HOFC Sermon Archive: end-times

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Sunday, August 9, 2020

The Revelation of Christ – Part 50: John and the Angel

The Revelation of Christ –

Part 50: John and the Angel

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

Online Audio Files | HOF Church Facebook | Truth Digest Facebook

This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios. For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on Facebook at House of Faith Church

SERMON INTRODUCTION

As we come to the conclusion

SERMON SERIES – The Revelation of Christ

THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE

TODAY’S SERMON - THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE

Part 50 – John and the Angel

SCRIPTURE READING

Revelation 22:6-11

6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

I. THE ANGEL SPOKE TO JOHN

a. These words are trustworthy and true

i. This statement by John exclaims he understands how incredible they sound, yet, they are true

ii. These things he has heard and seen can seem overwhelming and impossible, yet, they are coming, and will be, just as John has written

b. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things that must soon take place

i. Here, “Angel” (Greek Aggelos) is meant as “messenger”, not heavenly being

ii. This speaks not of a heavenly being, or Christ, but John, as the messenger sent by God to share this prophecy of what must soon take place

iii. Soon?

1. 2 Peter 3:3-13 “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking, and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

2. We see here some things mentioned that we also read in Revelation

a. Judgment Day coming to destroy the ungodly

b. Destruction of heaven and earth

c. The coming of a new heaven and earth

d. A reminder of creation, judgment by flood, so believe judgment day is coming and will happen

e. And the reason for man’s perception of God’s “slowness”

3. Finite man thinks God is restricted by time as we are.

a. God created time

b. God’s abode it outside of that creation

c. Time does not affect God (i.e. “a day is like a thousand years, a thousand years like a day”)

i. Meaning, God can jump here and there, back and forth through “time”

ii. Which is how he “shows” prophets the reality of future events for them to “prophecy” about

iii. They report the actualities show them

4. So why does man scoff and think God isn’t “coming coon” or at all, if they are mockers of God?

a. Because they do not understand why God is “patient”

i. Vs 9b “he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

iv. THIS is the FIRST WILL of God

1. 1 Timothy 2:4 “God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Meaning YOU!

2. The second will of God is specific to you. Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

3. And the third will of God is that you use His second will to fulfill His first!

c. Look, I am coming soon!

i. Another statement to exclaim it is happening soon!

ii. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll

1. You will be blessed for reading, hearing, studying and sharing the Book 0of Revelation!

2. Why is this book a “blessing”?

3. Because it is what is coming next in God’s timeline of events!

II. I, JOHN, AM THE ONE WHO HEARD AND SAW THESE THINGS

a. When I heard and saw these things I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me

b. But he said, do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you

c. And with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!

III. DO NOT SEAL UP THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS SCROLL

a. Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong

b. Let the vile person continue to be vile

c. Let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy

CONCLUSION –

Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’”

Revelation 22:14-15 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.”

NEXT WEEK: The Invitation and Warning

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Sunday, April 26, 2020

The Revelation of Christ – Part 45: The Thousand Years

The Revelation of Christ –

Part 45: The Thousand Years

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

Online Audio Files | HOF Church Facebook | Truth Digest Facebook

SERMON INTRODUCTION

Today we will be looking at “The Thousand Years,” as described in Revelation 20. This can sometimes seem confusing for many reasons. Many think when we die, we “go to heaven” when actually we will live on the new earth when all is said and done. Some think when we die, we become angels; however, angels and humans are two different creations, and though we will receive new bodies, we will never actually become angels.

Last week we finished looking at Revelation 19, the fall of Babylon, and the threefold hallelujah celebration over its demise.

We saw in Revelation 19:11 Christ on the white horse, and He is called Faithful and True. With Justice (honesty, integrity, fairness, impartiality, righteousness) he judges and wages war.

By the end of this chapter (Revelation 19:19), we see two parts of the unholy trinity (666), the beast (antichrist) and false prophet, were thrown “alive” into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

However, nothing was done to Satan for his plan to take over the world and rule mankind as a god. This brings us to Chapter 20.

SERMON SERIES – The Revelation of Christ

THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE – The Coming Judgment

TODAY’S SERMON - THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE

Part 45 – The Thousand Years

SCRIPTURE READING

Revelation 20:1-6

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. ²He seized the Dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ³He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

⁴I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. ⁶Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

I. THE ABYSS

a. The angel with the key and a great chain

i. This takes place immediately after the antichrist and the false prophet were cast alive into the lake of burning sulfur.

ii. This is an excellent illustration of how an angel can easily over-power Satan and lock him up simply because God commands him to.

iii. We also have the ability through the power of Christ Jesus to over-power Satan, demons, and their evil influences in our lives, if we are obedient and submit to the will of God.

b. The angel seized the Dragon, the Ancient Serpent, The Devil, Satan

i. Satan is given three names in this verse to describe him and his plan of destruction

ii. The Dragon – represents Satan displaying his power of destruction. The Dragon tried to destroy the woman, the child, the Jews, the Christians, and when he could not, he spewed forth a great deluge of false teachings, gods and religions in hopes of drowning the children of God.

iii. The Ancient Serpent – A reminder that in the garden, he was the first cunning deceiver, and continued to deceive through the rest of history.

iv. The Devil – the accuser of those who belong to the Lord.

v. Satan – Our adversary, rival, and enemy.

c. The angel threw him into the Abyss

i. The angel throws Satan into the Abyss

1. In Luke 8:31 the demons who possessed the pigs pleaded with Jesus not to cast them into the Abyss.

2. In Revelation 9:11 we were told that the King over those in the Abyss was Abaddon in Hebrew, Apollyon in Greek, both meaning Destroyer. He is not Satan, but was released during Tribulation and serves Satan to empower the antichrist.

3. Satan is cast into the Abyss locked in great chains, and the Abyss sealed over him to keep him from deceiving the nations any more.

ii. Until the thousand years were ended, after which he will be set free for a short time.

iii. Why?

1. We aren’t told why the Lord didn’t cast Satan into the fiery lake of sulfur along with the antichrist and the false prophet.

2. We aren’t told why the Lord will set Satan free once more after the thousand-year reign.

3. Perhaps it is because the Lord is a righteous judge, and before casting Satan into the eternal, everlasting lake of burning sulfur, the final “hell” which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41), called Gehenna by Jesus, the Lord wanted to show Satan what the world would look like without him (the thousand-year Kingdom Age)

II. THE JUDGES

a. The 24 elders

i. 12 who represent the Old Testament, and 12 who represent the New Testament

ii. In other words, they represent the entirety of God’s law and plan on earth. They are the perfect religious rule, and therefore judges for the Lord.

b. The tribulation saints

i. The souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and the Word of God.

ii. They had NOT worshipped the beast, or its image, or taken its mark

iii. They came to life

c. The first resurrection

i. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years

ii. This is the “First Resurrection”

iii. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection

III. THE KINGDOM AGE

a. The second resurrection

i. This will take place at the time of judging where all of those who did not serve the Lord will be condemned.

b. The second death has no power over the saints

i. Once we (those who serve the Lord) have died, and are part of the “first resurrection,” we will receive our new bodies and made complete and whole, never to die again.

ii. Those who were part of the second resurrection will be judged and cast into the eternal lake of fire, and this is the second death.

c. The saints will reign with Christ over the earth

i. Those who are part of the first resurrection will;

1. Never die again, no second death

2. Be priests of God

3. Be priests of Christ

4. Will reign with Christ on earth for a thousand years

5. This is the Kingdom Age

CONCLUSION –

At this point this is what has taken place in the scriptures;

· God, through the Word and Holy Spirit, created all that exists

· Man is deceived by Satan who wants to be a god over humankind and earth

· This sin breaks the communion between God and His people

· The Word is made flesh to redeem humankind and mend the communion between God and His people

· Satan tries to destroy Israel so the Word cannot become flesh, but fails

· Satan tries to kill the child (the Word made flesh) but fails

· Satan tries to destroy the Jews, but fails

· Satan tries to deceive the Word made flesh in the wilderness, but fails

· Satan tries to destroy Jesus with the cross, fulfilling prophecy, so the Word redeems humankind and mends the communion between God and His creation through Christ Jesus

· Satan tries to destroy Christian followers of Christ, but fails, and the Holy Scriptures are penned

· Satan spews forth a deluge of false teachings, teachings of men and false gods and religions in hopes of drowning the children of God, yet many still follow the Lord

· Satan decides to make himself a god on earth and creates the unholy trinity (666) by imploring Abbadon to empower the False Prophet and bring up the antichrist, which ushers in Tribulation.

· He fails, and the Lord casts the antichrist, the false prophet into the fiery lake of sulfur.

· Satan is then bound in chains and cast into the Abyss, where he is locked up for the Kingdom Age.

· During the Kingdom Age, the first resurrection takes place, and God’s people reign with Christ on earth for a thousand years. At the end of this, Satan will once again be released from the Abyss and face judgment.

NEXT WEEK: The Judgment of Satan

Want to learn more about Salvation and Getting Saved?

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Want to hear the audio to this sermon?

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