Month: September 2011

Revelation 19:11-21

He lives and the Kingdom comes!

Ye-ye-ye-yep, yes He’s Alive
From the dark to the light, sunrise
Everybody who be driven they thinkin’ that He’s gone
Gonna be in for a big surprise
Walla, uh huh, right there before they eyes
He’ll be back, aint cut no slack for the cats who try to hide
Lies; that’s what they say I drop, cats so lost
Caught up with they-selves but they rebel
Yes sir they gon’ be shocked-shock, clear

They dead now, can’t live just on that bread, naw
I chokehold what He said now I’m His pupil yes no retina
He done preached it from the mountain and three thousand all believed it
And He called me on the campus, and I answered and received Him
From the witnesses that seen Him, to the heathens who not preach Him
The proof is in the change; unashamed, that’s how we reach em’
And so I stand up, I will never stand down
Worship with my hands up, humbled by Him, man down
Yes sir, that is it, I will never call it quits
Pressin’ on, that’s how I know I’m His and that He lives

He lives
I-I-I am so glad He lives
My Savior He died, but He rose again
R-r-rose again, He’s alive
And now that I’m dead to my sin
In me is a place He can live
I’ll serve Him until He comes back again
B-b-b-back again, He’s alive
I’ll tell em’ that, I’ll tell em’ that He lives

What’s that gotta do with me, huh??
I’m just tryna stack my bread
I ain’t bother nobody or robbin’ nobody like I done just got out the feds
I heard what the preacher done said (what’s that?)
That Jesus popped outta the grave
But what does that have to do with me and all of these bills that gotta get paid?
And all of these mouths I gotta feed?
Plus my old lady complainin’
I’m tryna live kinfolk, although I see what you sayin’

But if you see what I’m sayin’, then you would know it is
Truth, positive that the God man really is, who He say He is
Took on human flesh and hit the Earth
Lived the perfect life, first, then He took that crucifix
Then He resurrected; that validated that He is God
Did you say Jesus is God? Yes I said Jesus is God!
So, what that means is, all, human beings is
His creation, we should praise Him for His patience then repent
All you gotta do now just confess
Turn from your sin put your soul to rest
He resurrected, you get forgiveness
Give Him your all and nothing less

Three days… Just enough to make these people say He gone
He wrong, He on His own, He left us here, we all alone
But naw… You got it twisted
Clear like the sky but I guess you missed it
But we ain’t done yet, ’til there ain’t none left, be
patient, hope you listen
Cause when He touch down, no replay
You should run now, no relay
Who can turn down, what He say? Man I’m turned up
Know He lay out the grave, that’s the reason I am saved

Not for rules so I behave, but so I can be remade
In His image, I am finished, period, minus the sentence
Through repentance in an instant
I’m so helped, call it Christian
Cause He lived, I know that’s real
You sayin’ prove it, peep the movement
Unashamed ’til the end, I’ll tell em’ that He lives

 

– Tedashii, He Lives

 

Perhaps the week has not been what it could have been. Perhaps the months or even the year or even the decade has not been what it could have been.

 

The very moment progress seems to get made things blow up. The very moment something important is about to go off, life blows up.

 

Perhaps we came here looking for solutions to problems that seem to never go away.

 

I want to offer you an eternal and non-material solution. It’s not a “how to” masterpiece. It’s a “what is reality” truth.

 

I’m convinced moments like that are too perfectly timed for it to be “coincidence”. It’s war.

 

First, if the God of the bible is, then there are no coincidences. There are only providential moments. The Lord has not relegated history on the grand scale and on the micro scale to anyone. Jesus opens the seals, remember?

 

Second, the war is NOT over the happening of events or even the timing of the events. The war is over how we respond to the events.

 

See, the war is over my worship. Because worship, you remember, is my response the revelation of his glory and majesty.

 

Satan’s deception to Adam and Eve was over his desire to be God and he led them into the same lie that they could be sovereigns, captains of fate, in charge and able to set the course.

 

Every event, thing or happening that threatens to remove my focus, desires, mission and ultimately worship (ultimately all these things are ways we worship) from Jesus is a craftily designed opportunity to shift my worship from Jesus to me.

 

See, when the mission becomes my own salvation from circumstances, I worship me. When my desires for things becomes stronger than my desire for Jesus, I worship me. When my mission becomes oriented to temporal events rather than eternal reality, I worship me. And when I worship me the Evil One is glorified by propagating his lie.

So, if I respond in doubt, mistrust and questioning its an epic fail in the war for worship.

 

But if I respond in treating the events and timing as peripheral (not unimportant), as opportunities to look up and see the forest in spite of the trees (see the big picture, a war for the praise of Jesus), as opportunities to see Jesus as ruler of my day, lover of my soul, pursuer of my life and good, sovereign over my day and even my hurts, then I can come and worship Jesus in word and deed and deal a grievous blow to the Evil One.

 

What do we need to see today? Help me see the forest in spite of the trees! Help me see Jesus as ruler of my day, lover of my soul, pursuer of my life and good, sovereign over my day and even my hurts! Help me come and worship in word and deed!

 

Lift up your head and see church! Salvation comes! Worship the King!

 

1. Jesus is making war and winning 19:11

A. Jesus never loses.

1. Even when there is an apparent loss, Jesus is really winning (see the cross)

2. When life seems to blow up, remember he is winning and you win with him

even if you die, you win!

B. Jesus is faithful and true

 

2. Jesus is King of eternity (many crowns) 19:12

As King, Jesus has not lost control over his creation and is ruling well.

 

Colossians 1:15-16

 

A. Jesus has resolve and passionate intensity in warring for his people (eyes like a flame of fire)

B. Jesus is knowable but not fully understandable (has a name but not a name he has chosen to communicate to us) (incommunicable attribute)

 

3. The Logos, Jesus, is an avenging warrior 19:13

Isaiah 63:1-6 is the place where Jesus is showing John what will take place.

A. Jesus is bringing justice to his enemies

B. Jesus is revealed as the source of truth

 

4. Jesus is in command of his church who have died and the hosts of heaven 19:14

A. Jesus’ returning forces include those who have gone to be with him (17:14 those doing battle

with Jesus are called “chosen and faithful”) see also 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

B. Jesus commands the angelic hosts of heaven to serve the church (Hebrews 1:14)

 

5. Jesus is a mighty warrior king 19:15

A. Sword

1. Probably not a literal sword, but imagery emphasizing the lethal power of his speaking.

a. In Hebrews 1:1-3 Jesus upholds the universe by his powerful word (speaking).

b. Jesus, in his powerful speaking, can deal a death-blow.

 

B. Iron scepter

1. Psalm 2 promises the Lord’s Messiah would rule with a scepter of iron. This

means destruction rather than ruling in a stern fashion.

Jesus not only leads the flock to green pastures but he will defend them against their enemies with crushing blows.

 

C. Treading the winepress

1. Wrath is part of the love of God. Anger comes because one loved.

Those who spurn the grace and love of God will get the righteous wrath of God.
“The two nouns normally translated ‘wrath’ or ‘anger’ are fount thirteen times in chapters 6 through 19. Any view of God that eliminates judgment and his hatred of sin in the interest of an emasculated doctrine of sentimental affection finds no support in the strong and virile realism of the Apocalypse.”[1]

 

6. Jesus is the universal sovereign 19:16

A. King of Kings and Lord of Lords

 

7. Jesus will conquer and judge 19:17-21

A. Jesus feeds his enemies to the birds (remember Ahab and Jezebel?)

1. Watch out for whose side you are on!

 

B. Jesus throws the beast and false prophet into the lake of fire

1. Jesus will judge the false and Satanic religious deceptions generated by Satan

 

Conclusion:

So, when you are tempted to take the peripheral skirmishes and make them front and center, look up and see your warrior Savior, King, Lover of your soul, Guardian and defender, Jesus and “the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”

 

 

The Coolest Worship Service

Revelation 19:1-10

 

You know, chapters like Revelation 19 don’t make much sense to people who live life in the lap of proverbial luxury.

 

Revelation 19 is unintelligible to the church / Christian at ease and not at war.

 

The reason is that this is an invitation to respond in worship not to a particular warm and fuzzy message, but in response to the Lord God in all his awesomeness.

 

Worship in the modern context of the church has been hijacked by irrelevant arguments regarding style and location. All that does is condition us to worship only when it feels good and the environment is just right.

 

The problem with that is that many of Scripture’s invitations to worship are usually in response to some intense moments of the revealing of the Lord that are not conducive to environment and location.

 

Learning to worship is a lot like learning to play football. If one never hits during practice, game time is going to be an awful experience because they are going to get hit and then still have to play and they are not going to feel like playing. If one hits during practice and gets used to the game, then when it comes to game time they get hit and get up and keep on playing.

 

Worship is like this. If all we do is respond to the Lord when its soft and easy, then when we go do real life and the Lord allows hardship we will not worship; we will begin to question. Our worship of the Lord is never to be only in response to conducive environment and location, but in response to the Lord, in all of his glory.

 

This is one reason I want TRCC to avoid too much environment manipulation to entice you to sing. You and I need to sing to the Lord when all is falling down around us not just when its cool.

 

“Worship is communion with God, in which believers, by grace, center their mind’s attention and hearts affection on the Lord, humbly glorifying God in response to the revelation of his glory and his majesty.”[1]

 

We respond in worship at any moment in time that we see his glory.

 

We are worshiping creatures. It’s a built-in component. The question is not “am I worshiping?” The question is “what / who am I worshiping?”

 

John, in the amazingness of the moment, bows down before the angel who brought this word to him. The angel’s response is telling and instructive.

A. Don’t do that

B. Worship God through the testimony of Jesus

C. The prophetic proclamation of Jesus is the means of bringing people to worship

 

Background (chapter 17, 18):

Jesus has brought judgment on the nations, kingdoms, kings, cities and the capital city of Satan’s attempt to crush the church. Jesus is in charge of this crushing of Satan’s forces by Satan’s own forces of nations, kingdoms, kings and cities.

 

The fall of this capital city of Satan’s deception is depicted in chapter 18 as a total destruction and the nations of the world mourn over this city’s destruction because they have lost their economic interest.

 

This city, and these nations, kingdoms, kings and cities have been responsible for the blood of the saints and prophets of the Lord Jesus (18:24).

 

1. Worship! Rev 19:1-4

Hallelujah is used here only in the New Testament, and it is used 4 times in the same / only chapter it is used in.

 

It is a compound word made up of “hallelu”, which is an imperative command to praise and “yah (jah)” which is the shortened name of Yahweh.

 

So, hallelujah is a command to praise God!

 

This is not given as an option if you fee like it and if the songs are to your liking. This is a command!

 

Worship is a life you live, but it is also a song you sing, and it is not optional.

 

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21 ESV) (quoted from Deuteronomy 32:35; Psalm 94:1)

 

When persecuted for the faith and oppressed for the advance of the Gospel, we don’t have to fret ourselves with vengeance. The reason is that Father will take vengeance. He will even up the score and then open up a can at his appointed time.

 

A. In response to Salvation from persecutors 19:1c

B. In response to judgment 19:2

1. Wrath is the other side of the coin of love

C. In response to the eternal justice for sinners and nations 19:3

D. In response to his truthfulness in judging

1. It is right for God to judge

E. In response to his reign 19:6

What does our response to Jesus’ reign need to look like?

1. Rejoicing – enjoyment of a state of happiness

2. Exulting – “to leap, to express great happiness often verbally and in appropriate body

movement”

3. Glorying – to speak of something as being unusually fine and deserving honor—‘to                             praise, to glorify, praise.’^[2]

 

What is the unique action of the Lord that elicits such a response?

a. Marriage of the Lamb

1. Jesus has returned to take his church to be with him

(described in 11-21)

b. Jesus has sanctified his church 19:7c, 8

1. The church has been granted to put on full righteousness

(Gospel work is fully completed)

 

Sunday mornings are like a practice / walk-through for this day described in Revelation 19. We are preparing for the day when he returns and makes things right in practice forever.

 

It is to be an act of the renewed will, by the Spirit, in which we respond to what is revealed about the Lord regardless of feeling.

 

Feeling is not to be what elicits response. Jesus is. And we respond to Jesus in all of his awesomeness.

 

2. Be encouraged, salvation is coming in full!

A. Jesus will complete his sanctifying work in you / us Philippians 1:6; Revelation 19:8

B. Jesus will conquer his enemies and complete the mission

C. Stay on task and don’t give up doing the good Galatians 6:1-10

 

3. Would you worship today?

A. Don’t respond to how you are feeling

B. Respond to the revelation of his excellencies and mercy and justice for us

 

 

Matthew 18:15-20

1 Corinthians 5

Church Discipline

 

These two passages bring us to the necessary issue of church discipline.

 

Church discipline implies that Christians are to be members of churches where they are held accountable to live in a way that looks like the way of the Lord Jesus. If there is zero relationship of accountability, it would be meaningless to, as Jesus says, “tell it to the church,” because the person in sin would just respond by saying, “that church has no jurisdiction over me.”

 

The church is a powerful body. “The power of the church is its God-given authority to carry on spiritual warfare, proclaim the Gospel, and exercise church discipline.” (Grudem p. 887)

 

This definition is vital in understanding some of the church’s power and authority in culture in what the church can unleash and what it can restrain.

 

1. What are the “keys of the kingdom”?

Matthew 16:19

Matthew 18:17-18

 

Key – implies authority to open a door and give entrance to a place

 

Keys of the Kingdom – implies that the church has authority to open the doors of the Kingdom to give access to the Kingdom

 

The Kingdom’s keys are not metal, but spiritual.

 

Our spiritual authority is twofold: 1) preach the gospel of Christ Jesus and open the door of the Kingdom of Heaven and allow people to enter

2) Exercise church discipline, by binding up sin, on those who enter the Kingdom of heaven

 

A. What is bound and what is loosed? (perfect passive / periphrastic future perfect)

1. Binding and loosing has its authority with God and is granted to the church

2. The church can unleash the Kingdom on a culture and transform that culture with

the Kingdom’s Gospel

3. The church can restrain sin and it’s cancerous influence

a. The church can ignore sin and allow it’s cancerous influence to destroy

b. By not taking authority over sin the church gives it’s blessing to sin

 

B. What is church discipline?

1. It is the active authority of the church to bind up sin for the salvation of the sinner and                                     the spiritual health of the sinner’s family, the local church

 

2. What is the purpose of church discipline?

A. Restoration and Reconciliation

1. Restoration (of the person in sin to correct behavior)

a. “Handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme”

1. Set outside of Holy Spirit protection in the community

2. Reconciliation (between church and person in sin and God)

a. Hebrews 12:6 reminds us that discipline by God is an act of love. Likewise,

the church doing the work of discipline is an act of love. This requires

JUDGMENT

1. Matthew 7:1-6

A FAILURE TO RIGHTLY JUDGE THE CHURCH IS TO THROW PEOPLE / CHURCH BEFORE THE UNCLEANNESS OF SIN TO BE TRAMPLED WITHOUT CARE OR CONCERN

 

B. To keep sin from infecting others

1. 1 Cor 5:2, 6-7; 1 Tim 5:20 (see Gal 2:11 for Paul’s rebuke of Peter)

a. Leaven is likened to sin / bad teaching in Scripture and like leaven

a little bit does a lot of work

b. Matthew 16:5-12 Jesus warns against the “leaven” of the Pharisees

and Sadducees, meaning their teaching.

1. The Pharisees were shutting the door of the Kingdom and Jesus

gave the church the authority to open it

2. Sin that remains unchecked will infect others and become normal behavior (watch

Israel in the OT)

 

C. To protect the purity of the church and the honor of Jesus Christ

“This is why Paul is shocked that the Christians have not disciplined the man who continued in willful sin that was publicly known in the church (1 Cor 5:1-2). He is also greatly distressed to know that “brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers” (1 Cor 6:6). Rather, than allowing such moral blemishes on the character of the church, Peter encourages believes to “be zealous to be found by Christ without spot or blemish, and at peace” (2 Peter 3:14). And out Lord Jesus wants to present to himself a church “without spot or wrinkle…holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:27), for he is the head of the church, and its character reflects on his reputation. Even angels and demons look at the church and behold the wisdom of God expressed in it (Eph 3:10); therefore (Eph 4:1) Paul encourages Christians to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3). This is a very serious matter. Since the Lord Jesus is jealous for his own honor, if the church does not exercise proper discipline, he will do it himself, ad he did at Corinth, where the Lord’s discipline resulted in sickness and death (1 Cor 11:27-34), and as he warned he would do both at Pergamum (Rev 2:14-15) and Thyatira (Rev 2:20). In these last two cases the Lord was displeased with the whole church for tolerating outward disobedience and not exercising discipline.” (Grudem p. 896)

 

3. How does the church go about church discipline?

A. Follow the process of Matthew 18:15-20 / 1 Corinthians 5

1. Personal

2. Meeting with two or three others

3. Telling the entire church

4. Setting the person outside of the fellowship / protection of the church

5. Not having fellowship with the person in sin until they repent

(Matt 18:17 / 1 Cor 5:9-13)

a. We do not contact them to check on them

b. We do not meet with them for a meal / fellowship

c. We do not Facebook or Tweet them

(in many ways it’s the living out of what the person has already done in leaving

the church)

d. We do not avoid them if we see them in Wal-Mart

(we can say hello and recognize them, we don’t run from them, but we don’t run

to them. Ask them to repent, believe the Gospel and come back)

6. We worship Jesus because he is present (Matt 18:20)

 

We can worship in response to that!

Revelation 17 & 18

Do you ever just get tired of the war?

1 John 5:19 reminds us that the kingdom of this world lies in the power of the evil one. 

Revelation 11:15 reminds us that the kingdom of the world had become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.

The day is coming in which we will see the conflict come to an end.

John is helping us see in this conflict that rages between the “dark trinity” and the Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit and how the Triune God is in control and how the Triune God will destroy the cheap imitation of the Trinity.

There is a hellish conflict between the “dark trinity” and the real Trinity. We are in this conflict and we are usually casualties in this conflict. And we must remember that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.

The dark trinity is building the city of idolatry with all of its prostitution (shiny and idolatrous pursuits that draw man’s heart away from the Lord of glory) and the Lord himself is building the city of the Kingdom of God (in which Jesus is the object of all joy and the source of all joy).

Chapter 17 and 18 shows us how the Trinity overwhelms and destroys the dark trinity.

Jesus will deal with the beast and the prophet and finish off the dragon.

Remember, the meaning here is not like meaning mined out in other parts of Scripture. We must see the intended meaning of the author from the Spirit. 

Woman – political power, rulers, that influence all other political rulers (17:18)

Dragon – Satan

Beast – the incarnate work of Satan through Satan’s chosen political and national force

Horns – kings under the influence of the Dragon, and the woman

Babylon – the city of Satan’s choice that will wield control over the earth through its various means, not necessarily Rome, but definitely applicable to the church during the time of Rome’s rule. Like Rome was an instrument in the hands of God in allowing Satan to control Rome until the time came, the Lord will grand Satan access to accomplish the purposes of his Kingdom.

Babylon is also any influence of that kingdom and produced by the kingdom that draws the attention of the saints away from Jesus to anything that would kill the soul of the Christian.

Babylon is all over the place, and if you have eyes to you can see Babylon and it’s influences all over the place.

Sexual Immorality – idolatrous pursuit of and worship of anything other than the Triune God of the universe 

1. Look behind the throne to see what the real influence is and don’t become intoxicated with sexual immorality of idolatry 17:1-14           

                A. Politically, the source of anything contrary to truth is the dragon, Satan, through his beast and

                prophet

                B. Socially, the source of anything contrary to truth is the dragon, Satan, through his beast and

                prophet

                C. Economically, the source of anything contrary to truth is the dragon, Satan, through his beast

                and prophet

                D. Personally, the source of anything contrary to truth is the dragon, Satan, through his beast and

                prophet

2. Look to see the rule of and judgment by Jesus Christ over the Dragon and the Dragon’s instrument 17:15-18, 18:1-24 

3. Look and see the destruction of the kingdom of this world 18:1-24

                A. The kingdom of this world is full of the demonic and is camouflaged as luxurious 18:3, 7

                B. Come out from this façade of a kingdom so as to avoid being part of this kingdom 18:4

                                1. Watch you life and doctrine closely 1 Timothy 4:16

                                2. Enjoy all things holy but be careful with stuff that woos the heart from Jesus

                                (could preach a month on be in and not of the world)

(1 Corinthians 5; Ephesians; Colossians; Galatians) 

Idolatry = good things that become “God” things and that becomes a bad thing. 

                                                a. This requires discipline (discipleship / knowing Jesus and what he has

                                                said)                                               

                                                b. This requires discernment (to know what is good and what to avoid

                                                through the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit)                                              

                                                c. This requires living among the kingdom of this world while not being

                                                part of the kingdom of this world (you are salt and light for this)                      

                                                d. This requires setting people free who are enslaved to this kingdom’s

                                                bad philosophy (love of wisdom) Colossians 2:8

4. Live today in light of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ that is and is coming to be visible at the completion of the Great Commission

“Those who make an impact on this world are those who are consumed with a passion for another world they don’t yet possess.” (paraphrase of a thought by C.S. Lewis)