Transcript

The Faithful Witnesses of Christ-Part Two

Did you ever notice how God has wired all humans to naturally be a witness for Him?

Imagine something really exciting happening to your life and the pain you would experience if you couldn't share it with others. You just received a significant promotion and you weren't allowed to tell your spouse. For the first time in your life you just received straight A's on your report card, but this time you couldn't share it with your parents. Your favorite sports team just won a championship and you weren't permitted to celebrate it among fellow fans. Your drawing won the third grade art contest, but you can't post it on the refrigerator. I can keep going, but I think we all get the point.

I believe it was C.S. Lewis that once said, "Joy that is shared is doubly joyous." It's a universal human experience. We love to talk about, boast in the things that are most important to us.

So what or who is most important in your life? We are in church so you know the answer I'm looking for. Of course it's, God. As a matter of fact, if there is anything that thrills you, excites you, captivates you, stuns you more than God, you are clearly an idolater. So if we follow the first commandment and place no other gods before the true God and we are wired to speak of that which is most important to us, it only stands to reason that we will we a faithful witness for Jesus Christ, our treasure chest of holy joy.

You know, that is how I see all the commands to evangelize. I don't view them as something I just need to turn on in certain situations. I see them in the context of a robust relationship with God. It's getting to a point where God is so special and adored in our lives that speaking to others about Him, either fellowshipping with believers or evangelizing unbelievers, is simply from the overflow of our hearts.

Think back to that time when you fell in love with someone. You didn't keep it a secret. Your comments weren't telegraphed or premeditated or canned with others on this subject. You didn't get into a conversation with someone and then say, "Oh yes, it's my duty right now to change the topic and tell you are Mr. or Mrs. Wonderful," did you? It was on the forefront of your mind and the tip of your tongue. You couldn't wait to get it out because nothing was more special or exciting to you at the time. You found pleasure in talking about it. The same is true for every Christian and his or her relationship with Christ. We are born and then born-again to be witness for King Jesus.

A few days ago I told my daughters a story during our family devotionals. I remember when I was first saved about 25 years ago. No topic was more exciting than talking about God and the Bible. Not long after I was asked to help serve with the Youth Ministry at church. I went with them on my first Christians retreat.

All of us heard a tremendous lesson and then we broke for lunch. To my shocking surprise, not a single teen around all the tables was heard talking about anything that resembled the lesson or their walks with the Lord. I was really confused and as a new Christian (trying to figure this whole thing out) came to the conclusion (and this is not a joke) that it just wasn't proper to overdo the Jesus thing. I assumed it was socially unacceptable to talk too much about the Lord on a Christian retreat! A crazy conclusion, a wrong conclusion, but as a new believer, an honest conclusion I drew as I observed the interactions of dozens of people that professed to be Christians much longer than I.

The Bible does not so much command Christians to be witnesses for Jesus as much as it identifies those who are witnesses for Jesus as Christians. As fish swim and birds fly and the IRS collects taxes, all Christians are identified as witnesses for Christ.

As a matter of fact, this is what gets Christians in trouble with the world. Jesus said it well, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you" (Jn. 15:19). Unbelievers will have no problem with us if we would just keep our beliefs to ourselves. Yet when we lovingly share them (as we are commanded to), they become very uncomfortable. They have only two options. They can repent or they can attack the messenger.

As we study the persecuted church from the first century described in Revelation we realize the pain they experienced from the world was simply because they were faithful witnessing Christians. A few weeks ago when we began Revelation chapter 11, we saw this up close and personal. It was what I called, "God's Witnesses on Earth."

1. God's Witnesses On Earth - Review (verses 1-14)

By way of review from that lesson, we were introduced in chapter 11, verse 3 to the "two witnesses." As I said, there is much debate as to whether these individuals should be taken as a literal two witnesses or they should be taken symbolically to represent the church. Either way, our conclusion regarding God's witnesses will be the same.

In verse 4 we read they are called, "Lampstands." What comes to mind? Chapter 1 told us the lampstand is symbolic for the church (Rev. 1:20). The people in God's church are to be a light for Jesus. Jesus is the "Light of the World" (Jn. 9:5). If Jesus dwells within us we are "lights in the world" (Phil 2:15). We are "Light in the Lord" (Eph. 5:8). And as lights (or witnesses) for Jesus we dare not place our light "under a basket" (Mt. 5:15). We are to bring God's light to a world in darkness. We are (1 Pet. 2:9) "People for God's own possession, so that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light." We've been saved to proclaim, saved to be a light, saved to witness for Jesus.

And again, when we witness light to those in darkness what can we expect at times to be the result? Verse 5 in Revelation 11 describes the words that come out of the mouths of God's witnesses as "fire." If we take this symbolically, the hatred for God's Word is so apparent among the lost that it's as if unbelievers are being scorched with fire when they hear it. To them, we are like fire-breathing dragons. Some will believe, but many will hate this message and hate its messengers.

The world's response is so clear. Beginning in verse 7 we read, "When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. [This is our introduction to the Antichrist.] And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. [Back then to refuse burial to a dead person was a possibly worst form of insult. Now look at what the world thinks of these Christians.] And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth" Rev. 11:7-10).

Yet God takes care of His witnesses. We read that they will be resurrected (Rev. 11:11). That God will call them up to heaven. And that great fear will come upon the world.

Now the transition verse, verse 14: "The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly." Remember the end time judgments from God? There were the seven seals. The seventh seal is I believe the seven trumpets. We have seen six of the seven trumpets. Only the seventh trumpet still remained. Or as it's been said, the last three trumpets are the three woes and now according to verse 14, "The third woe (or the final and seventh trumpet) is coming quickly."

So from God's witnesses on earth, I take you to the new material, "God's witnesses in heaven" in verses 15-19.

2. God's Witnesses In Heaven (verses 15-19)

Look at verse 15, "Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.'"

Let's break this down. Once the seventh and final trumpet of God's judgment is announced we are immediately taken from earth to see what will be happening in heaven. When we expect to read about this third woe and the destruction on earth (which we will in the following chapters) we instead right now hear about angelic voices in heaven. We learn that there will be "loud voices" in heaven making a proclamation. The proclamation of praise goes like this in verse 15 (a theme that will run through the rest of the chapter): "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."

For the most part, God has appeared absent for most of world history. Peter tells us the world will scoff regarding Christ's return (2 Pet. 3:3-4). Even now, the world interprets God's patience for His tolerance. God's justice will seem incomplete and His protection for His church nonexistent. Christians are being tortured and murdered oversees. Even God's choice servants are found throughout the Bible crying out, "O Lord - How long? (Psm. 6:3)." We know Jesus is Lord over all creation, yet it certainly does appear that Satan is the "god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4; cf. Mt. 4:8).

But at this point in future history, not any longer! What we see here before this final trumpet is God taking ownership of what rightfully belongs to Him. We see God overthrowing all His enemies and manifesting His universal and rightful rule! Those who oppose Him will bow and declare that "Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil. 2:11) and those who know Him "will reign forever and ever" (Rev. 22:5) with their Savior and King.

All this causes the heavenly host to erupt in loud praise for God vindication of His holy name.

In verse 16 we read that "the twenty-four elders [we've seen them before, I believe more angels], who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God." So these angels go down to their faces in humble reverence and devotion. Verse 17 tells us what they will say, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign."

Again it's not that God has now begun to reign at this point as if whims of man and Satan have been permitted to override His desires. God has always reigned. In respect to His hidden will it is always accomplished. It's just that now God's reign is fully realized. God will crush His enemies as the angel said by His "great power." All things are now realized as being placed under His dominion. Again, this event that will happen in the future is so much a guarantee that John is writing as if it has already occurred!

These are the things in Revelation that should bring us tremendous encouragement!

As you know we have the shepherding spheres. Each elder is assigned a group from this church based upon the first letter of your last name. Recently one of the elders told me a story when he called a senior woman (whose name he did not relay to me and one whom he had never met) that had missed several weeks from the church. She mentioned that she's been down and then asked, "Is that pastor still preaching through Revelations?" When he answered, "Yes," she immediately replied, "Well that hasn't been very uplifting." He told me how he tried to correct her erroneous perception of this book.

My friends, for the believer, Revelation gives Christians wonderful hope. Yet for the unbeliever, it's a much different story. How do they respond to the fate that is assigned them?

Verse 18 says, "The nations were enraged." We know how much the world hates God. We've seen how much the world has forced Christian bakers and photographers to subject their religious conscience to the demands of the state. We know how much the world fights with every fiber to rebel against the commandments of God found in the Bible. We've seen in Revelation how people curse God and rage against Him when His wrath upon them is displayed.

When the seventh trumpet was about to sound the verse says "the nations were enraged." Why? As the verse continues, because "[God's] wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged." Their so-called "fun" and anti-God pursuits are over and they are being called into accountability before the God who sees everything and reads motives.

You see, the world wants God without His lordship. It wants sin without consequences. It wants self's will without God imposing His will. It wants lives lived without any accountability demanded.

Yet God's judgment is not idle. One day God will reign and call all to account for their actions. Verse 18 says there will be a day of reckoning when His wrath will come upon all sin and those who have died to stand before His Great White Throne of judgment. For most, even if they don't define it this way, it's been a rage their entire lives against God. Now their hearts will be made clear. And now God is clearly going to rage against them. God calls it at the end of verse 18, a destruction.

Yet as verse 18 continues, it will also be a time when God will reward His people - all His people as the verse says "who [have] feared His name." Again we see the reversal of the world order. These are the ones who submitted to the Lordship of Christ and sought to honor Him through their actions and were faithful witness of His name and yet mocked and rejected and persecuted by the world that raged against them. Now is there time to be blessed and rewarded.

Verse 19, "And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm."

So today we learned God created the world to be witness of Him. There are those on earth who witness for Him and as Jesus predicted will be rejected by the majority in the world. And there are those in heaven who witness for Him in their devout and reverential worship.

It's clear that there will come a time of reckoning. And it simply all comes down to what we did with Jesus Christ. We are all sinners and we all deserve God's wrath. Yet Jesus Christ came to take that wrath upon Himself and promise complete forgiveness to all who call upon Him and follow Him for salvation. Those who reject Christ will stand before God and be found guilty. They will experience His wrath. And those who receive Jesus Christ will be forgiven and will one day be rewarded for their faith. Yet in the meantime they show their faith and gratitude for the Lord and their love for the lost who will be judged by faithfully witnessing for their beloved Savior.