WEBVTT 00:00:00.180 --> 00:00:06.160 I'm gonna invite you to Revelation 19, where we're going to be together today, revelation chapter 19. 00:00:06.380 --> 00:00:09.860 And we really started Revelation 19 last week. 00:00:09.860 --> 00:00:16.880 And I realized based on the content of this chapter, I wanted to slow it down just a little bit, because what's happening here is significant for our 00:00:16.880 --> 00:00:18.300 lives in the Lord. 00:00:18.460 --> 00:00:20.500 And we looked at the first ten verses last week. 00:00:20.500 --> 00:00:24.840 We're going to look at the first of the next ten verses this week to conclude this chapter. 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:32.640 But the idea that we're going to be looking at together is really more of a prayer, and it's to ask the Lord to open our eyes, 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:34.510 to see things as he sees them. 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:42.200 And we're going to talk about three motivations for this chapter as to why our eyes should be fixed on him, why our eyes should be 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:42.580 open to him. 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:47.740 Really, some inspiring thoughts as it relates to your own faith journey in the Lord. 00:00:47.860 --> 00:00:55.100 To encourage us to remain faithful in Jesus and how we live our lives in pursuit of his glory 00:00:55.100 --> 00:00:56.450 to the benefit of others. 00:00:56.980 --> 00:00:58.360 So, Lord, open my eyes. 00:00:58.360 --> 00:01:00.630 And if you want to know why we titled it this. 00:01:00.860 --> 00:01:04.220 We're going to spend most of our time looking at point number one out of all these points. 00:01:04.220 --> 00:01:11.520 But the reason it's titled Lord, Open My Eyes is because of the way that John describes this chapter in verse 11, 00:01:11.580 --> 00:01:12.900 verse 17 and verse 19. 00:01:12.960 --> 00:01:20.000 You'll notice in each of those verses John starts with a phrase I saw, I saw, and then John goes on to describe the 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:27.300 incredible things that he's witnessing for the purpose of recognizing his own life and cursing the Lord in this, but also wants your life encouraged 00:01:27.300 --> 00:01:28.780 in the Lord in this. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:36.120 Because our tendency from a practical standpoint is that we can easily become distracted in our faith journey. 00:01:37.160 --> 00:01:44.200 And John knows a refresher, sort of a reset on the on the greatness of God in our life becomes critical for how we live our 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:44.460 life. 00:01:45.180 --> 00:01:48.820 And it's not to take away from the things that we do, especially routine. 00:01:48.820 --> 00:01:50.250 In your own spiritual journey. 00:01:50.600 --> 00:01:56.020 Routine is an important part of life in general, but especially in the in the practice of your faith, right? 00:01:56.020 --> 00:01:57.700 We look for routine as people. 00:01:57.700 --> 00:02:02.100 If you don't have enough routine in your life, you can get exhausted and discouraged. 00:02:02.160 --> 00:02:08.560 So we establish routines and patterns because you can sort of do those things without even thinking they become second nature to you. 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:11.420 And so you make thousands of decisions in a day. 00:02:11.440 --> 00:02:17.660 But the more decisions you're making without even realizing you're making decisions, the more capacity you have to make decisions. 00:02:17.660 --> 00:02:24.400 When you've got to be a little bit more aware of what's happening around you now, those are important even into your spiritual life. 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:27.090 Having a routine in your spiritual life is critical. 00:02:27.860 --> 00:02:34.860 But sometimes we in the midst of the routine, we forget why we do those things and the importance that 00:02:34.860 --> 00:02:36.980 they bring, the value they bring to our life. 00:02:36.980 --> 00:02:43.980 And so reminding ourselves of why we do what we do is significant to your faith journey, especially in 00:02:43.980 --> 00:02:48.750 terms of when you when you begin to realize you, maybe you have a pattern in how you meet with the Lord. 00:02:49.340 --> 00:02:52.580 But God has challenged you to some other things in your life. 00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:58.760 And rather than step into those things to do more or to respond afresh and new ways. 00:02:58.860 --> 00:03:01.850 The Lord, we can sort of get in the routine and just call it good enough. 00:03:02.920 --> 00:03:06.500 And what I mean is like, here we are on Sunday morning and I'm so happy you're here. 00:03:06.500 --> 00:03:13.600 And that's a wonderful thing to practice in our life, to gather with God's people, as he tells us in Hebrews chapter ten, to encourage one another in the 00:03:13.600 --> 00:03:14.040 faith. 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:16.580 It's an important component of the Christian journey. 00:03:16.760 --> 00:03:20.700 But sometimes we can just show up on a Sunday because, well, that's what you do. 00:03:21.300 --> 00:03:24.780 You know, it's Sunday morning and this is what we do on Sunday morning. 00:03:25.240 --> 00:03:27.270 And it's a good pattern to have. 00:03:28.020 --> 00:03:36.260 But let's be honest, if this is the only part of your spiritual journey that you that you have in the week, you're your spiritual 00:03:36.260 --> 00:03:43.360 life and Jesus is going to be rather weak, meaning you should desire and want to seek after the Lord 00:03:43.380 --> 00:03:44.740 every day, right? 00:03:44.740 --> 00:03:51.880 And if this is the only time you're spending in God's Word there needs to be something in our life that challenges us to grow 00:03:51.880 --> 00:03:53.840 deeper in our walk with him. 00:03:54.340 --> 00:04:01.800 We should want to seek Jesus every day in His Word, and we shouldn't even have to say that to each other because we understand the significance of 00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:02.780 who he is. 00:04:02.820 --> 00:04:09.940 And so maybe learning to challenge myself and the idea of man, I'm so thankful to know God, but I 00:04:09.940 --> 00:04:14.140 really do in my in my walk with him, need to personally seek him each day. 00:04:14.320 --> 00:04:21.540 And so maybe where God's challenging me is learn the discipline of knowing God intimately every day of my life. 00:04:21.540 --> 00:04:28.800 Or maybe if that is a routine of your life that maybe we need challenge to learn how to 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:31.240 share that with others, beginning in our own home. 00:04:31.640 --> 00:04:35.640 What does it look like for my family, then, to experience this faith journey together? 00:04:36.400 --> 00:04:43.840 That if we just get into this spiritual rut of doing things for the sake of doing things, we sort of lose perspective 00:04:43.840 --> 00:04:51.420 into the to the importance of what God not only wants to do in your life, but through your life. 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:58.580 There's a lady by the name of Gladys Aylward, who she was a missionary to China in 00:04:58.580 --> 00:04:59.420 the 1900s. 00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:02.980 She was born in the early 1900s, died in 1970. 00:05:03.060 --> 00:05:03.320 She. 00:05:03.380 --> 00:05:05.500 I think she was 68 years old when she passed away. 00:05:06.080 --> 00:05:11.920 But Gladys Aylward, when she was growing in her walk with the Lord, she felt the Lord pressing her to do more in life. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:16.300 And so she tried to join a missions organization to go serve the Lord overseas. 00:05:16.760 --> 00:05:19.310 Now, I'm not telling you when you know when you want to follow Jesus. 00:05:19.540 --> 00:05:22.930 That means all of us need to join missions organizations and go overseas. 00:05:23.060 --> 00:05:25.260 Utah's plenty strange enough of a land, right? 00:05:25.260 --> 00:05:25.520 So? 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:27.720 So you can do that faithfully here, right? 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.460 But what I am saying is it's critical. 00:05:30.460 --> 00:05:37.470 If Jesus is who he says he is to truly believe what he says and challenge our own faith journey in that right. 00:05:37.700 --> 00:05:40.880 God, how then, in light of the greatness of who you are, do I? 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:42.640 Do I let this be made known in my life? 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:45.100 How do I reorient my life around this? 00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:47.180 And for Gladys Aylward? 00:05:47.340 --> 00:05:49.240 She was told no by a missions organization. 00:05:49.760 --> 00:05:52.820 She was her occupation was a housemaid in Great Britain. 00:05:53.780 --> 00:05:59.330 And even though they told her no, she bought a plane ticket to China anyway and went and served as a missionary. 00:06:00.080 --> 00:06:07.150 And, one of the things I really love about Gladys is she would tell you like she was not the person that walked in the room and really surprised you with her presence. 00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:09.760 She was not necessarily this charismatic leader. 00:06:10.500 --> 00:06:10.600 Right. 00:06:10.700 --> 00:06:14.880 And for all of us, that's significant for us to think about in our relationship with the Lord. 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:22.440 Because, if you feel like you're the you're the all to end all, and anything you do for Jesus is because you're the most qualified. 00:06:23.060 --> 00:06:26.240 I would say humility might be the next best step for you, right? 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:30.780 Like anything you do for Jesus, you should feel underqualified to do. 00:06:30.820 --> 00:06:36.020 I can tell you, as a pastor, I've never woken up in my life and said, Thank God I'm here for today. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:38.420 You know, they really need me. 00:06:38.420 --> 00:06:41.140 You know, let's all thank the Lord for my presence, right? 00:06:41.440 --> 00:06:43.760 Like, that's never that's never been a step of mine. 00:06:43.760 --> 00:06:43.820 Right? 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:50.620 I've always I've always been very aware of my own fallen nature and weaknesses as a human being. 00:06:51.400 --> 00:06:52.740 But I don't do what I do because I'm great. 00:06:52.860 --> 00:06:54.340 I do what I do because he's great. 00:06:55.240 --> 00:07:00.800 And every day is an opportunity to take a step in him, to see him be faithful to what he's promised. 00:07:01.520 --> 00:07:08.580 Now, I'm not telling you I do that perfectly, but learning to challenge myself becomes a great place to stretch my 00:07:08.580 --> 00:07:10.320 own faith journey in the Lord. 00:07:11.440 --> 00:07:13.230 And it's the same for you. 00:07:14.260 --> 00:07:19.940 You know, learning to experientially understand what God says and the promises of his pages. 00:07:20.620 --> 00:07:26.350 Because this God that's communicating in the first century that we're reading in Revelation is the same God who meets us today. 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:28.720 And this is what John wants us to know. 00:07:28.780 --> 00:07:30.080 And this is what Gladys said about that. 00:07:30.180 --> 00:07:33.770 She said, I wasn't God's first choice for what I've done for China. 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:35.510 I don't know who it was. 00:07:35.900 --> 00:07:38.090 It must have been a man, a well-educated man. 00:07:38.420 --> 00:07:41.020 You know, here's a lady in the early 1900s doing this. 00:07:41.020 --> 00:07:42.830 And she said, I don't know what happened. 00:07:42.860 --> 00:07:43.980 Perhaps he died. 00:07:43.980 --> 00:07:45.400 Perhaps he wasn't willing. 00:07:45.440 --> 00:07:48.720 So God looked down and said, There's Gladys Aylward, right? 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:55.860 And really, that's the beautiful thing of following the Lord is when we take steps for him, and the goodness of God is made known. 00:07:56.760 --> 00:07:59.700 We don't then get to point back and say, it's because I'm amazing, right? 00:07:59.760 --> 00:08:06.820 We get to point to him and say it's because he's amazing, and learning to open our eyes to the greatness of who God is becomes critical to our 00:08:06.820 --> 00:08:07.640 faith journey. 00:08:08.400 --> 00:08:15.720 Lord, help me to see things as you see them so that as I take these steps, I do it in the in the glory 00:08:15.720 --> 00:08:17.160 of who you are. 00:08:17.940 --> 00:08:20.060 And this is what John is teaching us. 00:08:20.060 --> 00:08:21.840 Lord, open my eyes so that let me give you a point. 00:08:21.840 --> 00:08:24.240 Number one, open my eyes. 00:08:24.440 --> 00:08:28.640 To see life with you is victory. 00:08:28.780 --> 00:08:31.960 God, open my eyes to see that life with you is victory. 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:36.059 And really, that victory is all because of who God is. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:39.600 This becomes critical for our own faith journey, right? 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:46.760 Like, if I'm going to do anything bold in this world to make a difference, I want to have some sort of confidence that the steps I'm going to take are going to work 00:08:46.760 --> 00:08:47.210 out. 00:08:47.640 --> 00:08:54.030 And when it comes to my steps in the Lord, I really need to know the greatness of who this God is. 00:08:55.060 --> 00:09:00.170 Because if he's just a nice sentiment, there's not a lot of confidence that he's going to be able to execute with any authority. 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:06.340 He's just a nice I love you, God, but I need to know there's some fortitude to this God. 00:09:06.380 --> 00:09:06.680 Right. 00:09:06.680 --> 00:09:12.540 And then as I begin to discover this God, what I learn is who he is, determines who I am. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:18.700 And therefore, that foundation gives me the basis to recognize if I truly do have victory. 00:09:19.860 --> 00:09:27.280 But in terms of the Lord, my prayer would be for God to open my eyes so that I could see the true victory for which I'm established 00:09:27.280 --> 00:09:28.240 in you. 00:09:29.180 --> 00:09:29.600 Yeah. 00:09:29.680 --> 00:09:34.800 Understanding the nature of God is critical to your faith journey. 00:09:35.100 --> 00:09:36.700 In fact, A.W. 00:09:36.700 --> 00:09:43.700 Tozer in his book The Knowledge of the Holy the very beginning, really, of this book, he gives this, I'll say this thesis statement that then 00:09:44.250 --> 00:09:45.890 undergirds what the rest of the book supports. 00:09:46.400 --> 00:09:53.840 But he says this what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us, because 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:58.080 who he is determines who you are and how you perceive yourself. 00:09:58.500 --> 00:09:59.900 Your importance in this world. 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:02.060 God made you for a reason. 00:10:02.780 --> 00:10:05.280 I don't want to overcomplicate the Christian life. 00:10:05.280 --> 00:10:06.720 It is as simple as this. 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:08.920 God calls you to abide in him. 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:12.320 God has created you for relationship in him. 00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:18.140 To really exercise those spiritual muscles, to learn what it means to be strong in the Lord, in relationship. 00:10:18.160 --> 00:10:21.640 And as God works in you, he works through through you. 00:10:21.660 --> 00:10:28.600 Meaning, as you learn about the greatness of God, your affections for him grow, your love for him grows. 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:29.930 And here's what we know about people. 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:32.980 We naturally share what we love. 00:10:33.800 --> 00:10:40.800 And so you don't have to fabricate to others what your relationship with Jesus is doing for you, and the impact it's making in your life. 00:10:41.400 --> 00:10:48.740 Because when you're walking in him and you're growing in him, you're naturally going to pour out of you what is within you because 00:10:48.740 --> 00:10:49.980 God put it there. 00:10:50.980 --> 00:10:57.140 And so as your affections for God grow, it becomes critical understanding who he is and therefore understanding who you are. 00:10:57.660 --> 00:10:59.120 Another A.W. 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:06.420 pink said it like this the glory of the excuse me, the God of this century no more resembles the supreme 00:11:06.420 --> 00:11:10.310 sovereign of holy writ than does the flickering of a candle. 00:11:10.640 --> 00:11:12.460 The glory of the midday sun. 00:11:13.300 --> 00:11:13.420 What? 00:11:13.760 --> 00:11:14.260 A.w. 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:16.380 pink is saying this as he's looking at his century. 00:11:16.500 --> 00:11:23.680 He's seeing the way people were talking about God, and then he actually sees who God is, and he realizes the way people talk about God today is far 00:11:23.680 --> 00:11:27.420 short of the greatness of the supreme ruler of all things. 00:11:28.540 --> 00:11:30.800 And then he compares it to the idea of the candle and the sun. 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:38.840 And guys, we all have this tendency of overvaluing, overestimating ourselves and diminishing 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:40.060 the greatness of who God is. 00:11:40.580 --> 00:11:44.020 We tend to tear God down and elevate ourselves. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:52.480 And the problem with that is you really only find your true value as a human being not looking deeper within. 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:59.560 You are not trying to just simply puff yourself up, but rather in coming to the end of yourself and surrendering to the greatness of 00:11:59.560 --> 00:12:03.340 who God is, because God is the one who created you. 00:12:04.380 --> 00:12:11.760 And it's not until you find the glory of this God that you begin to see the true value that you have as a human being, and 00:12:11.760 --> 00:12:16.660 the foundation for which you should move in this world on the basis of who he is. 00:12:17.560 --> 00:12:22.400 And when you come to Revelation 19, this is this is certainly that declaration to us. 00:12:22.420 --> 00:12:26.320 And I want you to see how John lays this out, these verse 11 to 16. 00:12:26.340 --> 00:12:30.840 The things that he initially sees, and he wants us to gravitate to these ideas because he understands. 00:12:30.900 --> 00:12:35.450 Not only is this inspiring his own faith in the way he lives for the Lord, but it should challenge us too. 00:12:36.180 --> 00:12:38.980 And John here, he's talking in terms of a battle. 00:12:39.640 --> 00:12:43.100 He says, then I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. 00:12:43.760 --> 00:12:47.230 And the one sitting on it is called Faithful and True. 00:12:47.660 --> 00:12:50.820 And in righteousness he judges and makes war. 00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:54.330 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. 00:12:54.880 --> 00:12:57.890 And he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 00:12:58.140 --> 00:13:03.100 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God. 00:13:03.160 --> 00:13:09.800 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 00:13:09.920 --> 00:13:10.270 It goes on. 00:13:10.340 --> 00:13:15.620 Verse 15 says, and from his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 00:13:15.620 --> 00:13:17.680 And he will rule them with an iron rod. 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:21.270 And he will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 00:13:21.620 --> 00:13:27.400 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 00:13:28.640 --> 00:13:33.000 This is a God of incredible authority and power, and no doubt. 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:40.240 And here in Revelation, we're seeing this final battle unfold where the King of all kings is 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:43.100 taking jurisdiction over all things. 00:13:43.180 --> 00:13:43.260 Right. 00:13:43.300 --> 00:13:50.380 And he's warring against the fallen Babylon, and he's bringing, executing his judgment to show he is the final victor. 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:51.760 Now, this. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:56.380 This final battle is important to know who gets final say and who wins. 00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:56.900 This is critical. 00:13:58.160 --> 00:14:02.470 But it's also important to recognize that he has been as he's victorious in this battle. 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:06.440 We in our own faith journey today, we face multiple battles. 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:14.340 So who is ultimately sovereignly in charge of that and having confidence in how the 00:14:14.340 --> 00:14:20.760 story ends gives us confidence in our own faith journey today that this same God is walking with us. 00:14:21.660 --> 00:14:28.840 Now, in looking at a passage like this, I got to tell you, I a piece of me really appreciates where we are today in light of where we've been 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:29.740 last week. 00:14:30.520 --> 00:14:33.200 Because remember last week we talked about the bride. 00:14:34.160 --> 00:14:40.120 And while I love the pictures in Scripture of the bride, I don't want to be someone's bride, right? 00:14:40.120 --> 00:14:43.940 So that the imagery is significant to understand our walk with the Lord. 00:14:43.940 --> 00:14:49.720 But now in this passage, we're guys last week, If you read about being a bride, I just encourage you. 00:14:49.740 --> 00:14:56.420 You may sound a little emasculating to talk about being a bride, but this week now you get to look at warrior God. 00:14:56.520 --> 00:14:56.540 And. 00:14:56.700 --> 00:15:02.180 And this is why I think this is important, is sometimes in life we get this imbalanced view of who God is. 00:15:03.020 --> 00:15:06.040 And we really want to emphasize one side of God apart from the other. 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:11.240 And everything about him is important to know, right? 00:15:11.300 --> 00:15:13.140 It's not that God is just one attribute. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:16.600 At some times God is all of his attributes all the time. 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:24.360 Now, it is important to see God as a gracious, compassionate God that has great merit in our life and understanding that 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:31.370 we can be delivered and set free because of his love, his compassion, his grace towards us, but at the same time, 00:15:31.540 --> 00:15:33.980 to also recognize those aren't just nice sentiments. 00:15:34.140 --> 00:15:36.800 God wants to say to you, to pat you on the head and make you feel a little better. 00:15:38.540 --> 00:15:46.720 But to realize he can also execute in everything he's promised because of the authority of who he is, his sovereign. 00:15:46.920 --> 00:15:52.760 And just wrathful nature allows him to protect you and provide for you. 00:15:53.820 --> 00:16:01.160 And so both of these things are critical to know, and even in a very practical way, one of one of the reasons I, I 00:16:01.160 --> 00:16:08.940 gravitate towards this is because, to be honest, sometimes I see Jesus images of Jesus drawn in our culture that 00:16:08.940 --> 00:16:11.670 causes me to recoil a little bit on the inside. 00:16:12.680 --> 00:16:16.060 And that type of Jesus is kind of a pansy Jesus. 00:16:16.500 --> 00:16:18.850 You ever see pictures of pansy Jesus ever drawn? 00:16:18.980 --> 00:16:21.250 And let me just tell you what pansy Jesus looks like for a minute. 00:16:21.640 --> 00:16:29.020 He's got a perfect white robe that's never had a stain in its life, and he's never woken up with a case of bedhead, ever. 00:16:29.040 --> 00:16:29.120 Right. 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:30.800 He's perfect amount of conditioner. 00:16:30.800 --> 00:16:35.340 Always use that beautiful 1970s feathered cut with his hair. 00:16:35.340 --> 00:16:42.520 That's the kind of Jesus where it's like, man, I don't know if I want to be following that Jesus into battle because he's going to spend more time looking in the mirror than he is concerned with 00:16:42.520 --> 00:16:43.930 what's in front of us. 00:16:44.260 --> 00:16:45.800 That's and, have you seen anything to that? 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:46.180 Jesus. 00:16:46.220 --> 00:16:53.800 It sounds like the type of worship that might be included here is more like a love song to a boyfriend than warrior king Jesus. 00:16:53.800 --> 00:16:59.250 You know, I just, I sometimes as a guy, I'm just I look at that and I think, no, not for me right there. 00:16:59.880 --> 00:17:08.359 I read passages like this and I think, yes, this Jesus, this is, this is also an important Jesus to understand that 00:17:08.359 --> 00:17:14.310 he's capable and he executes and he and he fulfills. 00:17:14.839 --> 00:17:21.859 And, to follow this kind of Jesus, too, one must recognize that one that follows 00:17:21.859 --> 00:17:29.280 the Lord, I think, requires a definitely humility, but 00:17:29.280 --> 00:17:30.580 also courage. 00:17:32.180 --> 00:17:39.180 And some people may look at Jesus and especially emasculated Jesus and think, well, it's just cowards that follow Christians 00:17:39.180 --> 00:17:41.800 or follow Christ just giving their lives away. 00:17:41.820 --> 00:17:49.060 And I would argue the exact opposite, that it takes a strong man or woman to follow Jesus and that strength isn't 00:17:49.060 --> 00:17:51.320 in you, but rather in him. 00:17:52.500 --> 00:17:59.800 But because you have to be willing to die to yourself every day, to truly follow after Jesus, to surrender 00:17:59.800 --> 00:18:02.020 the throne of your life, to pursue him. 00:18:03.100 --> 00:18:08.340 It takes incredible fortitude and integrity to submit yourself to that. 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:15.760 The easy road in life is a road that lives for personal gratification, for just self 00:18:15.760 --> 00:18:23.000 made pleasure to the temporal things of this world that live kind of spinelessly passively to the to the true brokenness 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:29.560 of life and makes life focused around them rather than something beyond them, something greater than them. 00:18:31.100 --> 00:18:38.240 But the only way we're ever going to truly live this out is to understand that God is capable to fulfill what he's 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:39.040 promised us. 00:18:40.220 --> 00:18:42.460 How secure am I under him? 00:18:43.380 --> 00:18:43.540 Right. 00:18:43.560 --> 00:18:45.080 And what will he do? 00:18:45.080 --> 00:18:49.060 And John is he's peppered this section of Revelation with these ideas. 00:18:49.080 --> 00:18:54.980 And if I just highlighted some of these for us, and in verse 11, he refers to God as faithful and true meaning. 00:18:56.220 --> 00:19:00.820 Not only does he declare to us the truth which is important to know, but he is the truth. 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:08.780 And so anything that he says is critical for our lives is again, why we should not, as Christians, have to tell each other, you should probably read the Bible. 00:19:08.780 --> 00:19:13.920 We should just instinctively want to read the Bible, because no time in God's Word is wasted time in God's Word. 00:19:13.980 --> 00:19:19.640 Because if anything's going to be fulfilled in life, if you can put your hope in anything, it's what God says to us. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:23.690 Because not only is he true, but he's also faithful. 00:19:23.980 --> 00:19:26.160 It tells us to fulfill what he told us he would fulfill. 00:19:27.340 --> 00:19:28.580 And he's capable. 00:19:28.580 --> 00:19:31.060 And he goes on in verse 12 and he says, his eyes are of flame. 00:19:31.060 --> 00:19:36.380 And the idea of the eyes being of flame is recognizing that there's nothing hidden from him. 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:39.200 He everything he sees purely as it is. 00:19:40.080 --> 00:19:43.260 So there's no corner of the earth that's kept from the Lord. 00:19:43.320 --> 00:19:44.930 And then he has many diadems. 00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:52.680 And this is really describing this idea of a fabric band that during this time period, some kings would often wear a 00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:57.060 fabric band that went around their head and it was like a crown. 00:19:57.060 --> 00:19:59.140 And in the midst of that crown there would be a diadem. 00:19:59.520 --> 00:20:02.370 And that diadem represented a place that was ruled. 00:20:03.520 --> 00:20:09.800 And Jesus having many bands and these diadems, is recognizing that there is there is no place that's not under his authority. 00:20:09.860 --> 00:20:11.100 He rules it all. 00:20:12.300 --> 00:20:15.200 And then he goes on further and says he has a name that no one knows. 00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:18.240 Which is interesting because I thought we did know his name. 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:18.660 Right? 00:20:18.980 --> 00:20:20.320 It's Jesus, isn't it? 00:20:20.360 --> 00:20:23.070 Like, how do we know your name but not know your name all of a sudden? 00:20:23.420 --> 00:20:31.040 And here's he's helping us realize that while God is imminent, personal, he's also transcendent, greater 00:20:31.040 --> 00:20:33.460 than our minds could even begin to fathom. 00:20:34.040 --> 00:20:37.000 That's why you'll spend all of eternity getting to know him. 00:20:37.600 --> 00:20:40.320 And so it's recognizing for us that the glory of God. 00:20:40.320 --> 00:20:47.340 And then it says in verse 13, he has a robe dipped in blood, which is quite, quite interesting in how 00:20:47.340 --> 00:20:48.740 it's describing God here. 00:20:48.740 --> 00:20:55.860 Because when you when you look at the picture that's painted, not only does he have a rod dipped in blood, but he tells us he's riding on a white horse. 00:20:56.760 --> 00:21:04.220 And then in verse 14 it describes the army, which would be his followers also riding a white horse and wearing pure, 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:05.900 this pure and fine linen. 00:21:07.220 --> 00:21:10.600 You know, if you're going to ride something white, you probably don't want a robe dipped in blood. 00:21:10.780 --> 00:21:11.700 It's going to ruin it. 00:21:11.740 --> 00:21:11.900 But. 00:21:12.040 --> 00:21:15.480 But this is a grand picture of the greatness of God here. 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:22.700 When in Jesus's day, by writing this white horse, he's giving us a thought towards this battle that's important for us not to miss. 00:21:23.860 --> 00:21:30.900 In Jesus's time period, when kings would go back to war or go to war if they were victorious, when they would come 00:21:30.900 --> 00:21:33.990 back to the people, there was often a parade to celebrate. 00:21:35.060 --> 00:21:42.500 And when the general would return from battle and the people would celebrate that victory, the general would often ride through 00:21:42.500 --> 00:21:44.560 the streets on a white horse. 00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:48.180 The white horse became symbolic of victory. 00:21:48.820 --> 00:21:50.920 And so here's Jesus riding into battle. 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:55.090 And as if he's declaring that he's victorious before the battle's ever taken place. 00:21:55.640 --> 00:22:03.260 And I don't know about you, but when I go outside to do anything, if I know I'm going to be doing yard work or whatever, the article 00:22:03.260 --> 00:22:06.900 of clothing that I'm not going to be wearing is pure white. 00:22:07.040 --> 00:22:08.160 Anything, right? 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:11.360 Because it's going to soil the clothes. 00:22:11.360 --> 00:22:11.660 Right. 00:22:11.820 --> 00:22:18.900 And here, when the army of the Lord is described in this passage of wearing pure white linen, what's critical to recognize is we're 00:22:18.900 --> 00:22:21.300 not actually even fighting in the battle ourselves. 00:22:21.300 --> 00:22:23.800 We're joining the Lord in this battle. 00:22:24.320 --> 00:22:31.540 But we're not fighting, but rather for you and for me, what's represented here is the idea of priestly garments that you belong 00:22:31.540 --> 00:22:32.000 to him. 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:40.400 And as Jesus is going to battle this robe that's dipped in blood, one should ask, how in the world is blood on his robe when there's 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:42.640 no fight that's been fought. 00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:44.850 How is that possible? 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:49.820 And I think the answer to it is because the battle has already been won. 00:22:50.060 --> 00:22:52.420 And Jesus surrendering his life for you and for me. 00:22:53.340 --> 00:22:59.160 I believe that blood that Jesus is carrying on this horse and his robe is the blood that he shed for your life and for mine. 00:23:00.560 --> 00:23:05.860 And so Jesus is declaring victory over our lives because of what he's accomplished for us. 00:23:05.940 --> 00:23:10.900 The battle has already been won, and now Jesus triumphantly is riding in. 00:23:11.420 --> 00:23:12.120 And then it goes on. 00:23:12.840 --> 00:23:15.140 If I just gave a few more thoughts here, let me give you the last one. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:21.460 And last thing he says here is as he's riding with this robe, he's got this tattoo. 00:23:21.520 --> 00:23:22.830 So have you ever thought about getting a tattoo? 00:23:23.460 --> 00:23:24.700 Jesus has a tattoo. 00:23:24.700 --> 00:23:25.100 Apparently. 00:23:25.120 --> 00:23:26.600 So there's some inspiration for you. 00:23:26.600 --> 00:23:28.920 But he's got verse 16 written down on his thigh. 00:23:28.940 --> 00:23:30.960 Unless that causes conflict with parents and kids. 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:32.180 Don't listen to your parents. 00:23:32.180 --> 00:23:32.520 Kids? 00:23:33.120 --> 00:23:37.420 He's got he's got this written down on his thigh, so there's no mistake of who he is. 00:23:38.260 --> 00:23:45.480 I mean, you could just Imagine the authority, the power, the sovereignty of God 00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:52.540 and what's carried in these verses, and then how critical it is to view yourself in light of this glorious 00:23:52.540 --> 00:23:53.180 king. 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:55.520 You belong to him. 00:23:56.320 --> 00:24:03.320 And there are passages in the Bible that remind us of this right that just want us to orient the focus 00:24:03.320 --> 00:24:07.760 of our life from this position and therefore respond to it. 00:24:08.760 --> 00:24:14.560 Now, if I gave you another chapter of the Bible that sort of matches the idea of Revelation 19, it's Colossians chapter one. 00:24:15.560 --> 00:24:18.360 I'm going to show you a few verses here from Colossians in just a minute. 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:25.420 But if you ever read Colossians chapter one, verse 15 to 20, that's one of those sections of the Bible that is critical for really 00:24:25.420 --> 00:24:30.120 any believer to be made aware of, because it tells you about the nature of who Jesus is. 00:24:30.820 --> 00:24:33.820 When the apostle Paul wrote Colossians, especially verse 15 to 20. 00:24:34.680 --> 00:24:37.060 He's writing to us an ancient creed. 00:24:37.160 --> 00:24:39.180 This isn't something that Apostle Paul came up with. 00:24:39.740 --> 00:24:42.340 This is something the church was already reciting to one another. 00:24:43.180 --> 00:24:45.340 It's this creed representing who God is. 00:24:45.940 --> 00:24:53.510 And in light of that, then on either side of verse 15 and verse 20 of Colossians one, it gives us then this reorientation 00:24:53.700 --> 00:24:55.920 of your life in light of who God is. 00:24:56.560 --> 00:25:03.780 And Paul says it like this give thanks to the father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of 00:25:03.780 --> 00:25:04.880 the saints in light. 00:25:05.720 --> 00:25:12.920 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the 00:25:12.920 --> 00:25:15.200 forgiveness of sins. 00:25:16.200 --> 00:25:21.400 In this verse, God is reminding us that your life has become plunder to him. 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:27.940 I mean, you were a part of another kingdom, a broken, fallen kingdom that's demise was going to be made known. 00:25:28.560 --> 00:25:34.040 But God plundered your soul from that kingdom, and now you've become a trophy of his victory. 00:25:34.060 --> 00:25:40.560 In fact, in Revelation 19, when we're writing back with this king on this white horse knowing we're not really engaging in the battle. 00:25:40.560 --> 00:25:48.060 The reminder for you is that you really are following after the Lord as a trophy and reminder of those that he has rescued 00:25:48.060 --> 00:25:49.790 from this broken kingdom. 00:25:50.940 --> 00:25:57.260 So finding your identity here in the precious that you are because of who God is important for us. 00:25:57.340 --> 00:26:04.880 In fact, if I gave you another passage of the Bible in Psalm 23, if you ever read that Psalm, this is a reminder again and again of God's people. 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:12.260 Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, who you are because of who he is and the confidence that 00:26:12.260 --> 00:26:16.800 should give you as you live for him in on mission in this world. 00:26:17.100 --> 00:26:22.660 In fact, the way this Psalm is ends says this you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:25.640 You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. 00:26:26.100 --> 00:26:32.850 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:41.420 I know who I am because I know whose I am, and the confidence that I have in who he is helps me to 00:26:41.420 --> 00:26:45.580 become confident in who I am and therefore determines how I live my life in light of it. 00:26:47.400 --> 00:26:53.040 And so God open my eyes to the victory that I truly have in you because of who you are. 00:26:54.080 --> 00:26:56.680 And make that new and fresh for me every day. 00:26:57.800 --> 00:27:02.160 And then if I go back to Colossians just one more time, right after verse 20, Paul goes on and says this. 00:27:02.520 --> 00:27:09.760 And you who were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body 00:27:09.760 --> 00:27:16.960 of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed 00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:24.100 you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, 00:27:24.520 --> 00:27:26.460 and of which I, Paul, became a minister. 00:27:27.380 --> 00:27:30.340 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh. 00:27:30.760 --> 00:27:35.290 I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's affliction for the sake of his body that is the church. 00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:40.140 And Paul goes on from here in saying, in light of who God is, here's what I'm doing. 00:27:41.140 --> 00:27:42.880 I'm living for the glory of God. 00:27:43.700 --> 00:27:51.110 I've become this minister of the great things that I'm experiencing in him, because God has given me this beautiful foundation for my own life. 00:27:51.240 --> 00:27:51.580 Because of him. 00:27:52.700 --> 00:27:59.820 Because Paul's not saying this at the exclusivity of himself, as if he's the exception, but rather he's using his life as an example to 00:27:59.820 --> 00:28:02.190 say this should be the case for all of us. 00:28:03.560 --> 00:28:10.740 And when we dip our toe in the richness of Christ to then respond out of that as the only natural 00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:13.120 progression of a true relationship with the Lord. 00:28:14.360 --> 00:28:18.280 God, open my eyes to the victory I have in you. 00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:25.980 It's not this ambiguous understanding of victory, but to realize when Jesus shows up for the final, final battle, the victory has already been won. 00:28:25.980 --> 00:28:28.360 And that's where I find myself because of him. 00:28:29.540 --> 00:28:30.080 Point number two. 00:28:30.080 --> 00:28:33.140 Then, in light of that, God open my eyes to see life. 00:28:33.700 --> 00:28:36.000 Life without you is for the birds. 00:28:37.220 --> 00:28:37.560 You'll. 00:28:37.800 --> 00:28:39.080 This will make sense in just a minute. 00:28:39.120 --> 00:28:40.990 But it's a rather weird point. 00:28:41.900 --> 00:28:45.720 But God, open my eyes to see that life without you is for the birds. 00:28:46.380 --> 00:28:47.840 And you see this in verse 17. 00:28:47.860 --> 00:28:54.980 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, come, 00:28:55.040 --> 00:29:02.160 gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of the kings, and the flesh of the captains, and the flesh of the mighty men, and the flesh of the horses and 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:06.500 the riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great. 00:29:07.640 --> 00:29:10.520 Now, some of you might like birds until you read this verse. 00:29:10.520 --> 00:29:12.460 And these are not the birds you want to hang out with, right? 00:29:12.460 --> 00:29:12.940 So. 00:29:13.420 --> 00:29:20.640 But when he's talking about birds here, there's something critical to understand how the Bible communicates to us 00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:22.160 about birds. 00:29:22.620 --> 00:29:23.780 Now there are some nice birds. 00:29:23.900 --> 00:29:27.040 But in this passage, these are not friendly birds. 00:29:27.040 --> 00:29:30.720 These are these are terrorizing birds that are described here. 00:29:30.980 --> 00:29:38.200 And when he's when he's telling us about this, I want you to see at the end of verse 17, he's talking about a supper in Revelation. 00:29:38.380 --> 00:29:42.960 As we've looked at this chapter, specifically chapter 19, verse seven, verse nine. 00:29:43.540 --> 00:29:50.870 And then again here in verse 17, there are there are two suppers described, verse seven and nine talk about the marriage supper of the lamb. 00:29:51.140 --> 00:29:53.020 That is a supper you want to participate in. 00:29:54.060 --> 00:29:57.940 This supper is a supper you want to avoid with everything within you. 00:29:57.960 --> 00:29:58.160 Right. 00:29:58.160 --> 00:30:03.240 So and this is what's important to realize in how the birds relate to this. 00:30:04.430 --> 00:30:09.820 If you remember in Genesis chapter 40, there's a story about a man named Joseph who's in prison. 00:30:11.020 --> 00:30:13.680 And God gave him the ability to interpret a couple dreams. 00:30:13.880 --> 00:30:15.740 And one of those dreams is a dream of a cupbearer. 00:30:15.860 --> 00:30:17.960 The other one is the dream of the baker. 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:21.500 And Joseph interprets those dreams, the cupbearer who's in prison with him. 00:30:21.500 --> 00:30:23.250 He says the king is going to restore you to your position. 00:30:23.280 --> 00:30:24.160 You'll be back with the king. 00:30:24.160 --> 00:30:24.600 It'll be great. 00:30:24.900 --> 00:30:26.400 Don't forget about me, okay? 00:30:26.400 --> 00:30:27.300 Just go. 00:30:27.560 --> 00:30:32.130 And then he goes to the baker and says, well, your predicament is worse and I'm giving you the Nathaniel version. 00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:39.400 This is not quoted directly, Okay, but he looks at the cupbearer or the baker and says, your life is over and they're going to take your head. 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:41.640 And when they do, the birds are going to eat you. 00:30:42.300 --> 00:30:49.580 And during that time period in Egypt, that was a very significant judgment that was about to be passed. 00:30:49.620 --> 00:30:52.320 It was the worst kind of judgment, not that not that he was going to be executed. 00:30:52.620 --> 00:30:53.770 That was terrible enough. 00:30:54.240 --> 00:31:01.340 But the fact that no one was going to do anything with his body and the birds were going to pick him apart, because in Egypt during that time, you were 00:31:01.340 --> 00:31:03.850 to be if you wanted to go on to the afterlife, you would be mummified. 00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:12.340 And what was believed is not only was it important for you to be mummified for the afterlife, but all your precious, precious possessions would be 00:31:12.340 --> 00:31:14.280 buried with you and you would take those with you. 00:31:15.260 --> 00:31:16.760 And so being mummified was critical. 00:31:16.820 --> 00:31:21.320 But if you were eaten by the birds, there was nothing there to mummify and therefore you had no hope of an afterlife. 00:31:22.620 --> 00:31:28.780 And so these birds became symbolic in what they what it represented for this individual who was about to die. 00:31:28.840 --> 00:31:30.040 Now, that doesn't mean those things are true. 00:31:30.060 --> 00:31:33.640 That's just what they believed by the time the first century is written. 00:31:33.640 --> 00:31:41.060 That belief isn't necessarily held in the same way, but the birds to the Jewish people, these types of birds are unclean 00:31:41.060 --> 00:31:41.720 animals. 00:31:42.780 --> 00:31:47.000 And these unclean animals eating this flesh is defiling the flesh. 00:31:47.660 --> 00:31:55.160 And the fact that these bodies are just laid about and no one's there to care for them or to honor them, is recognizing what 00:31:55.160 --> 00:31:56.600 this end is truly like. 00:31:57.820 --> 00:32:03.300 Your life is not honored in the way that it was intended to be honored, because the only way that's discovered is in the Lord. 00:32:04.760 --> 00:32:10.000 And so to realize that apart from God, anything else we might choose, it's just not worth it. 00:32:11.240 --> 00:32:12.880 And these birds paint that image. 00:32:12.880 --> 00:32:14.470 Now, some might ask, well, is this going to happen? 00:32:14.740 --> 00:32:18.620 Are there literally going to be that many birds to take care of, that many bodies laying out? 00:32:18.620 --> 00:32:20.270 Or is this going to be a lot of bodies? 00:32:20.340 --> 00:32:25.420 Like, I don't know that we have to say that this is going to happen all over the world and every body picked apart. 00:32:26.280 --> 00:32:33.280 But rather than understand the symbolism of what these birds represent as it relates to human life, The things that we choose and the 00:32:33.280 --> 00:32:34.420 path that it leads us. 00:32:34.620 --> 00:32:36.840 Contrary to the Lord, it's just not worth following. 00:32:38.340 --> 00:32:42.940 But to understand who I am in light of who he is, it's a victory for us. 00:32:43.780 --> 00:32:44.900 And therefore, point number three. 00:32:44.900 --> 00:32:52.100 Let me give you this last one to see the destination set before me, to see the destination set before me. 00:32:52.120 --> 00:32:59.280 In verse 19 to 21 it says, and I saw the beast and the kings of the earth, with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse 00:32:59.280 --> 00:33:00.260 and against his army. 00:33:00.980 --> 00:33:08.220 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet, who was who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those 00:33:08.220 --> 00:33:11.350 who had received the mark of the beast, and those who worshiped its image. 00:33:11.880 --> 00:33:18.920 These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, and the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of 00:33:18.920 --> 00:33:20.740 him who was sitting on the horse. 00:33:21.160 --> 00:33:23.280 And the birds were gorged with their flesh. 00:33:24.060 --> 00:33:31.320 So here you see these leaders of fallen Babylon, and they're being judged, and it's an indication of the trajectory of what Babylon 00:33:31.320 --> 00:33:38.340 leads to help our lives be reflective of what kingdom am I living for and what am I making my life 00:33:38.340 --> 00:33:38.660 about? 00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:43.240 I don't think it necessarily means you have to shake your fist at God and say, I hate you. 00:33:43.800 --> 00:33:49.220 You can still align your life with the broken things of this world rather than the Lord, without shaking your fist at God. 00:33:50.360 --> 00:33:57.420 But to realize there's always a battle taking place for our souls, and to simply stop and ask the question, what is the trajectory of my life 00:33:57.760 --> 00:33:58.540 leading to? 00:33:59.820 --> 00:34:00.780 What am I about? 00:34:02.140 --> 00:34:03.120 Who's governing me? 00:34:04.060 --> 00:34:05.880 And what have I built that foundation on? 00:34:07.520 --> 00:34:11.620 What am I looking to for ultimate longing and purpose in life? 00:34:13.260 --> 00:34:20.730 And John is saying, Lord, help us to open our eyes to realize the steps that we take matters. 00:34:22.060 --> 00:34:27.120 And the only way to take those steps, the right way is to discover who you are and therefore who I am in light of that. 00:34:28.120 --> 00:34:29.790 That I may enjoy you all of my days. 00:34:29.860 --> 00:34:34.920 That my life would not be a waste for the birds, but rather for a greater king and kingdom. 00:34:36.260 --> 00:34:40.469 As I think about that, since we're talking about the military, I'll end with this. 00:34:41.060 --> 00:34:44.610 In Arlington, there's the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 00:34:44.980 --> 00:34:47.679 In fact, there's multiple soldiers in this tomb. 00:34:47.679 --> 00:34:48.239 There's. 00:34:48.520 --> 00:34:54.699 There's a soldier from World War One, a soldier from World War Two, a soldier from the Korean War. 00:34:54.820 --> 00:34:57.100 And there was a soldier from the Vietnam War. 00:34:57.100 --> 00:34:57.260 But. 00:34:57.760 --> 00:35:00.620 But because of DNA testing, they were able to discover who that was. 00:35:00.620 --> 00:35:04.620 And now that tomb is empty for the Vietnam War. 00:35:04.620 --> 00:35:08.880 But here at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, America is not the only country that does this. 00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:16.520 But one of the things that's interesting, particularly about the tomb for America, is this tomb has never been abandoned since 1937, 00:35:16.680 --> 00:35:17.820 when it was established. 00:35:18.900 --> 00:35:23.400 Every day, there's always a sentinel there guarding the tomb. 00:35:24.740 --> 00:35:28.540 And they in the summertime, they changed the guard every 30 minutes. 00:35:28.540 --> 00:35:31.200 In the winter time every hour. 00:35:31.200 --> 00:35:31.840 And at night every two hours. 00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:32.980 There's always someone there. 00:35:34.480 --> 00:35:40.580 And, part of you can just look at that and appreciate the idea of leaving no one behind. 00:35:41.480 --> 00:35:42.660 Value of human life. 00:35:43.620 --> 00:35:49.700 But, I think it comes to us at a greater degree when we realize in a spiritual sense, this is God for all of us. 00:35:50.700 --> 00:35:54.000 Not not the sadness of the Unknown soldier is that he's unknown. 00:35:54.960 --> 00:36:02.490 But for the Lord, everyone is known, and God promises his people that he's with you wherever you go. 00:36:03.160 --> 00:36:10.240 Not only is there beauty in that idea, but then in addition to that, when you think about the soldiers that are there representing this tomb every day, this 00:36:10.240 --> 00:36:13.740 is a privilege because this is symbolic to our country. 00:36:14.840 --> 00:36:20.240 And to have the opportunity to be that representative is a privilege to do that. 00:36:21.380 --> 00:36:28.420 And, in terms of just human life, you realize that these soldiers are fighting for freedom, and freedom is one of the greatest gifts 00:36:28.420 --> 00:36:31.200 that we have in life, if not the greatest gift we have in life. 00:36:32.180 --> 00:36:39.520 But if I just took that thought for a minute and applied some spiritual components to that in terms of your relationship 00:36:39.520 --> 00:36:43.080 with Jesus, how important is your freedom? 00:36:44.300 --> 00:36:46.950 So much so that God was willing to give his life for it. 00:36:47.880 --> 00:36:52.500 And now you have the opportunity to honor the Lord and the way that you live your life. 00:36:53.700 --> 00:37:01.260 And as important as I think it is to serve others and to even be willing to give your life to help others, I 00:37:01.260 --> 00:37:08.260 think how much more important it becomes, in the sense of a spiritual life, that the King of Kings, the Lord of lords, would give his life, 00:37:08.280 --> 00:37:13.790 that we would have freedom, and now all of us have the gift of representing the Lord in life. 00:37:14.180 --> 00:37:21.530 Now, I told you in the beginning the story of Gladys Aylward and her willingness to step out boldly, not because she felt like she was this qualified individual, 00:37:21.940 --> 00:37:26.700 but because she wanted to see the faithfulness of God made known in her life the way she lived. 00:37:27.600 --> 00:37:34.680 After Gladys Aylward died, there was many monuments that were built in her name, and one particular monument wrote 00:37:34.680 --> 00:37:35.260 her name. 00:37:35.300 --> 00:37:42.560 The Chinese people that she served gave her their own name, and they wrote her name in China in a in a monument that 00:37:42.560 --> 00:37:43.800 was established for her. 00:37:44.300 --> 00:37:47.110 But what was amazing about Gladys was her Chinese name. 00:37:47.900 --> 00:37:49.380 It literally translate. 00:37:49.400 --> 00:37:56.620 And I know most of us can't read Chinese, so I didn't put the character up up here, but her name literally translates as the victorious one. 00:37:58.300 --> 00:38:01.040 Well, I think what a beautiful picture of Revelation 19. 00:38:03.040 --> 00:38:07.680 She was victorious not because she was great, but because her king was great. 00:38:08.640 --> 00:38:13.930 And in so doing, she walked in that victory because she believed in the God she followed.