53.600 Very simple points today. 00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:54.470 Who's in charge? 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:56.010 Point number two, what he will do. 00:14:56.660 --> 00:14:58.240 And in verse 16 it goes on from there. 00:14:58.260 --> 00:15:02.000 And it begins to describe as this the Son of Man. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:03.950 He comes with the sickle ready to harvest. 00:15:04.040 --> 00:15:05.180 Verse 16. 00:15:05.180 --> 00:15:10.000 So he sat down on the cloud, swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. 00:15:10.580 --> 00:15:15.220 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:17.340 And another angel came out from the altar. 00:15:17.580 --> 00:15:21.140 The angel who was has authority over the fire. 00:15:21.140 --> 00:15:28.560 And he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, put it in your sickle, and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:29.630 for it is great. 00:15:29.780 --> 00:15:31.720 Its grapes are ripe. 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:32.360 Verse 19. 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:39.840 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth, and gathered, gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:46.960 of the wrath of God, and the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press as 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:50.980 high as the horse's bridle for 1600 stadia. 00:15:51.900 --> 00:15:53.460 Just this last verse. 00:15:53.460 --> 00:16:00.760 If you're wondering what this is talking about with Stadia and Horses bridles, what it's saying is this blood flowed at four foot deep and almost 200 miles long, 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:03.630 and this is a river of blood being described here. 00:16:03.820 --> 00:16:08.620 So this is a very serious idea of judgment taking place here. 00:16:08.760 --> 00:16:15.780 But when you look at this judgment, it's important for us to consider how this judgment is taking place. 00:16:15.920 --> 00:16:23.370 In fact, there's a little bit of debate as to how this story is unfolding and why it's being told the way it's being told. 00:16:23.660 --> 00:16:28.940 What you see in verse 16, the first harvest that's taking place is actually the wheat and barley harvest. 00:16:30.140 --> 00:16:33.960 This usually is at the end of the summer and to the beginning of fall. 00:16:34.020 --> 00:16:34.810 Wheat and barley harvest. 00:16:35.460 --> 00:16:40.400 And then the second harvest by the second angel in verse 17 and 18. 00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:42.570 This is the grape harvest. 00:16:42.920 --> 00:16:44.100 This or excuse me, the. 00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:44.820 Yeah, the grape harvest. 00:16:44.820 --> 00:16:49.220 And this usually takes place at the beginning of the year in the late spring or early summer. 00:16:49.220 --> 00:16:55.050 And so you have here you have these harvests taking place all of the harvest year being described here. 00:16:55.300 --> 00:16:59.180 And so both of these harvests, you have the wheat, barley and you have the grape. 00:16:59.300 --> 00:17:03.920 These two pictures become very important to understanding communion with God here in a little bit. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:05.240 But don't lose sight of this. 00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:05.950 Two different harvests. 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:09.339 The idea of wheat and barley and the idea of grape. 00:17:09.900 --> 00:17:16.260 But what's interesting when you look at these harvests, some have asked the question, who is this harvest coming against? 00:17:17.420 --> 00:17:17.640 Right? 00:17:17.640 --> 00:17:25.200 And verse 16, you don't really see Roth talked about, but rather God's harvest made known this wheat and the barley. 00:17:25.240 --> 00:17:29.250 And so some people read verse 14 to 16 and think, this is the harvest of believers. 00:17:29.660 --> 00:17:31.460 This is God gathering his people. 00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:36.920 And then they go on and read verse 17 and on to the end of this chapter. 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:38.550 And they see this grape harvest. 00:17:38.620 --> 00:17:43.460 And they think, well, this must be unbelievers, because, well, it's talking about God's wrath being poured out. 00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:47.480 So there's two different harvests, the harvest of God's people and those that don't want to belong to the Lord. 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:50.510 But God is in charge of bringing both of this harvest. 00:17:51.360 --> 00:17:52.280 But here's something unique. 00:17:52.300 --> 00:17:54.070 And this is where much of the debate happens. 00:17:56.320 --> 00:18:02.400 When you look at this harvest, it's very clear in the first harvest that it's the Son of Man swinging the sickle. 00:18:03.520 --> 00:18:05.100 And this is what it told us in verse 14. 00:18:05.100 --> 00:18:06.280 It introduces the Son of Man. 00:18:06.320 --> 00:18:11.960 The angel says, swing the sickle, and he sits down on the cloud and on the throne, and he swings the sickle, and there's the harvest. 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:18.480 It's very interesting how quickly this harvest takes place is just one swing of God's sickle. 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:20.040 And it's this. 00:18:20.260 --> 00:18:24.160 It's this reminder for all of us when it comes to us meeting God face to face. 00:18:24.320 --> 00:18:27.850 You don't know how much time you've got, but it's just one swing of the sickle. 00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:29.420 And you could be before the presence of the Lord. 00:18:30.460 --> 00:18:30.640 Right? 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:32.600 So you certainly see the Son of Man. 00:18:33.520 --> 00:18:34.760 Swinging that first sickle. 00:18:35.780 --> 00:18:42.880 But then when you read in verse 1718, you see this interaction from two angels here and now rather than the Son of Man swinging the sickle, 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:44.180 it's the angels swinging the sickle. 00:18:45.700 --> 00:18:51.600 And the question people ask when they read a passage like this is, why is the angel swinging the sickle? 00:18:51.660 --> 00:18:54.390 Why is it clearly saying the angels swinging the sickle in this section? 00:18:55.580 --> 00:18:58.150 But it was the Son of Man in the first part. 00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:03.220 Why wouldn't it be the Son of Man, Jesus swinging the sickle in both places? 00:19:05.040 --> 00:19:12.460 I think John intentionally carries for us a mystery here, because I think John doesn't specifically 00:19:12.460 --> 00:19:18.980 define the idea of what the sickle is coming against, because he knows there's also opportunity for God's grace. 00:19:19.020 --> 00:19:25.360 And what I mean by this is you could read through this and think, okay, he's obviously just bringing his judgment against unbelievers. 00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:30.780 Those that are opposed to Jesus don't embrace Jesus. 00:19:30.780 --> 00:19:31.850 He's bringing his judgment. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:37.130 But others say, well, perhaps, perhaps that could be true. 00:19:39.380 --> 00:19:46.540 But perhaps the reason the Son of Man isn't talked about in this passage is because the angels are actually swinging the sickle 00:19:46.540 --> 00:19:49.120 of judgment against the Son of Man. 00:19:51.580 --> 00:19:57.900 Maybe in this passage, it's the Son of Man that's enduring the wrath. 00:20:00.600 --> 00:20:00.780 And. 00:20:01.300 --> 00:20:08.220 And when you begin to study the idea of God's wrath throughout the Old Testament, you discover there's actually a place for that repeated over and over again. 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:17.060 For example, in this particular section of the Bible, John is quoting from Joel chapter three, specifically 00:20:17.060 --> 00:20:18.100 verse 13. 00:20:18.900 --> 00:20:24.540 And if you read in Joel verse 13, you discover God's talking about his wrath being poured out against people. 00:20:25.360 --> 00:20:32.360 But then when you read the rest of Joel chapter 13, you discover God also talks about redemption and forgiveness in him. 00:20:33.280 --> 00:20:37.860 You can read about the idea of God pouring out his wrath in Isaiah 51. 00:20:37.940 --> 00:20:41.180 He talks about his wrath being poured out in verse 17. 00:20:41.300 --> 00:20:46.460 And then in verse 22, he then talks about, rather than pouring out the fullness of his wrath. 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:51.970 In chapter 52 and 53, he presents to us a messiah who will become our substitute. 00:20:53.560 --> 00:20:57.420 He says the same thing again to us in Isaiah 61. 00:20:58.220 --> 00:20:59.920 That God's wrath will be poured out. 00:21:00.620 --> 00:21:07.620 But again, the story of redemption is made known, or excuse me not Isaiah 61, Isaiah 63 A God's redemption is made 00:21:07.620 --> 00:21:08.320 known. 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:12.780 John is describing for us vividly the judgment of God, right? 00:21:12.780 --> 00:21:13.330 Don't be deceived. 00:21:13.520 --> 00:21:17.380 God is not mocked for whatever you sow, that he will also reap. 00:21:17.480 --> 00:21:18.880 And so you see the reaping of this. 00:21:18.940 --> 00:21:20.660 But the question for us is what? 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:22.640 What is embracing this judgment? 00:21:24.460 --> 00:21:31.210 You know, it's also interesting is when you study the idea of God's judgment as it As it relates to his cup of wrath from the from the grapes. 00:21:32.020 --> 00:21:39.420 If you look in the Gospel of John, in John chapter 15, Jesus in 00:21:39.420 --> 00:21:41.960 this story relates to himself as being the vine. 00:21:42.020 --> 00:21:46.980 And this is on the backdrop of Jesus having just celebrated communion with his disciples. 00:21:47.540 --> 00:21:54.700 If you remember in the Gospel of John, starting in John 13, Jesus goes into the upper room with his disciples, and John 13 he 00:21:54.700 --> 00:21:56.420 breaks bread with them. 00:21:56.420 --> 00:21:58.600 He has communion with them. 00:21:58.980 --> 00:22:06.960 This and then just a few chapters later, now in John 15, he refers to himself as that vine, that grape, 00:22:06.980 --> 00:22:12.540 symbolically communion, representing for us the Jesus who pours out his body. 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:16.160 For us he is absorbing the wrath of God. 00:22:17.660 --> 00:22:21.160 When you think about that idea, and then you consider it in the book of Revelation. 00:22:22.280 --> 00:22:29.820 What's amazing to me in Revelation chapter seven, if you remember, this is the first time we're introduced to the 144,000 00:22:29.820 --> 00:22:33.520 144,000 is a picture of all of God's people. 00:22:33.520 --> 00:22:34.680 We've talked about this together. 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:41.880 He says in verse four, I heard the number of the sealed 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. 00:22:42.180 --> 00:22:45.780 But then he goes on and describes not just Israel as being 144,000. 00:22:45.820 --> 00:22:52.820 He goes on in verse nine, after this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all the tribes and 00:22:52.820 --> 00:23:00.060 peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the lamb, clothed in white robes. 00:23:00.740 --> 00:23:07.740 White robes are symbolic of purity, being cleansed by the Lord with palm branches in their hands, and crying 00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:08.670 out with a loud voice. 00:23:09.180 --> 00:23:12.450 Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the lamb. 00:23:14.360 --> 00:23:21.140 If you remember in the gospel stories and Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the week he was going to be crucified. 00:23:22.140 --> 00:23:25.030 Bible tells us Jesus traveled into Jerusalem on the back of a of a donkey. 00:23:26.260 --> 00:23:33.340 And as he was going into Jerusalem, he was presenting himself as the final Passover lamb, the lamb who would take away 00:23:33.340 --> 00:23:34.220 the sins of the world. 00:23:34.280 --> 00:23:36.860 That's how John introduced him in John chapter one, verse 29. 00:23:38.300 --> 00:23:44.120 And as Jesus was journeying into Jerusalem, the crowd sees him and starts chanting, Hosanna! 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:45.810 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:23:46.020 --> 00:23:49.730 And they're waving these palm branches in celebration at Passover. 00:23:51.020 --> 00:23:58.040 The true lamb has come to liberate us, to free us from the wrath of God, to forgive 00:23:58.040 --> 00:24:00.400 us of our sins. 00:24:01.420 --> 00:24:08.460 And now, in Revelation chapter seven, you see the people of God doing the same thing before the presence of the Lord, 00:24:08.700 --> 00:24:10.660 celebrating who he is. 00:24:11.660 --> 00:24:12.140 Hosanna! 00:24:12.140 --> 00:24:14.500 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:24:14.500 --> 00:24:16.380 Salvation belongs to the lamb. 00:24:17.300 --> 00:24:21.230 It's this Lamb of God who becomes our substitute. 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:30.120 And as you look at Revelation chapter seven, the reason I bring this up is because when you turn to revelation chapter 14, which is where we 00:24:30.120 --> 00:24:30.520 are. 00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:38.680 Revelation chapter 14 begins with 144,000 before the Lord, all 00:24:38.680 --> 00:24:42.480 of God's people in celebration. 00:24:43.320 --> 00:24:48.700 And what's unique is when you turn to chapter 15, having looked at the 144,000. 00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:54.450 Revelation chapter 15, verse one, it reminds us, let me give you this last point to remember his redemption. 00:24:56.080 --> 00:24:59.720 Remember his redemption. 00:25:00.260 --> 00:25:07.260 When you look at Revelation chapter 15, you see God's people again, this 144,000, this picture of God's people, 00:25:07.280 --> 00:25:13.620 it says, then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last. 00:25:13.640 --> 00:25:15.990 For with them the wrath of God is finished. 00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:23.470 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire, and also those who had conquered the beast in its image, 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:28.740 and the number of its name standing beside the sea of glass, with harps of God in their hands. 00:25:28.820 --> 00:25:29.840 And listen what it says. 00:25:30.300 --> 00:25:37.820 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the lamb, saying, great and amazing are your deeds, 00:25:37.820 --> 00:25:39.240 O Lord God the Almighty. 00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:42.380 Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. 00:25:42.800 --> 00:25:45.860 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? 00:25:45.860 --> 00:25:47.940 For you alone are holy. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:50.500 All the nations will come and worship you. 00:25:50.560 --> 00:25:53.000 For your righteous acts have been revealed. 00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:58.250 There's singing before the Lord, the song of Moses. 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:05.520 Now Revelation chapter seven was looking to Jesus triumphal entry, right? 00:26:05.520 --> 00:26:08.320 The final moment, the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world. 00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:13.920 But Revelation 14, when it talks about the 144,000 and it talks about their song. 00:26:14.740 --> 00:26:16.590 They talk about the song of Moses. 00:26:17.860 --> 00:26:22.520 And if you study the Song of Moses, this comes in Exodus chapter 15. 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:23.860 Exodus chapter 15. 00:26:23.860 --> 00:26:31.340 The song of Moses is given to us, and the reason the Song of Moses exists is because of the Exodus being made known. 00:26:31.400 --> 00:26:38.620 And if you know anything about the book of Exodus, this is where the children of Israel, God's people, are slaves to the Egyptians, and 00:26:38.620 --> 00:26:40.660 God continues to say them over and over. 00:26:40.840 --> 00:26:41.920 Let my people go. 00:26:41.940 --> 00:26:43.080 Let my people go. 00:26:43.160 --> 00:26:44.440 And Pharaoh refuses. 00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:45.690 The Egyptians refuse. 00:26:46.280 --> 00:26:53.300 And so God continues to bring these judgments until he finally brings the Last Judgment, the 10th plague, which is death to the 00:26:53.300 --> 00:26:53.850 firstborn. 00:26:55.220 --> 00:27:02.280 And God says to the people of Israel, if you would take a lamb and sacrifice that lamb, and use that 00:27:02.280 --> 00:27:09.300 lamb as a substitute for your life, and take its blood and spread it over the doorposts of your house, when the 00:27:09.300 --> 00:27:15.200 death angel comes through the land, it will pass by or pass over your home. 00:27:15.940 --> 00:27:21.000 You apply the blood of the lamb to your house And the death angel will pass by you. 00:27:21.980 --> 00:27:26.260 And this became a picture that Israel celebrated every year, the Passover. 00:27:27.040 --> 00:27:31.860 That if you would apply the blood of the lamb to your life, the death angel would pass by you. 00:27:33.120 --> 00:27:35.240 Jesus ultimately being the Lamb of God. 00:27:35.260 --> 00:27:37.970 John 129 who takes away the sins of the world. 00:27:38.860 --> 00:27:38.880 When? 00:27:38.980 --> 00:27:43.360 When Israel was finally, finally liberated from their slavery with Egypt. 00:27:44.040 --> 00:27:46.630 It tells us that they went to the Red sea and they were trapped. 00:27:46.780 --> 00:27:52.860 If you know the story, they're crying out to God, and God parts the sea and they walk through to the Promised Land. 00:27:53.780 --> 00:28:01.320 They're liberated not just from the brokenness of their past, but they're stepping into the presence of God, the promises of God. 00:28:01.580 --> 00:28:08.600 And when they cross that Red sea, the people of Israel, during that Passover celebration, that time period, they sing the song 00:28:08.600 --> 00:28:11.240 of Moses of praise to their God. 00:28:11.600 --> 00:28:17.860 And when you look at Revelation chapter 15, this is exactly what's happening, just as you saw in chapter seven. 00:28:18.460 --> 00:28:20.860 They celebrate with the palm branches. 00:28:20.980 --> 00:28:22.580 The ultimate lamb who came. 00:28:22.620 --> 00:28:29.800 Now, in chapter 15, they're going all the way back to the time of Exodus, when the first Passover celebration is being made known. 00:28:29.900 --> 00:28:33.640 And they're reminding themselves of the liberation of God, that great exodus. 00:28:34.440 --> 00:28:41.440 Because ultimately, here in this chapter, they're recognizing that the picture from Egypt to the Promised Land was a 00:28:41.440 --> 00:28:48.560 was symbolic of the greater picture of deliverance God wants to bring to all of his people, that we would go from the brokenness 00:28:48.560 --> 00:28:55.860 of our life, the brokenness of this world, on this greatest greater Exodus journey into the promises of God because of what Jesus has 00:28:55.860 --> 00:28:56.660 done. 00:28:58.080 --> 00:28:58.740 In fact. 00:29:00.820 --> 00:29:07.940 On the night in which Jesus was betrayed, if you remember in Luke chapter 22, verse 20, he took the cup 00:29:07.940 --> 00:29:12.740 of the covenant, saying, this cup is the covenant of my blood. 00:29:12.740 --> 00:29:14.800 Do this in remembrance of me. 00:29:16.320 --> 00:29:23.460 You know, when Jesus is saying this to his disciples, he's sitting around celebrating the Passover with them, knowing that he is that Passover lamb, 00:29:23.460 --> 00:29:28.420 that they're cherishing their roots of the Passover with. 00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:33.520 Now, here they are doing what Jews do every year and celebrating that Passover during Passover season. 00:29:33.640 --> 00:29:37.330 And now Jesus is saying to them very clearly that he is that lamb. 00:29:37.980 --> 00:29:45.080 You know, it's interesting when they would they would celebrate that Passover celebration, that there during the supper time, there were four cups that they would 00:29:45.080 --> 00:29:45.810 drink from. 00:29:46.520 --> 00:29:50.980 And the Jews symbolically took this, these four cups from the Exodus story. 00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:54.840 In fact, it was Exodus chapter six on the promises that God gave his people. 00:29:55.520 --> 00:30:02.020 And so during this Passover celebration, Jews drink from four cups, and each one of those cups represents something based on the promises of God. 00:30:02.120 --> 00:30:09.180 And if you look in Exodus six verse six, he says this I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of 00:30:09.180 --> 00:30:15.920 the Egyptians, sanctification being set apart, the promises of God going from slavery into freedom. 00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:19.240 It's not just about what you're leaving, but also who you're becoming. 00:30:19.580 --> 00:30:20.640 This idea of being set apart. 00:30:20.660 --> 00:30:22.060 Then they had cup number two. 00:30:22.060 --> 00:30:27.260 He says, I will deliver you from slavery to them, which is God's judgment. 00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:29.280 God's bringing his judgment against sin. 00:30:29.280 --> 00:30:31.000 God's bringing his judgment against his righteous. 00:30:31.580 --> 00:30:33.100 Sometimes judgment is a bad thing. 00:30:33.100 --> 00:30:34.260 Sometimes judgment is a good thing. 00:30:34.260 --> 00:30:35.740 Depends on what side of judgment you're on. 00:30:35.800 --> 00:30:37.200 But for God's people, this was liberation. 00:30:37.580 --> 00:30:38.900 God's judgment brought liberation. 00:30:39.860 --> 00:30:45.420 And then the third Cup, he says, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with a great act of judgment. 00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:47.590 This is a cup of redemption. 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:53.700 The idea of redemption is being purchased from something for something. 00:30:53.800 --> 00:30:57.110 Redemption is a word used to buy slaves off a slave market. 00:30:57.760 --> 00:31:05.040 Whenever a slave was purchased, the purchaser would get a receipt stamp that said redeem purchased off the market. 00:31:06.040 --> 00:31:13.220 And when Jesus is thinking about you and me, we are a slave to sin, Satan and death, the wrath of God being made known. 00:31:13.420 --> 00:31:17.230 And now we're finding in this Passover celebration, there is redemption. 00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:18.350 There is freedom. 00:31:18.540 --> 00:31:20.140 We're bought from that. 00:31:20.140 --> 00:31:21.800 And for something greater. 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:23.740 And here's what's powerful, guys. 00:31:25.640 --> 00:31:32.740 When Jesus sat around the table having Passover with his disciples, the Bible tells 00:31:32.740 --> 00:31:35.220 us that Jesus never drank the fourth cup. 00:31:37.160 --> 00:31:44.180 In fact, the Bible tells us that when they had finished the third cup, they got up from the table and they went out to 00:31:44.180 --> 00:31:47.180 pray and they were singing the Hallel, the songs of God. 00:31:47.300 --> 00:31:48.990 This is very customary for the Jews. 00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:54.960 They were singing the songs of redemption, and they never returned to have that fourth cup. 00:31:56.100 --> 00:31:56.420 But you know what? 00:31:56.440 --> 00:31:59.360 Jesus also promises us when we partake of communion. 00:31:59.380 --> 00:32:02.010 We read it every time we do this once a month as a church, we do this. 00:32:03.940 --> 00:32:10.180 Jesus said that we will drink the cup new with him in His kingdom. 00:32:11.760 --> 00:32:16.440 That last cup is the cup of praise, and we get to the end of Revelation. 00:32:16.920 --> 00:32:21.140 We'll partake of communion together then, because we're going to talk about the marriage supper of the lamb. 00:32:22.200 --> 00:32:24.800 But it's that final cup of being with God's people. 00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:28.240 It's being in the presence of the Lord. 00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:32.420 It's celebrating what the lamb has done for you and for me. 00:32:33.320 --> 00:32:41.120 I think it's so incredible for us to consider that Jesus never finished his dinner with his people, but 00:32:41.120 --> 00:32:45.850 his desire is to drink it new with you in his kingdom, face to face. 00:32:47.560 --> 00:32:54.680 As you look at Revelation chapter 14 and 15, I am not confident one way or the other in the verse 00:32:54.680 --> 00:33:00.120 17 to 20, if that angel is referring to people, or if that angel is looking to the lamb. 00:33:00.200 --> 00:33:07.360 But I think John leaves it ambiguous on purpose, and I think the reason he does that is so that we would consider 00:33:07.360 --> 00:33:09.620 before the lamb. 00:33:11.320 --> 00:33:12.300 Who's going to pay for our life? 00:33:15.360 --> 00:33:18.410 Will it be you rebelling against God? 00:33:19.540 --> 00:33:21.240 Living for your own purposes and glory? 00:33:23.020 --> 00:33:30.220 Or will it be him, the true vine, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, not simply to 00:33:30.220 --> 00:33:37.380 just escape the wrath of God, but to recognize that God calls us into freedom in 00:33:37.380 --> 00:33:37.760 him. 00:33:39.020 --> 00:33:42.240 To live for something more, something greater. 00:33:42.260 --> 00:33:44.220 To define who I am. 00:33:44.940 --> 00:33:49.720 To commune with God intimately because Jesus is more than enough. 00:33:50.900 --> 00:33:57.440 And when we discover that, we realize in our gathering this morning, we're not here because, well, I don't want to disappoint God. 00:33:59.060 --> 00:34:01.970 We're here because a great God didn't give up on us. 00:34:02.120 --> 00:34:06.380 And he gave everything that we could have freedom in him. 00:34:06.600 --> 00:34:13.639 He redeemed us with his life, and we have the gift to know him and to live for him, because we've never been loved the 00:34:13.639 --> 00:34:15.580 way that Jesus has loved us to. 00:34:15.659 --> 00:34:21.719 To the extent that he gave his very life, that we could find our liberation because of what Christ has done. 00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:24.040 Let me close with this. 00:34:24.120 --> 00:34:26.320 There's a there's a man by the name of William Borden. 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:28.600 He's actually he looks a little bit older in this picture. 00:34:28.600 --> 00:34:30.280 I think he's somewhere around 25 years old. 00:34:30.400 --> 00:34:36.000 But he was the heir to the Borden name, the family that owned all of the milk products. 00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:38.900 If you've ever seen this, you know Borden milk, right? 00:34:38.900 --> 00:34:41.719 And as a young man, he graduated at 16 years old. 00:34:41.719 --> 00:34:46.080 And as at his graduation, his parents gave him the gift of being able to travel the world. 00:34:46.139 --> 00:34:48.610 So at 16, he graduated and he went on a world trip. 00:34:49.540 --> 00:34:56.699 And when he finally came home he came to his parents and said, the Lord used that trip to work on him, and he actually wanted 00:34:56.699 --> 00:34:58.500 to give his life to follow the Lord. 00:34:59.520 --> 00:35:06.600 And his parents were not pleased with his decision because he wanted to not follow after the Borden family name and path and take on 00:35:06.600 --> 00:35:08.520 all the responsibility of that. 00:35:08.540 --> 00:35:10.190 But rather he wanted to go serve Jesus. 00:35:10.440 --> 00:35:17.320 But when he made that decision on that world tour, he opened up the back of his Bible, and at the top of his Bible he wrote no reserve. 00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:23.310 He eventually went on to Yale University and at Yale University. 00:35:24.100 --> 00:35:26.940 He lamented how humanistic the teaching was. 00:35:26.980 --> 00:35:34.000 There a university that was once birthed to teach about Christ is now teaching human philosophy, and out of his frustration, he decided 00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:36.860 to encourage the student body to follow after the Lord. 00:35:36.900 --> 00:35:41.540 And he began a Bible study where students were meeting and praying together and studying the Bible regularly. 00:35:41.700 --> 00:35:48.650 That by the time he graduated, over 75% of the student body were actively meeting in Bible studies weekly. 00:35:49.300 --> 00:35:56.400 When he graduated from school, his parents offered him a job with a company making a good bit of money, but he turned 00:35:56.400 --> 00:35:57.940 it down and told his parents again. 00:35:58.260 --> 00:36:03.620 He still wanted to follow after the Lord with his life and his parents disappointed in him, didn't matter. 00:36:03.620 --> 00:36:07.180 He opened up the back of his Bible, and at the top of top of that he wrote no Retreat. 00:36:08.860 --> 00:36:16.060 He went on to Princeton University, got his Master's of Divinity degree, and during that time he felt the Lord was leading him 00:36:16.060 --> 00:36:18.110 to China to be a missionary. 00:36:18.280 --> 00:36:21.700 And specifically, he wanted to work with a muslim population within China. 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:24.190 And to do that, he knew he needed to learn Arabic. 00:36:24.780 --> 00:36:31.960 So before he went to China to serve as a missionary, he actually stopped in Egypt to learn Arabic to minister to the people in 00:36:31.960 --> 00:36:32.720 China. 00:36:32.860 --> 00:36:39.020 But while in Egypt, he contracted meningitis and died 25 years old. 00:36:39.020 --> 00:36:39.780 He passed away. 00:36:39.780 --> 00:36:46.880 His desire to follow Jesus was such an impactful desire that newspaper articles when he left to go 00:36:46.880 --> 00:36:53.620 to Egypt, wrote on the front pages of their newspapers this young man who gave up everything in order to pursue the Lord. 00:36:55.560 --> 00:37:00.990 There was a lady by the name of Mary Taylor who wrote, I think it's called Borden of Yale. 00:37:01.020 --> 00:37:02.880 It's an autobiography of his life. 00:37:03.360 --> 00:37:05.220 Just a couple of decades after he died. 00:37:05.400 --> 00:37:10.080 But she posed this question in her book, she said, was his life a waste? 00:37:12.080 --> 00:37:19.700 It's noted that just before he passed away in Egypt, he again opened his Bible to the very back where he had written no reserve, no retreat. 00:37:19.700 --> 00:37:22.140 And he wrote these words no regrets. 00:37:24.700 --> 00:37:28.920 Mary Taylor's conclusion when she posed the question, was his life a waste? 00:37:29.060 --> 00:37:36.080 Was to simply remark, absolutely not, because he used his life for the 00:37:36.080 --> 00:37:41.260 very purpose for which it was created, to know God and to glorify him. 00:37:43.200 --> 00:37:44.560 Guys, can I just encourage you? 00:37:46.320 --> 00:37:53.560 It's not about the quantity of your life that matters, but the quality of your life and 00:37:53.560 --> 00:38:00.600 the true quality of your life is only discovered when you find it in its purpose for which it was created and not just 00:38:00.600 --> 00:38:07.900 created, but also recreated in a messiah who gave everything by bearing 00:38:07.900 --> 00:38:12.680 the wrath of God in your place, that you could find freedom in him. 00:38:14.040 --> 00:38:20.560 That cup that Jesus symbolically put before his people was a cup that reminded us of the wrath of God. 00:38:21.420 --> 00:38:23.320 A cup that Jesus drank deeply. 00:38:23.400 --> 00:38:27.740 In fact, that's what it said to us in Luke chapter 22. 00:38:27.840 --> 00:38:29.660 Jesus in the garden prayed that prayer. 00:38:29.660 --> 00:38:32.440 Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. 00:38:32.440 --> 00:38:35.680 Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done. 00:38:37.060 --> 00:38:44.720 Jesus knows that it is a cup of wrath, but he is willing to drink that cup so that you and I can find liberation 00:38:44.720 --> 00:38:48.430 in him and enjoy the presence of God forever. 00:38:49.720 --> 00:38:56.960 When you look at Revelation chapter 14 and 15, it is a sobering text, but it's important to remember that God is also a holy God, 00:38:56.960 --> 00:38:57.760 and he will judge. 00:38:59.220 --> 00:39:06.300 And in that judgment God desires for you to find liberation which only he can bring through the Lamb of God who 00:39:06.320 --> 00:39:07.640 takes away the sins of the world. 00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:12.720 Can I just encourage you this morning if you don't know where you are in the Lord? 00:39:13.880 --> 00:39:20.250 It's very simple for us because Jesus paid everything that we come to God humbly and we just confess. 00:39:20.460 --> 00:39:24.800 God, I know I'm a sinner and God I know judgment comes with sin. 00:39:26.180 --> 00:39:28.800 But Lord, thank you for standing in my place. 00:39:30.100 --> 00:39:33.940 God, thank you for bearing the punishment on the cross that only I deserved. 00:39:35.320 --> 00:39:36.820 Thank you for not giving up on me. 00:39:37.720 --> 00:39:44.740 God, thank you for loving me so that not only am I walking away from this wrath, but God, I'm stepping 00:39:44.740 --> 00:39:46.410 into your grace forever.